She laughs again, wrapping one arm around my shoulders. “He’s over the moon to have you two here. And I know we live on the other side of the country, but I’m only ever a phone call away if you need an ear.”

“Thank you.”

“His life isn’t easy. But maybe he won’t be so much of a nomad now he’s got the two of you to come home to.”

I nod. “I hope so. It sounds like he’ll be more settled since he’s formed his own business.”

Her lips curl. “As long as he can keep Reece under control.”

I laugh. “I’m not sure anyone can keep Reece under control.”

“I think you’re right.”

Forty-Seven

Delaney

Josh’s parents stay for a week. And by the end of that week, I feel like they’re my parents too. Amelia is like a pig in mud with all the attention. But once they’re gone, and we’re back into our regular life, I feel lost again.

It takes a couple more weeks, but I reach the point where I pull out the tripod and camera, and set them up on the other side of the bench in the kitchen. I’m still unsure about the vlogging thing, but it could be fun. Maybe if those fans online actually see me in Josh’s house, they’ll accept the truth. And if Josh appears on camera, it might hammer the message home even sooner.

I pull out all the ingredients to make mac and cheese. It’s a basic dish and a good starter. And Melly and Josh love it. We can have it for dinner, and then have leftovers tomorrow.

“Hey, beautiful.” I look up to see Reece walk into the kitchen. It’s not like him to turn up in the middle of the day, but he’s a big fan of my cooking. I don’t mind the extra mouth to feed. It’s like having a neglected puppy turn up on your doorstep when you’re making meat pies.

He still jokes about stealing me away from Josh, and it’s flattering. It might be annoying if I thought he was serious, but he’s also our biggest supporter. And Melly adores him.

“I love how you just walk into my house, Reece.”

He chuckles. “You’re cooking?”

I shoot him a look that I hope conveys how unimpressed with his skills of deduction I am. “How did you guess?”

He leans against the bench. “What are you doing?”

“Making mac and cheese.”

His eyes widen. “Yum. I usually say you can’t beat my mother’s mac and cheese, but I bet yours is amazing.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls.” I shoot him a sly smile.

He turns to look at the tripod. “What’s with the camera gear?”