"How's it going, Savvie?"
She turned to smile at Jake's dad."I'm doing great, thanks.How about you?"
He nodded."The same."He smiled out at the lake."If you want to know the truth, I can honestly say that I'm loving life."
Savannah hugged her arms around her middle—she wanted to hug him but that might seem a little weird.
"I can see that about you," she told him."And I don't blame you.It must have been a hard life as a Marine—even though you enjoyed it.Now, you have Jo—she's such an amazing lady—and you live here in this wonderful house.It seems to me that you've earned this life and you deserve to be happy."
"Thanks."He turned and met her gaze."I'm not so sure about earning it, though.I'm not saying that I haven't worked hard, but...I guess what I mean is that you shouldn't feel like you need to earn happiness."He smiled."You don't always need to work hard for it.Sometimes it just comes along."
She glanced over to where Jake was laughing with his Uncle Dom next to the grill."That's how I feel," she admitted."Like happiness just came along—and I'm so grateful."
Damon smiled."That's what I'm saying.It landed in your lap—and in Jake's—and all you need to do is let it in.Accept that it's real, that it can last, and enjoy it."
It felt like he was saying more than he put into words, but she wasn't sure what.
"I hope you'll let me and Jo in—as part of your family."
She pressed her lips together as she swallowed."I feel like you guys are the ones letting me in."
He rested his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze."We already have, and we hope you'll want to be part of the family—for good."
She swallowed."I do.Thank you.You have no idea how much it means to me."
"I might have an inkling.It was different for me—I was adopted as a baby and my adoptive family were so good to me that I never wondered about my birth family.But Dom bounced around the foster system for most of his childhood."He glanced over at his brother."Can you imagine what it was like to discover that you have an identical twin—someone who looks exactly the same as you but you didn't know they existed, let alone what they're like?"
Savannah shook her head."I can't even imagine having a brother or a sister."
"I know, and what I'm trying to say—and not making a very good job of—is that I know you've been on your own for most of your life.We all were in our own ways too, but that doesn't mean we're not close now—or that our family is any less real or close just because we didn't figure it out till now."He gave her a rueful smile."I hope you'll see yourself as one of us.We're not a family you need to work your way into from the outside.We're all in the same boat—all thinking that we had no one until we found each other."
"Aww."Her hand came to cover her heart."Thank you.I know what you mean—and it means the world to me.I do tend to see myself as being on the outside looking in."
"Yeah, and—"
She held her hand up so she could continue."But it hit me yesterday here in the kitchen with Jo while you guys were off doing your thing.I feel like I'm on the inside here—like...I belong."
He smiled so big that it reminded her of Jake."That's all I wanted."He held his arms out to the sides, but then hesitated, looking uncertain.
Savannah took a step closer, a little unsure herself, but she had to risk it."If you were about to offer a hug, I'd love one."
When he closed his arms around her, she rested her cheek against his chest and had to swallow a couple of times.Jake was a big guy, but his dad was huge.It was like hugging a warm, affectionate boulder.
He tightened his arms around her for a moment before stepping back, looking a little worried."I hope that was okay?"
She nodded rapidly."It was wonderful.I never knew my dad and I've never..."She shrugged."That felt like the first dad hug I ever had."
He smiled."Felt like my first daughter hug, too.And this is me signing up as your official provider of dad hugs—for life."
She grinned."Offer accepted, and if you ever need a daughter hug..."
She didn't get the chance to finish as Jake appeared wearing a puzzled smile."Are you guys okay?"
"We are."His dad winked at Savannah."We were just practicing family hugs."
She was surprised that Jake's eyes widened.Surely he didn't think that she and his dad...?
From the look his dad gave him, she guessed there was something else going on, but she'd have to have a word with Jake later and make sure.
