"Elena's pack too?" I ask.
"Twenty minutes. Traffic on Main Street."
Felix checks his watch. "Perfect. That gives me time to—oh shit, the rolls!"
He dives for the oven. I step back, letting him work.
Liam sets the firewood by the fireplace, then comes to stand beside me. His hand finds mine.
"You okay?" he asks quietly.
"More than okay." I lean into him. "This is really nice."
"Yeah." He kisses my temple. "It is."
Silas emerges from the hallway, hair still damp from his shower. Dark jeans and a burgundy henley that makes his eyes look more blue than gray.
"Need help with anything?"
"I've got it!" Felix calls. "Just stay out of my way!"
I move to stand beside Silas, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind.
"Everything alright?" he asks, hand covering mine.
"Yes, perfect. I'm just thinking how much I love this."
"The chaos?"
"The home. The ‘us‘. Everything."
He turns in my arms, cupping my face, his eyes soft. "I love it too. I love having you here."
"Even when I hog the rink during your morning practice?"
He smiles. "Especially then."
From the kitchen, Felix makes an indignant sound. "These rolls are perfect and no one's here to see them!"
"We'll see them," Liam calls back.
"Not the same!"
I laugh against Silas's chest.
This. This is what I never knew I was missing.
"I'm so glad I got trapped in that storm," I whisper.
"Me too."
Felix reappears in the doorway, flour on his cheek. "Okay, I need someone to—oh. Am I interrupting?"
"Never," Silas says, smiling.
We follow Felix to the kitchen. Liam's pulling roasted vegetables from the oven.
"Everything's ready," Liam says. "Thirty minutes before everyone arrives."
