“I meant what I said,” James murmured, his fingers drawing lazy patterns on her bare shoulder. “I want a family with you. Our family.”
Doreen smiled against his chest, her heart so full it ached. “I want that too. More than anything.”
She held him close, enjoying this moment of calm. Because she knew all too soon, Jake and Bash would be awake.
They lay entwined, savoring the warmth of each other’s bodies, until Doreen’s eyes drifted to the digital clock on the nightstand. The red numbers jolted her back to reality.
“James,” she murmured, reluctantly pulling away from his embrace. “We should get up. They’ll be here soon.”
He sighed against her neck, then lifted his head to capture her lips in one last lingering kiss that left her breathless. The passion in it held a promise for later as he finally rolled away and stood beside the bed.
Doreen propped herself up on her elbow, watching as he moved around the room. There was something mesmerizing about the way he dressed—the flex of muscle as he pulled on his blue button-up shirt, the practiced efficiency as he fastened each button. When he stepped into his work jeans that hugged his form perfectly, she couldn’t help but admire how they accentuated his strong thighs and narrow hips.
“You’re staring again,” he said without turning around, a smile in his voice.
“Can you blame me?” she replied, finally slipping out of bed herself.
She pulled on a thick, cream-colored sweater that felt like a cloud against her skin, then stepped into a pair of charcoal slacks. As she finished dressing, James came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Ready to face the day?” he murmured against her ear.
“More than ready,” she answered, turning in his arms for one more kiss before they headed downstairs.
In the kitchen, they moved in comfortable synchronicity. James measured coffee grounds while Doreen pulled eggs and bacon from the refrigerator. The familiar domesticity of it warmed her more than the heating system ever could.
As the bacon sizzled in the pan, they heard the telltale thump of paws on the stairs followed by Jake’s excited footsteps. James caught Doreen’s eye, and they exchanged secret smiles just as Jake burst into the kitchen, still in his pajamas with Bash dancing circles around him.
“Today’s the day!” Jake announced, his voice vibrating with excitement. “Bash and I are totally ready. We practiced sit and stay all night in my dreams!”
“Breakfast first,” Doreen reminded him, sliding a plate of eggs onto the table.
Jake nodded distractedly, already pulling Bash’s food from the cabinet. “Bash needs his special performance breakfast. Extra energy for all the awesome tricks he’s going to do!”
After carefully measuring Bash’s kibble, Jake finally took his place at the table and gulped down half a glass of orange juice in one go.
“Daniel said the judges look for precision and eye contact,” he continued, barely pausing for breath. “And Bash has the best eye contact. And Christopher said attitude matters too, and Bash has tons of that. And Michael said…”
“Slow down, buddy,” James chuckled. “Your breakfast’s getting cold.”
“Sorry,” Jake grinned, shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth before immediately launching back into his commentary. “The bear costume is going to be the best one there. Nobody else will have anything that cool. And Sorcha said Bash is going to win a rosette for sure. Maybe even a blue one!”
Doreen felt such love for her nephew. It was so easy to get swept along by his infectious enthusiasm as he continued his rapid-fire assessment of their chances in the festival dog show.
Suddenly, Bash’s ears perked up. He lifted his head from his food bowl, tilted it to one side, then bolted toward the front door with a whine.
“What’s wrong with Bash?” Jake frowned, pausing mid-sentence.
The distant sound of tires on gravel reached them. A car was approaching the cabin.
Doreen’s pulse quickened as she met James’s eyes. They’d kept the surprise so carefully hidden, making all the arrangements in whispered phone calls while Jake was occupied with Bash.
“Jake,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady, “why don’t you go see who’s at the door?”
Jake’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But we’re not expecting anyone, are we?”
“Just go look,” she encouraged gently.
With a puzzled expression, Jake pushed back from the table and headed toward the front door, Bash already scratching excitedly at the wood. Doreen followed a few steps behind, her heart thundering in her chest.
