They got ready for bed in comfortable silence, moving around each other with practiced ease. The queen-size bed was smallerthan they were used to, but neither minded the excuse to stay close. Luke settled on his side, Noah’s chest pressed against his back, their fingers intertwined.
“Thank you for sharing this place with us,” Noah murmured, kissing Luke’s shoulder. “It means a lot.”
Luke squeezed Noah’s hand, his heart full. “Thank you for being here. For everything.”
As they drifted off to sleep, Luke focused on the steady rhythm of Noah’s breathing, on the weight of his arm draped across Luke’s waist, on the perfect rightness of this moment. The fear would probably always be there, quiet whispers in the back of his mind, but that didn’t matter. Not when he had Noah and Eli and a future full of possibilities stretching out before them.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Dad, can I have more bacon?”Eli held up his empty plate, syrup from his pancakes dripping onto the worn wooden table.
Noah nodded, reaching for the platter. “One more piece, buddy. We’re eating later than normal, and I don’t want you to still be full when it’s time for lunch.”
“Actually,” Cathy said, peering into the fridge, “lunch might be a bit delayed. I could have sworn I bought everything yesterday, but we’re missing several ingredients for the potato salad and we’re almost out of milk.”
“Make a list, and we’ll run to the store after breakfast,” Luke offered.
Noah hesitated, glancing at Eli. His son was already turning back to Mason, asking if he could learn how to fish today. Noah sucked in a sharp breath, not sure he was comfortable with Eli messing around with sharp hooks. On the other hand, the ease with which Eli had settled in with the other kids warmed Noah’s heart.
“I don’t want you boys running all over for me,” Cathy protested. “I’m sure your dad won’t mind heading into town.”
“We can go,” Noah agreed, pushing back from the table. He wasn’t used to having people he could leave Eli with, so disrupting his fun wasn’t the issue he was making it out to be in his head. “Eli, you good staying here with everyone?”
“Uh-huh.” Eli barely looked up from where Mason was explaining different types of bait to him. “Can we practice diving while you’re gone? Emma says she can teach me.”
“No diving,” Noah and Luke said simultaneously, sharing a look that made Megan snort into her coffee.
“Your dad and Luke should be back before it’s time to swim, but if they’re not, we can wait to head down to the lake,” Megan suggested.
“Swimming is fine,” Noah added, “but stay in the shallow area. And listen to Megan and Drew, okay?”
Eli nodded absently, still focused on Mason’s lesson. Noah’s chest tightened—the need to make sure his son was safe warred with the desire to let him spread his wings.
“He’ll be fine,” Luke murmured, close enough only Noah could hear. “Drew’s a great swimmer, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he and Mason wind up fishing instead since that’s all he’s talked about this morning.”
Noah knew Luke was right. The lake house felt safe, with plenty of responsible adults around. And Eli was having so much fun with the rest of the kids. This was the life he’d always wanted for his son.
“Here’s the list,” Cathy said, pressing a piece of paper into Luke’s hand. “And maybe grab some more hot dogs? The kids went through quite a few yesterday.”
They gathered their wallets and keys, Noah pausing to drop a kiss on top of Eli’s head. “Be good, buddy. We won’t be gone long.”
“Okay, Dad.” Eli flashed him a quick smile before turning back to Mason.
Noah followed Luke out to the truck, the morning sun already warming the air. The lake stretched out before them, calm and peaceful, promising another perfect summer day. As they climbed into the cab, Noah caught himself smiling at how natural this felt—running errands together, sharing quiet moments between the chaos of family life.
“What?” Luke asked, catching his expression.
“Nothing.” Noah reached for Luke’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Just…happy, I guess. I knew Eli was missing out on having cousins to grow up with and all that, but seeing how easily he’s fitting in with Mason and the girls has me ready to kick myself.”
“Why’s that?” Luke asked as he backed up and turned the truck around.
Through the side mirror, Noah caught a glimpse of the kids spilling onto the deck, their laughter carrying across the still morning air. His chest tightened with emotion—love for his son, gratitude for this family that had welcomed them so completely, and a deep, steady affection for the man beside him.
“I’ve avoided getting serious with anyone because I didn’t want to hurt him,” Noah admitted. A little voice in the back of his head reminded him that if he hadn’t been so cautious, he might not have met Luke. “But in doing that, I kept him from experiences like this one.”
“You’re thinking too hard again,” Luke teased, his thumb tracing patterns on Noah’s palm. “And maybe there’s a reason neither of us met that special someone until my sister begged me to help you.”
“I think you might be right.” Noah smiled, pushing away the lingering whisper of anxiety. Eli was safe, surrounded by people who already loved him like family. Everything was perfect.
