“I’ll have to keep an eye on that boy,” he growled withthe protective instincts of a good brother. “But he’s not the only guy who wants to sneak a kiss.”
“No?” she asked hopefully, her heart pounding like she was the sixteen-year-old today.
But she loved this man beside her with a love that went far deeper than any teenage romance. She trusted him—body and soul.
And he kissed her with all the love of forever on his lips, the sweetest promise of their shared future echoing in her ears.
Epilogue
One month later
“A tree-trimmingparty is just what we all needed,” Amy Finley observed as she eyed the stacks of ornament boxes scattered around Gabriella and Clayton’s new living room. The scent of a fifteen-foot blue spruce hung heavy in the air while a Christmas carol played on the sound system, one of the few things hooked up and working in their new home. “I’m so excited we’re doing this.”
Gabriella suppressed the urge to pirouette through the wide-open space of the beautiful home she’d purchased with Clayton just last week. The house had belonged to Sam, but since he and his son were moving in with Sam’s fiancée, Amy, Sam had offered them a good deal on his old place.
Clay had sold his home in Memphis quickly and Gabriella still had hers on the market out in San Jose, but she’d been able to contribute half the cost of the house thanks to the investments her brother had made on her behalf. Both of their names were on the deed and she knew—without question—they would one day share more than just a home. They were sharing a life. A future. Mia. And one day, they would share a name.
They were just waiting for the right time to shop for a ring. But for now, there was no hurry. Each day was a happy surprise for them, both still a little awed to be loved so completely.
“I figured a tree-trimming party sounded more festive than a ‘Life in Prison’ party, but let’s face it, we’re celebrating that, too.” Gabriella had attended Jeremy Covington’s sentencing with, it seemed, all of Heartache beside her. As one, the residents of their small town had waited to hear the punishment for Covington after being convicted on all counts.
As one, the residents of Heartache had cheered. Their town was safe again.
“Are you kidding me?” Amy grabbed the bottle of champagne from the coffee table. “This whole town is raising a cup to toast the last of that bastard.” She unwrapped the foil top on the bottle, carefully pointing it away from where Aiden snoozed in his baby carrier on the floor. “A ‘Life in Prison’ party would have filled your new place to overflowing.”
Gabriella bent beside baby Aiden, gazing into his snoozing face. He’d grown so much since she’d first held him that day at the reunion party, his little features filling out and changing. What a miracle he was.
“Well then, I’m glad I called it a tree-trimming party so it was just us.” Gabriella felt like she’d already been given the greatest Christmas present ever. In the past month, Lorelei Hasting had practically adopted her, introducing her to friends in Franklin who worked in the social services department, setting her up with a part-time job while sheworked on her degree in counseling. And all of that didn’t compare to the nights she’d hosted Clay and Gabby for dinners in her big, busy home.
Gabriella had met her rabbits, her current foster kids, and learned the secret family recipe for pizza known only to insiders and Hastings. Lorelei had also helped Gabby obtain approval to be a foster parent.
Just in case.
“Justus?” Amy shook her head as she laughed. “We have a way of filling up a house in a hurry, Gabby. Aiden alone has enough baby equipment to fill the living room.”
The Christmas carol shifted to an upbeat fifties holiday tune just as Clayton and Sam entered the back door, their arms full of pinecones, holly berry branches and pine boughs. They stomped their boots on the braid rug, laughing as Mia’s new golden lab puppy, Dora, chased a fallen twig across the hardwood floor. She slipped and skidded as she captured it, rolling onto her back to wrestle the stick into submission, her ears flopping wide on either side of her head.
“But it’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Gabriella asked, her throat catching on a lump at all the happiness in her life right now. “Being back here where we were all friends once upon a time. Being with people we cared about even then. Sometimes I wonder how I ever stayed away for so long.”
Amy was by her side a moment later, pressing a champagne glass into her hand.
“We came back home at the perfect time, you know,” Amy assured her as the guys shed shoes and coats at the door. “I needed time to make amends with my family. You needed time to heal. But it all worked out just like it was supposed to.”
Sam entered the living room first, handing Amy a glass of water before helping himself to a glass of champagne.
“What have you two been up to?” He wrapped a possessive arm around his fiancée. “I thought this was a tree-trimming party and yet the ornaments are all still in boxes.”
Clayton joined them after setting down a bowl of water for Dora, who lapped up her drink with noisy enthusiasm. Clay kissed Gabriella’s cheek in a way that still sent a shiver of anticipation through her. Before she could say anything, Mia rushed into the house a moment later along with a burst of cold December air and Davis beside her.
“Are we too late?” The teen pulled off a knit hat and dropped it in a chair, her dark curls dancing with static electricity, her cheeks pink from the outdoors.
Davis hung his coat beside hers on the full coat rack, adjusting the others so they were straight and neat. He really was a great guy. He’d shown Gabriella the gift he bought for Mia for Christmas—a silver necklace with her name in pretty script like a seventies throwback. She was going to love it.
Her best present would arrive next week, though. Her former foster sister, Nicole, was coming to live with them at the start of January. It was on a trial basis, but Mia had been part of the decision from the beginning and both girls were so excited to be reunited they had a countdown calendar online. Clayton had been instrumental in making it happen, contacting the social services department about Mia’s former case worker who hadn’t helped her out of a bad situation in the house where Connor lived years ago. The woman was already under review for another infraction, and with Mia and Clayton’s statements, she would no longer be overseeing the placement of vulnerable children.
“You’re right on time.” Clay dropped a kiss on hissister’s head, and Gabby smiled to see the way Mia tilted toward it, their relationship easing more as Clay warmed to Pete.
Mia visited their father frequently, and Clay had started to drop by the assisted living facility more often, too. Pete was still surly sometimes, but he listened to Mia more than he listened to anyone else and his health was holding steady.
