But as I watch them across the room, Rowan pointedly turning her attention back to Poppy, Aiden's gaze never leaving her face, I have a feeling we're both right. And somehow, I don't think this is the last we'll see of whatever just sparked between them.
God help us all.
As the evening winds down, I step out onto the back porch for a moment of quiet. The crisp autumn air fills my lungs, a welcome relief after the cheerful chaos inside. The sun is setting over the ranch, painting the sky in brilliant oranges and pinks that stretch across the Colorado horizon.
I spot Sadie before she notices me, leaning against the porch railing, her face turned toward the sunset. Poppy is sound asleep against her shoulder, tiny fist curled against her mother's neck. The sight of them silhouetted against the fading light stops me in my tracks.
This is my family. Mine to protect, to cherish, to build a life with.
I approach quietly, not wanting to disturb Poppy. When I rest my hand on the small of Sadie's back, she leans into thetouch without turning, like her body already knows mine by instinct.
"Needed some air?" I ask softly, moving to stand beside her.
She nods, her eyes still on the horizon. "It was getting a little loud in there. Poppy crashed about ten minutes ago."
I stroke one finger gently over Poppy's cheek, marveling at the perfect softness of her skin. Her dark lashes rest against her cheeks, her breathing deep and even in the absolute trust of childhood sleep.
"Want me to take her?" I offer.
"In a minute," Sadie says, and I understand. There's something sacred about holding a sleeping child, something that grounds you in the present moment like nothing else.
We stand in comfortable silence, watching the last sliver of sun disappear behind the mountains. When she finally turns to look at me, there's something new in her eyes, a softness, a certainty I haven't seen before.
"Your family is…" she starts, searching for the right word.
"Overwhelming?" I suggest with a gentle smile.
"Amazing," she corrects, shifting Poppy slightly in her arms. "I've never felt so… welcomed. So immediately accepted."
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, my thumb lingering on her cheek. "That's just who they are. Once they decide you're family, that's it. No questions, no conditions."
"I'm still getting used to that," she admits. "For so long, it was just me and Rowan against the world. Then just me and Poppy, running, hiding." She takes a shaky breath. "Now, suddenly there's this whole network of people who act like we've always belonged with them."
"You have," I tell her, my voice low and certain. "You just hadn't found us yet."
Her eyes shine with unshed tears, but they're the good kind, the healing kind. "I keep waiting for it to feel overwhelming in a bad way, but it doesn't. It feels…"
"Safe," I finish for her.
"Yes." She looks down at Poppy, then back at me. "Safe."
I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her gently against my side. She comes willingly, fitting herself into the space beside me like she was designed to be there.
"I talked to Rowan earlier," she says after a moment. "About our plans."
My pulse quickens slightly. "And?"
Sadie looks up at me, a small smile playing at her lips. "She's going to watch the café while we move our stuff into your house. This weekend."
The simple words have me instantly smiling like a damn fool. I've been waiting, hoping, not wanting to push. And now she's saying it so casually, like it's the most natural thing in the world.
"You're sure?" I ask, needing to hear it again.
"Completely." Her smile widens. "It's time, Axel. Past time. I don't want to waste another day not waking up with you, not going to sleep with you, not building our life together."
I bend to kiss her, careful not to disturb Poppy. The kiss is gentle but full of promise, of mornings and evenings to come, of a lifetime of moments just like this one.
"I've been ready since the day I met you," I confess against her lips.
