“T-thank you. Thank you for giving that power to me.”
I cupped her face in both hands, thumbs brushing her damp cheeks. “Always, honey.”
I leaned in, pressing my forehead to hers for a heartbeat before pulling away. “Okay, let’s shower and dress quickly. Breakfast is waiting.”
43
luna
The snow crunched under our boots as we crossed the short stretch from the cabin to the main house, our breath puffing in the cold. My thighs were cramping from what had happened less than thirty minutes ago.
When Jer opened the door for me, the warmth hit first, followed by the scent of coffee and something sweet baking in the oven. Dirks’s mom was in the kitchen, her blond hair perfectly blown out. She wore a soft cream sweater dress cinched at the waist with a leather belt, leggings, and tidy little ankle boots.
I glanced down at myself—fitted jeans, a chunky blue sweater, hair twisted half up, the ends still a little wild from bed. Beside me, Jer looked like my shadow—head to toe in a black Henley with black jeans. The only thing breaking it up was the tattoos curling up his hands and disappearing under his sleeves.
“Morning, you two,” she said warmly, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Coffee’s fresh, breakfast is just about ready.”
I slipped past Jer and padded toward Dirks, who was leaning against the counter, a mug already in hand. His blue eyes softened when they landed on me.
“Hi, Luna girl.”
“Hi,” I said back, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his lips.
He caught my waist for a second and held me there.
Jer was still at the entry, pretending to inspect a photo on the wall, probably to give us a moment.
We moved into the dining room, where a plate of golden, fluffy pancakes sat in the center. A mound of scrambled eggs was next to crispy hash browns glistening with butter, slabs of thick-cut bacon curling at the edges, and a Crock-Pot of sausage gravy. Off to the side, homemade cinnamon rolls were cooling, their glaze dripping lazily down the sides.
“Go on, dig in before it gets cold.” She gestured to the food.
I slid into the seat between Dirks and Jer, my knees brushing both of theirs under the table, and reached for the coffee carafe.
Dani came bustling through with the kids on her heels, their little boots already laced up. “The kids are going outside to make snow angels.”
The four-year-old was already halfway into her coat, mittens dangling from her teeth. Carter followed, bouncing with the kind of energy only kids and golden retrievers have.
Tom came down the stairs next, smelling faintly of aftershave, giving everyone a polite good morning before snagging a seat. Dirks’s dad trailed in behind him, coffee in hand, looking freshly showered, but still very much the man who could chop firewood in twenty below without breaking a sweat.
We’d been eating for a few minutes, the hum of small talk weaving between the clink of forks and the occasional burst of laughter from outside. Then Jer cleared his throat.
“Hey,” he said, and every head at the table lifted. “I... wanted to apologize for last night. I was tired and... ” Hehesitated, eyes flicking briefly to me. “And embarrassed. About what Dirks wanted to say.”
Dirks looked over at him, brow furrowed, but I shook my head slightly, warning him with my eyes. I knew exactly where this was going, and my pulse spiked in my throat.
Jer leaned back in his chair, turning toward him fully. “Dirks wanted to tell you something.”
Dirks swept his gaze over the table, then back to Jer, who didn’t look away.
“Go ahead,” Jer murmured.
Dirks set his fork down and cleared his throat. “Well, I already told you all that Luna’s my girlfriend.”
I smiled at his family, feeling the heat of all their eyes on me.
“And she’s also—” He glanced toward Jeremy, and I saw the muscles in Jeremy’s jaw lock tight.
“—also really close with Jeremy,” I said, flashing my most innocent smile as I slid my hand over Dirks’s thigh under the table in warning. “The three of us have been... connected for a long time. We share a lot of life together.”
