I turn off the car and scan the tree farm for Gavin, eager for that little skip in my heartbeat when I’m near him.
And when my gaze lands on the bakery steps, my pulse skitters like I expected it to.
Black coat over broad shoulders, forest-green hat that Luci knit him over his head, and two coffee cups in his hands.
I get out of the car in a daze, and as he steps forward, his focus lands on me, and a wide smile lifts his cheeks.
My lighthouse. My love. My Gavin, with that endearing glint in his eyes.
When he reaches me, his masculine pine scent wraps around me, and like an instinctual response, my body relaxes. He presses a long, soft kiss to my lips with a sigh.
“I missed you. How are you both?” he whispers, offering me a cup. Then his free hand lands reverently on my stomach.
“We’re perfect now.” I grin at him as I sip my sweet peppermint coffee, the warmth spreading down my body.
He leans down to kiss my jacket-covered belly. “Good. We’ve got a tree to pick.”
When he wraps his arm around my shoulders, I pull his mug toward me and smell its contents. “How’s that peppermint mocha?” I tease.
He smacks a kiss on my cheek and guides me toward the rest of our group. “Delicious.”
GAVIN
“Okay. What’s your favorite number?” Lena asks, tying the cranberry-red scarf around Julia’s head.
To her credit, Julia looks completely trusting as Lena blindfolds her, even though she’s never seen this tradition before.
Last year was my year. At forty years old, I let Lena wrap a scarf around my eyes, and while I tried to convince everyone that two was my favorite number, Lena made me pick ten.
Ten for the number of years it took us to realize where our hearts truly belonged.
“Nine,” Julia says confidently.
“That’s a good number,” Penelope tells her, folding their hands together.
A smile stretches over Lena’s beautiful face. She winks at me and asks, “How many times should we spin her, Gav?”
Julia giggles, squirming in her spot.
Since her adoption was finalized three months ago, she has blossomed more than I ever could’ve imagined. Lena and I spent a lot of time with her before the adoption, but having her home with us now is a dream come true.
Have I baked homemade cinnamon rolls every Saturday at her request? Maybe.
Have I let her become addicted to decaf peppermint mochas right along with the rest of us? Possibly.
Have I let her and Lena paint murals across her bedroom walls in our brand-new cabin? Yeah, I did that.
Do I regret any of it? Absolutely not.
She has me wrapped around her finger.
Well, they both do. And there’s about to be a third family member who I can’t say no to.
“Spin her ninety-seven times. Once for every day she’s lived with us,” I say, ruffling the top of Julia’s head.
“Uncle Gavin,” Pen scolds as Julia squeals, “Okay!”
Lena’s raspy laugh caresses my ears as she starts spinning Julia slowly. “One, two, ninety-five …”
