“Morning.” I cupped his jaw, running my thumb along his jaw.
“It’s still early,” he murmured. “You should go back to sleep.”
“Okay,” I said, leaning in to brush my nose against his.
“My mom will probably invite us over today,” he said sleepily. “We don’t have to go. We’ll do whatever you need.”
“We should go see her.” Anne was exuberant and maybe a little overbearing, but her presence felt like sunshine.
Gray’s arms tightened around my waist and he groaned, burying his face in my hair. I waited to see if he would wake up, but then his arms relaxed their hold and his breathing evened out. My lips ghosted across Henry’s as his eyes fluttered closed.
And then I was the only one awake again. Sleep tugged at me, but I resisted, wanting to spend as much time as possible in the quiet. Once the sun rose, I would have to face my upcoming biopsy and my own swirling fears about the future. But for now, I was warm in my perfect bubble with my guys.
Anne’s armswrapped around me the moment I walked in the door.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry,” she said, squeezing me tight. Her scent was light and floral, her body soft against mine. I swallowed around the tightness in my throat. Her hug reminded me of my mom, and I wished more than anything she was here with me. I never had to hide my feelings from her and my dads. Their carefree, sensitive girl vanished years ago, but there were moments recently when I caught glimpses of her.
“Thank you,” I said. “And thanks for connecting me to Dr. Ash.”
Anne pulled away and gripped my face. “Of course.Anythingyou need, you just let us know. We’re here for you.”
She patted my cheek gently before letting me go. “I have lunch ready for all of us. Do you like homemade pizza? I tried to look up food that was good for omegas, but I couldn’t find much, so I figured most people like pizza.”
“That sounds amazing,” I said, touched by her thoughtfulness.
Henry’s chest pressed against my back, and he wrapped his arms around me. Instantly, I felt more settled as I relaxed into him. I breathed deeply, trying to catch a hit of his scent, and was rewarded as something sweet and floral swirled around me.
“Where’s dad?” he asked.
“I’m here,” George said, entering the room with two large grocery bags. “Someoneinsisted we didn’t have enough beverage options.”
I was struck again by how much Henry took after his dad. George’s dark brown hair stood in contrast to Anne’s blond curls. His beard was streaked with silver, and his button-down stretched over a broad chest.
“I don’t know what everyone likes,” Anne protested as her husband pulled soda, beer, kombucha, and pink lemonade out of the bags. He just gave her a good-natured smile and kissed her on the cheek. She melted at his touch. Anne was a firecracker to George’s calm demeanor, but there was obvious affection between them. I wondered what it would be like to be with the same person for decades.
“I really appreciate you having all of us here,” I said. “Please don’t go through any trouble for us.”
“You are so sweet and it’s no trouble at all,” Anne said, waving away my concerns.
“It’s given her an excuse to buy things for the guesthouse,” George said. “It’s a welcome relief for me not to come home to a new couch or lamp each day.”
“Well, if you stopped going into the office, you would be here to stop me from buying new things,” Anne said, but there was no sharpness in her tone.
“I don’t go into the office every day,” George grumbled.
Henry chuckled, his breath skating across my hair. “Dad retired last year,” he explained.
“Supposedly,” Anne said, rolling her eyes.
George huffed and pulled her in for a kiss. “Like you didn’t go to the hospital the other day.”
“That was to have lunch with Elizabeth,” Anne protested.
“A five-hour lunch that involved multiple patient consults?” George asked, raising his brows.
Henry moved my hair out of the way so he could kiss my cheek. His lips were soft and tender against my skin, and it left me wanting more. “Let’s leave them to it.” His voice was low against my ear.
“Shouldn’t we help with lunch?” I asked as he started pulling me out of the kitchen.
