“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he said, pulling me into his side.
“Happy Valentine’s Day.” I wrapped my hands around the warm mug. “What time are they getting here?”
“Noon. All of them.”
“All of them?”
“Yep. Full Farrington invasion. Plus your mom and Jasper.”
I grinned. “I love when they visit.”
“I know you do.”
This was our life now. Dex and me in this cottage two blocks from the beach. Him running Moore’s Automotive on Main Street. Me running my studio. The Farrington brothers visiting every few months. Us driving to Willowbrook for holidays.
It worked.
Better than worked. It was perfect.
“Business good this week?” I asked.
“Fully booked through next week. Word of mouth is spreading.” He kissed the top of my head. “Turns out this town really needed a good mechanic, and Frank really needed an excuse to be able to retire. The poor guy was exhausted, you know.”
I looked up at him. “Are you happy here? Really happy?”
“Are you seriously asking me that?” He turned to face me fully. “Leigh, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. This house, this town, this life, it’s everything I didn’t know I wanted.”
“No regrets?”
“Not a single one.” He paused. “Do you have regrets?”
“God, no. This is perfect. You’re perfect. We’re perfect.”
“Good.” He kissed me, slow and sweet and tasting like coffee. “Now come on. We have a house to prepare for a Farrington invasion.”
DEX
They arrived exactly at noon. A caravan of trucks pulled up in front of our house.
Trace and Delaney with the boys. Booker and Reece. Xander and Blake with Amelia. Gage and Billie. And bringing up the rear was Caroline and Jasper.
Chaos descended immediately.
Barrett toddled around the yard, now almost two and into everything. Cade was showing Amelia some new handheld gaming device, while the adults all talked over each other, catching up, laughing.
Leigh was in her element. Hugging everyone, showing Mom and Jasper the updates we’d made to the house, fielding questions about business and life and happiness.
“The house looks great,” Trace said, clapping me on the shoulder. “You guys have really made it home.”
“Leigh’s good at that,” I said.
“She is. But so are you.” He looked around the yard, at the family gathered there. “I’m proud of you, man. This took guts.”
“Best decision I ever made.”
“I can tell. You look... settled. Happy.”
“I am.”
