"Big foster brother!" She launches herself at him as he stands. "When did you get here?"
"Just having a brotherly chat with your husband." Ridge hugs her tightly, shooting me a meaningful look over her head.
"Has he threatened to kill you yet?" she asks me.
"Just getting to that part," Ridge says.
Jennifer laughs. "Save the death threats for after the festival tonight. I need him alive to win me a stuffed animal at the ring toss."
"Festival?" Ridge looks between us.
"The Christmas festival in town," I explain. "We're making an appearance."
"You hate town events." Ridge's surprise is justified. I've avoided the annual Christmas festival for three years running.
"Things change." I meet Jennifer's eyes across the room, something warm passing between us.
"Clearly." Ridge looks between us again, understanding dawning. "Well, I'll be there too. Stella and Chellie are excited for the lights."
The mention of Ridge's girlfriend and her young daughter reminds me how much has changed since I last saw him. We're both finding our way toward something we never expected. Connection. Family.
Later, after Ridge leaves with promises to see us at the festival, Jennifer curls up beside me on the couch.
"So," she says, tracing patterns on my thigh. "What did my foster brother have to say about our situation?"
"He threatened bodily harm if I hurt you."
"Standard brother protocol." She rests her head on my shoulder. "What did you tell him?"
I consider the question carefully. "The truth. That what started as pretend has become something real."
She goes still against me. "Real," she repeats softly.
"For me, at least." I force myself to continue, despite the vulnerability churning in my gut. "I understand if you don't feel the same way."
Jennifer sits up, turning to face me fully. "Jared Calloway, for a smart man, you can be remarkably dense."
"Excuse me?"
"I've been falling for you since that first snowball fight." Her hand comes to rest on my cheek, warm against my skin. "Maybe even before that. When you looked at my paintings like they actually mattered. When you remembered how I cataloged fish species as a kid."
"They were very detailed catalogs," I say, trying to process what she's telling me.
She laughs softly. "The point is, this is real for me too. Scary and unexpected and complicated, but real."
Relief washes through me. I pull her onto my lap, needing her closer. "I'm not good at this. Expressing feelings. Being vulnerable. But I'm trying."
"I know." She presses her forehead to mine. "And I appreciate the effort."
I kiss her then, pouring everything I can't say into the connection. She responds eagerly, fingers threading through my hair, body melting against mine.
"We should get ready," she murmurs against my lips several minutes later. "Festival starts at six."
"We could skip it." My hands slide under her shirt, tracing the warm skin of her back.
"Tempting." She kisses me again, then pulls back with obvious reluctance. "But everyone is expecting the newlyweds to make an appearance. Plus, I really want cotton candy."
I sigh dramatically. "If it's for cotton candy, I suppose I can endure socializing."
