“Marcus, it is not a competition,” Ava snarks, only solidifying my thoughts.
“Pshhh…of course not,” he answers dutifully, but we all know he’s full of shit. “But, like, maybe we should go work on that.” He picks up a random baby sock off the top of the folded laundry basket next to him and wiggles it at Ava. Her eyes sparkle for a second, then she tosses him a saucy smirk.
“You can wait to get me naked a bit longer.”
Mark huffs and drops the sock back on the pile.
“Forewarning, I swear little gnomes steal those things just to spite me. You’ll never have enough of them,” Jane says distastefully.
Chuckles rumble throughout the group.
“I mean it. You all just wait and see.”
“Yes, dear. Looks like Charlie’s about ready for bed.”
Everyone notices our typical rambunctious, happy baby is starting to nod off in Ava’s arms.
“Are you really going to take the sleepy baby from me?” Ava whines.
Jane holds out her hands. “Yeah, if we want a shot at getting any actual sleep tonight, I probably should.”
Ava pouts and nuzzles Charlotte before handing her over. “See you later, sweet girl.”
“So, I guess I actually need to list the house now?” Trystan asks.
“Looks like. It’s too small for a family. Plus, it’s not on Ridge Lane, so that makes the choice easy.”
Trystan nods and raises his beer, casting a gaze around the room. “To you guys. May all your tomorrows be full of adventure. To our chosen family. May we never forget how loved we all are as we grow. Here’s to our forever on Ridge Lane.”
???
Holly
Twisting my glittering, teardrop diamond around my finger, the dim light of the dashboard bounces off of it as Tyler Rich’sThe Differencefills the cab of Jaxon’s truck. This all feels surreal.Less than three months ago, I was single, yearning for a man I made out with in a closet with a mysterious smirk and a wicked touch. A man I thought was unattainable, that didn’t truly have an interest in more than a supply closet hookup. I was thankful it hadn’t gotten far, but it left an imprint on me that I couldn’t shake. I look over, noticing Jax’s soft smile. He feels my gaze and grabs my hand, lifting my fingers to his lips for a kiss.
He’s mine.
Our family…
His words echo from his proposal in my head as he parks the truck and sighs, looking at the front door, then at me.
“We’re home.”
Yeah, I like this.
“So, you’re officially moving in?”
“I figured you’d notice quickly.”
I snort.
“If I walk ahead and unlock the door, am I going to catch you checking out my ass?”
“It’s a great ass, Jax.”
Jaxon tosses his head back with a hearty laugh that warms my soul as he hops out of the truck and walks around to open my door and help me down. As soon as my feet touch the pavement, he tips my chin up, and his lips capture mine with a claiming intensity.
“Watch it closely,” he whispers and winks, walking off with a little more swagger that definitely warms my blood and gives me lots of ideas. He stops at the door and drops the keys dramatically with the fakest ‘Oops’ leaving his mouth. I bust a gut, but the pressure stops my laugh shortly.
