Page 67 of Peaches & Pistols

“Oh.” Her breathy surprise rounds her plump lips into a circle I want to do despicable things to.

“Lucky for me, this is exactly how I wanted to spend my kid-less night.”

“Lucky,” she parrots, adorably flustered.

I hold up my wine glass for a toast, she raises hers to match.

“Cheers.” We clink our glasses, and the smile in her eyes lights my soul.

We eat in comfortable silence—the meal perfectly topped off with a steaming spoonful of peach cobbler.

I don’t know what I did in a past life to deserve this woman, but I’ll spend the rest of this life making sure I do.

We settle into the couch, and I’m smug she chooses to sit directly beside me.

“Am I right that Miss Harper has a very important birthday coming up?”

“She does. The big one-oh. Ten years old.” I rub at my overly long five o’clock shadow. “It’s cliché, but it feels like I held her for the first time, yesterday.”

“I know. I get super emotional around Everly’s birthday. I mean, I never show her my tears, and Carter had no patience for crying.” Her light dims, but she feigns recovery quickly.

“Do you have anything planned for her birthday?” she asks.

“I’m ashamed to admit it, but I typically hand the reins over to Liv and she makes magic.” I shrug.

“Would she be horribly offended if Everly and I planned Harper’s party this year?”

I don’t respond right away, too taken aback by her offer. Mia’s taken Harper under her wing like a mama-bird since day one. Liv, Izzy, and Delilah are great role models for my daughter, and Cecelia’s been the best mother-figure I could ask for. But there’s something special that’s growing between Mia and Harper, with Everly in the middle of the love-fest.

“She can get over it. Harper would lose her mind if you and Everly planned her birthday party.”

Mia’s visibly relieved, her body settling into the comfort of an evening on the couch.

“Wanna watch Singles Inferno?” she asks, reaching across my body, her breasts brushing my arm as she snatches the remote.

I’ve never been able to say no to this woman and tonight won’t be when I start.

It’s a risk, but I stretch my arm over the back of the couch, and she settles right into my side just like on New Years Eve.

She queues up the show and I couldn’t tell you a single damn thing that happens on the screen over the next few hours.

I’m too busy allowing the fact that I’ve fallen in love with Mia sink deep into my bones.

“Daddy! Did you see there’s a REAL UNICORN outside. Did you see? Come see!”

Harper drags me out of the main house at Lucky Spurs Ranch with more strength than I thought her little body possessed.

Sure as shit, Reid’s Palomino mare has tinsel braided into her mane and tail, and a unicorn horn somehow attached between her ears.

Harper bounds over to the “magical” creature where Delilah hands her special treats to feed the beast.

Mia outdid herself.

When she volunteered to plan Harper’s tenth birthday party, I knew she’d do something great. She’s an amazing mom, she pays attention to people’s preferences and has a heart of gold.

But what she did is beyond compare. Then den’s decked out like a dance club, complete with a miniature disco ball, and kid bops pumping from the sound system.

She invited all Harper’s friends from school as a drop-and-go—which for any parent who’s been stuck at far too many birthday parties, is a godsend.