Page 58 of Cakewalk

“But nothing. I don’t need the money. I’ve never needed it. I told you, my contract with Chelsea was enough to live a lifetime on. You stopped being a tenant a long time ago.”

“I need to do something to contribute to the household.”

“You already do. You fill this house with happiness, laughter, and most importantly, love. Not to mention cupcakes and sticky buns. Your love is all I need.”

“Yours is all I need too,” she returned.

They lay there in silence for a while, wrapped around each other, simply enjoying the moment. Holden couldn’t have asked for a more perfect moment to tell her how he was feeling, and hearing her return those same three little words made him feel like he was overflowing. He let his mind wander, wondering what their future would hold—the recipes she would create, story ideas he would have, places they would travel.

“Can I ask you something?” she whispered, breaking the silence.

“Anything, always.”

“Are you interested in more kids? Or would it be too painful after losing your daughter?”

Her question made him pause, a new set of emotions washing over him. Just as her mentioning Hannah the night they decorated the tree had endeared her to him, so did this. She was so thoughtful, always considering him and what might be a trigger for him. How was it that anyone could have ever treated someone so caring so poorly? But just like that night, the thought of losing his family didn’t feel like salt in a wound, but a long-ago memory. He no longer felt like moving on was a betrayal to his girls, but what they would have wanted for him.

“I would love to have a family with you. If that’s something you want.”

Gigi nodded silently, looking up into his eyes. A small smile tugged at one corner of her mouth, and it was as if her entire face lit up.

“Very, very much. I haven’t let myself want it in a very long time. A baby needs love and safety, and I didn’t have that in that house. But I do here. This…” she paused, taking a deep breath. “With you…a family is something I’d at least like to explore.”

Holden loved everything about what she had just said. She was his future. He knew that without a doubt. But hearing her say that she wanted one too—complete with a family—was everything he could ever ask for.

Rolling them over so that she was underneath him, he gave her a sly grin. He rolled his hips against hers, letting her know exactly what he was thinking. “We could start now…” he growled, just before capturing her lips in his.

Gigi giggled into the kiss. “I meant someday. We have a lot to figure out before then.”

“As long as you’re the one I’m figuring it out with, then I’m on board.”

“You’re just full of all sorts of good lines tonight, aren’t you?” she teased.

“Beauty of falling for a writer. We’re good with our words.”

“Not the only thing you’re good with,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows knowingly.

“Is that so?” he asked, as he started to tickle her sides. Gigi let out a squeal, followed by bursts of laughter, squirming from side to side. His fingers danced across her skin lightly, finding all the spots where he knew she was ticklish.

A low beeping coming from his phone cut through the air, interrupting his efforts. Grabbing it off the couch, he cleared the alarm he’d set earlier and pushed himself up to his feet.

“Where are you going?” Gigi asked, sitting up.

“Be right back,” he told her.

Scooting into the kitchen, he opened the fridge and grabbed the bottle of champagne he’d stuck in there earlier in the day, as well as the two glasses he’d left sitting on the counter. He’d been running his toast through his head all day long, coming up with what felt like a hundred and one things to say. But now that he’d said “I Love You”—and she’d said it back—nothing he had come up with seemed right. Looks like he was just going to have to wing it.

Holding up the items he’d grabbed from the kitchen, he sat back down on the mattress. He handed both glasses for Gigi to hold, as he took on the task of popping the cork.

“We might not be out on the town, but I still wanted us to ring in the new year properly,” he told her just before the loud ‘pop!’ Gigi giggled at the noise, dancing a little in her seat. He filled the glasses and then took one from her before turning to put the bottle on the floor.

“GeorgiaGrace Elyse Shaw Hawthorne, you turned my world inside out in the very best way possible. I can’t wait to spend this next year with you.”

“You did the exact same to me, Holden Hemingway St. James. And I could not be happier about it. To our best year yet,” she replied, raising her glass in a toast.

“To our new year, new life, and new love,” he toasted.

The clink of their glasses filled the room as they took a sip. The effervescence tickled Holden’s nose as the bubbles danced across his tongue, however he was too busy watching Gigi to care. Her pretty pink lips called his name as she seemed to savor the taste of the champagne. He wondered if he would be able to taste it on her lips, her tongue, and if it would be just as sweet. Pulling her in for a kiss, he had to stop himself from devouring her in search of the answer.