Page 31

“Yeah, I remember the first time Mia and I had dinner here. I was pissed because I thought she was having an affair with Dad.”

Jonathan choked on a piece of turkey. He gulped some water and faced his daughter in shock. “You never told me that! Mia and I never had a relationship!”

Ethan shrugged. “I thought you two had a thing, also. Now I realize it’s ridiculous. You’d kill one another.”

“Chloe, I wish you would have asked me,” Jonathan said.

His daughter gave him a gentle smile. “We had too many issues back then, Dad. Winning the election was priority, and I was pissed at the world. But my point was watching how far we’ve all come. Now, the table is double the size.” She beamed, looking at the couples gathered around. “I think it’s really cool. And now Alyssa is part of us.”

Mia raised her glass of sparkling apple cider, her eyes gleaming with a bit of wetness. “Let’s have a toast to that. To love, in all ways, for all of our days.”

Ethan rested his hand on her belly and kissed her cheek. “I’ll toast to that.”

They clinked glasses, and Jonathan caught Alyssa’s gaze, full of longing and regret, and a vulnerability that shredded his insides. She deserved all of it. A big, crazy family who loved her exactly as she was. A man to show her every day that she was special and beautiful and…everything.

Patrick cleared his throat. “Can we let the animals in now? Poor Charlie’s been at Mia’s with that awful chicken, and I promised him some turkey.”

Ophelia sighed. “You know the rules are I never let animals in the house because of guests, but we’re clear till Sunday, so I have a few days to do some deep cleaning.”

“Is that a yes?” Harper asked hopefully.

“That’s a yes. Go get the rest of your loved ones.”

Patrick and Harper jumped up with Chloe and rushed out.

“Do you have any pets, Alyssa?” Ophelia asked with a smile.

“Not yet. But this weekend convinced me to get a cat. I’ll ask Chloe for help. My hours are insane, so I need to be careful.”

“That’s smart, too many people get a puppy, then realize no one will be there all day. Did you have fun horseback riding?”

Her face lit up. “Yes, it was amazing. I never felt so free before. And being with the horses made me realize how special they are. It’s like the only thing they want from you is to be loved—no rules, limits, or conditions. Wouldn’t it be beautiful to be that brave? To love someone like that?”

A hush fell over the table. Jonathan fisted his hands, desperate to reach over and pull her into his arms. Bury his lips in her hair and show her how badly he wanted to give her that type of love.

Suddenly, he caught Mia’s gaze across the table. She cocked her head, studying him with narrowed eyes.

She knew.

But he couldn’t hide his emotions here, and right now, he didn’t have to. Mia was a master at keeping secrets and respecting privacy. It was a miracle she hadn’t figured it out before.

Ophelia sighed. “That’s how everyone should be loved, at least once. But the way you expressed it was perfect. Maybe Kyle can use you for inspiration.”

Kyle winked. “Got all the inspiration I need right here, baby,” he said, giving her a kiss.

Ethan made gagging noises.

They laughed, and in minutes, the house exploded with a variety of canines, felines, fowl, and a goat. There were barks, and chicken shrieks, and bleats, and meows, as small plates of turkey were dispersed. Afterward, Alyssa and Chloe got on the floor and rubbed Charlie’s belly, fussed over Figaro the beautiful black and white cat, and played with Captain Hoof.

“Dish duty,” Kyle called out, rocking back and forth on his heels with glee. “Who’s up?”

“I’ll do it,” Mia said, beginning to rise.

Ethan eased her back down. “Not you, sweetheart. Just relax.”

Jonathan noticed her usual argument that pregnancy limited none of her skills seemed to disappear for the occasion. She made a grateful kissing sound and settled down with a triumphant expression.

Damn, she was good.