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Joy
“Ilove a happy ending.” Indie lay back against the couch.
“When do you think the wedding will be?” Quinn asked. “The average engagement length is between twelve and eighteen months.”
Indie shook her head. “They won’t wait that long. Everly’s always wanted a small wedding at her parents’ ranch. The venue’s already sorted, so all she’ll need to organize is a dress and the catering. My guess is they’ll get married sometime this summer.”
So soon? I took a sip of the champagne Quinn had brought to my house for knitting club tonight. That meant the next couple of months would be busy with wedding plans. The thought made me smile. After all those years of living apart, Everly and Wyatt deserved their happy ending.
Excited, I visualized the flowers they’d have at the wedding. As a plant person, my thoughts always went to the greenery first. Perhaps I could volunteer to make some succulent arrangements or bake the wedding cake. I loved baking too, and it would be a fun challenge to make something delicious for their special day.
I took another sip of champagne and was already dreaming up cake designs when Jasper and Leo burst through the door. “Mama!” Jasper said, “We need our cars. Aiden and Ben are building us the most epic car racing track ever.”
Leo raised both arms. “It’s going to bethisbig. No, wait. Even bigger!”
My mouth curved into a smile, just as it always did whenever I saw my boys like this. Usually, my sister watched them Thursday nights, but she and her family were taking a much-needed vacation, and the babysitter I’d hired had bailed on me at the last minute. I’d been about to tell the others to meet without me when Everly said her brothers would watch the boys.
Aiden popped his head in the door.
Speaking of a certain hot Viking of a man…
“Sorry to interrupt your club time,” Aiden said, his voice deliciously growly, “but the boys promised they’d slip in and out without anyone noticing.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Indie said. “We just watched Wyatt and Everly get engaged, so the night’s main event is over.” She rested a hand on my shoulder. “According to my schedule, once Everly returns from vacation, it’s Joy’s turn next.”
Aiden’s eyes met mine, and I inwardly swooned. The man was hot enough to melt butter, for goodness’ sake. Smiling uncomfortably, I took another, longer sip of champagne. Good thing Aiden couldn’t read minds. He was a great landlord but could be downright grumpy at times, and he certainly wouldn’t have appreciated where my thoughts had just gone.
Although it might have loosened him up a bit.
“We found our cars!” Jasper ran out of their bedroom, carrying a plastic bin. “Do you think this will be enough?”
“Wait for me!” Leo yelled before charging out of the bedroom with a second identical bin.
Both boys raced past and held up their tubs of cars for Aiden to inspect.
A grin broke out on Aiden’s face, and it was like seeing Santa Claus and the tooth fairy riding a tap-dancing unicorn. The rare sight transformed his features and I had to hold myself back from fanning myself. Holy hot chocolate and marshmallows! That was one handsome man.
“That’s definitely enough. Now we have to get the ramp set up. I’ve got some scraps of wood in the garage we can use.”
“This is going to be amazing!” Leo cheered and then turned back and waved. “Bye, Mama. Come check out our ramp when you’re done knitting, okay?”
“Okay, baby,” I said.
The boys ran out the door, and I stood. “Aiden?” I approached him with caution.
“Yes?”
“Thank you for watching them. Is there anything I can do to repay the favor?”
His gaze swept my face before he cleared his throat and rubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin. “If you made some of your peanut butter cookies and dropped them off at the station, I’d say we were square.”
That’s all he wanted? I’d bake the man three thousand cookies if he asked. “Done.”
He took a step toward the door before stopping himself. “Have a good night, Joy.”
Oh, I would. Thanks to him and Ben.
I returned to the couch, where Quinn and Indie sat whispering.
“Are you looking forward to going on your dates?” Quinn asked.
Definitely.
This year, I had a new resolution. I was going to start dating again and, hopefully, find someone who loved us enough to stay. My boys deserved a good man in their lives.
And so did I.
