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Harris and my husband only go back a handful of years, but he was best man in our wedding and was active on the SEAL Teams early in his career, meaning he still wears that Trident that bonds him to my husband forever.
I should add that he’s practically the only single friend I have, so I will admit that I’ve always got my eye out for a suitable match for him.
“Harris is still single.So clearly I don’t meddle enough,” I counter.
“Freya, the only reason you pushed him so hard to rent my old apartment in Annapolis when he got stationed at Fort Meade is because he’d have a single neighbor there.”
I feign offense.“The place has a great view for a cheap price.I don’t see him complaining.”
“Only because he doesn’t know why you pushed the place on him.And your instincts were totally off.He’s coming up on two years there as of this summer, and he and his neighbor have barely said a word to each other.”
“They just need the right opportunity.The right…” A lightbulb flickers on in my brain as I glance down at the manuscript, and my voice trails for a moment as an idea percolates in my head.“…the right formula.”
Mason tucks in his chin, a trace of dread in his eyes.“I don’t like that look on your face, Freya.What are you plotting in that author-brain of yours?”
“Mason, think about it.Snowman.Baking.Caroling.Tree decorating.They always lead to romance.If I could just get Harris and his neighbor to experience some of those things together, I’d bet anything they’d fall in love.”
His frown deepens.“You’re insane.I need to warn him.”
I fire him a look.“You’ll do no such thing.You know they’d make a great fit.”
“Freya, I love you but….”
“There are no buts in love,” I remind him, the determination in my eyes warning him to tread carefully.
“But…” he barrels on, clearly not noticing, “I think Harris is still recovering from you trying to set him up for seven days solid on the cruise to our wedding.”
I shrug.“That cruise ship was crawling with single women.How could I not try?Besides, it gave me something to focus on rather than panicking over wedding details.”
“Yeah, but now you have no excuse to fall back on.”
No excuse?
He thinks I have no excuse?
A warm smile slides up my cheeks.
I had planned to tell him after dinner.I’m making his favorite—chicken parmigiana.I had pictured candlelight as we watched twilight take over the sky from our kitchen window, setting the perfect mood for the scene I’ve been writing up in my head ever since we started trying to have a child.
I planned every detail of it, just like I write a scene in a book.
But suddenly, I can’t hold back.
Biting my lip, I look at this man I love so completely and ponder for a perfect moment that this is the last time he’ll ever think of himself as just a SEAL, a Navy officer, a friend, a brother, a son, and the best husband I ever could have dreamed up in my highly creative brain.
After this moment passes, he’ll also think of himself as a father.
A dad.
And he’ll make an extraordinary one.
My smile stretches, and as he notices, he looks at me curiously.
I scoot closer to him and take his hand in mine.Chills of anticipation cascade over me as I place it on my belly.
“Actually, Mason, I’ve got an even better excuse.”
