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“I already have everything I could ever want,” he murmurs, kissing me quickly.
When he goes in for another one, I grab his face. “Nuh-uh. You can’t just not make a wish.”
His eyes narrow. “Fine.”
Turning to the cake, he pinches his eyes closed tightly, like a little kid does when they think about their wish. And then he blows out the candles. When he turns to kiss me again, I let him.
“Ooh. Those things almost never come true.”
I chuckle as Devin shoves her finger in her mouth, pretending to gag herself. But his mom just watches us in awe as she takes the cake away to slice it.
“So, how’s it feel to be twenty-one?” Devin asks him.
His hand on my waist slips just beneath my shirt, needing to feel my skin against his. “Well, I definitely didn’t think I’d be married and opening a bar at this age, but I’m not complaining.”
She grins like she’s trying not to make fun of him. “It’s weird, seeing you all domesticated and shit.”
“Especially because the first time I came over, I had to teach you how to do the dishes,” I add.
He pouts. “Are you ever going to let me live that down?”
“Absolutely not.” I look over at his sister. “He didn’t want to leave the fork and plate he used in the sink, so he just threw it in the trash.”
Devin loses it, throwing her head back as she laughs, while his mom’s jaw drops. “Hayes Beckett Wilder.”
“Oh, what? Are you going to ground me? Send me to my room?” He pauses, and I can practically see the gears in his head turning. “On second thought, that’s a great idea. You should definitely do that.”
She closes her eyes and sighs. “You did not just make a sex reference to your mother.”
As if he realizes the line he just crossed, he breaks into a fit of laughter. And all I can do is watch him, thinking about howthis, right here, is what happiness truly is.
WHEN WE’RE GETTING READYto leave, Hayes brings his sister out to the truck to show her the new sound system he put in it—a joint birthday present from Cam, Mali, and me. Because what else do you get someone who claims he has everything he’s ever wanted?
I watch them from the doorway as he excitedly turns up the music and Devin stands there, shaking her head at him. When he starts dancing like an idiot in the front yard, she barks out a laugh and joins him.
“You know, I never did get a chance to thank you,” his mom says.
My brows furrow. “For what?”
“Showing him that real love can be selfless and genuine. That not every relationship has to turn out like mine did.”
I can see the pain in her eyes, and it hurts my heart. “He doesn’t blame you for any of that.”
“I know he doesn’t,” she replies. “But I also know it’s the reason he didn’t take any relationship seriously. It’s why he never brought a girl home. Until you, anyway.” She comes over and stands beside me, watching her kids. “You’re really good for him, Laiken. And I’ll never be able to thank you enough for how happy you’ve made him.”
I’ve always known that his mom loves me. Hell, she’s been in my life since I was twelve—not there all the time, but she was there. Some people have horror stories about their mother-in-laws. Not me, though. Mine is an absolute goddess.
“Thank you for raising him to be the man he is,” I tell her. “All the good things about him, and how deeply he loves when he finally lets someone in, that’s all because of you.”
Tears fill her eyes, and she wraps her arms around me. “You’re something special. It’s no surprise he loves you so much.”
Hayes and Devin come back up, and he tilts his head when he sees his mom hugging me. “You trying to steal my mom now, Rochester?”
“Yep,” I say with a smirk. “That was my plan all along.”
“Went through a lot of work for something you could’ve done from the start,” he jokes. “She would’ve picked you over me before we hooked up.”
His mom rolls her eyes, lightly smacking him in the chest as he laughs. “It’s a little true, though.” Hayes’s jaw drops at her words. “What? She’s a lot less of a handful than you are.”
