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“What about your dad, though? He went all Tyson Fury on my dad.” I leaned back to grin at Atlas. “He wasn’t going to let my dad say shit about you.”
“Yeah.” Atlas frowned. “It was a little weird.”
I rolled my eyes. “Maybe, but he clearly loves you.”
“Shitty way of showing it.” His eyes sparkled, though, and hope was there. He wanted Joseph to love and accept him, and as someone who was now completely estranged from his father, I wanted that for him, too. However, I wasn’t sure if Joseph deserved Atlas.
I cupped his cheek, gaining his attention, and licked my lips. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He rubbed a palm down my arm and gripped it.
“For everything. For this.” I plucked at my jersey, happiness bursting in my chest and nearly making it difficult to breathe. I forced the air out of my lungs, though. What was he doing to me? “And for being a pretty awesome boyfriend. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Birdy.” He cradled my face in his hands, as if I was the most precious thing in the world, and I fucking melted. “I’ve got your back. Always.”
When I’d first met Atlas, I’dneverexpected this to happen. But damn, I was the luckiest asshole ever.
EPILOGUE
ATLAS
Elissa flittedaround the kitchen with a huge smile on her face. A Thanksgiving apron dotted with dancing turkeys fluttered, along with the skirt of the red dress she was wearing that swirled around her calves. Her turkey slippers were ridiculous and cute. She must be where Wy got his sense of humor.
“Do you want any help?” I asked, probably for the fifth time.
Wy snickered and sipped the steaming mulled cider in his mug. The delicious aroma of cinnamon and cooking holiday food swirled around the kitchen and my chest clenched. Things hadn’t been like this in my house for a very long while. I remembered this type of thing from when I was younger, but by the time I’d hit my teenage years everything had been awful between Dad and my mom. Instead of holidays together, Dad would send Mom on spa vacations, and we would eat out.
I shook off the old, morose memories.
“Try it,” Wy said, sliding the mug my way. I took the handle from him and snorted when the bold flavor of rum smacked my taste buds, then raised my eyebrows at him.
He laughed, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. My heart did a strange fluttery dance.
“Should you be drinking on your meds?” I asked.
He shrugged a shoulder. “I’m only taking them at night when I’m trying to sleep now. Besides, this is the only one I’m having.” He groaned when I drained the glass, then went to the Crock-Pot full of cider and used a ladle to fill his mug again, this time without the alcohol. He rolled his eyes when I walked back and handed the mug to him.
I frowned at him.
He stuck out his tongue, and I chased it to plant a small kiss on his lips, taking my time to linger over the sweetness of his mouth.
“What are you boys going to do today?” Elissa asked as the doorbell rang, and my heart thudded in the base of my throat. Shit, the family was here.
“Who is that?” Wy asked, frowning at me.
I sighed. “Dad invited my uncles, aunts, and cousins like he used to when I was younger. We stopped getting together when I was eleven because.... Well, it’s a long story,” I said, glancing at Elissa. She didn’t need to hear our crappy past, especially now that she was making Dad happy again.
Elissa grinned at the sound of Dad opening the door, and shouted greetings filled the house. “I told Joseph to invite them.” She rested her hands lightly on her hips, surveying the kitchen as if she was going through a mental checklist. “I always loved the idea of big holidays, and I enjoy cooking, so it works out. Come help me for a second, Atlas. Those muscles will come in handy for this twenty-five-pound beast and his fifteen-pound friend.”
“Yeah, use those muscles,” Wy said, waggling his eyebrows.
I groaned as I went to the oven and pulled the roaster with the biggest turkey in it out, then set it on the hot pads that Elissa had arranged. I did the same thing with the second roaster, and Elissa clapped like I was performing a magic trick.
“Excellent work, sweetie!”
“Uh,” I grunted out as my face heated.
Wy snickered.
