“And we can eat out back with a fire.” Miles stooped to pick up Jones to give him a snuggle. Fat Lucy had been annoyed he’d been away so much, so she coolly ignored him.

“Call Isabel.” She indicated a note on the counter. “She called for you. As did Jason. Feed the turtle.”

“Jeez.”

“Guess you don’t miss me as much now.”

He grinned. “Nah, I still missed you.” He put the cat down and headed out to feed the turtle.

She turned to dig out the pot to boil the shrimp, corn and potatoes in, and another for the pasta as Adrian slid into motion around her, moving to the sink to clean everything up.

“Just so you know, I’m going to be all up in you ten minutes after he goes to bed.”

“Just so you know, I’m on board with that.” She pressed a kiss on his shoulder as she filled the pots with water.

When she’d turned the heat on beneath the pots, he spun her, backing her against the door to the pantry. “I’d planned to apologize and ask if you were all right with us coming back early. And then I saw your face when you caught sight of Miles when he told you we missed you. The look on your face . . . beautiful. I love you.”

“Oh, you say the dearest things. It’s impossible not to love you right back. I want to be honest with you—it scares me to need you so much. I haven’t stopped thinking on how to make the moving-in thing work.” She needed to say it fast so she wouldn’t chicken out and not say it at all.

He nodded. “You’re not alone. I wake up when you’re not with me. I can’t sleep as well alone now. There’s a Gillian-shaped spot in my bed. And in my life. I want you in it. I want you with me. I want our family. I’m also thinking on the moving-in-together issue. I want it, but I want to do it right.”

Miles let the back door slam and they moved apart, back to making dinner.

“Mum, can Jason come to dinner? His parents are away and his older sister is being mean to him.”

Gillian restrained her need to roll her eyes. Mean to Jason was probably that she ordered pizza instead of making him burgers or something. The boy was prone to exaggeration, though Gillian often considered him one of the family.

“Of course. The boy knows he’s welcome. Tell him he can sleep over too.”

Miles’s quick grin told her that was the next question anyway and he tore off to make that call.

Adrian hummed and sang as he worked. A few minutes later, Miles and Jason spilled into the kitchen, chattering and laughing, talking over one another. Jason already got over his starstruck phase with Adrian, so he was just another parent.

Something she knew Adrian enjoyed and was proud of.

Gillian paused to simply let it wash through her. It was beautiful, this thing they’d built together.

20

Brody looked up as his brother entered the front door. Rennie tore toward Adrian and he caught her up into a big hug. His brother was a damned good uncle. Without Adrian, Brody was totally sure the transition with Martine would have been a great deal harder.

He’d changed since Miles had come into his life. Since Gillian. That sort of restlessness that even the time off hadn’t cured had actually calmed. He lived in that moment, appreciated it.

Adrian was in love in the best kind of ways. With his child and with the woman who was his other half. Brody knew full well what that meant because he’d had it himself.

He’d never expected Elise. Not to fall in love with her the way he had. And he’d most assuredly never expected Rennie. He’d fallen for her too. Fallen for being a father, and though she wasn’t his biologically, he was her father in every way that counted. And that was enough.

“Yo, Ms. Irene, what’s shakin’?” Adrian put her down and followed her into the living room and through to the kitchen where Brody and Martine were.

Rennie took a deep breath and Brody caught sight of his brother bracing himself for the torrent of words he’d be swimming through in less than a second.

“I got a part in the play. It’s not a big one, they chose Jamie for that.” It was clear what Rennie thought of that particular idea. “But I get to sing and dance. Momma’s gonna make me a costume. She has a lot of pretty costumes still in the back of the closet. They let her keep them, you know? When she stopped dancing? And then we can use them for templates for when the school does a performance. Oh! Did Aunt Gillian tell you that she’s going to play piano in Carmina Burana? Momma is going to dance in it. She doesn’t usually but her students talked her into it and I’m super excited because she’s such a great dancer and all. Where’s Miles? Will you be there at the play and also at Carmina Burana?”

“Yes, I wouldn’t miss your play. Yes, I will be at Carmina Burana. I’m also excited to see your mother dance and to hear Gillian play piano. She’s actually practicing with the other piano player right now so no we won’t be seeing her and Miles tonight. What play is it?”

“Peter Pan. I’m a Lost Girl. They said I was a Lost Boy but hello! I am not a boy. I do not have a penis.”

Brody coughed and Adrian made a heroic effort not to laugh.

“Absolutely correct, my dear Irene. You do not. Lost Girls are just as good. I’m sure Miles and Gillian will come too.”

Marti, who’d been happily sitting in her high chair eating cereal until she was not paid attention to by her uncle, issued a loud screech to get Adrian’s attention.