Page 113 of The Dating Pact

“I think we’ve had enough fun for one night,” I murmured, gathering her in my arms.

Brooke agreed and piled up our dishes to take to the sink while Seb packed away the cards. We all walked out to my car, where I buckled Amelia into her seat. Brooke leaned in, kissing her temple. “Sweet dreams.”

“Night night, Brooookie.”

Brooke smiled and brushed her palm over Amelia’s curls then looked to Sebastian. “Thanks for coming over tonight. I had fun.”

“Me too.”

“Want to do it again?”

The shadows couldn’t hide his smile as he opened the car door. “Yeah.”

With the kids in the back seat, I laced my fingers with Brooke’s, tugging her toward me. Or maybe I floated toward her. Couldn’t quite be sure with how my feet didn’t touch the ground.

“I didn’t think I’d get another shot at being happy,” I told her, and she smoothed her hands up my chest to curl around the nape of my neck. “You are literally a dream come true. I hope you know that.”

“I hope you know you’re never getting rid of me. I’m supergluing myself to you.”

“Stuck like a barnacle,” I suggested, earning a quiet giggle.

She nodded, happy with herself. “Never leaving.”

“Like a bad rash.”

That got me a huge guffaw, and I bent to kiss her throat when she tossed her head back, laughing.

“You and me, friend,” she said once her amusement subsided. “Best friends for infinity.”

I held up our linked hands between us. “Double infinity.”

I started to kiss her again, but Sebastian stuck his head out of the window. “Can we go now?”

Brooke snorted a laugh and pushed me away, telling my kid, “Yeah, you can go now.”

I dropped down behind the wheel, turned the ignition over, and rolled down the window. “I love you.”

“I know.” She smiled and waved. “I love you too.”

“I know.”

EPILOGUE

JUDE

They had decorated Imagination, a mixture of trees and lights, streamers and garlands, all celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. I brought along homemade peppermint bark. The kids had helped Brooke and me make it last night, although Amelia said it was too “spicy” to eat.

She’d warned all the kids off it when I offered some. Tucker was the only one to accept a piece. That kid would eat anything.

“What’s everybody up to next week?” I asked, nibbling on a bit myself.

With only a few more days until Christmas, the guys and I thought we’d get one last playdate in for the year.

“We’re doing Christmas in Boston again,” Liam said, surveying his third of the place, where Finn and Tucker played.

I poked Dylan in the side with my elbow. “What about you?”

“Me and Gen are going over to see the kids open presents at Paige’s on the twenty-fifth, but then we’re getting them for the week because we’re taking them to Arizona.”

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