Page 265 of The Last Good Man

He wants stability, and I crave thattoo.He knows he can trust me, and I’mas solid as he is.

We were ready for each other from the get-go, but I was blindsided by my preconceived notions.

And then they started to erode.

With patience, hewaited for me toget toa point where I could see what he had already seen.When I finally caught up with him, we knew we were meant to be together despite our differences. What we had in common was stronger than anything else.

Footsteps echo in the house, and a smell of cinnamon rolls floats upstairs.

“I’m convinced dinner is ready,” I say just as the floors creak outside, and Jax looms in the entryway with our daughter, Ana, in his arms.

“Oh. Look who’s awake,” I say, rising from my seat.

Alice follows me, and we both stop in front of Jax, who flashes a smile.

I kiss him while Ana tries to grab my hair, cooing.

“She’s adorable,” Alice says, giving her a finger to play with.

Ana grabs it with both hands, laughing.

She looks like him with a little bit of me.Her eyes are greenish-gray, and her hair is dark.

We’re amused by her reaction, and soon after, my parents enter the room, and we all head downstairs.

Just as we walk into the dining room, a car pulls up in front of the house, and I take Ana from Jax while he goes outside to greet Renata, Rylee, and Noah.

My sister, her husband, and the twins arrive shortly after, and minutes later, we are all around the table.

This isprobablyone of the best Thanksgiving dinners I’ve ever had, and I hope to have many more like this.

People are loud around the table, and the kids garner all the adults’ attention, but I still find time to study the man sitting next to me.

It’s easy to spot a happy man, and it's satisfying to know you have something to do with it.

My furtive stares don’t go unnoticed, and often, he squeezes my hand under the table and kisses my cheek.

At times, I catch my mom or my sister noticing his gestures. Sometimes, it’s Alice or my Dad. I’m so grateful to have so many people around me who are happy seeing us happy.

It’s a fantastic moment in our lives, and I want to hold onto it for as long asI can.

Later, when we all retreat to our rooms, and Jax and I slide under the covers in our matrimonial bed, he brings me close to him and thanks me for all the effort that went into organizing the dinner party.

“You liked it?” I ask.

“Everybody liked it,” he says before putting his lips to my temple.

The wedding band glinting around his finger reminds me of something Ineed to share with him.

Heoffersme a glass of wine, and I couldn’t think of a better moment.

“No, thank you,” I say.

“You didn’t have any wine this evening,” he says, looking at me with a tentative smile.

I keep quiet, barely pushing back a telling grin.

He splays his fingers over my neck, biting his lip.

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