Page 81 of Unbreakable Love

“I’m excited.” She grinned up at me. There was a dot of ketchup on her chin she hadn’t wiped away and breadcrumbs from the chicken at the edge of her mouth. She’d never looked more adorable. “Do you think you can come, then?”

I would love to ride a horse and celebrate Josie’s birthday with her.

I had a list of the kids’ birthdays at school but hadn’t spent time studying them or memorizing them to know. And today came so quickly I hadn’t updated our birthday wall for December.

“When’s your birthday? Remind me.”

“December twelfth. I remember because it’s twelve-twelve, right, Dad?”

She glanced at Gavin for approval. He was watching me, so I nudged his foot under the table and dipped my chin in her direction.

“Right.” He cleared his throat. “Twelve twelve is the best day in the world.”

“That’s only a few days after mine,” I told her. “Mine’s on Sunday.”

“Really?” She breathed in like she couldn’t believe it. “That’s amazing! You definitely have to come learn how to ride Pickles with me. That will be my present to you.”

How could I resist?

“It’s a date,” I told her. “As long as it’s okay with your grandparents and dad, though.”

Gavin stole the breath from my lungs with a heated look. “It’s a date.”

TWENTY-TWO

GAVIN

Thanks to Josie, planning a party for Penny was easier than I expected it would be. We got home from dinner and I immediately called my mom and asked for her help. Within moments, she was in full party-planning mode. And since Penny’s birthday was on a Sunday, which was our regular family day anyway, the timing was perfect.

Now, I was talking to Penny’s sister, who’d been smart enough to slip me her phone number before she left town on Sunday.

“You okay with that?” I asked Maize. “I can choose a different flight.”

“It’s fine. And your parents don’t mind? It’s a lot to ask.”

“You’ll understand as soon as you meet them. My mom’s never met a stranger, and she’s excited about this. My youngest brother Bryce said he’ll get you from the airport. You can have Josie’s room Saturday night.”

I was flying her into the smaller, more local county airport on Saturday evening. She’d have to fly out late on Sunday evening so she could get back to classes and her upcoming finals, but so far, everything was going according to plan.

Josie and I would take Penny over to the ranch on Sunday morning, she’d be surprised as hell to see her sister and meet my family, and weather permitting, get her first horseback riding lesson.

But if Josie thought she was going to be the one to give that to Penny, I’d be having a talk with my daughter. That gift was going to be all mine.

Well, along with flying out her sister.

“All right, then. Call or text if anything changes, okay?”

“Will do, Maize. Take care.”

“Take care of my sister, and I’m taken care of.”

We ended the call and right as I was getting ready to set down my phone, it dinged with a text.

Penny

Any chance I can stop by for a second?

Penny could stop by anytime, for anything, for however long she wanted.

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