Page 97 of Make It Without You

Adam places a kiss on my nose, causing goosebumps to spread on my arms and legs. “Are you cold?” He asks when he sees me shiver.

“Nope.”

He pulls me closer to his side and I see Sarah from across the fire with a soft smile on her face. I didn’t want to rock the boat with Kam by telling her that Sarah knew about my steps with Adam first. Call it her being my oldest friend? But I needed Sarah’s opinion more than I needed Kamryn’s.

I fall more in love with him as he interacts with my friends. And I constantly get the thumbs up of approval from my girls and Mason.

But what I’ve come to learn is that when life is going too good, the other shoe is bound to drop.

Adam

Icreep into Dylan’s room with the hope that he’s not already awake. With it being the fourth of July, I should be working. We have the big block party, but my team assured me that family comes first.

So here I am creeping into Dylan’s room for his birthday.

When I’m close enough to his bed, I kneel on the side and gently shake him awake.

“Wake up, birthday boy.” It takes a few more shakes and some raspberries to his neck for him to wake up.

The sleepy smile on his face makes everything worth it.

“It’s my birthday!” Dylan exclaims and pops up out of bed.

“It is. What do you want to do today?”

He pouts his lips as he thinks about it. “The zoo.”

“Today?”

“Yeah, Daddy. It’s my day,” he says, like I should know.

I ruffle his hair and stand up. My knees crack as I do and I let out a groan. “That it is. Do you want pancakes?”

He nods his head fast and then purses his lips.

“What’s up, buddy?”

“Can Emily come to the zoo with us?”

My lips twitch and my heart warms. While we haven’t been together all three of us. Dylan has been itching to spend time with Emily. “Yeah, buddy. She can come with us.”

“Okay.”

I lean down and kiss the top of his head and ruffle his hair before I head downstairs. I pull out the pancake mix and mixing bowls to get started on breakfast. When I have two cakes on the griddle, I call Emily.

“Hi, baby.”

“Hi, sunshine. Do you have plans today?”

I hear a door close and a huff of laughter escape her mouth. “It’s summer. That’s my plan.”

“Fair point.” I cradle my phone between my ear and shoulder, flipping the pancakes when they’re ready. “How would you feel about spending the day at the zoo with me and Dylan?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, baby. It’s his birthday and he wants to go to the zoo. And he wants you to come along.”

Emily blows out a breath and if I know her, she’s holding back emotion. “Okay. Um, do you want me to meet you two there, or?”

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