“Any plans tonight? You need me to stay here and watch Rex for you?”
A smile curves my lips, and happiness unfurls in my chest. Life is good. No, life is fucking fantastic. “Hope and Evan are coming over. She suggested we stay in so we could monitor Rex. You can stay if you’d like. I’m gonna grill some chicken breasts, and she’s making salad and potato bake.” I point my bottle at him. “You need to taste her potato bake, man. So freaking good.”
He pats his stomach. “Only if you’re sure she won’t mind. I don’t wanna be a fourth wheel.” A knock sounds through the house. “Sounds like she’s here.”
I glance at the time with narrowed eyes. “It’s too early, and she knows they can just walk in. They don’t need to knock because I gave them a set of keys.” They’re my family now.
He raises his eyebrows, looking at me with pride. “Thingsareserious. I mean, I figured they were since you quit the force.” He shakes his head with a smile. “Still can’t believe it.”
I climb to my feet when there’s another knock at the door. “Can’t get any more serious,” I tell him as I drag open the front door. Maybe we can tell him our other news over dinner.
It takes me longer than it should to make sense of what I’m seeing. Hope is holding a fancy homemade birthday cake, while Evan has a bunch of brightly colored helium balloons secured in one hand. Keeping with the party theme, both of them are wearing outrageous party hats, but it’s the numerous cases and boxes surrounding them that don’t compute.
“Happy birthday!” they both cheer, wearing grins at least a mile wide. Their eyes sparkle with happiness and I want to see that same sparkle every single day.
Pleasure and happiness explode in my chest as I feel Sebastian at my back.How did I get so damn lucky?I step outof the house, studying the boxes and luggage. “What’s all this?” I wave my hand around.
“Your birthday present,” Hope says, as if it’s so obvious I should already know. She must read the confusion written all over my face, because she grins at Evan. “We thought we’d give you us for your birthday. We’re moving in!”
My heart thuds to a stop. Sebastian’s intake of air fills the silence, then my heart takes off at a gallop. My long-time friend slaps me on the back, and I smile so wide, it takes up all the real estate on my face. I rush forward, carefully taking the cake from Hope to hand to Seb, then I scoop her into my arms and spin her around. Hope’s giggles ring out and it’s a sound I want to hear every day. I carefully place her on her feet and pull Evan in for a hug. “This has to be the best birthday gift I’ve ever received!” I announce.
Sebastian laughs behind me and collects a box to carry inside.
“I have a few requests,” Evan tells me in a serious tone.
I step back with a nod. “Hit me.”
“We need to be allowed to put up photos of my dad.”
“Done.” As if he needs to ask.
“I need to switch out the door frame from my bedroom to this one.” He waves his hand toward a piece of timber leaning against the porch railing. “It’s where Dad measured me as I grew.” My heart splinters and bleeds for everything he’s lost.
“Done.”
He nods stiffly and his bottom lip trembles. He holds up one finger. “One more thing.” I nod for him to continue. “You can’t die.”
Fuck!
Hope’s gasp cracks the air like a whip, Sebastian freezes, and I cup the back of Evan’s head to drag him into me. Tucking his face into my chest and kissing the top of his head, I hold himtight. He has to feel my heart thumping heavily as his hands grip each side of my sweater. His body trembles against mine, and I draw in a deep breath.
“I can’t make that promise, Ev. Nobody can.” I wish I could. I hate that it’s even something he felt he needed to say. A promise he’s so desperate to have. “But I promise never to put myself at unnecessary risk. You have my word. I’ll do everything I can to be here for a long time. I don’t want to leave you guys. I love you so much.”
He nods against my chest and pulls away. His tear-stained cheeks and red eyes reach into my chest and punch a hole right through my heart. “I know you can’t promise, but I don’t want to lose you, too.” He smiles a shaky smile. “Sorry to ruin your birthday.”
I pull him back into me and hold my other arm open to invite Hope to join us. She burrows into my side, wrapping one arm around me and one around her son. I can’t imagine how hard it was to make the decision to leave their family home behind and move in with me. They’re leaving behind their memories as well as a major connection to Wyatt.
“You haven’t ruined anything. This is the best gift you could ever give me. This family is my world. I’ve wanted us to live together for a while. This works perfectly.”
By the time we pull apart, Evan’s more composed and Sebastian has most of their things stacked neatly in the living room. I get the grill hot and cook while Hope prepares the rest of the food.
The cold air is biting against my exposed skin, but I barely notice it with the absolute joy I’m feeling. The back door opens and closes, and Sebastian hands me a beer, tapping his bottle against mine with a smirk.
“Life’s pretty great right now,” I comment.
He nods, his eyes twinkling in the fading light. “I can see that.” He lifts the bottle to his lips, then points it at me. “You ready for this?”
Shaking my head, I chuckle. “More than you’ll ever know.”