Page 92 of The Snuggle is Real
“We just keep rolling and adding snow until it gets big enough.” He scooped up more snow, slapped it against his small snowball and patted it together. Then he rolled it through more snow on the ground. “See?”
Charlie joined him, squatting to help roll the snowball.
I just watched for a minute, heat radiating through me despite the cold. My chest grew tight, and my eyes burned with the sudden urge to cry.
Not with sadness, though I was acutely aware of how much I’d lost these past few years while I’d hidden from my pain.
No, this was pure joy.
Mason glanced up, a smile on those pretty lips that I loved to kiss more than I’d ever dreamed. “If you’re just going to stand there, at least take off your coat so everyone can enjoy that ugly Christmas sweater of yours.”
“I helped make it,” Charlie exclaimed.
“Really?” Mason turned to her. “Good job.”
“Yeah, it’s Peppermint Bark! Could you tell?”
He glanced up at me, eyes twinkling. “You know, I wondered about that. Now, Fordreallyneeds to take off his coat so everyone can see your handiwork.”
“Yeah!” Charlie cried.
I shook my head, giving him a mock glare, but the teasing was just what I needed to wrangle my emotions. I didn’t want to scare Mason away by crying my love all over him.
This was new, but I already knew it was special.
Not just me and him, but me, him, and Charlie.
I unbuttoned my coat, spreading it wide, and spun in a circle. “Yeah, I’m wearing an ugly Christmas sweater, and I’m proud of it!” I called out.
There was a sprinkling of laughter from the other families nearby.
“Good job, Dad!” someone called.
I turned back to see Charlie grinning up at me. “Yeah,” she said. “Good job, Dad.”
Oh, fuck. I blinked hard as the waterworks tried to surface. I crouched down to hide my face and started rolling snow with them.
“Thanks, kid,” I rasped. “Now, let’s build the best dang snowman in the park.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
Mason rubbed my back, seeming to sense something was up with me. I flashed him a quick smile to reassure him I was fine. I was more than fine.
I’d seen a glimpse of my future, and I had new clarity.
When LuAnne came for Charlie, we’d have a talk. I might not be Charlie’s bio father, but I was herDad, and I had to make sure my little girl was happy and safe.
She and Mason were my family now, and I wanted to keep them both close.
CHAPTER 25
Mason
“Take a break, sweetheart.”Ford came up behind me, where I was just tucking in the corner of a new duvet I’d bought for the guest bed that Sawyer and Ash would use, and pressed a kiss to the back of my neck.
“You did the hard part of setting up the bed.”
“Mm-hmm, and you swept and mopped and dusted every inch of this house while I did.”
