Page 109 of Once Upon a Holidate
Garrick took one of the beers and opened it, then settled on the far end of the huge sectional. The game was on, but the sound was muted.
“Where’s Renee?” he asked.
“Prepping for the wedding tomorrow,” Jasper said, stirring the contents of the Crock-Pot. “I guess it’s a big one. Then Saturday is Holly’s wedding, which should be easier.”
“She still taking off the rest of the year?” Garrick asked as Jasper joined them on the sofa.
“She is.” Jasper reached down and patted Koda.
“So where are you two going?” Cade asked. “You said somewhere tropical. Hawaii’s nice. So’s the Caribbean.”
“We’re staying here.” Jasper raised a shoulder. “Renee just wants us to hang out here and do nothing. To be honest, I don’t care what we do, as long as we have a couple of weeks together.”
A sentiment Garrick understood. He would like that with Wynn. Just the two of them somewhere quiet. The location wasn’t important. It was more about the time and the company. Not that he minded having Hunter around. He was a great kid. But a little one-on-one with Wynn would be great. Just them and zero complications.
Only she wanted more children. Did it change anything? While they were involved, neither of them had ever mentioned having a future. Still, he wasn’t the kind of guy who went from woman to woman. He liked being with Wynn. As for his worries about getting married again, he knew she wasn’t like his ex at all. So what did that mean?
“Earth to Garrick,” Cade said, waving his beer. “You still with us?”
Garrick nodded. “Just got a couple of things on my mind.”
Jasper looked at him. “Want to talk about it?”
Cade raised his eyebrows. “When did you turn into someone with a soft, gooey center?”
“I’m a writer, my friend. I’m allowed to be intuitive and sensitive.”
“You say that like it’s a good thing,” Cade muttered.
“You act tough, but the truth is you’re just as much of a wuss as the rest of us,” Garrick said. “We can’t help it. We’ve evolved.”
“And the world is better for it,” Jasper said, his gaze still on Garrick. “Is that you avoiding what’s on your mind or do you really not want to talk about it?”
“Aren’t those the same things?” Garrick asked, his tone light as he considered the question. He drew in a breath. “Wynn wants more kids.”
Jasper surprised him by smiling. “Good for her. I’m glad she got there.”
Got there? Why would Jasper put it that way? But as soon ashe asked the question, he realized he knew the answer. Wynn and Jasper had dated for a couple of years. They’d broken up about the time Garrick had moved back to Happily Inc, so he’d never seen them together, but they’d been a thing.
He found himself wanting to stand up and challenge his friend. The need was accompanied by a jolt of jealousy and he ignored both. Whatever had happened was long done. Jasper was married to Renee, and Wynn was obviously not longing for the other man. But the surge of emotion was unexpected.
“Kids are great,” Cade said. “But your daughter is grown. Are you done with that part of your life?” He held up a hand. “Or are we assuming too much about your relationship with Wynn?”
Jasper nodded, but didn’t speak, leaving Garrick to figure out what he wanted to say.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “About kids. I never thought about it. Joylyn’s all grown up.”
But he’d enjoyed all the stages of her life, and he’d been devastated when she’d refused to see him for all those years. A do-over would be great. Only there was no way to go back in time and get back those years. Which only left him with the future.
Not that he would have a kid to make up for what had happened with Joylyn. The reason had to be about himself and what he wanted, along with what he could give to a child. But was he looking for that?
“Wynn’s a great mom,” he said, more to himself than them. He could see her with a couple more kids. Maybe girls. He knew most guys would want a son, but he was happy with the idea of girls. He’d enjoyed watching Joylyn move through the various stages of growing up. From the little girl who hung on to her stuffed pig to the fearless ten-year-old who’d raced around on her bike.
Did he want to do that again? Did he want to start over with Wynn? Did he want tobe a part of her life and have her be a part of his? He knew he didn’t want to let her go. He liked what they had together. Liked her. But that was a long way from “Hey, we should talk about having kids together.”
“Let’s change the subject,” Jasper said easily. “Cade, what are you getting Bethany for Christmas?”
“A custom saddle,” Cade said with a grin. “She’s going to love it. There’s this old guy who lives in El Bahar. He’s done work for the royal family for years, and Bethany always admires his work when we are back there. I talked to him the last time we visited and arranged for the saddle. At first he didn’t want to make a saddle for a woman, but when I told him who I was giving it to, he changed his mind.” His expression turned smug. “She’s known as an excellent horsewoman.”
