Happily This Christmas (Happily Inc #6) - Susan Mallery Page 0,97
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 to be 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.”
“The leather guy didn’t know who you were when you talked to him?” Garrick asked.
“He gets customers coming to him from all over the world, so to him, I was just another American.”
“I’m still wondering about a man who won’t make a saddle for a woman,” Jasper said. “Don’t tell Bethany. She wouldn’t be happy.”
“Not just Bethany,” Garrick pointed out. “I’m not thrilled, either.”
“Social evolution takes time. They’ll get there.” He took a drink of his beer. “I’m giving Renee a girls’ weekend with all her friends at a spa.”
Cade groaned. “Man, no. You’ll make the rest of us look bad.”
Jasper grinned, then reached out to pet the orange tabby cat that jumped on the back of the sofa and walked toward him.
“That’s just a bonus,” he joked.
“A girlfriend weekend is a really good gift,” Garrick admitted.
“What did you get Wynn?” Cade asked. “Or are you not at the gift-giving stage?”
“We are. At least I hope we are.” He hesitated. “She’s not easy to buy for. She isn’t into fancy things, and she has her life together.”
He’d thought for a long time, trying to find something she would enjoy that wasn’t dumb or predictable.
“I got her a cleaning service. They’ll come every two weeks and clean the house.”
Jasper chuckled. “That’s perfect. It takes away a chore she doesn’t like, and she’ll think of you every time they show up.”
Garrick exhaled. “Good. I wasn’t sure. I got Hunter a drone. I figured he would fly it up here and take pictures and stuff. Joylyn was easy. Alisha and I are going in on a meal service for her and Chandler when they get settled, and I’m giving them a week at a chalet in Tahoe.”
“So you have it all figured out,” Cade told him.
Garrick nodded, wishing that was true. Having it figured out would mean knowing what to do next. He liked Wynn—he liked them. But liking her a lot was different than wanting forever. Did he? And what about kids? He was still in his thirties, so age wasn’t an issue. But it was a big step, and he had a lot to consider before he could make up his mind. And once he knew what he wanted, there was also the issue of finding out where she was. It would be a hell of a thing to decide he was in love with her only to have her tell him she wasn’t that into him.
This was why he’d avoided relationships, he thought, turning his attention to the game. Because there were always complications. In the past he’d