had already vacated the bedroom.
As Adison grew nearer to the bottom floor, she understood why. The distinct smell of bacon filled the air. Undoubtedly, Taffy was in the kitchen mewing for some of it.
Adison took her time descending the stairs, smiling at the photos lining the wall. In addition to pictures of her and Ken traveling in Italy and Alaska, there were ones of her parents and his sister Becca. Even though Adison had only lived in the house for half a year, she hadn’t felt so at home somewhere since her mom and dad passed.
She’d been right about Taffy. Of course.
Ken flipped bacon at the stove while Taffy lay on her back on the rug, purring up at him.
“Okay,” Ken was saying to her. “A little bit, but don’t tell Mom.”
Adison paused in the doorway and pressed her fingers to her lips to stifle a laugh. It wasn’t until Ken had already given Taffy the bacon that she allowed herself to giggle.
“Busted,” she said.
Ken looked over his shoulder in surprise, but a smile broke across his face at the sight of her. “How much did you hear?”
“More than heard, buster. I saw you give the cat bacon.” She crossed the room and gave him a kiss. “If she gets sick, you’re cleaning it up.”
“Don’t worry.” He raked his fingers through her loose hair.
“It was a cat-sized piece.”
“A cat-sized piece.” She shook her head. “That sounds exactly like a Ken argument.”
“Are you ready for breakfast?” he asked.
She looked at the bacon frying in the pan, her stomach roiling. A couple of weeks ago she would have been all over it, but now…
“That looks good,” she said, “but I’m more in the mood for fruit and oatmeal.”
“I’ll make the oatmeal,” he said without hesitation.
“Thanks, babe.” She kissed him again. “Oh, and by the way, Corinne has the hots for Simon.”
“What?! They’ve only talked once or twice.”
“She knows what she likes.”
“Hm.” Amusement flickered in his eyes.
“What?” she pressed.
“I’m pretty sure he’s interested in her, too. He’s asked about her a couple times.”
“Oh, really?” Adison bit into a grin. “Okay. Today should be something else.”
She opened the fridge, then gasped and turned back around to him. “I forgot to say Merry Christmas!”
He grinned. “It’s not too late. Merry Christmas, hot stuff.”
“Merry Christmas to you.” She pulled some cut fruit from the fridge, surprised when she felt Ken sidle up to her from behind and wrap his arms around her waist.
He nuzzled the side of her neck, and she closed her eyes, lost in the delicious touch. Even after a year, Ken made her go weak in the knees on a daily basis.
“So when am I allowed to give you your Christmas present?” he whispered.
She opened her eyes and reached up to press her palm to his cheek. He hadn’t shaved that morning, which meant the stubble she loved on him tickled her hand.
“When do you want to?” she asked.
His hands slid lower, coming to settle on her hips. “Uh…what was I saying?” He nibbled her ear.
“Ken.” She laughed.
“Mm-hmm?” He pulled her flush to him, and she almost dropped her fruit.
“The bacon is burning.”
“Shoot!” That got him moving. Letting go of her, he leapt to the stove and killed the burner.
“How about this?” She put the fruit on the counter. “Meet me in the den in five minutes, and we’ll exchange gifts then.”
“Perfect.” He dumped the charred bacon in the trash. “Looks like I won’t be eating this anyway.”
“You can share my oatmeal.” She winked on her way out of the kitchen.
While rooting through the fridge for her breakfast, an idea had come to her. Quietly, she let herself into the room on the second floor that they referred to as her home office. It was really more like a storage room, though.
Around the time Adison moved in with Ken, she also left her job at the Montoya Foundation to start up as a full-time party planner. Her work at the charity had felt meaningful, but it turned out the office hours and lack of physical movement drained her. Planning parties, she was often on the go—something that worked with her high energy.
In the last year, she’d planned three weddings, a Fourth of July bash, several engagement parties, and a handful of baby showers. Work had been nonstop, but she’d loved every minute of it. Operations still ran out of the office space Ken had started renting her a year before, and things were getting so busy that she was considering hiring an assistant.
In