Fair Lakes Series Box Set - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,314

glancing back down at the mug and then over to his son, who’s happily chewing on a teether shaped like a chicken drumstick.

Finally, he looks at the last gift. The big one. My heart starts to skip a little bit in my chest. He unwraps the paper and opens the box. There’s a large envelope inside, which he sets aside. Colton moves the tissue paper and reveals the image I purchased and had framed earlier in the week.

“Hollis.” My name is barely audible as he looks down at the picture of his son sitting with the Army jacket and smiling a big cheesy grin at the camera while holding the helmet on his head. He doesn’t say anything else, just stares down at the framed photograph.

After what feels like minutes, I start to worry he doesn’t like it. He still hasn’t said anything. Maybe I overstepped on this gift. It’s personal, yes, but maybe he doesn’t want the reminder of his previous world clashing with his current one.

“If you don’t like it,” I start, trying to find the right words.

When he glances up, his eyes hold something I wasn’t expecting. Tears. “Don’t like it? It’s amazing.” He looks back down at the image and smiles.

I swallow over the lump in my throat. “I thought maybe you could hang it with the one from Chase and Gabby,” I tell him unnecessarily.

Colton’s gaze lands on the portrait of Milo from when he was only a month old. Before he knew the boy was his son, not his nephew. He nods and smiles. Even though the tears don’t fall, they’re there, nonetheless.

Without saying a word, he reaches down for the envelope and pulls out the stack of photos. “There should be plenty there for your family to have,” I tell him as he thumbs through different poses and sizes. When he gets to the last one, a look of what can only be described as pure contentment passes across his handsome face. He holds it up for me to see.

I shrug. “I hope you don’t mind. She suggested the photo, and it sounded cute, so I went with it. I bought one. For my room,” I stammer, referring to that final photo where I’m helping Milo stand, his little belly sticking out over his jeans.

He’s moving before I realize it, hauling me up and onto my feet. Suddenly, I’m wrapped in his arms, in his familiar scent, and hugged so tightly I’m not sure I could breathe, even if I tried. “I love it. I want one for our room too.”

Then his lips are pressed to mine in a fierce, bruising kiss that melts my bones and robs me of the ability to think of anything other than him. Thank God I’m in his arms, or I wouldn’t be able to stand.

“And I love you,” he adds against my lips.

“I love you too. Thank you for my necklace.”

“Thank you for these, for everything,” he says, pointing to the stack of photos left on the floor. “Merry Christmas, Hollis,” he whispers as he swipes his lips across mine once more.

Milo chooses that moment to yell, his bottom lip jutting out as he gets ready for a fit. I’m there, though, scooping him up and in my arms before the first tear even has a chance to fall. “Are you getting hungry?” I ask, bouncing him on my hip as the doorbell rings. “Are you expecting someone?”

Guilt flashes through Colton’s eyes before it’s quickly replaced with excitement. “Uh, yeah. Actually,” he starts, reaching over and taking Milo from my arms, “it’s for you.”

I give him a look of confusion. “For me?”

“Yeah, it’s for you. The rest of your Christmas present.”

I don’t move right away, not until I feel his hand on my back. “Go ahead. Open the door.”

My legs are a little wobbly as I head to the door and turn the lock. When the chain is released, I slowly open the door, not really sure what to expect. What I do know is I wasn’t expecting this.

Her.

“Tina!”

Chapter 17

Colton

The smile on my girl’s face tells me that even though she doesn’t like surprises, she’s happy with this one. It took some sneaking around in her phone to find Tina’s number, and then I had to wait until I was at the gym to call her. It almost felt as if I was cheating the way I was keeping my phone on vibrate and quickly deleting our text messages. Although it was a job to sneak,