Fair Lakes Series Box Set - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,318

it to Gabby. “Thank you— Wait, what is that?” She pulls on Hollis’s hand, almost pulling her off the couch.

“Easy there, tiger,” Chase tells his wife.

Gabby ignores him and looks up at us. Her eyes are darting between Hollis and me. “You guys are engaged?”

“What?” my mom exclaims, standing from her spot on the loveseat to come and take a closer look at my girl’s hand.

“We are.” Hollis beams with excitement. I can’t see her face because she’s looking at them, but I can hear it in her voice.

“Oh, my goodness! Welcome to the family.” Mom pulls Hollis into a hug, as do Dad and Chase.

“You’re going to have to come to me, sister of mine,” Gabby says, rubbing her very pregnant belly. “I’m not as mobile as I used to be.” Hollis settles on the floor next to her, and they hug as best as they can. “Tell me everything,” Gabby demands.

“Hey, now,” I say, chiming in. “Some things are sacred between a man and his wife.”

“Future wife,” Gabby corrects. “And we’re all family here.”

“She’s right,” Hollis agrees, and goes on to tell them how it all went down.

As if he understands what they’re talking about, Milo, who is sitting on Chase’s lap, cries out “Mama,” and points his little chubby finger at Hollis.

I can see her swallow past the emotions he evokes in her. Chase must see it too. He stands and takes Milo to her. “Here’s Mommy,” he tells my son, who reaches for Hollis and snuggles up to her chest.

I swear every woman in the room sighs, as the men just smile. There really is nothing else you can do in this situation. You’re a cold-hearted bastard if the moment that just passed between mother and son doesn’t hit you in the feels. Hollis may not have given birth to him, but she loves him as if she did. Milo doesn’t know the difference, and it makes my heart happy to know that he never will. Sure, we’ll tell him, but he’ll never be able to tell that she’s not his birth mother. She loves him that much. You can see it just looking at the two of them together.

The rest of the night is lots of laughter and gifts. In perfect Milo fashion, he soaks up all the love and attention. My mom even had a gift for Tina. I had given her a heads-up earlier this week that she was coming, and she wanted her to feel welcome.

This has been one of the best Christmases I’ve had since joining the Army. Many of them I was on deployment and not able to come home. I missed my family, but I was serving my country. It was something I was damn proud of and still am to this day. I miss my brothers, and I need to reach out to them more. Make more of an effort, but I can’t say that I miss the Army. How could I? That would mean I would be missing all of this. My son, my fiancée, and my family. I’ve missed out on enough. It’s time to start living. For me, and for them.

Chase is flying Milo around the room like an airplane, and he swoops him in toward me. “Dddd!” he cheers, and my heart stops in my chest.

“Milo!” Hollis stands from her seat next to Tina and Gabby on the couch. “Colt, did you hear that?” she asks. I nod because the words won’t come. “Are you trying to say Dada?” she asks him.

“Look at that, buddy. You made Daddy speechless.” Chase grins, setting him on my lap.

“Dddd!” Milo cheers.

I wrap my arms around my boy and hug his little body tight. “Daddy loves you,” I tell him.

“Ddd!” he says again, kickstarting my heart as the room erupts in laughter.

Best Christmas ever.

Chapter 18

Hollis

“You excited?” Colton asks from the driver’s seat of his truck as he pulls down a long, narrow path.

We haven’t been on the road long, maybe fifteen minutes or so, but just long enough to really build the suspense. He’s done that since he came home from work yesterday and told me to be ready at five with an overnight bag packed—clothing optional. His lips have been sealed ever since, even though I’ve begged and pleaded with him to spill the beans. Hell, I even tried to utilize my female wiles last night in a sexy nightgown. Two orgasms later, he still wouldn’t tell me what he had planned.

“Anywhere I’m going with you makes