better. Getting to be your dad—?” Daniel shook his head. “I love you.”
Lance grinned then turned and squeezed Beth as well. “Thanks for picking him.”
Beth laughed. “I did it just for you.”
Lance tucked himself under Daniel’s arm, still holding Beth on the other side, and the three of them made their way back to the family seats only slightly embarrassed to discover the entire ceremony had paused until they sat down.
Lance slid in far enough to accept hugs from his brothers, giving Robbie a noogie as he settled between them. Beth and Daniel once again next to each other.
In the row behind them, Blake leaned forward and laid his hand on Daniel’s shoulder briefly and squeezed.
Beth hung on tight to Daniel’s right hand, his left arm around her waist. Connected. Together. Daniel had no idea what happened for the next half hour of the ceremony because he was in his own little glowing circle of happiness with his wife and his children. His sons—the ones he’d never expected to have, yet who were his to his very core.
He glanced over and found his father’s eyes on him. Mike’s expression was twisted tight, and Daniel worried for a moment until he realized his father’s eyes were full of tears and he was trying not to cry.
Ah, shit. Daniel leaned forward and pinched the bridge of his nose, desperately fighting to regain control before he lost it again.
Thankfully, by the time the rest of the ceremony was done, his emotional level was no longer riding on teary but happy enthusiasm. The entire clan gathered around, taking turns to shake Lance’s hand as laughter swelled around them.
A sharp tug on his sleeve brought Daniel’s attention back to his middle boy, Nathan, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“How come you look like trouble?” Daniel asked softly.
Teeth flashed white. “Not me,” Nathan insisted before leaning against Daniel’s side, comfortable his affection would be accepted and reciprocated. He lifted a hand and pointed to the other side of the gathering. “Just thought you might be interested in watching this.”
Rob was talking earnestly with Auntie Dana.
“Aw, shit.” It wasn’t right that Daniel’s first impulse was to laugh. “Your brother has no idea that he’s dealing with dynamite, does he?”
“Not a clue,” Nathan agreed. Then he shrugged. “Truth is, he gets away with murder when it comes to girls. That whole innocent ‘but I just wanted you to have this pretty flower’ spiel works for him far too often.”
Oh boy. Something to be worried about on a day in the future that was not today.
Daniel and Nathan watched as Auntie Dana listened intently to Rob’s rapid words that were accompanied by much hand swinging. She tilted her head slightly as if not quite believing her grandnephew’s argument. But then she laughed, and Rob gave her a quick hug before turning and sauntering away, hands shoved in his pockets and a pleased expression on his face.
“I really wish I could read lips,” Nathan complained.
“It would be entertaining.” Daniel wrapped an arm around Nathan’s shoulder, ready to pull him back toward the family.
“Wait.”
Auntie Dana was on the move. It wasn’t as if she was on a mission, but more on a focused meander that sooner than later brought her into the path of Uncle Mark. They didn’t meet for long, but there was clearly a moment of pleasant conversation before Dana continued on her way, Mark staring after her, his bemused grin growing steadily wider.
“Son of a gun,” Daniel whispered.
Nathan snorted. “See? Robbie’s terrible. And good.”
This time Daniel laughed, tugging his son with him and pointedly ignoring whatever was going on between certain older family members. “He’s a busybody. He got lucky this time.”
“He gets lucky a lot,” Nathan said before jerking upright and blinking hard. “That came out wrong. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
They were nearly at where Beth, Lance, and Robbie were waiting, but Daniel couldn’t resist. He stopped and tugged Nathan into a huge hug, the two of them chuckling the entire time.
Daniel patted Nathan firmly on the shoulder. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Dad,” Nathan said as easy as anything, the words flowing freely in their family. “Can we go? I’m starving. I can’t wait for the barbecue.”
Daniel took Beth’s fingers, holding hands as they walked back to the car. Their three boys milled around them, nearly as active as they’d been eight years ago when he’d first started seeing her.
Her eyes shone brightly as he paused to open her car