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"See, Mom?" Gabby shouted. "He's a keeper!"

"Not that you're superficial or anything," Sofia teased as she stepped outside.

"That would be impossible for me with you as my mother. Morals literally bleed from my pores every time I sweat."

Both she and Keegan burst out laughing at that remark, and she waved to Bella and Gabby as she shut the door. Her heart feeling lighter, she turned to Keegan. "All right. Bring it on, baker boy. Let's go make some donuts."

"Oh, we're definitely not making donuts." He gestured toward the elevator, and then, as she moved past him, he put his hand on her lower back.

It felt good.

So she let him keep it there.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Keegan was hooked.

On Sofia.

On Gabby.

On this second chance that he hadn't even known was possible, let alone something he actually wanted.

As he drove, he grinned as Sofia chatted animatedly, telling him about the time Gabby started reading the romance novels in her store, shouting out the sexy words to ask what they meant, and how Sofia invented meanings for them that were so silly and goofy.

He loved their mother-daughter relationship.

He loved that talking about Gabby lit Sofia up the way that he remembered her. The spark was still there, but at the same time, she was so shut down, that he'd almost lost her after they'd made love.

But she hadn't run, and now he had a chance to start building the trust.

He pulled off the main road and drove under a sign that said Blue Ridge Stables. He smiled when he saw the white Christmas lights strung up along their mile-long driveway. It had been a few years since he'd visited Blue Ridge Stables at Christmas, but it was even better than he remembered.

Anticipation built as he neared the turn in the driveway, waiting for Sofia's reaction. The moment he turned, she gasped. "That's incredible."

"Right?" The owners of Blue Ridge Stables decorated their house, barn, and stables with more Christmas lights than was probably legal. Thousands and thousands of twinkling lights lit up the night, wrapping around fences, trees, rooflines, horse vans, their front porch, and even their trucks. "Magical."

"Completely." Sofia was leaning forward, her hands on the dash as she drank in the festive atmosphere. "I've never seen anything like it. I feel like we're at the North Pole. All the ice on everything makes it look even more magical."

"It sure does." He remembered his first time: total awe.

Experiencing Sofia's reaction made him appreciate it even more. "I forgot about it until just now. We'll have to bring Gabby another time."

Sofia flashed him a grin. "She probably thinks she's too old for Christmas lights, but I love it."

"I thought you might." He parked by the barn. "They take donations in exchange for drive-throughs. Traffic can get congested here during normal hours, but they're closed now."

She raised her brows, her face glowing. "You bought us a private showing?"

He grinned. "Sure did. Plus, we've worked with Blue Ridge to rescue horses before, so we help each other out. I told Zach I had a girl to impress, and what guy is going to say no to that?"

She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling when she got out of the truck.

Energy raced through Keegan as he exited his vehicle and jogged around the front to meet up with Sofia. The driveway had been sanded and the footing was fine. He took her hand, and gave a little internal fist pump when she didn't pull away. "This way." He led the way into the barn as the big double doors slid open, revealing a gorgeous, state-of-the-art stable absolutely filled with Christmas decorations. Sparkling light strands were everywhere, and a massive wreath at least fifteen feet in diameter hung up on the side of the hayloft. A Christmas tree was in the corner, and Keegan knew from experience that the presents beneath it were all for families in need.

He knew, because it was the Hart Youth Center that went around and collected the presents to distribute.

"Holy cow," Sofia whispered. "This is incredible."