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I wink at her. “This is one you’re going to love.” I gesture to Suzanne, and the oldest Kerrigan girl moves out of the room. “It’s something you’ve been wanting for a long time and now the timing is right. Here’s to you, Gillian. Happy birthday, baby.”

Suz comes back around the corner with a wriggling ball of fur in her arms. The puppy gives a yip at the sight of so many people, its tail wagging excitedly.

“Oh my god!” Gillian can hardly contain her surprise and delight.

“Tase picked him out,” I explain. “Made sure it was a breed that would fit in with us, or something like that.”

“He’s just a little mixed mutt,” Tase adds. “He needs a good home. I think we can provide one for him, if you want.”

Gilli’s mouth is still open in surprise. “You got me a dog!”

Actually, I gotusa dog, but yes, mostly for her.

Suz hands the pup off to Gilli, and his tail starts to beat out a crazy tempo. His tongue is exploring his new territory, licking all over her face and knocking her glasses off.She’s giggling and trying to hold the squirming little ball of happiness.

“Happy birthday to Gilli!” Soren makes the final toast and a cheer erupts. He kisses her temple and gets himself a doggy kiss right on the nose.

If I’ve timed it right?—

The fireworks begin over the lake, exploding in rich blues and purples, glowing golds and reds and greens. Fuck. Yes.

Later when we’re alone,just the two of us, the puppy snoozes on Gilli’s lap and her head rests against my shoulder.

We’re in for some sleepless nights with the puppy. He’ll have us up every few hours needing to potty, and we’ll have to let him out, otherwise he’ll learn to do his business in the house.

But I’m too content right now to even worry about it.

Our girl wanted a companion, and with all the walks she takes around the property, she’s needed one. A good guard dog, Tase assured us when we were looking at potential breeds.

And they’ve already bonded.

Her sisters are both asleep on the floor below, which we’ve set up as a sort of guest quarters. They’ve got their own personal fireplace, two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchenette.

For some reason, Gilli had insisted on that part of the house being finished before any of the rest. It took me way too long to understand why.

Family.

The one we’ve brought, the one we’ve found, the one we’ve made.

“You really went above and beyond today, honey,” she murmurs. “Thank you.”

Sleep colors her voice and it’s only going to be a few more minutes before she’ll be ready for bed.

“Thank you. I take all the credit,” I joke. “Did you like your party?”

“Like it? Ilovedit. You made me feel special. All of you.”

I place a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Youarespecial.”

It’s only the two of us here in our own little world, with our legs entwined and the fire crackling cheerfully in the grate. The puppy snuffles and stretches out, perfectly content.

I hesitate for a second before asking, “Are you mad I didn’t invite your parents?”

The guys and I made the executive decision to leave them off the guest list. For our sanity and for Gilli, although we’ve been too chicken-shit to ask her what she thought about it until now.

“Why would I be mad?” she asks. “They have no part in our lives.”

“I wasn't sure if you were ready to extend an olive branch or not and I didn’t want to make any assumptions. We’ve been carrying a grudge for a long time.”