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“Oh, he never smiles for pictures anymore. Too big and tough,” Monica said, giving Colin a grin and squeeze.

“Funny. I got one,” Gabe replied, holding the phone out to her. She snatched the phone and looked at the picture Gabe had taken. Colin was grinning. Monica herself had her mouth open, was looking down at Colin, which made her chin all but disappear. She looked ridiculous. “I’m talking.”

Gabe shrugged. “Them’s the breaks.”

She almost demanded Gabe take another one, but she stared at the picture of her smiling son, then the man in front of her she did not understand at all. There were too many emotions fighting for prominence, and most of them made no sense to her at all.

He clapped his hands together. “Let’s load up. Colin, I’m going to teach you how to tie a knot.”

“I know how to tie a knot.”

“Not a lame baby knot. A real knot.”

Monica could only watch in shocked silence as Gabe went through the basic steps of some military knot, and then he and Colin tied the tree to the sleigh.

She swallowed at her constricted throat, because for the first time in six months, she knew for an absolute fact she’d made the right decision to move here—not just for herself, but for her son.

And it was hard not to cry over that.

Chapter 4

“See?” Colin held up a well-tied square knot to the room of adults who oohed and aahed over his skill.

Gabe was getting a kick out of how excited the kid was over tying aknot.Gabe had enjoyed teaching him this afternoon while they’d waited for Thanksgiving dinner to be ready. Everyone else had been in the tiny kitchen stepping on each other’s toes as they prepared the food.

Colin had nimble fingers and an eager mind. It hadn’t been easy for him in the beginning, and he’d been ready to give up, but Gabe had given him a bit of a lecture about frustration and working through it.

Colin had listened solemnly, then gotten to work. Now, he was flying through the knots and beyond proud of his achievements. Gabe smiled into his beer.

“Now we just need to teach you to do it underwater,” Alex said from his corner of the couch, Becca curled up next to him.

With the threat of snow, Becca’s mom had headed out early. Becca had convinced Monica and Colin to spend the night though, since the roads to their cabin would be worse than the roads in town. Now they were all sprawled out in various places in the living room with pie and alcoholic beverages for the adults. The women were sharing some fruity bottle of wine while Gabe and Alex stuck to beer.

Colin had groused loudly, if not earnestly, about his lame lemonade.

Gabe could admit it was nice enough, and he didn’t feel quite as odd-man-out as he’d figured he would. It didn’t mean he’d make it a habit by any means, but it gave him some dim hope for future holidays.

“How’s tying a knot underwater any different?” Colin asked, frowning at the piece of rope.

“Well, there’s water, for starters,” Gabe replied dryly. “Plus, you have to do it while holding your breath.”

Colin undid the knot in the piece of rope Gabe had given him and dramatically sucked in a breath and held it. Then he went about tying the knot. When he was done, he loudly blew out the breath he’d held. “Easy,” he said, offering the knot up for Gabe’s inspection.

Gabe shook his head. “You keep thinking it’s easy.”

“How old do you have to be to join the navy?”

“If your grandfather heard you asking that question…” Monica shuddered. “Bad enough your dad was an air force man.”

“Grandpa must be a marine then,” Gabe said.

Colin nodded. “First to fight.”

Alex and Gabe exchanged an eye roll.

“But it doesn’t matter. You know why?” Monica offered, smiling sweetly at Colin. “Because you’re joining any military branch over my dead body.”

Colin huffed. “You always say I can do whatever I want. If I get good grades and try hard and blah, blah, blah.”