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Can I swoon at his feet now, please?

He smooths his hand over my swollen belly. “Twins. Go figure. And hell no are we naming them Red and Rover. Already got one of each.”

I laugh. On the other side of me, my dad laughs too, this deep rumble from his core, and I love him. Love having him in my life. I can have two dads, a biological one and the one who raised me. There is enough room in my life and my heart for everyone, including my best friends from college.

“Barbeque at Dare’s?” Taron’s mom, Suzie, asks.

“That’s the plan.” His hand around mine, Taron guides me down the bleachers.

Everyone will be at Dare’s for my birthday. Natalie and her family included. They are flying in from California. She and I became close friends. It was bound to happen when she fell in love with Jordan Halpin, Taron’s friend and roommate, and my friend Gwen’s best guy friend. As for Gwen and Dare . . . well, their love story isn’t for me to share. It’s their story to tell.

“Happy birthday, baby.”

The love in my husband’s voice brings me out of my reminiscing. He presses a kiss on my mouth, and I am in heaven. Taron pulls me to him with his hands on my hips, and I tremble with need. The kiss is devouring. Hot. And I feeleverything. The gentle yet desperate pressure of his fingers on my sensitive flesh. How hungry his mouth is, our tongues tasting and tangling. I slacken against him. Whimper. Thread my fingers in his hair.

His thick fingers weave in my long strands. Tug my head gently to the side. I open further for him, lost to his heat and his possessive hold on me, one hand on my hip and the other deep in my long thick strands.

“Jesus, I love your hair.” He breaks off our kiss, and clasping my face in his palms, he brings me close until our foreheads touch. “You are my everything. You know that, right, Pixie Dust? You, Zane, and our families and our friends are my world.”

“You are mine too.” I wrap my arms around his neck.

My phone in my back pocket pings. I ignore it. Taron doesn’t.

“You should get it, sweetheart. It could be Bounce, I mean Beau.”

Smiling, I check my phone and read the two messages to Taron.

“Zane and Gunner are with us. See you at Dare’s. We’ll let him know you two will be late. Wink. Wink.”

I laugh.

“Your mom is a hoot.”

“She loves you too, baby. Who’s the other text from?”

“Beau. He apologizes for missing Zane’s game. Cindy couldn’t make up her mind which puppy to get at the pound, so they got both, two boy dogs.”

“Nice. Shall we?” He extends his hand to me.

I set my hand in his. “Where to first?”

“Wherever you prefer.”

“Anywhere as long as I’m with you.”

“Anywhere?” He waggles his brows. I playfully smack his shoulder.

“As long as we don’t get caught with our pants down”—literally—“I am fair game for anywhere.”

He effortlessly picks me up in his arms.

“Remember, you gave me leeway.”

“Taron?”

He doesn’t answer, just hurries us to our blacked-out SUV. The crowds are gone. The field emptied out. He sets me on my feet, opens the passenger-side door, and his breath warm on the shell of my ear, he says words that make my heart soar.

“I love you, Syn. Let’s go soar to the heavens together, baby.”

In bed. Or wherever he would like to make love to me so long as we’re together. Heaven. How can I refuse?