Page 106

I loved the animalistic sound that came from him—so wild and free.

He lowered his body over mine without crushing me. “Feeling better?” he whispered.

“Yup. You?”

“Much better.”

We stayed on the couch for a while, letting our heart rates subside. Then he walked into the bathroom to clean up and brought a towel for me. I got dressed and asked my man what he meant when he told me not to worry about my attackers. Apparently, he had his people send the women a message. If they came near me again, something “awful” would happen to them.

“Those women were just after money. They don’t want to die.” He looked at me. “If something like this ever happens again, I need you to tell me immediately. Okay?”

“Okay.” I touched his chin, appreciating all the things he’d done for me. I wasn’t used to men caring about me like this or me having to share details about my life. It was different, and I was getting used to it.

It infuriated me that his ex was behind all of this. I supposed love pushed people to do unimaginable things. Right now, the warmth bursting inside me made me want to finish his Christmas gift tonight.

CHAPTERFIFTY

ARROW

Vivian and Kayleehad asked me to add some lights to the exterior of the house to welcome our visitors for lunch on Christmas Day. I’d never decorated my home because there had been no reason to, especially for a single guy living alone. The maple trees glowed, illuminating the wide path to the front door, which held a glowing wreathe that Kaylee had picked out. Vivian suggested I cover the bushes with lights as well. Overall, the ambiance was warm and homey—something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Pam and Jarrett were coming over for lunch today. Last year, they’d traveled to Florida to be with his family. This year, they stayed because he’d just recovered from heart surgery and didn’t want to deal with the stress of traveling.

“Wow.” Pam glanced at the foyer as she entered the kitchen area. “It’s like a whimsical winter wonderland.”

Jarrett looked up at the dangling lights that hung from the dining room ceiling and sniffed the air. “I love the magical atmosphere, and it smells so good in here.”

“That’s because Vivian is making something delicious for us.” I placed a hand to her lower back and kissed her head.

Jarrett placed the bags of goodies they’d brought over by the tree and went to join Kaylee in a videogame in the living room.

“How can I help you?” Pam asked Vivian.

“Oh, you don’t have to. Most of the hard stuff is already done. You can just hang out with Kaylee and Jarrett.”

“Sweetheart, I want to learn what you’re making so I can make it for Jarrett one of these days.” Pam pointed to the wall with aprons.

I passed the red apron to her and didn’t know what else to do. This was the most people I’d ever had in my home. Kaylee and Jarrett laughed at something while Vivian chatted with Pam. I’d brought Vivian and Kaylee over to meet Pam and Jarrett once, so this was their second meeting.

Warmth bloomed in my chest as I stood at the kitchen counter, organizing what Pam and Jarrett brought. I placed their apple pie and tins of various cookies next to the ham, mashed potatoes, and appetizers I’d ordered from a nearby restaurant. They just needed to be heated.

Glancing around, magic and joy filled me up. The emotion reminded me of the last step in winemaking—the bottling and aging of wine. As joy and love entered me, I let them sit and transform into something profound that couldn’t be described. All those past experiences had led me to this incredible moment where I got to savor the meaning of family.

“Okay, I think I got it.” Pam gestured to the strainer on the counter. “The Mung beansprouts, Thai basil, and sawtooth herbs are all washed and separated.”

Vivian glanced over. “Excellent. Can you get out the small dishes for the dipping sauce? Squirt the Sriracha and hoisin sauce into them. Thank you!” She returned her attention to the pot ofph?, a delicious beef broth and one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes.

“Sure thing. I’ve always wanted to know how to make this.”

Though danger loomed around us like a dark cloud, I pushed everything aside to be with those I cared about. These moments were rare, and I wanted to make sure I remembered them.

Vivian had gotten me and Kaylee matching Christmas pajamas with tiny snowflakes. I’d never dressed up like this for the holidays. But I’d do it for her.

“Cute outfit,” Pam said. She was like a mother to me, and to see her approve of the woman I loved meant so much to me.

I watched Vivian move around my kitchen with ease, owning it. I could see her cooking for me every day if she wanted to. But if she didn’t, we could always order out.

The sense of completion flooded me. She was the missing piece I’d been searching for. She was like the perfect ingredient that made great wineextraordinary.