Page 9 of Fake Dating the Next-Door (Curvy Wives of Cedar Falls #6)

Eighteen months. That's how long it's been since our "fake" dinner with my parents turned into something very real. A new life I could never have imagined.

I glance down at the tiny bundle in my arms, still marveling at his perfect fingers, the dark hair that promises to be as thick as his father's, the way his little nose wrinkles when he's about to wake up. Ethan James Stone, two months old and already the center of our universe.

"They'll be here any minute," I fret, bouncing slightly as Ethan stirs. "What if they think we rushed everything? What if they judge our house? What if—"

"Sunny," Garrett's voice is steady as he takes Ethan from my arms, cradling our son. "Your parents adore you. They're going to adore him. And they've accepted me, which was the toughest sell."

I smile despite my anxiety. "They more than accepted you. My mom calls you for advice now, which is still weird."

It's true. Somewhere between our engagement announcement (six months after that first night together) and our small backyard wedding (three months after that), my mother decided Garrett was the most sensible person in our family.

Now she consults him about everything from retirement investments to vacation destinations.

Garrett settles Ethan against his broad shoulder, the contrast between his massive frame and our tiny son never failing to amaze me. "The house looks great. You look beautiful. Ethan is perfect. Stop worrying."

He's right about the house—our house. He sold his place and we bought something together, a craftsman bungalow with enough room for Garrett's workshop and my home office, plus the nursery we painted sunshine yellow.

My colorful style has merged with Garrett's minimalism into something that feels uniquely ours.

The doorbell rings, and I instinctively smooth down my dress, touching my hair.

"Ready?" Garrett asks, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"Ready," I confirm, drawing strength from his steadiness.

I open the door to find my parents beaming, arms laden with more baby gifts than one infant could possibly need.

"Sunshine!" My mother exclaims, dropping her packages to embrace me. "You look wonderful! Where's my grandson?"

"Mom, Dad, come in," I usher them inside, where Garrett waits with Ethan.

My mother makes a beeline for them, cooing over the baby while my father claps Garrett on the shoulder, careful not to disturb his grandson.

"He has your eyes," my mother says, gently stroking Ethan's cheek.

"And Garrett's serious expression," my father adds with a chuckle.

"Poor kid," Garrett says, the easy smile that once seemed so rare now coming naturally.

I watch them—my family, all of them—and feel a contentment I never knew was possible. Garrett catches my eye over my mother's head, his gaze softening in that way reserved just for me, and I'm transported back to that night when everything changed.

"Hard to believe it all started with a fake boyfriend scheme," I say later, after my parents have settled into the guest room and Ethan is asleep in his crib. We're curled together on the porch swing, watching fireflies blink in the summer twilight.

Garrett's arm tightens around me. "Best decision you ever made, asking me to pretend."

"Second best," I correct him. "Best was asking you to stay that night."

He kisses the top of my head. "Remember how nervous you were before that first dinner? And now look at you… Successful business, husband, baby."

It's true. My freelance work has flourished into a small design agency. Garrett's furniture restoration business has a six-month waiting list. We've both found our footing, together.

"My parents were right about one thing," I admit. "I did need stability. They just didn't understand I needed to find it my own way."

"And I needed chaos," Garrett says, his voice warm with amusement. "The good kind. Your kind."

I tilt my face up for his kiss, still feeling the same spark that ignited between us that first night.

"Think they suspect?" I ask when we part. "That the whole boyfriend thing started as a ruse?"

Garrett laughs, the sound still my favorite in the world (well, second favorite now, after Ethan's giggles). "Your mother asked me directly last Christmas. Said she knew the minute we opened the door that we weren't really together yet."

"What? And you didn't tell me?"

"She swore me to secrecy. Said she was glad we 'finally got our act together' because she'd never seen you look at anyone the way you looked at me."

I shake my head, laughing. "Mothers always know, I guess."

"Speaking of knowing things," Garrett says, his hand finding mine, "do you know how much I love you?"

Even after all this time, his words make my heart race. "I have some idea," I reply, leaning into his solid warmth. "But feel free to remind me."

"Every day," he promises. "For the rest of our lives."

Thank you for reading it!