Page 33 of Kiss for My Kraken (Fairhaven Falls #8)

They made their way up the path to the cabin, Ozzie racing ahead and then back, creating chaotic patterns in the pristine snow. The cabin door opened to a rush of welcoming warmth, the fire crackling merrily in the stone hearth.

The interior had changed dramatically over the past months.

Once designed for a solitary existence, it now reflected their shared life.

Nina’s watercolors hung on the walls alongside maps of the river and collections of interesting stones.

Bookshelves overflowed with volumes ranging from ecology texts to mystery novels.

Comfortable furniture invited relaxation rather than mere functionality.

“It smells amazing in here,” she commented, hanging her coat on the hook by the door. “Did you cook?”

“Attempted to,” he admitted, gesturing towards the pot simmering on the small stove. “Flora’s recipe. She claimed it would ‘warm the bones and gladden the heart,’ whatever that means.”

She laughed, moving to investigate. “Knowing Flora, it could be either soup or a love potion. Or possibly both.” She lifted the lid, inhaling appreciatively. “But it smells wonderful.”

“Are you hungry?” he asked, aware of how hard she worked during her shifts.

“Starving,” she confirmed, already reaching for bowls. “Ben was too busy arguing with a supplier to remember lunch.”

They moved around each other with practiced ease, Nina setting the table while he sliced bread from Grondar’s bakery. Ozzie settled by the fire with his promised treats, content to observe their domestic routine.

Over dinner, she described her day—Ben’s ongoing feud with that particular supplier, Annabelle’s latest romantic drama, the new family of shifters who’d moved to town seeking Fairhaven Falls’ famous acceptance. He listened attentively, still finding her stories of tavern life fascinating.

“Aidan came by,” she mentioned between bites. “Said your report on the river’s winter patterns was impressively detailed. He wants to include some of your observations in the park’s environmental assessment.”

He nodded, pleased but slightly embarrassed by the praise. “The river speaks clearly if you know how to listen.”

“And you’ve been listening longer than anyone. Your knowledge is valuable, Sam. I’m glad you’re sharing it now.”

After dinner, they settled on the couch before the fire, and she curled against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Ozzie dozed at their feet, occasionally twitching in doggy dreams. Outside, the snow continued to fall, wrapping their island in a blanket of hushed isolation.

“I love winter nights like this,” she said contentedly. “Everything feels so peaceful, so separate from the rest of the world.”

“Just as well. There’s a snow storm heading this way. I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere for the next few days.”

“Fine with me.” She shifted slightly, turning to look up at him. Her expression changed, a hint of nervousness replacing her earlier relaxation. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” he replied, immediately alert to the change in her mood.

“It’s about us. Our future.” She sat up straighter, tucking her legs beneath her. “We haven’t really talked about it, not specifically.”

A flicker of apprehension swept over him. Despite their months together, a tiny part of him still feared she might someday reconsider, might decide a life with a kraken was too strange, too limiting. “What about our future?”

She took a deep breath, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. “I’ve been thinking a lot about family. About creating something permanent together.”

“We already have that,” he said carefully, not quite understanding her direction. “Our home. Our life here.”

“Yes, but…” She met his gaze directly, her eyes reflecting the firelight. “I want more, Sam. I want a family with you. A child.”

The words hung in the air between them and he stared at her, a cascade of emotions flooding through him—shock, wonder, fear, and beneath it all, a surge of joy so profound it nearly overwhelmed him.

“A child,” he repeated. “Our child.”

She nodded, watching his face closely. “I know it’s complicated. I know there are questions about whether it’s even possible, given our differences. But I want to try, if you do.”

“Nina…” He struggled to find words adequate to express the magnitude of his feelings. “I never imagined having a family. Never thought it possible, not just because of what I am, but because I never expected to find someone who would want that with me.”

“But you want it?” she pressed, her voice barely above a whisper. “A child with me?”

“Yes,” he said, the single word carrying the weight of decades of solitude, of resigned acceptance that some experiences would never be his. “Yes, I want that more than I can express.”

Happiness turned her smile radiant as she launched herself into his arms, nearly knocking him backward with the force of her embrace. He caught her easily, cradling her against his chest as emotion threatened to choke him.

“I love you,” she murmured against his neck. “So much. I want to create something beautiful with you, something that carries parts of both of us into the future.”

He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her familiar scent. “I love you too. More than I ever thought possible to love another being.”

She pulled back slightly, framing his face with her hands. “We’ll figure out the details. Flora keeps making cryptic comments about ‘new life finding a way.’ But the important thing is that we both want this.”

He nodded, his throat tight with emotion. The prospect of fatherhood—a concept so utterly foreign to his years of solitary existence—filled him with equal parts terror and exhilaration. A child. A small being who would carry his bloodline, his heritage, alongside Nina’s warmth and courage.

“A river child,” he said softly, the image forming in his mind—a small body swimming beside him, learning the currents, discovering the hidden treasures of his watery domain.

“With your eyes,” she added, smiling. “And hopefully your patience, because heaven knows I don’t have much.”

He chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. “But your spirit,” he countered. “Your kindness. Your ability to see beauty in unexpected places.”

They sat together before the fire, envisioning this potential future, this new branch of possibility that had suddenly opened before them. He found himself thinking of all the river knowledge he could share, the skills he could teach, the unique perspective he could offer a child.

“You know,” she said thoughtfully, “I think the town would be thrilled. Flora would certainly appoint herself honorary grandmother.”

“Ben would pretend to be annoyed but secretly knit tiny sweaters,” he added, surprising himself with how easily he could imagine the community’s reactions.

She laughed. “Annabelle would shower them with glitter at every opportunity.”

“Aidan would teach them about forest conservation alongside river ecology.”

“They’d have the most diverse, accepting extended family imaginable,” she concluded, her expression softening. “What a gift that would be.”

He pulled her closer, overwhelmed by gratitude for this woman who had not only accepted him completely but now wanted to create a new life with him.

“Whatever happens,” he promised, “whether it’s possible or not, I want you to know that you’ve already given me more family than I ever dreamed possible. ”

She pressed a kiss to his jaw. “We’ll start trying? See what happens?”

“Yes,” he agreed, the single word filled with promise and commitment. “We’ll try.”

She nestled against him again, her body warm and solid against his side.

Outside, the snow continued to fall, blanketing their island in pristine white.

The fire crackled cheerfully, and Ozzie snored softly at their feet.

Everything about the moment felt perfect, complete—and yet now it carried the tantalizing possibility of even greater fulfillment.

He gazed down at her, this remarkable human who had transformed his existence so completely. From solitary observer to active participant. From isolated creature to beloved partner. From resigned bachelor to potential father.

The changes of the past months had been profound, but he recognized that they merely prepared him for this new journey. Whatever challenges lay ahead—biological complications, adjustments to their carefully balanced life, the inevitable concerns of any parent—he would face them with her beside him.

For now, he was content to hold her close, to share the warmth of their home on this winter night, to savor the knowledge that their love had grown strong enough to seek this new expression. Their home. Their love. Their future child, whether possibility or reality.

He’d spent so much time in the river, watching life unfold around him without truly participating.

Now, with Nina’s love and the prospect of creating a new life together, he was finally, completely immersed in the full current of existence—and he embraced it without reservation, happier than he had ever imagined possible.

Flora stood on the riverbank, smiling as the snow slowly obscured Sam’s island.

He and Nina were safe and happy, and the snow storm had arrived exactly on schedule.

Time to bring another one of her little projects to a conclusion.

She raised her face to the falling snow, then danced merrily into the night.

Find out what Flora has up her sleeve in

Healed by My Hyde !