Page 88 of Willow Vale

River had wanted to spend the night at Amelia and Desmond’s so he could get away with eating way too much sugar and watching movies past his bedtime. That only meant I had a whole night to spend with Travis. This morning, when I woke up and found a birthday cake on the counter, candles burning bright—I never felt more loved like I did when he walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, whispering to make a wish.

If only he knew he was slowly making them come true.

“Well, look who finally decided to make an appearance,” Finn said from the kitchen island with a dimpled grin and a suggestive arch of his brow. “You’re both looking awfully chipper this morning. Have a good sleep?”

“Shut up.” I felt my cheeks start to burn and I fought the urge to grin. Travis slapped the back of his brother’s head as I went over to hug Amelia. I helped her get breakfast readythen went to help River set up the table after he insisted on doing it. He was turning five in January, and I couldn’t for the life of me wrap my head around how fast he was growing.

“Hey, kids.” Desmond ruffled my hair as he walked by, pulling his work gloves off his hands before tucking them into the pocket of his jacket.

He was about to drape it over the chair when River said, “Amelia’s not going to like that.”

Sure enough, Amelia poked her head out from around the corner and spotted her husband with his dirty jacket in his hands. “Don’t you dare, Desmond Adler! You know where that goes!”

“I told you,” River said with a cheeky grin.

Desmond grumbled something about never catching a break before taking his jacket and disappearing down the hall.

I nudged River and gave him a wink.

“I told him didn’t I, Mom? But he didn’t listen.” He shrugged cutely.

“Yeah, you did,” I said, my heart warming at the wordMomfalling from his lips whenever he referred to me that way now. It was his newest thing lately. Ever since our conversation at the park a few months ago, he’d been calling me his mom. It wasn’t a habit I wanted to stop any time soon. If River considered me his mother now, then that’s what I’d let him call me.

The time will come someday when he was older when he’ll ask me about Irene again, I’m sure. I’ll let him decide if he wants to know our mother someday if she’s also willing to try. That would be something I’d worry about when the time came.

A pair of arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me out of my thoughts. I smiled up at Travis as I reached a hand upand caressed his face, feeling the short beard he’d been growing out this winter against my palm.

“Travis, look! I set the table up,” River proclaimed, by waving a hand toward the dining table.

“Impressive, bud. What do you say you help me feed Sable in the stables before breakfast?”

River was on board before either of us could blink, running off to put his little cowboy boots on. The same ones that matched Travis’s. He’d bought them earlier this week, and I thought it was adorable that Travis wanted to match with him.

Travis kissed my cheek before following after River with a grin. I heard River exclaim that he was going to feed Sable before Wren’s calm voice reached me. Seconds later, she was limping her way into the house in her boot. She’d had to wear a cast for a few months due to the two breaks she suffered, but now she was wearing a walking book in that final stretch toward healing.

She spotted me in the dining room and gave me the first real smile I’d seen since before the rodeo. She’d cut her long hair into a short, layered bob stopping at her shoulders, and while she’d lost a lot of weight, Wren looked good today. Happier.

By the time breakfast was served, Travis and River had yet to return.

I grew curious and was about to excuse myself from the table to check on them when Desmond placed his hand on my shoulder and pushed me back into my seat. “Settle down, kid. It’s not like the horse is going to eat them. Relax, you’ve earned it.”

I reluctantly did as I was told and settled back in my seat.

“Hello, hello!” Desi chimed as she walked into the dining room with a big pink box from Sally’s in her hands.

“Hi,” I said, surprised she was here. When I’d invited her over for breakfast yesterday, she’d said she was heading into the city to stay with Toby for the weekend. I accepted a hug after she set the box down on the table. “What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t think I’d miss my best friend’s birthday, did you?”

“Now that we’re all here, shall we?” Finn asked with a hint of mischief as he regarded me.

The front door suddenly slammed shut and River was running straight for me. He had some hay in his hair and I brushed it off only for him to tug on my hand. “Mom! It’s snowing! Travis wants you to come outside and look! Come on, come on!”

“Oh, uh, okay.” I looked around the table but no one else made any move to stand from the table. They all just smiled at me.

Okay…

Before I left the house, I grabbed my jacket from the hook, and I zipped up River’s a little higher. The last thing I needed was for him to catch a cold before going back to school in the new year.

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