Page 49 of A Moon Lake Christmas Hero

James's arm tightened around me as the twins sang with all their might.

I glanced up to see his eyes glistening.

"They've never performed before," he whispered. "Too shy."

But here they were, confident and happy, surrounded by their extended family. Marley caught my eye and gave a tiny wave without missing a word.

My heart swelled. These weren't just James's daughters anymore—they became mine, more and more with each passing day. The thought didn't scare me like it once might have.

When the kids were done everybody helped transform the room back into a dining room, multiple tables were pushed together and covered in red and green cloths. Candles flickered in mason jars wrapped with holly sprigs.

"Alright, everyone find a seat!" Blake called out. "But save the head of the table for the newest member of the family."

James pushed me toward the head of the table.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t?—”

"Yes, you can," Alan said firmly, then gave me a lopsided grin. "You're one of us now. Just accept it.”

As everyone settled in, dishes were passed family-style. Stories and laughter flowed as freely as the wine.

"Remember when Goofy tried to deep-fry a turkey last year?" Max called out.

"Hey, the fire department arrived very quickly!" Goofy defended, making everyone laugh. “I just did it so they could join the party.”

James rolled his eyes. From what I’d heard, he usually was the one on volunteer duty, during the holidays, but this year, Bailey and Jackson had taken over, so he could be with his family.

Richard raised his glass. "To family—both the ones we're born with and the ones we choose."

"To family," everyone echoed, and I felt the words resonate deep in my soul.

And suddenly I got choked up and escaped into the kitchen until he got ahold of myself.

I got only a moment to pull myself together before Hawk and Birdie entered with gathered plates.

Hawk gave me one look, narrowed his eyes, and cocked his head, but let it go when I shook my head and smiled at him through the lump in my throat.

He clearly recognized my emotional turmoil, but he was gentlemanly enough to give me a minute to pull myself together.

I watched their movements in perfect sync when they loaded the dishwasher, while bickering like an old couple.

I walked back into the dining room but hung back and observed the room.

James was sitting on the floor and the twins were teaching him a clapping game—probably the only reason he hadn’t followed me into the kitchen, but his head shot up as if he could feel my eyes on him as soon as I looked at him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Alan appeared beside me.

"I just... I never knew it could be like this," I admitted. "A family this big, this warm."

He smiled. "That's the magic of Moon Lake. We collect strays and make them family."

"Is that what I am? A stray?"

"You're whatever you want to be. But you're definitely family now."

Throughout the evening, different people pulled me aside for quiet conversations.

"You know," Jessie said, linking her arm through mine, "I was the outsider once too. Scared to let anyone in." She nodded toward Alan. "Now look at us. Sometimes, the family you choose is better than anything you could’ve imagined."

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