Page 51 of A Moon Lake Christmas Hero

The twins each gave me a kiss as well, and together, we stepped out into the snowy night.

Behind us, the Inn glowed with warmth and light, filled with the family I never knew I needed.

Never knew I could have.

I opened the car door in the back, took Abby from James and helped her into her car seat while James did the same for Marley.

"Merry Christmas, Mommy," Abby whispered, when I strapped her in.

And when Marley echoed her sister, I looked up, and my eyes met James’s, and I saw the same wonder, the same gratitude, and love I was feeling mirrored in his.

My heart felt too full for words.

This was better than any Christmas wish I could have made—this was real.

This was my family.

This was home.

JAMES

Three months later.

Iwoke up with a start. Stretched, then reached out. But instead of the woman of my dreams, I came up against the coolness of the sheets next to me and immediately jumped out of bed.

It was Sunday, and usually, we started our weekends with early morning make-out sessions that made my day. Or, with the girls coming in to snuggle with us for a lazy start of the day.

I hated waking up alone. I counted my blessings that those days were behind me.

I donned a T-shirt and exited the room, amazed by how effortless Erin’s transition into our family had been. She was just a part of us.

The part that had been missing.

The part that completed us.

I looked into the girls’ room, but their beds were empty, as well. What were my girls up to this morning?

On my way downstairs, I heard the music before I reached the end of the stairs.

But nothing could’ve prepared me for the sight that awaited me. My three girls were still in their PJs—Erin’s consisting of one of my T-shirts—dancing to the music and giggling.

My chest expanded, and my body filled with a warm, tingling sensation.

This was it. My life. Everything I’d ever dreamed of and secretly had hoped for the girls.

Erin was it.

She completed me.

She completed our family.

“Morning,” I said, then stepped up to them and gave first each of the girls a kiss, then I kissed the love of my life.

Her smile right before our lips met was everything.

Her arms came around my neck, and I did a couple of dance moves that had my thigh wedged between her legs and us rubbing against each other.

I got hard immediately and suppressed a groan. “Girls. Why don’t you go to the living room and watch a cartoon until breakfast is ready?”

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