Page 62 of Love Songs

“As you should. I’m the favorite, of course,” she retorted with a wry grin, then motioned toward the girls who were now in thepool having a battle between an inflatable bright pink flamingo and a large yellow rubber ducky. “You have a good girl there.”

“The best,” I agreed warmly and settled into an interrogation, that was more like a test of puns and comedic banter.

I learned that Conor was one of the reasons she’d ended up becoming a doctor. She got a lot of practice forever patching up his countless cuts and scrapes when they were growing up. I also learned that I was the first person Conor had ever brought home to meet the family, and that made me inexplicably happy.

My attention shifted to the man in question as he made his way back over a few minutes later.

“Shoo.” He pointed a spatula at his sister. “That’s enough harassing my guest.”

“We’re having a perfectly civil conversation here,” Emma said, slanting a cheeky glance at me.

I nodded my head. I was no fool. “Absolutely.”

Conor narrowed his eyes, glancing between us, and harrumphed. “Dinner’s ready. Round up the troops.”

He leaned down and kissed me, his smoky citrus scent a welcome comfort as it swirled around me.

“Come dish up,” he said, his mouth a breath away from mine. “I make a mean burger.”

One of the boys ran by and Conor scooped him up, throwing his nephew, who squealed with delight, over his shoulder and then pretending to toss him into the pool but eventually setting him on his feet in the dinner dish-up line.

I sat back for a minute to take in the scene before me, marveling at how much I loved this day. These people. Conor.

Thiswas what I didn’t know I’d been looking for. What I wanted more than I could have imagined.

I’d never expected to be a father, but in the year since Jaylin had come along, I still got a thrill whenever she called me Dad.

I’d never expected to be so charmed by the small town of Caldwell Crossing and the big old house on Harmony Lake that I’d want to call it home.

And I’d sure as hell never expected to fall in love with a sexy firefighter who knew how to stoke my every desire and make my heart sing.

But now that I’d fallen, I never wanted to get back up again.

“PLAY ME Asong,” I said later, when all but my parents and Bailey, their retriever, remained after the day had given way to night, and a blanket of winking stars filled the endless sky.

After we’d devoured the burgers and smokies, we’d all sat around the firepit, where the kids roasted marshmallows and the adults bantered. Liam had strolled proudly from the house with an acoustic guitar in his hand and asked if Dallas wouldn’t mind playing a few songs for them. Dallas had been gracious, accepting the instrument and strumming a collection of requests with a glowing smile and firelight flickering in his eyes.

Fuck, he was so damn gorgeous.

And kind and funny and an amazing father. He’d fit right in with my family, patiently sitting through their good-natured pestering and answering all their questions. The best part was how they’d all accepted him with open arms and immediately pulled him into the Holliston fold. As my sisters left, they each stopped to tell me how much they liked Dallas and how happy they were for me to have finally found someone special.

Special.

He was so much more than that. In such a short time, he’d become everything to me. I thought about him constantly andthe world seemed brighter, my heart lighter, every time he was near.

I was in love with him. Flat out.

“What would you like to hear?” Dallas asked, now that we were alone on the patio.

My parents had gone inside to put away the last of the party paraphernalia, and Jaylin had gone home with Emma and all my nieces. The girls were having a sleepover in a backyard tent, and they’d invited Jaylin, who’d pleaded with big puppy dog eyes I knew Dallas wouldn’t have been able to deny.

“Your choice,” I said, my voice low and throat clogged with emotion.

Dallas looked at me for a long moment, his eyes full of affection and heat. A smile spread over his face, as slow as molasses, as sweet as honey, and as sexy as fuck. My heart flipped, and my stomach did a slow roll. These feelings for this man who had driven me crazy a short while ago were growing bigger than I knew what to do with, bursting at the seams. I wanted to sing and dance and shout from the rooftops that I was in love, and he was mine. I never wanted to be apart from him.

Was this how Sam had felt when he gazed at Ben with hearts in his eyes? How Ryan felt when Adam passed him secret love notes? And Haider, did Phillip make him feel like he was ten feet tallandbetter than the world’s best chocolate?

“Got it,” Dallas said, unaware of my inner musings. Or maybe he was, because the wink he sent my way felt like a shared secret.

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