Chapter 10

Chapter

Ten

Victor

The old song was true. There really was no place like home for the holidays. We were doing things a little differently this year than we’d done in the past. Mary and Paul were enjoying a special evening at his house tonight. I expected exciting news from them tomorrow when we’d all be gathering at Mary’s house. Not only would there be Paul and his two teenage daughters, but Adrian was coming with me and my kids.

I couldn’t keep the sappy smile off my face as I watched him, Marissa, and Jeremy play a board game with Goldie lying between Adrian and my son. They’d set up on the floor in front of the fireplace with only the glow of the fire and the Christmas tree lights. It was lovely.

We stuffed ourselves with roast beef, mashed potatoes, and asparagus for dinner. Adrian had brought a homemade French apple pie for dessert. I had the makings for sundaes in case the kids didn’t like the pie, but they’d both declared it their new favorite. My man had turned bright red at how they’d fawned over it, and I’d wanted to eat him up instead of the yummy dessert.

“Dad, are you almost done cleaning up the kitchen?”

“Yeah,” I said, joining them in the living room. “Does anyone want to watch a movie?”

Instantly, Adrian frowned and pointed a warning finger in my direction. We’d watched the Grinch a couple of nights ago, and he hadn’t appreciated me asking the kids if the Grinch reminded them of him when we first met him. I didn’t know what he was so mad about, both kids had immediately jumped to his defense.

“Elf!” Jeremy said, jumping to his feet and kicking the board game.

Marissa sighed loudly, like her little brother was the most irritating person in the world. Adrian shared a fond smile with me, and I was a goner. I hadn’t known what to expect when I moved here, clearing the path for Paul and Mary to take the next steps in their relationship. I knew that I hadn’t expected this move to open the doors for someone new for me. The holidays this year were proving to be a time of new beginnings.

I queued up the movie on the TV, and Marissa and Jeremy got comfortable, cuddled on the floor in front of the couch. I tipped my head at the spot next to me, beckoning Adrian to come curl up by my side. He glanced from the kids to me, then back again before shrugging his shoulders and making his way over.

Even though I assured him several times that I’d talked to the children, and they were completely on board with us dating, he still got uncertain at times. I was pretty sure that had everything to do with the fact that whenever his mother had a man in her life, he’d become invisible. We’d had several conversations about how wrong she’d been, and I was pretty sure I’d convinced him to make an appointment with a therapist in the new year.

Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, I pressed a kiss to his temple, and he scooted over closer, pulling his legs up on the couch and lying his knees over my thigh. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I whispered in his ear.

He looked at me shyly out of the corner of his eyes. “Thank you for inviting me.” He huffed. “Thank you for everything.”

“Babe, I haven’t done anything that you didn’t deserve.”

A little grin teased at the corners of his lips. “So you keep saying.”

I shrugged. “What can I say? I want my man to know how important he is to me.”

Without looking from the TV, Marissa said, “You’re important to us, too.”

Adrian reached over and squeezed my thigh. He was getting better at accepting sweet words from me because I also spent hours at night taking him apart and showing him. I thought maybe the reason he got more emotional with the kids was because he’d never thought he’d have a serious relationship, more less a family that included children. I didn’t think before meeting Marissa and Jeremy that he’d ever even considered having one.

“You’re important to me, too,” he called over to the kids.

Jeremy jumped up, ran over and scrambled on to Adrian’s legs, crushing them where they were bent and making him groan, and threw his little stick arms around his shoulders. I quickly moved my arm out of the way so they could have this moment. “I love you,” Jeremy said to him.

I noticed that he’d stopped calling him Mr. Adrian, but I didn’t think he was sure what to call him now. In such a short time, Adrian had definitely come to mean more to him than one of his honorary uncles. Mary and I had noticed that he’d had the same problem with Paul in the beginning, and he’d settle on calling him Pa. It made me happy that he really loved the man that would soon be his mom’s husband. I’d let Jeremy work out what to call Adrian in his own head, and if he needed help, I’d be here.

“I love you, too, Jeremy,” Adrian said in a voice thick with tears. Jeremy kissed his cheek and ran back to lay next to his sister.

Marissa rolled onto her stomach and smiled at Adrian. “Yeah, that too,” she said.

He chuckled, half smiling–half crying. “Ditto, kid.”

She nodded, satisfied with that answer, and rolled back toward the TV.

Stroking my fingers through the front of his hair, I asked, “So what do you think about me? Is their old man okay, too?”

A tear finally slipped over and on to his cheek, and he nodded. “I guess you’re okay for a pain-in-the-ass neighbor.”

“You’re all right for grumpy neighbor.” I pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you,” I whispered as I lifted my mouth from his.

I’d planned on waiting until tomorrow night to tell him how I felt, once we were alone. I’d planned on lighting candles and making it romantic. But this was my life. This was what I had to offer. And I was pretty damn sure that this was exactly what he needed.

He blinked back the tears and cupped my cheeks between his palms. “And I love you.” Then he tipped his head, resting his forehead against my chin, and I breathed him in. The last piece missing in my life was finally home.