Page 91 of Found in Wild Sage

And because I know exactly what I want, I stand up, and I take it.

I take him.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Declan

At dinner the next night, everyone’s chattering nonstop as though their goal is to create even more frenzy than there normally is.

May’s asking Sam about her classes for this semester. Finn is on the far side of the living room with Gus, and though I can’t hear exactly what he’s saying over the din, I’d guess it’s something to do with military life.

Grant is standing by Eirinn and though they’re both stone-faced, they are contributing to the madness. Lily and Poppy are playing a game with Charlie that’s making him squeal and giggle, and Sisi and Rowan are very sweetly participating.

And my lovely mother is looping me into her conversation with Da.

“He’s just so precious. But how about you two go out tomorrow? We’ll watch him again. We can get all the grandkids over here for a few hours.”

Evie slipped away to the bathroom. She was standing with May and Sam. It’s more than a little pathetic I find myself watching for her to come back.

Or maybe it’s not. Maybe that’s just what it looks like to love someone so much you can hardly think about anything else. It’s consuming and seems to multiply when I’m not looking.

“Dec, honey? Did you hear me?”

I return my focus to the kitchen and pretend I wasn’t staring after my wife like a puppy. “Yes. You want to watch Charlie?”

“Tomorrow? Or Sunday after church and lunch?” She makes a face as though she needs to beg me.

“Either’s fine with me. Let me just check with Evie.” And now I have my excuse to go find her, which I do immediately.

She’s emerging from the bathroom down a hallway off the living room and beams when she sees me.

“Is dinner ready?”

“No.” I wrap my arms around her waist. “I just wanted to see you.”

She huffs out a satisfied sound and presses against me while hugging me. “Here I am.”

Her voice has an inviting quality to it that makes my blood heat. “And you’re so beautiful I might go insane from thinking about you.”

She laughs and squeezes me once more. “Well, we are newlyweds.”

She takes my hand and we wander back into the living room right when everyone is moving to sit down for dinner. Once the whole crew is settled in, Da says the prayer and we dig into the delicious food. Charlie’s highchair is planted between me and Evie, and his feet are kicking as he takes in the plate she loaded up for him.

“Mm. Yummy.” He dives right in.

Finn chuckles. “That’s my nephew. Right into it. A man after my own heart.” He catches my eye and we share a moment.

I haven’t seen much of Finn lately—at least not one-on-one. His easy love for Charlie hits me right in the chest.

“How is he, like, the cutest baby I’ve ever seen? Like, literally, no one has been that cute since Poppy, and he’s a boy.” The family applauds Sisi’s eloquence on the matter by agreeing that Poppy and Lily were adorable, and now so is Charlie.

“Pinn!” Charlie claps when Finn smiles at him and leans over to give him a high-five. He can’t quite manage the pronunciation, and I for one sort of hope he’ll always call Finn “Pinn” because it’s adorable.

This time, Grant and I share a silent exchange.

It’s insane to think that none of these three children technically belong to this family by blood. Not one. And yet, they are already sewn into the fabric of the Ryans. It’s impossible to imagine us without them. Charlie’s been a Ryan for less than two months but I hope someday, if Evie or he wants it, he’ll carry the name. My name.

Our name.