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“I love you too.” The sound of his voice was forlorn.

“Why don’t I take a picture of the three of you?” I suggested.

When I started to get up to find my phone, Maxsim stopped me. “I have a better idea.” He yanked his from his pocket. “Why don’t I take a picture of the four of us?”

“Yay!” Mina clapped, her excitement warming my heart.

“My hair is a mess,” I grumbled.

The way Maxsim looked at me sometimes had me melting on the spot. His eyes were hooded and his nostrils flared long enough for me to capture his thoughts. “You are always stunning, sweet angel.”

“I told her she was beautiful like Mama,” Mina added.

Don’t cry. Don’t you dare cry.

“Okay. A picture it is.” I pulled Shadow closer and even though he was wiggling his big butt off, he finally cooperated, resting his head on my shoulder while Maxsim held the phone out by a couple of feet.

“Smile,” he commanded.

“Say cheese.” My suggestion was met with Mina giggling.

At least she and I said it at the same time. “Cheese!”

If I didn’t know better, I’d say the way the brooding Russian was staring at the photograph highlighted a few tears in his eyes. I dared not accuse him of such an atrocity. “Now, why don’t you see what Santa brought you.”

“Okay.” She scampered off his lap, immediately heading to the plate of cookies. Oh, shit. I’d forgotten to eat one. “Look. Santa really did come down the chimney just like Izzy told me. He ate the cookies. Papa. I helped make the cookies.”

“I heard that you did. I cannot wait to try them.” Maxsim was grinning from ear to ear.

To my surprise, there were only crumbs left and the reindeer had been busy gnawing on carrots.

I slowly turned my head and he winked.

For the first time in so long, I was truly happy.

Because I had a family once again.

A found family. A created family. And one I would do everything in my power not to lose.

CHAPTER 26

Isabel

I’d never perspired so much in my entire life.

So much so, I was worried the entire back of my dress was stained with sweat. I paced the floor, even fanning my face. I’d never been very good at waiting.

Especially not when aspects of my career were involved.

“Would you stop. You’re making me crazy.”

Julie was right in that I was wearing a hole in the carpet, but with all the work we’d done in less than four months, I had every right to be nervous about whether the trust approved the final plans.

If so, then all the county approvals would be on the table. I’d heard from Maxsim that there’d been some discord over the last couple of weeks. Discord? What was I saying? The man had been a bundle of fury, cursing in Russian more than I’d ever heard. I’d gleaned there’d been at least a couple of terse conversations with the city over the entirety of the project, which had pushed him into a dark place. Rumors had circulated that the project might be shoved into a drawer, something that had nearly torn me apart.

So far they’d been unfounded, but I was uncertain of almost everything involving the project. Hence my insatiable nerves today. If the project couldn’t make it past the first major hurdle, then it was doomed.

My lover hadn’t wanted to worry me, but that hadn’t kept my stomach from crawling with knots.