AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I'll help, too," Gabby said. "I love cooking."
Sofia grinned. "It's a deal. Let's do it."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
As Keegan grabbed the wine out of the fridge a while later, he grinned as Gabby and Sofia burst into gales of laughter. He shut the door and as he headed back, he watched them descend into hysterics at his table, as they tried desperately to tell him the story of the time Sofia hid in the garbage can out front to scare Gabby when she got off the bus, only it didn't go as planned.
Their laughter filled his house with joy he hadn't known it was missing.
The sparkle in both their eyes was what he'd remembered from before, and it was infectious.
And the food had been amazing. And the pumpkin bread? They'd created a winner. The winner. The magic he hadn't been able to find on his own.
He'd loved cooking with both of them. It had felt like a family, not the Hart siblings, but his little family. They fit, this duo and him. He could feel it.
Sofia beamed at him as he approached. "That wine is amazing. You have to tell me where to get it."
"It's a local vineyard called Black Butte Vineyard. I can get you a case."
"I'll take it. Thank you." She was still laughing, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes sparkling.
"I'm going to check on the brownies," Gabby said, pushing back her chair. "You have to undercook them so they're chewy." She darted past him, grinning as she headed into the kitchen.
Keegan swung down in the chair beside Sofia. He rested his arm on the back of the chair, then leaned in to kiss her.
Her smile widened, and she leaned forward, meeting him halfway. The kiss was G-rated for Gabby's sake, but that almost made it more special, because it felt like a casual kiss that was simply part of their lives. Sofia put her hand on his chest, slowing down the moment as they kissed.
Gabby was oblivious, still chatting about brownies, and when Sofia pulled back, her gaze was dancing with amusement as she locked gazes with Keegan. He kissed the tip of her nose, and leaned in, lowering his voice. "This has been an amazing evening."
Sofia's smile widened. "It has," she agreed. "It's the first time we've been in a regular house together. It works, doesn't it?"
"It does." Hell, yeah, it did. "You know, if you stay here tonight, no one will know. It would be safe."
Temptation and longing filled her gaze, igniting an answering longing deep inside him. "I have the party tomorrow at the store. Our Christmas party."
"What time?"
"Six in the evening, but there's a lot to do. Food, decorations, name tags, organizing the gift bags." She smiled. "Everyone loves it. It's really a special group of women."
The warmth in her voice touched Keegan. He could tell she'd created a real community in her store. Unlike him, when she'd turned her passion into a business, she'd successfully infused it with the sense of purpose and meaning that had been missing from his. "What if you got there early? Like at six in the morning?"
She shook her head. "If I drive through the night, I'll be dead tired in the morning."
He hesitated, not sure whether he was pushing it too far or not. "What about the jet?"
"The jet?" Gabby slammed the oven closed. "The jet? You're offering us a ride back home in your private jet?"
He grinned. "Yeah. We can take the smaller one, which can land at a regional airport near you."
"You have more than one? Holy cow, Mom! Let's do that!"
Sofia sat back. "We can't fly home in a private jet. The Hart jet? People notice who gets out of the Hart jet, don't they? And who gets on?"
"We can handle it. We'll take a car right up to the plane, then shield you when you get on. It'll be impossible for anyone to identify you. We can do the same on the other end. Obviously, it's not a sustainable long-term solution, but it works. Personally, I like it better than sending you on a six-hour drive through the icy woods alone. By the time you'd leave tonight, it'll be almost eight anyway. Catch some sleep, and we'll head out in the morning."
"That makes so much more sense," Gabby said. "We don't need to total two cars in two days, right?"
"I can have someone drive the car back," Keegan said. "It'll be dropped off at your house."
