After nearly a decade, they still fit together perfectly.
Kelsey had slipped off to sleep, and he'd watched her, mesmerized.
He'd awoken to the sight of the magical snow-covered world outside his bedroom window. The clouds had moved on, leaving the sky the brightest blue.
Daniel would be coming home soon.
That had been hours before. Now, it was nearly ten a.m. Kelsey hadn't stirred, and he hated to do it, but he needed to wake her. He carried a cup of Irish Breakfast tea to his bedroom. Their bedroom. He set the tea on her nightstand and sat beside her. She was curled up, her long hair covering her beautiful face. He brushed it away, gently kissed her on the temple. "Kelsey, my love. Time to wake up."
She opened her eyes, blinked, and smiled. "Hey."
"I brought you some tea."
She glanced at the cup, then back at him. "Is everything OK?"
"It's perfect. Your son...our son..." He swallowed the emotion, smiled. "He'll be here soon."
Her eyes widened. "How soon?"
"'Bout thirty minutes."
"Oh, oh, oh!" She glanced at the clock. "Oh, my word. How did I sleep this late?"
He chuckled. "I guess I wore you out last night."
She blushed, laughed, and smacked him playfully. "I guess you did." She nudged his thigh resting on the bed. "I have to get up. I must look a mess! I don't want him to see me like this."
He didn't move, just leaned back and gave her a long look. Her hair was tousled. She wore nothing but a smile. "You look perfect."
She smacked him again. "For you, maybe. Probably not for Daniel."
"Good point." He stood, took her hand, and helped her out of the bed. Then he got a look at her and wanted to toss her right back in it.
"Don't even think about it," she said.
"Too late." He should have woken her an hour earlier. He nodded toward the master bath. "Go ahead. You'll find everything you need. I'll be downstairs."
And he should have left her then, but he couldn't resist watching her. She passed him on the way to the bathroom, and his gut tightening with longing. He forced breath into his lungs. It was going to be a long day.
Brady and Rae showed up a few minutes later with Magic, who ran around the house like she'd been gone for a month, sniffing everything and kangaroo-hopping in her joy at being home.
Rae and Brady laughed at the sight. "How is it we've never been here?" Rae asked.
Eric shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm not very hospitable."
"Thought southern country boys were big into hospitality," Brady said.
Eric just rolled his eyes.
Brady handed over Kelsey's backpack, and Eric ran upstairs and left it on his bed for her. At least she'd have something to change into.
He returned downstairs. "Y'all want some coffee?"
"If you don't mind," Brady said. "Thought I'd give you an update."
Eric poured the coffee. "What happened?"
"We found Mateo. Bus driver recognized him when he got on in Manchester. Cops were there to meet the bus in Boston."
Eric handed Rae a cup of coffee and poured one for Brady. They sat at the barstools, and he leaned against the counter.
His phone dinged. He read the text from Marisa. Running late. Roads are worse than we thought. Another thirty minutes at least.
Thirty minutes until he'd see his son again. His son. He still couldn't process it. What would Daniel think about all of this? He had no idea. But how ever Daniel took it at first, he knew it would work out, because they were meant to be a family. And the God who'd been with them the night before—been with them through all of this—would work that out, too.
"Everything OK?" Rae asked.
Eric looked up from his phone. "Yeah. They're running late." He focused on Brady. "How about the girl?"
"No sign of her yet."
"Interesting. I wonder how Mateo got to Manchester."
"Good question," Brady said. "We'll ask him when he gets here, which should be sometime later today, though with the snow, it might be tomorrow. Maybe he can shed some light on where she went."
Kelsey came downstairs. "Y'all talking about the girl?"
Eric stared while she walked through his living room and stopped at the end of his counter. Her hair was wet and combed out. She had on no makeup and wore jeans and a sweatshirt and was utterly gorgeous.
Brady reached a napkin toward him. "Dude, you're drooling."
Kelsey blushed.
Eric smacked Brady's hand away and tried not to blush himself. Sheesh, he was like a lovesick teenager.
"What's going on?" Kelsey asked.
They caught her up on what had happened. Rae and Kelsey talked about the night before, which made his stomach hurt to hear. She'd run out of the cabin—and into the hands of her enemies—to protect his friends.
Could he love this woman more? He pulled Kelsey into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "You were very brave."
She wrapped her arms around his middle but didn't say a word.
The doorbell rang.
She stepped back, eyes wide. "Is that him?"
"Probably not. Marisa just texted, and they're running late."
Her shoulders drooped. "Oh."
"He'll be here soon. It's the snow."
Brady opened Eric's door like he owned the place. Not that Eric minded. He sure didn't mind having a house full of friends—and his wife to boot.
"Come on in," Brady said. "They're in the kitchen."
A minute later, Sam and Garrison came around the corner. Sam immediately pulled Kelsey into a hug, then turned to him. "I just had to see you two." She looked between them, tears in her eyes. "Make sure you were okay."
"We're good." Eric wanted to say more, but emotion clogged his throat.
"We're perfect," Kelsey said.
Brady peered at the white box Garrison set on the countertop. "What'd you bring?"
"We stopped at McNeal's," Garrison said. "Figured you guys might want some breakfast."
Plates came out of the cabinets. More coffee was poured, and the six of them crowded around Eric's small counter and enjoyed the most delicious breakfast Eric had ever eaten.
And then, the doorbell rang again.
Kelsey looked at Eric, eyes wide. He took her hand, and together they walked to the front door. He turned the knob, pulled it open, and stepped back.
"Mama!"
The boy barreled through the door and into his mother's arms. Kelsey fell to her knees and held him tight, tears streaming down her cheeks. Eric couldn't see Daniel's face, but the boy's shoulders shook with sobs.
Eric wiped his own eyes as emotions he barely had names for overflowed.
Nate, Marisa, and Ana stood on the front stoop. Marisa was crying, too. Everybody was crying. Eric had never seen so many tears in all his years. But he wasn't complaining. He'd take tears of joy any day.
Finally, Kelsey stood and urged Daniel away from the door.
Eric beckoned Nate and his family inside. He'd appreciated them for taking care of the stranger he'd found in his woods. Now, he knew they'd been taking care of his own son.
He hadn't told them that yet. Hadn't even told Brady. Until Daniel knew, the rest of the world could wait.
Daniel hadn't even noticed Eric. But he saw Magic and hugged the dog's neck. Kelsey came back to the doorway. She looked at Marisa, seemed unable to speak. Marisa just held out her arms, and the women held each other. Kelsey turned to Nate, hugged him, too. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome," Nate said.
Eric turned to see the rest of his friends in their coats and gloves. Brady said, "We'll leave you guys alone. I'll call you with updates, but I don't expect to see you at work this week."
Eric nodded. All the things he should say to this group of people who'd welcomed him, made him feel at home, and protected his wife. But he couldn't seem to put any of that into words right now.
Brady clasped him on the shoulder. "We'll talk soon."
He and Kelsey said good-bye to their friends. When the door closed behind them, he turned to find Kelsey right beside him. She took his hand, and together they walked into the living room, where Daniel was watching the scene, Magic curled up beside him
It was time to introduce Daniel to his father.
EPILOGUE
Daniel was hiding in the woods.
The trees were all green now, and the birds and bugs chirped something fierce overhead. Squirrels hopped from branch to branch, shaking the leaves above him.
The dog bolted from the yard and barked at the squirrels.
"Shh," Daniel whispered. Dumb thing was gonna give him away.
He still couldn't believe things had turned out like they had. One morning, he'd been scared he'd never see his mama again. The next morning, Mr. Nate and Miss Marisa had delivered him to her—at Mr. Eric's house.
And then, it got really good.
"Gotcha!"
Before Daniel could run, Daddy swooped him out of his hiding place.
"Man, you always find me!" Daniel said.
Daddy set him down on the dirt. "You complaining, little man?" Daddy's eyebrows rose, and Daniel laughed.
"You found me, but you can't catch me!" He bolted toward the yard, Magic on his heels. Daddy was right behind, laughing too hard to catch up.
"You two better quit," Mama called. "Company'll be here in a minute."
Daniel made it to the yard about a half a second before his daddy did.
"Hand me the platter." Daddy went right to the back steps and kissed Mama, who was standing in the doorway. "I'll start grilling before the guys get here and tell me I'm doing it wrong."
"I guarantee you're doing it wrong."
Him and Daddy turned to see Chief Brady coming around the house, his hand around Miss Rae's back. She was practically waddling now, carrying that baby in her belly. He couldn't believe anybody could get that big. And how was that baby ever gonna get out?
He'd have to ask Daddy. He'd know. Daddy knew everything.
Johnny was toddling toward the swing set and squealing. Daniel figured he'd spend half the day pushing the kid, but he didn't mind. Real men were nice to women and kids. That's what Daddy always said.
He grabbed Johnny, tickled him, and slid him in the toddler swing.
The boy squealed louder.
Daniel looked at Daddy across the lawn, and Daddy gave him a thumbs-up. He puffed with pride. He was gonna be just like his daddy someday.
Mr. Garrison and Miss Sam came around the side of the house, too. Mr. Garrison was carrying a pan, and Daniel figured he knew what it was. Miss Sam always brought caramel brownies—his favorite!
Aiden was right behind them.
"Hey, sport!" Aiden joined Daniel at the swing set. "You got sucked into Johnny-duty."
"Nah. I don't mind." Daniel liked Aiden. He didn't get to see him much, because Aiden didn't live with his father. He lived in some apartment with a bunch of others guys. Daniel'd heard Mr. Garrison call it a sober living house. No idea what that meant, but Aiden seemed happy, so he figured it must have been a cool place to live.
Miss Marisa and Ana rounded the corner, followed by Nate, who called, "Hey, Daniel."
He waved to him and Marisa while Ana ran over and climbed on the swing. "Push me, too!"
Caro followed them into the yard holding hands with her boyfriend, Finn, who was also Nate's brother. They came to the swing set and said hey, and Daniel and Aiden said hey back. Everybody started talking, but Daniel just listened, thinking.
Daniel wasn't related to any of these folks, except Mama and Daddy, of course. His friend Caleb back in Oklahoma had a big family, and Daniel had always been jealous of all those people he got to hang out with all the time. Daniel had that kind of family, too. Some lived in Georgia, and some lived in Texas. He'd gone to visit Daddy's family a few months before, met all his cousins. They were nice, but he didn't know them very well.
Caleb's cousins had all lived right there in town, and some of them were jerks, and Caleb had to be nice to them anyway, 'cause they were blood.
But these kids here at Daniels house, they were like cousins, and the grown-ups were like aunts and uncles. This was even better, because he and his folks got to choose these people. They went to church together, they had cookouts on holidays together, they celebrated birthdays together. And sometimes, they just got together for the fun of it, like today. Just because they were friends.
Aiden pushed Ana, and Daniel pushed Johnny. They shared a look—two guys taking care of little kids. The teenagers talked, and they were always nice to include Daniel and Ana.
Across the yard, the women all squealed and looked at Miss Sam's hand.
Maybe she'd found a cool bug or something.
Daddy shook Mr. Garrison's hand. "Better hurry before she changes her mind."
Mr. Nate slapped his back, and Brady shook Mr. Garrison's hand after Daddy let it go.
"What's going on?" Daniel asked.
Aiden stared at them, shook his head. "Dad and Sam are getting married."
"Oh."
Caro said, "Hey, that's great." She looked at Aiden, eyes narrowed. "Or, is it?"
Aiden smiled. "It's great. It's awesome."
"Push me higher!" Ana screamed.
Johnny joined in. "Higher, higher!"
Daniel pushed the boy as the sound of laughter and the scent of grilling burgers filled the air.
The lady at church said something about streets of gold in heaven. He wasn't sure about that. No, Daniel figured heaven would be just like this.
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