Movement in the snow below caught my eye. I laughed softly as I recognized my father sneaking out to the large equipment shed.
My father’s sneaking around was my doing, I was afraid. I’d subtly hinted that he should stay out of the shed lest he ruin his opportunity to be surprised on Christmas morning. Of course, I knew full well that Jace had purchased a brand-new Lincoln MKX for him after seeing the way he’d admired the one Jace’s dad drove.
When my father emerged a few minutes later, he was grinning too, looking like he’d just shaken hands with Frank Sinatra.
I was so glad my parents were a part of my life again. I no longer held any trace of the bitterness I’d once felt. I saw now that everything, even the bad stuff, had brought us to this point. They’d finally gotten to know their grandsons, and now, with a baby to hold and cuddle and feed and rock, they were in absolute heaven.
As for me, well, I was in my own personal paradise. I was married to the most wonderful man in the world, the true other half of my soul. We had two homes—this one in Willow Woods and my place on the West Coast. We split the time between them, taking advantage of the best both had to offer.
The single-track duet I’d recorded with Jace and the other members of Dark Wing had soared to the top of the charts in less than two weeks. In true rock legend fashion, the guys had decided not to disband, but going forward, they would be spending a lot less time on the road.
After a glorious two-week honeymoon in the Caribbean, I’d even joined them on their six-month abbreviated tour as both a guest performer and their promoter. It was a lot different than I’d remembered. There was something to be said for being a household name. We traveled first class and stayed in posh hotels. When we weren’t performing, we stayed in and ordered room service instead of hitting up parties and galas. I wasn’t going to lie; it had been pretty awesome.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t hear Jace get up.
He snagged me from behind and caged me against the glass. “Sneaking out on me, Mrs. Logan?” he asked, his voice a barely audible growl as he dipped his head and kissed my neck.
If I were a cat, I would have purred. Loudly. “Never. I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed.”
“Mmm, good idea. But everything I’m hungry for is right here.”
He nipped the sensitive part of my ear, and just like that, I was ready to go.
“Well, what are we waiting for?”
In one quick, smooth motion, Jace swept me into his arms and carried me back to bed.
Back into paradise.