Fortune and love favor the brave. ~ Ovid

On Friday, the Hermitage courtyard was a busy place. Kit watched the children scurrying back and forth across the courtyard.

Regan’s friends, Niko and Delany, were here to spend the night, and the kids were working to fill the woodshed.

Bull and Hawk had spent the day in the forest, cutting down dead trees. Now the four brothers and JJ were chain sawing the log sections, then splitting them into woodstove-sized pieces with a log-splitter and, so stereotypically wonderful—an axe.

The late afternoon sun was toasty, and the guys were shirtless.

Boy, oh boy.

Bull was simply huge, like one of those professional weightlifters. Caz was lean and ripped. Gabe and Hawk had muscles to spare and hard abs you could bounce a coin off.

Hawk, though, had those gorgeous tats. Not only on his arms. Covering his upper back was a hawk with spread wings and raised talons.

Seriously, what woman wouldn’t enjoy the sight of these men—she was alive, right? Honestly, she should take pictures and sell them on the internet.

Bad, Kit.

Back and biceps burning, JJ set the chainsaw down, then looked around for the next section to cut up. In her back pocket, her cell made a dinging sound.

After checking the text, she raised her voice. “Pizza incoming in forty minutes. You have just enough time to put everything away and wash up.”

Caz laughed. “Mamita, the pizza place doesn’t deliver here.”

“No, but Audrey and Frankie do. They agreed to pick up the pizza after I called in the order.”

Over by the woodshed, the group of children stared at her.

“Pizza?” Regan’s happy grin took over her whole face.

As JJ’s heart turned to mush, she totally understood how parents could spoil their children. “Pizza. After a hard day of working, we deserve a treat.”

“Yay!” The girl ran over and grabbed JJ around the waist for a big hug. “You are the best mamá.”

Stunned speechless, JJ didn’t have a chance to respond before Regan went stiff. “I mean, um, thanks, JJ.”

JJ turned, and Caz was watching, approval in his dark eyes. He tilted his head in a way that said he was leaving this in her hands. But she had no doubt what he wanted. Hoped for.

He’d given her himself…and now a daughter. God, I love him. And Regan.

Paperwork or not, they were a family.

Bending, she put a hand on each side of Regan’s face, looking her straight in the eyes. Because that was what Caz had been teaching her and Regan—that a person didn’t hide from their family.

“I love you so much, Regan.” The thickness in her throat made it difficult to speak. “And, sweetie, I already think of you as my daughter.”

Regan’s chin trembled. “Really?”