“What? I went back to therapy after I thought I was done.”

She stared at him through the snow. “You went to therapy?”

“I lived in California. You have to do that kind of shit over there, or you’ll never fit in.” But then, after a moment, he gave her one of his rare, serious looks and said, “I’ll tell you about it sometime.”

“Okay,” she said. “Thank you,” she said. I love you, she thought.

And like he’d read her fucking mind, he said, “I love you,” right back.

She couldn’t believe those were words they’d exchanged, never mind feelings they’d actually felt. Her heart had been swallowed up by a beam of sunshine, and she felt herself glowing all the way back to the house. They were opening the scarlet front door when it occurred to her—she wanted to give him sunshine too, wanted to make him feel the way she did, which meant she had to give him back whatever he gave her. “I, erm ... I mean, when you said just now that you loved me, I should’ve said—”

He looked down at her, a smile in his voice and a bundle of cats in his arms. “There’s no should, Abs. I said I understood where you’re at, and I meant it.” She thanked God her glasses were steaming up from the house’s warmth, because if she could see his gorgeous fucking face in finer detail as he said this, she might faint with the perfection of it all. “You already told me you loved me today,” he continued. “I bet that’s you done for the rest of the week.”

She laughed, dizzy with affection, with adoration. “I can do better.”

“But I don’t want better,” he said calmly. “I like what I’ve got. You’re in charge here, you know. Anything that changes between us will be your choice.” His eyes turned her inside out. “All I ever wanted was to be yours. Am I?”

“Yes,” she breathed. God, yes.

He grinned, happier than she’d ever seen him. Including that one time when a butterfly had landed on his nose, which was saying something. “Then I’m good. Now call your brother and tell him to bring Ms Tricia back here. Someone smarter than us needs to take a look at these cats.”

“Oh, shit, yeah.” She took off her gloves, snatched her phone from her pocket, and followed Will into the family room as she dialled. Jase picked up while Will was bent beneath the Christmas tree, depositing Gravy and her kittens under the red-and-gold baubles.

“You found her?” was Jase’s immediate greeting.

“Yep. We’re at the house. Also, she gave birth.”

There was a shrill “What?” in the background, then a few grunts and sounds of a struggle before Grandma, predictably, took over the phone. “What happened?”