Tinsel (Lark Cove #4)(96)

It took her less than a second to realize just how serious I was.

Mom had lost enough. We all had.

It was time to pull together.

“We have to go to my mom’s for Christmas,” I whispered into Sofia’s hair.

“Okay.” She nodded. “Do you think if I bought your sisters some Chanel handbags, it would help win them over?”

“Couldn’t hurt.”

She hiccupped a laugh, her arms hugging me tight. Then she tipped up her chin, resting it on my chest. “What about the money?”

“I want to work. It’s part of who I am. But you are right. That money is a part of who you are. If this is going to work, we need to find a middle ground.”

It still felt strange to not have earned the money myself. But like Sofia had said, it was just stupid male pride. I’d get over it eventually. Especially if her money could go toward a passion project. Dad wasn’t around to see it, but with her resources, we could make my hometown a better place for the generations to come.

“You’ve got the studio. I was thinking maybe we could make some investments in the reservation. Give back to my people.”

“Yes.” She didn’t hesitate. “I think that’s a perfect idea.”

I dropped my lips to hers. “Love you.”

“I love you,” she whispered back. “You saw it, didn’t you?”

“I saw it.” I smiled, the kind she’d begged me for all those mornings ago. The smile that was hers and hers alone.

I didn’t know exactly what the future would entail, but the black box was gone. Sofia and I would wake up together. Sleep in one another’s arms. We’d have passion for every day, simply because we were together.

I saw it.

And it was burning bright.





One year later . . .



“Where are they?” I huffed to Dakota. “If they don’t hurry up, we’re going to have a screaming baby on our hands, and my boobs are going to explode.”

I jostled Joseph in my arms, silently cursing myself for encouraging Landon to chase after Aubrey.

The pair of them had finally announced they were a couple about six months ago, but ever since, they were always sneaking off to grope one another.

“Relax, babe.” Dakota put his arm around me, kissing my temple. “I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

“Will you go find them?” I pleaded.

“No. I’m not walking in on your sister and Landon going at it.” He glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. “Speaking of people going at it.”

Thea and Logan came walking down the back hallway of the bar. My brother had a huge smile on his face. Thea’s hair, which had been up when we’d gotten here, was now hanging down her back. Her cheeks were flushed a hot pink.

I rolled my eyes. “What is it with people tonight?”

“It’s New Year’s Eve. We’re all just celebrating. We celebrated earlier so you can’t hold it against them.”

“Yeah, but we did it before the naming ceremony. Can’t they do it on their own time? It’s my time now.”

Joseph opened his mouth and let out a squawk. He was a tiny clone of my husband, and his dark eyes were locked on mine. I hadn’t known babies could glare until I’d met my son. This boy wanted a snack and he wanted it now.

The naming ceremony had been scheduled to start at five o’clock. It was now six.

Thea and Jackson had closed down the bar for two hours so we could have this family function before opening back up for the annual New Year’s Eve party. If I left to nurse Joseph, we’d be gone for at least thirty minutes and the ceremony would be rushed.

“I should have fed him an hour ago.”

“It’ll be fine,” Dakota said. “He’s not starving.”

Joseph grunted again, calling his father a liar.

Dakota grinned and took our two-month-old son from my arms. The instant he settled the baby on his shoulder, Joseph’s fussiness stopped.

Dakota was the Joseph whisperer.

Our baby loved his father completely. He tolerated me, but that was mostly because I was necessary for food. The kid had become an eating machine these last few weeks. His fat rolls had fat rolls, and I’d turned into his personal milk machine.

Dakota and I had gotten pregnant a month after our wedding, on our extended honeymoon. We’d decided to marry on New Year’s Eve last year, just a month after Xavier had gotten released from the hospital after having his gallbladder removed.

My family teased me for once again sending my wedding planner into a frenzy on short notice. But this time, it was all in good humor. They were just as anxious for Dakota to officially join our family as I was.

The doctors had cleared Xavier for travel, but we hadn’t wanted him to fly across the country. So instead of a lavish wedding in the city like my previous charades, I opted for an elegant gathering of close family and friends here in Montana.

My dress was simple, with a third less material than either of its predecessors. It was the one I’d keep and pass down to a daughter if we had one. Made entirely of chiffon, its loose sleeves flowed to my elbows while the bodice gathered at the waist and the skirt billowed to my toes. Other than the deep V cut in the front and back, some would call it plain.