Sable Peak (The Edens)

“Happy Birthday, Jellybean.” I scooped Alaina into my arms and smooched her cheek.

She giggled when I tickled her side, then gave me a string of babble as she showed me the toy car in her fist.

“Car,” I said.

“Ca.”

“Close enough.” I kissed her cheek again. “Look how cute you are today.”

Her hair was in two short pigtails, each clipped with a white bow. ONE was printed on her lavender hoodie.

Chatter drifted from deeper inside the house, and given the line of vehicles parked out front, I was likely the last to arrive at the birthday party. But I’d worked most of the day at the coffee shop so Lyla could take the weekend off.

On Talia’s orders, she was supposed to be slowing down during her last month of pregnancy. Though in stead of resting, I was guessing that Lyla had spent her Saturday putting the finishing touches on the nursery. It wouldn’t be long now until there was another Sutter. A baby boy that Uncle Vance and Lyla were naming Trey.

I loved him already.

“Let’s go find everyone,” I told Allie, carrying her down the hall.

The kitchen was empty but the island was crowded with glasses. The birthday cake was beneath a glass dome on the counter. It was decorated with colorful rainbow swirls—Lyla’s creation, no doubt. More evidence of her not taking it easy.

The gifts were all on the dining room table, including the stuffed unicorn I’d brought over from the loft. I’d added it to the pile two minutes ago, then slipped back outside to the porch to ring the doorbell.

No one used the doorbell at Anne and Harrison’s place. Visitors on the ranch knew to just knock, poke your head inside and holler. Especially since most visitors were their children.

But Allie loved the doorbell. Pushing it. Answering it. Any time I knew she was here, I’d ring the doorbell, wait for her little pitter-patter of hands and knees, then ease the door open and find her crawling toward the entryway.

“You’re here.” Anne poked her head out from the living room and smiled, waving me toward the noise. “We’re in here, sweetie.”

The entire family had crowded into the room. All eyes were locked on the television and a basketball game playing. Jasper had organized a family bracket pool for March Madness and the first round of games was in full swing. Considering I’d chosen my teams based on school colors, I wasn’t holding my breath that I’d win.

Mateo was seated on the couch beside Harrison and Vance. All three men were on the edge of their seats as the game clock wound down to less than a minute.

“Shoot it,” Harrison yelled.

“Where’s the foul call?” Knox huffed, dragging a hand over his beard.

“Come on, Timmy.” Mateo sighed. “Make those.”RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

I leaned in closer to Anne. “They do realize that the players can’t hear them, right?”

She laughed and put her arm around my shoulders. “How was work?”

“Good. Where’s Lyla?” She trusted me to run the shop, but I also knew her well enough to know she liked a full report on the day.

“She was tired so I sent her to lie down. Though I doubt she’ll get any sleep with these guys shouting at the television.” Anne rolled her eyes. “Shushing them is pointless. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

I laughed. “What about dinner? Can I help with anything?”

Nearly a year of cooking lessons from Anne and I was no longer hopeless in the kitchen.

“You can help me with the salad later. But I just put the lasagnas in the oven. We’ll eat in about an hour.”

“Perfect.” I shifted Allie on my hip, surprised she hadn’t squirmed to be put down yet. But she just rested her head on my shoulder, her attention fixed on the toy car’s wheels.

“She didn’t get a nap today,” Anne said. “Mateo said she just wouldn’t fall asleep.”

“Early bedtime.” I kissed her forehead and swayed with her in my arms.

There were days when it felt like a minute ago that Mateo had walked into that family dinner and announced he had a daughter. And other days, like today, I couldn’t remember what life was like before Allie.

Before the Edens.

The memories of years spent with Dad in the mountains seemed to get fuzzier with each passing day. It scared me, the thought of losing him. Of forgetting.

But spring was coming, and with the warm weather, my search would resume. It had been a long, cold winter of worry. This year, I’d find him.

This year, I’d make sure he was okay and he wouldn’t be alone.

Alaina yawned a big, gaping yawn that stretched her tiny mouth.

Mateo caught it, stood from the couch and crossed the living room. “Need me to take her?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I’ve got her.”

His eyes softened as he ran a knuckle over her cheek. “She’s tired.”

“It’s hard to be the birthday girl.”

He hummed. “How was work today?”

“Good, thanks. How was—”

Something happened in the game and the room erupted in a mix of cheers and curses, stealing Mateo’s focus as he whirled to the TV.

Alaina straightened at the noise, holding up her car as she squealed. Then the bigger kids came darting into the living room and she kicked her legs, wanting to be put down.

“Okay, fine.” I sighed. Allie rarely cuddled with me, not with so many aunts and uncles vying for attention. “Go play.”

She crawled faster than most toddlers walked, disappearing with her cousins into the adjoining playroom.

Anne and Harrison had converted a bedroom into an office and made the former office kid central before Christmas.

Mateo stood in front of me, eyes glued to the TV for the final seconds of the game.

With him standing there, I had no choice but to stare at those broad shoulders. At his dark hair trapped beneath a baseball hat, the ends curling at his nape. Every time he wore a hat, it made the corners of his jaw seem stronger. Sharper.

He put his hands on his narrow hips, and the movement lifted the hem of his T-shirt an inch. His jeans were frayed at the hems, the strings tickling the thick soles of his cowboy boots. One of his rear pockets had a slight tear and through the thinning denim, I could make out the black cotton of his underwear.

That man had the most perfect ass I’d seen in my life. My hands itched to slide into those pockets and squeeze.

My cheeks flushed and I tore my gaze away.

And found Anne’s eyes, waiting.

Shit. Definitely did not need her knowing I was obsessed with her son. “I, um … I’m going to grab something to drink.”

Without another word, I slipped out of the room, drawing in a shaking inhale when I reached the kitchen. My reprieve was short-lived. The game ended, and like always, the crowd shifted to the kitchen to snack on the ever-present veggie tray and visit while the scents of tomatoes and garlic and basil filled the house.

“So what time tomorrow night?” Winn asked Mateo.

“Can I drop her off at five?”

“Sure.”

“Should be back around nine or ten to pick her up.”

“Or,” Griffin drawled, “bring stuff so she can spend the night. Just in case it goes well.”

“In case what goes well?” Eloise asked, taking a stool beside mine at the island.

Mateo grinned. “I’m going on a date tomorrow night. Griff and Winn are babysitting.”

Oohs and aahs filled the room along with questions about the woman and where he was taking her. The noise masked the sound of my whimper.

A date.

He was going on a date.

It hurt. It hurt more than it should, considering he’d never once given me that sort of attention. Still, it hurt.

The world felt like it was spinning the wrong way, but I forced a smile. I made the salad for dinner. I visited over our meal. And I clapped when Alaina shoved a handful of birthday cake in her mouth.

It was just one date, right? He wasn’t going to fall in love with her. He was allowed to date.

So was I. If I wanted to, which I didn’t. But maybe I’d change my mind.

It just wasn’t the time for Mateo and me. I had to wait a little longer. I was good at waiting.

I breathed through the ache in my chest. I locked away the hurt in that box down deep. Compared to the rest of the pain I kept in that box, this paled in comparison.

I just had to wait.

In the meantime, I’d keep working on me. I’d find Dad. And I’d wait.

A month. Six months. Twelve. Maybe in a year, he’d see me. Eventually he’d see me.

I just had to wait.