“Feels like old times,” Molly said, leaning her head against Lincoln’s shoulder. They were sharing a sofa with Elmer while the others were scattered about the room, some on the floor. Cameron was using Will’s belly as a pillow.

Ella leaned over to quietly ask if she could borrow Cam’s phone.

“Sure.” She wiggled it out of her back pocket.

“Hey,” Will said. “Watch the merchandise, woman.”

Cameron giggled at him. “Sorry, I’ve got plans for your merchandise later. We can’t have it getting injured.”

“Ewww,” Landon said. “Mom, tell them that’s not allowed.”

“I’ll do no such thing. They’re married and can do whatever they want.”

“So can we,” Colton said to Lucy, “’cuz we’re engaged.”

“No comment,” Molly replied, making the others laugh.

“Too bad Hunter and Megan can’t be here,” Elmer said.

“They’re off running your diner and making Thanksgiving for the masses,” Molly reminded her father.

“And they’re doing a fine job of it.”

With Cameron’s phone in hand, Ella slipped out of the room undetected, or so she hoped. She couldn’t wait another minute to talk to Gavin. It felt like a year rather than hours since she’d last seen him.

He answered on the first ring. “There you are.”

“Hi there,” she said, filled with relief at the sound of his voice.

“Well, what’s the good word? Boy or girl?”

“A boy named Caden Lincoln Abbott. Eight pounds, twelve ounces, twenty-one inches long.”

“Oh wow, that’s great, Ella. How’s Max doing?”

“He’s elated and emotional and thrilled. The baby is so cute.”

“How about his girlfriend?”

“Sore and grumpy from all accounts, but I suppose that’s to be expected.”

“You wouldn’t be. Grumpy, I mean.”

“How do you know that? I’ve never pushed a nine-pound baby out of my body. I might be a raging bitch afterward for all we know.”

“You wouldn’t be. I know you wouldn’t. You’d be all glowy and sparkly and happy. Am I allowed to say that?”

“Yeah,” she said gruffly, overwhelmed by the picture he painted. “You’re allowed.”

“I want to see that someday. I want to see you holding our baby after giving birth.”

“Gavin . . .”

“Too much?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, you just make me want things when you talk like that.”

“I want the same things.”

“I’m fanning myself right now. It’s getting warm in here.” His low chuckle made her smile. “How was your day?” she asked, steering the conversation into safer terrain.

“It was actually not bad. We finally got the repairs completed up north in time for everyone to come home for the holiday weekend. We’ll get them back up there Monday to hit it hard. We’ve got some lost time to make up for.”

Ella swallowed hard, hoping he wasn’t about to say that he needed to be up there with his men next week. She couldn’t wait to tell him about the trip so she could stop worrying about all the many ways it could go wrong. “I’m glad you got it fixed.”

“Me, too. Huge relief.”

“Now you can relax and enjoy the holiday.”

“Yeah.” That one word was so tinged with sadness that Ella heard it through the phone.

“You can try to enjoy it? Lots to be thankful for this year.”

“You’re right about that. The holidays are tough . . . It’s hard to pretend everything is okay when someone is missing.”

“I know. Do you want me to come home early? I could have dinner with you and your parents. That would be fine with me.”

“You need to be with your family. You don’t have to do that.”

“What time are you eating?”

“My mom said around four or so. How about you?”

“Two. I’ll head home right after dinner. I’ll meet you at your mom’s.”

“Are you sure?”

“Gavin,” she said, laughing, “don’t you know by now that I’m very, very sure?”

“Yeah, baby, I know, and that makes me feel so lucky. I wish you were here right now.”

Ella settled into bed, under the covers where it was warm and cozy. “What would we be doing if I were there?” She tucked the phone between her ear and the pillow.

“More of what we did this morning and last night.”

“This morning was amazing. I thought about it all day.”

“So did I.”

“It was different, wasn’t it? Than the other times?”

“It was incredible,” he said in that gruff, sexy voice she loved so much. “It always is, but that was something extra special.”

“We need to stop talking about what we can’t have.”

“I vote for talking more about it.”

Charley knocked on the door and came in. “Is it safe in here? You’re not having phone sex, are you?”

“No, Charley, I’m not having phone sex.”

“Yet,” Gavin said, laughing.

Charley grabbed a sweatshirt out of her bag and scurried toward the door. “I’m outta here.”

“She’s gone,” Ella said.

“Now about that phone sex . . .”

“Stop.”

“I don’t want to. I want to talk about how soft you are, how responsive. Your sweet nipples—”

“Gavin! Stop! I can’t have phone sex with you on Cameron’s phone.”

“It’s not like she’ll know.”

“I’ll know.”

“Such a good girl.”

“That’s right, and don’t forget it.”

“You’re not always a good girl. Sometimes you’re very, very bad.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, and that prim, prissy tone . . . Do you have any idea how hard that makes me?”

“I have to go.”

“You do not.”

“I’m having a sleepover with most of my family. You’re like the devil at the pajama party.”

“You love me.”

“Yes, I do.”

“I’m going to hate sleeping without you tonight.”

“Me, too. I’m addicted. But we can get through one night, right?”

“As long as it’s only one.”

“What’re you doing tonight?”

“Sitting around watching football and wishing you were here.”

“So you’re staying in?”

“Yes, Ella, I’m staying in and behaving myself while you’re out of town.”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It hasn’t even been two weeks since you picked me up at a bar, so it doesn’t offend me that you’d be worried about that.”

“Haven’t things changed since then?”

“Everything has changed since then.”

His assurances warmed her all the way through.

“Don’t worry, El. I’m on my best behavior. I have promises to keep. Important promises.”

“I love you, Gavin. And I love being able to tell you I love you.”

“I love you, too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you then.” She waited for him to end the call. “You’re supposed to hang up now.”

“Not until you do.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Neither do I.”

Ella smiled widely. “Let’s hang up together. One, two, three . . .”

“You first.”

“I’m going now.”

“So am I.”

“Night, Gavin.”

“Night, Ella.”

Their phones clicked off at the same time, and Ella lay there for a long time afterward thinking about him, wishing she were with him and counting the minutes until she could see him again.

*   *   *

Everything about this Thanksgiving felt different to Ella from every other one that came before it. For one thing, it was the first one they’d spent in the lake house. For another, the family football game happened on the beach rather than in the field next to the barn. It was strange not to have Hunter and Max with them, which was also a first. It was the first Thanksgiving in which they’d taken turns going to the hospital to visit Max and Caden, who’d had a good first night.

It was the first Thanksgiving that Ella had somewhere else she’d rather be—or rather the first time she wished she could be in two places at once. It wasn’t unusual to see Lucas and Landon nursing hangovers, but it was unusual to see Wade in the same condition.

Ella plopped down next to him on a blanket on the beach. A chilly wind blew in off the lake, but the bright sunshine kept the day from being too cold to be outside. “You’re looking rough.”