It turned out that home was knowing Matt was coming back to her, wherever she was. Home was having the right to brush his dark hair off his brow and to kiss the stress line that always formed on his forehead.

He wasn’t a fairy-tale prince, but he was the only man she’d ever wanted to come home to. The only man who had ever mattered.

He’s the man I’m meant for.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A few weeks later.

MATT HELD OPEN the door to Jackson’s patio and waited as a stream of children raced by. There were Jackson’s two boys, their cousins Annabelle and Isabelle, and then a few more he wasn’t sure he’d seen before. Jackson came out of the kitchen, holding a tray of cookies.

“Is it my imagination or did some of these kids come out of thin air?”

Jackson shrugged. “You know how Mom is, she invites the whole church. It’s my house and I have no idea who’s here either.” He offered the tray to Matt.

“Did Ridley make these?” Matt snagged one off the tray and took a bite. They were still warm.

“Raina made them. She’s due in two weeks, so she claims she’s not worrying about nutrition for the baby anymore. Apparently the baby is technically done at thirty-seven weeks, so she’s decided she’s just going to eat whatever she craves from here on out.”

Matt took another bite of his cookie. It was a masterpiece of chocolate and sugar. “Makes sense to me.”

Jackson took the platter outside and Matt followed. Eli already had the music pumping. Mara waved at him from where she stood at the buffet table. Trent had his arms around her and was whispering something in her ear.

“Hey, Matt. When did you get here?”

Matt turned and accepted a handshake from Jackson’s oldest brother, Bennett. “I just got here. How’s it going?”

“I’m great. Actually, I have a message for you. Kaylee asked me to keep a lookout for you and tell you that she and Penny are upstairs and they’ll be down in a minute.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks.” Matt wasn’t surprised the two women were huddled somewhere. Over the past few weeks, they’d gotten to know each other really well since he’d been guarding Kaylee. Penny accompanied him most of the time, and they spent time talking and playing with Kaylee’s baby girl, Hope.

“I’ll just go say hello to your parents while I wait,” Matt said.

Bennett nodded and walked toward the buffet table. Matt walked across the yard to where Julia and Mark sat in picnic chairs under the shade of an old elm tree. They sat with hands entwined, watching their children and grandchildren.

He stopped next to them. “Do you mind if I sit?”

Julia beamed up at him. “Of course not, honey. Pull up a chair and join us.” They were both tanned a deeper brown than usual and looked like they’d just been on vacation.

Matt dragged over a metal folding chair and sat down.

“We would be out there mingling, but you know, it’s not as easy for us to do that now. The heat wears on me. Getting old is hell,” Mark grumbled.

Matt laughed along with them. He turned and looked at the party, trying to see it from their eyes. What was it like knowing you’d built a family forged with love so strong it could support this many generations? A love so strong it could carry the weight of children who weren’t even your own?

He looked over to find Julia watching him with knowing eyes. “Penny mentioned you were going to that counselor she recommended. I’m proud of you.”

“I am, too.” Matt held a hand over his heart. He’d been talking about Cyrus more lately. Not just about how he’d died but about how he’d lived. It helped to think of the things his friend had accomplished in his life and the joy he’d brought to his family. It helped to realize that his friend’s death didn’t define him. He could remember the good times now.

“Are you all right, Matt? Truly?” Julia put a hand on his arm.

He glanced at her. She had those eyes that could see straight through him when he lied, just like Penny. So he didn’t even bother trying.

“I will be. I have a job I love and friends who believe in me. I just wish I could be as brave as they all think I am. The truth is I’m terrified.”

“If you weren’t scared, you’d be either foolish or ignorant. You think bravery means never being scared? It’s easy to do things that don’t scare you. To be afraid of something but willing to do it anyway… Well, that’s true bravery.”

She ruffled his hair. Matt’s heart warmed at the easy affection. He looked up to see Penny standing across the yard. When their eyes met, everything inside him came alive.

“I want to say something to the two of you. But I’m not exactly sure how I want to say this. I’m not good with words.”

“Take your time, son. The words will come out as they’re meant to,” Mark drawled.

“Well, that’s a good place to start, I guess. You just called me son.” He stopped, the meaning of the word settling around him. “You’ve always called me that. More importantly, you’ve always treated me like one.”

Mark watched him, his brown eyes wise. “That’s how we’ve always thought of you. You and your sister. Trent, too. You were great friends to our sons and you’ve grown into fine people we’re proud to know.”

Julia cupped his face gently. “I used to help you with your dirty laundry just like my own boys, didn’t I?”