“THIS HAS TO be the best sweet potato casserole I’ve ever had,” I said, as I scooped another helping onto my plate. Did I need it? Hell no. But I couldn’t help myself when it came to Suzanne McAllister’s cooking. The last couple of days I’d probably packed on ten pounds, but it was worth it.

“I’m so glad you think so.” Suzanne handed me the basket of rolls. She’d made a honey walnut butter to go with them, and I had no doubt that with the amount of rolls we’d all devoured, we’d be in a carb coma after lunch.

“Sean, we’ve sure enjoyed having you join us this weekend,” Jack said, as I passed the basket his way. “I hope this means we’ll get to see a lot more of you in the future.”

Miles’s leg brushed against mine under the table, and it was all I could do not to look his way. Beside me, I could feel Beth’s gaze, and I gave her a small smile before turning to Jack.

“I’ve had a wonderful time. I appreciate you opening your home to me.” Then I winked at Suzanne. “And feeding me so well.”

“Oh, you just come see us anytime, you hear?” she said, clasping her hands under her chin. “We’re just so glad our Beth has finally found someone, and such a sweet, handsome man, too. You two would give us gorgeous grandbabies.”

Beth choked on her water. “Mom!”

“What?” Suzanne said. “I’m sure you two have talked about the future. I mean, it doesn’t have to be tomorrow, but the clock is ticking, dear.”

“Oh my God.” Beth groaned and put her head in her hands. “I’m not that old. It’s not like there’s an expiration date.”

“But there is—”

“Not anymore. Women have kids when they’re fifty now—”

“Fifty? That’s preposterous.”

“It’s called a different time and medical advancements,” Beth said, her face flushed.

Miles shook his head. “I’m glad I don’t have ovaries.”

“Just because you can’t reproduce doesn’t mean I don’t expect a few kiddos out of you, too,” Suzanne said, waving her fork in his direction.

“Uh, maybe Rick can help you out there,” Miles said.

Rick shrugged and stabbed a forkful of turkey. “Yeah, why not. Can’t let the super sperm go to waste.”

“Rick! You can’t just say super sperm at the table,” Beth sputtered.

Miles screwed up his nose. “I don’t think you’re supposed to say super sperm ever.”

“Can we please talk about something else not related to babies or…anything that makes babies,” Beth said, pushing her plate away.

“All right, all right,” Jack said, holding his hand up. “Sean, why don’t you tell us more about your family.”

I would’ve rather kept talking about babies. Thinking of my family, especially around the holidays, chafed, and there was no way to explain why to Jack or anyone in the family, except Miles and even Beth. I couldn’t exactly come out and tell them my family had shunned me for being gay, something I’d hidden from them for years because I’d expected their reaction and hadn’t wanted to be left all alone just yet.

“I, uh…” I tugged at the collar of my shirt. “I don’t have a family to speak of.”

“What?” Suzanne gasped and clutched her necklace. “What do you mean you don’t have a family?”

“Just that. There’s a…fundamental disagreement.” I met Miles’s eyes then, and his were full of understanding and sorrow. His leg brushed against mine again, and it eased the tension in my chest.

“Oh, honey.” Suzanne reached over to lay her hand on my arm. “I’m so sorry, but know you’re always welcome here.”

“That’s right,” Jack said, giving me a compassionate smile as Beth rubbed my back.

The crazy thing was that, under any other circumstances, I knew this family would accept me. That just seemed to be the kind of people they were. But how would they feel knowing I’d been lying about who I was?

“I appreciate that,” I said, suddenly feeling as though I’d lost out on a good thing. “Thank you.”

“Of course. You’re helpful with Christmas lights, wrangling cats, and not hard on the eyes either. Beth has snagged herself an absolute gem,” Suzanne said with a wink, and Beth groaned, but I chuckled. I’d never felt more comfortable, or welcome, than I did here in this house, and wasn’t that something?

“Okay, can we move along from this topic?” Beth said. “Or Sean will never want to come back.”

I reached for my glass of wine, and as I took a sip, Suzanne said, “Fair enough,” and looked across the table to her youngest, who was piling some turkey and stuffing onto his fork. “What about you, young man?” When Miles realized she was talking to him, he looked at his mother. “Are you seeing anyone special we should know about?”

I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination—or my brain slowing down time and zooming in on the man across from me—but I was positive I saw Miles’s fingers tighten around his fork at the same time his eyes widened. Oh my God. Is he choking?

When no words left Miles—no sound at all, actually—Rick smacked him on the back.

“You okay, bro?” he asked.

When Miles’s eyes inadvertently caught on mine, it was my turn to rub my leg up against his. The poor guy looked like a deer in caught in headlights.

When he still said nothing, I arched an eyebrow at him, and it was as though he finally got the jolt—or rub—he needed to find his voice.

“I’m fine,” Miles told his brother, and then looked at Suzanne. “I’ve actually just met someone.”

Holy shit. I had not expected him to say that.

“You did?” Suzanne said, lowering her fork.

“Good for you, man,” Rick said around a mouthful as Miles looked at me and Beth and said, “I did.”

I tried my hardest not to picture Miles the way he’d looked last night stretched out on top of me, but it was close to impossible with our legs connected beneath the table and his blue eyes all but sparkling at me. But, luckily for us, Beth was more than happy to save our foolish asses, since we seemed incapable at that particular moment.

“Well I wish you’d brought him home with you, so we could’ve talked about something new this year.”

Miles’s eyes shifted to his sister, and beneath the mischievous light, a hint of sympathy crept through. “I told you, I just met him. And I’m sure he had other plans anyway.”

“You can’t leave it at that,” Suzanne said. “What’s his name? What’s he do? Oh, what’s he look like?”

Miles’s eyes flicked to mine ever so briefly then, before he turned back to his mom and shrugged.

“I told you, I just met him.”

“What? So you don’t even know his name?” Rick said, his fork clanging down on the plate. “And here I thought you were the romantic out of all of us.”

“I am,” Miles said, then put the mouthful of food between his lips and chewed. He gave a carefree shrug and added, “I’ve decided to leave it to fate. If he’s meant to be in my life, then I’m sure he’ll turn up again…right?”

“Aww,” Suzanne said. “That is romantic. But you can at least tell us what he looks like.”

Miles reached for his glass of wine. “Perfect.”

“Oh God.” Rick moaned. “Someone get the guy a bib. I think he’s about to start drooling.”

As the family continued to talk all around us, I did my best to pay attention and contribute, but if someone had asked me later what they’d talked about after that, I would’ve had a hard time remembering, because all I could see and hear were Miles’s words running on a loop in my head.

“Well, I don’t know about all of you, but I’m stuffed,” Jack said as he sat back in his chair and rubbed his full belly.

“Me too,” Beth agreed. “It was delicious as usual, Mom.”

“Thank you,” Suzanne said with a grin. “I think we should all move to the living room around the fireplace, what do you think? Warm up, maybe even make some hot chocolate?”

“Great idea,” Miles said, as he got to his feet and set her plate on top of his. Then he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Great meal, Mom.”

As the rest of us pitched in with the cleanup, Suzanne and Jack put on some classical Christmas music and settled into their recliners in the living room, while Miles did his best to touch me at every possible turn, arms grazing each other as we both reached for the mashed potato bowl, or “accidentally” bumping into each other at the sink. Those not-so-innocent touches, along with the memories of last night and what he’d just said at the table, lit a fire in my veins.

It wouldn’t take much more for me to fall completely head over heels for Miles McAllister. Trying to hold myself back from him this weekend had been difficult, when all I wanted was to know anything and everything about him. I wouldn’t mind if those Q&A sessions were interrupted with lots of kissing, but it was more than just being physically attracted to Miles. I liked him. Really liked him, something that completely knocked me off my feet. And as much as I was enjoying the weekend with his family, I couldn’t wait to get back to the city and finally spend some one-on-one time together to see where this thing could go.

We finished cleaning up and all headed into the living room, where Jack knelt in front of the fireplace, trying to get it going.

“I’m gonna need more wood for this to last a while,” he said, and when he went to stand up, Miles put his hand on his dad’s shoulder.

“Rick and I can do it,” Miles said, and Rick nodded as his cell phone went off. He glanced down at the screen and swallowed.

“Actually, I need to take this, so give me a few,” Rick said.

I stood up from the couch with Beth. “Take your time. I’ll help Miles.”

Rick nodded. “Thanks, man.” He headed upstairs to take the call, while I followed Miles out the back door.

The snow had been falling steadily over the weekend, forcing us to trudge through the white mounds that came up to mid-shin. Jack kept a covered wood pile beside his shed, and as we reached it, I looked over my shoulder at the house and then reached for Miles’s wrist. He turned around to face me, and I dropped my hold on him.

Miles’s breath came out in white puffs, but as I stood there opposite him, all I felt was warmth from the expression in his eyes. He was looking at me the same way he had the night of Zack’s party under the mistletoe, and it made me feel like I’d won some kind of prize.

“You caught me by surprise in there,” I said, as I took a step toward him.

“Did I?”

I grinned at his coy act, falling even more under this sweet spell of his. “Yes, you did. But I think you already know that.”

Miles brought his gloved hand up between us and held his thumb and forefinger a couple of inches apart. “Maybe a little.”

“Mhmm.” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure we were still alone, and when the coast remained clear, I took a step closer.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Miles said, but I was certain he knew I didn’t mind in the slightest.

“The only thing I mind is that I wasn’t sitting beside you when you said it.”

Miles bit his lower lip, and when he moved even closer, it took everything in me to keep my hands jammed into my pockets.

“I think you might like me, Sean Aiden Mahoney.”

“Miles…” I said, his name leaving my lips before I could help myself.

“Mmm, say that again,” Miles said, and shut his eyes.

“Miles,” I said, and before I thought twice about it, I raised my hand and ran my fingers down his cheek. “I know I said before that I believe in fate. But you…you are more than I ever could’ve hoped for.”

Miles’s eyes fluttered open, and as he turned his cheek into my palm, the light snow flurries that had begun to fall again caught on his long lashes.

Damn, he’s beautiful. “I feel like I’ve fallen into a winter dream, one I don’t ever want to wake up from.”

“Aiden…” Miles whispered, and moved the final step forward until he had to tilt his head up to look at me, and his lips were so close and so perfect that I found myself lowering my head to brush mine against them.

The second we connected, I felt as though I was once again swept up in the magic that was Miles. The feeling that there was so much more going on here than just the physical; it’d been that way from the second we’d met and touched, that instant connection, and I never wanted it to end.

Miles’s hands came up between us to take hold of my sweater, and as they tightened and he moved up to his toes, lost in the moment, I closed my eyes and finally let the idea of us take hold of me.

Completely absorbed in our little snow-globe moment, neither of us heard the back door open, or the heavy footsteps trudging through the snow. No, it wasn’t until Rick’s voice pierced the air that we jerked away from each other.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”