“Snowball fight!”

Joe took the first one to the face. He didn’t even mind the sting so much when Nathan fell into a fit of laughter and ducked for cover behind his legs. He twisted his torso toward Morgan, shoved the presents he was carrying into her arms, then dodged the second handful of snow Neil threw at him from the porch railing.

“You guys are such assholes.” He laughed as he scooped up a handful of snow, bounded up the stairs, and smashed it down the back of Mike’s leather jacket.

“That’s a bad word, Daddy.” Nathan put one finger to his lips, then held out his little hand.

Joe figured the crew had funded half of the kid’s college fund with f-bombs by now. Their ambush deteriorated as everyone went inside and Joe dropped a quarter into Nathan’s palm.

“Thanks, Daddy.” He tucked it into his tiny pocket and ran off to find Abby, who was building something out of blocks in the living room.

While playing in the snow was fun, coming inside to the warmth of the cabin, the smell of whatever masterpiece Morgan had baked, a group of friends that included a bunch of pretty women…well, that didn’t suck.

Joe couldn’t believe how happy he was now, and every day that he got to spend with his crew. If someone had asked him right then, he would have said he couldn’t have been any happier.

And then their laptop began making the obnoxious car revving noise his cousin Eli had associated with his incoming videochats. The Hot Rods were calling again. Truly, they were lucky beyond belief, blessed with friends who had become family.

After last night’s festivities, he couldn’t believe they were all still functioning. But it was Christmas Eve, after all, and they had meals to eat, presents to exchange, and more time to spend with the people they loved most. The best gift of all.

“Hey, everybody!” Quinn shot them a half-assed wave, barely pausing his tug-of-war with Buster McHightops. He’d probably given the dog the new toy he was trying to destroy for Christmas.

“Hey yourself.” Mike cleared his throat, obviously not wanting to rat the kid out but as curious as Joe was about what might have happened since the last time they’d talked. “Everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” He did glance up then. “I did what you said. Amy broke up with me, but she doesn’t hate me. Or her brother. Turns out he told her first and she was waiting to see if I’d come clean.”

“You screwed up, but I’m proud of you for making the best of the situation in the end,” Barracuda reassured his little bro. “Next time you’ll do better.”

Quinn gave Roman a one-shouldered shrug that proclaimed him a genuine teenager.

The kid still needed support. The Hot Rods especially had overcome rough beginnings by leaning on each other. Quinn had the rest of the gang, but in a lot of ways, the gap in their ages meant he was struggling through this phase of his life on his own. Joe wondered when Quinn would realize he could form a tribe of his own if he really wanted to.

Maybe he should say something about it. Joe met Mike’s stare and realized his best friend must be thinking something similar. They’d help him figure things out as he transitioned from a lost kid into a young man ready to build a life for himself.

“He isn’t going to have time to worry about dating anyway.” Gavyn, Amber’s husband, knocked his knee into Quinn’s shoulder. “I just promoted him from shop boy to mechanic at Hot Rides.”

“That’s a pretty big step up.” Kayla beamed at Quinn. “You must be doing an awesome job.”

“I can sweep floors like nobody’s business.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s about time Gavyn let me do some real work. I can handle it.”

“I’m sure you can—” Tom rushed to bolster Quinn. He didn’t need to. The kid was pretty confident in his skills, at least when it came to motorcycles. As he should be. He may still be figuring out how to be in a relationship, but he could build a bike from a bobby pin, a coat hanger, and a garbage can, Joe was pretty sure.

“I know, Tom. Thanks. Just busting his balls.” Quinn tossed Buster’s toy so he could give them his full attention.

“What have I told you? Don’t say balls in polite company, Quinn.” Ms. Brown tsked, then ruffled his hair as if he were nine instead of mostly grown.

Nola and Amber both winced when their mom said “balls”. Meanwhile, Tom grinned.

Then again, if balls was the worst thing that slipped from Quinn’s lips after hanging out with the Powertools and Hot Rods, they’d all consider themselves lucky. Oops.

“None of them are exactly polite,” Quinn argued. “Except for you, of course. Sorry.”

“Be nice or I won’t give you this.” Gavyn jingled something Joe couldn’t quite make out from where he stood. “Here.”

He tossed what looked like a chunk of metal at Quinn, who snagged it out of the air with lightning-fast reflexes. “What’s this?”

“Keys to that big shed out back of Hot Rides,” Amber answered for her husband.

“Do you need me to clean it later?” he asked.

Tom laughed as Ms. Brown smiled warmly at Quinn. Say what he wanted, he was decent and hardworking, willing to earn his keep however he could.

“Nope. It’s your new place. Shed, sweet shed,” Roman told his brother.

“You’re kicking me out?” Quinn’s stare winged between the Hot Rods and Tom.

“Never.” Roman clapped his brother on the shoulder. “But it’s yours if you want it. The crew agreed to come out here in the spring and build it out for you. Into your first apartment. It’ll be ready by graduation. You can help them design it and make it however you want.”

“Wow. Seriously?” Quinn stared at the keys in his palm. “I was kind of wondering…you know…where I’d go…”

“Well, we’re hoping you’ll want to stick around.” Gavyn kept piling on the good news, making Morgan blink back tears. “Especially because I’d like to grow Hot Rides. If you kick ass in the first six months you’re working full time, I’ll let you hire a team. Be the manager and oversee the shop.”

Quinn rocketed to his feet and spun toward the windows, away from his family. Roman approached him and hugged him hard. Quinn discreetly lifted his forearm and wiped his flannel sleeve across his eyes. “This is too much.”

“It’s nothing compared to what you deserve,” Tom told him.

“And don’t get us wrong, it’s not a hand out. It’s a fucking job. You’re going to work for it. Like you do now.” Gavyn seemed genuinely concerned Quinn might turn him down. The kid was genius with bikes according to Alanso, who would definitely know. “So you’re in?”

“Yeah, I’m in.” Quinn faced them then. He crossed the floor to where Gavyn stood and held out his hand. Gavyn gripped it hard and shook it, then drew Quinn in for a hug complete with a solid slap on the back.

“Well, I think that about wraps up our gift exchange this year,” Sabra joked. “I mean, what else is going to top that? Damn, guys, you usually save the best for last.”

“Hang on. I think I might have something.” Morgan trotted in from the kitchen and reached into the pocket of her apron.

“This I have to see.” Ms. Brown leaned in, staring at the screen as Tom clutched her hand and beamed at her. Knowing his uncle had found someone to share the rest of his life with filled Joe with even more cheer. He never would have believed it possible when his aunt died all those years ago. But he knew she would be so happy if she could see them today.

“Thank you, cupcake. But I doubt you’re going to outdo me. I am the surprise expert around here.” Hell, Joe had ordered her the industrial custom-made blender she’d been drooling over for months. “Besides, you can top me anytime. Especially later, when you see what I got you.”

Kate snorted, Kayla shook her head, and Devon muttered, “Idiot” under her breath. Oh shit, all of the ladies were in on whatever Morgan was cooking up?

That couldn’t be good.

Joe started to get a sense that maybe his brilliant, gorgeous wife could have the upper hand. He never expected what she said next.

“I tried to come up with some clever way to reveal this, but I think I’ll just let you read it for yourself.” She smiled at him then, her gorgeous eyes turning glassy with unshed tears and handed him the envelope. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her doctor’s return address printed on the outside.

But this was a good surprise, right?

Joe tore it open and scanned the words as fast as possible. They made no sense.

None at all.

So he read it again.

And again.

Then he managed to choke out a single word. “You’re…?”

She nodded. “I’m pregnant.”

He looked around the room, his head whipping from man to man to man surrounding him. Had they conspired to do this for him, as a surprise? Had someone else slept with his wife?

Although they’d all been with her many times, and he’d enjoyed every minute of sharing that pleasure with her, he wasn’t sure how he felt about them getting it on with her behind his back. Even for a good cause and all.

But…a baby?

It was worth it.

In the time it took him to process the situation, Morgan crossed to him and took his cheeks between her palms. She angled his face toward her and stared into his eyes when she whispered, “It wasn’t them. The only person I’ve slept with unprotected…was you. Keep reading. She’s yours.”

“She? Mine?” He reeled. It couldn’t be.

He flipped the page and saw a paternity test. It was true.

“Yup. You.” Morgan beamed at him, her tears overflowing and rolling gracefully down her cheek. “Don’t tattle on me for forging your signature to get that done, okay?”

Joe didn’t give a fuck about that. “How can it be?”

She shrugged. “They said it would take a miracle, and honestly I think that’s what you are to me. So I guess I shouldn’t be so shocked. You give me the best surprises, even when you don’t mean to.”

Joe’s legs gave out. He dropped to his knees in front of his wife and rested his cheek on her still-flat belly. Then he turned his head and kissed her softly, there where their child grew. “Hello, baby. I’m your daddy.”

That set the rest of the crew off. He even heard Ms. Brown sniffling over the videochat as the rest of the crew surrounded them, sharing their congratulations. In the background, he could hear the Hot Rods cheering for them.

With this many friends and such a strong family, built by choice, Joe knew life would always be incredible.