Free Finding Forever (Living Again #4) by L. L. Collins

it had really hit Lacey that her best friend was big time . Thankfully, it hadn’t changed Sam at all, and she was still the same down to earth girl she had always loved. With a hot husband. And a kick-ass, what-dreams-are-made-of career.
    “Lacey!” Ellis’ voice boomed from the front door, where he was holding a sleeping Kerrigan. She loved that Sam named her after her maiden name, but called her Kerri. She smiled at him, her heart full for her best friend. She really had it all now. There was no doubt in her mind that Ellis lived and breathed not only Sam, but their new daughter as well.
    “Hey Ellis! How was Florida?”
    “Great, but it’s even better to be home. Come on in.” He shut the door behind her and she immediately went for the baby, removing her from her dad’s arms. She squirmed in her sleep, then settled peacefully on her chest. Lacey stroked her soft skin, inhaling the sweet smell of newborn. “Sam will be right out. She wanted to take a shower, freshen up.”
    “Hi Lacey!” Mason bounded into the room. Mason was Ellis’ son from when he was just a kid, and they had been reunited a few years ago. Sam had adopted him after they got married, and he was now sixteen. He was a good kid, and she liked spending time talking football and girls with him.
    She hugged him gently, careful not to wake Kerri. He leaned down and kissed his sister on the head, and she wondered absently what it would be like to have someone love her that much. She moved over to the couch, settling herself carefully. She touched Kerri’s dark hair, just like her mom’s, feeling her breathing against her.
    “She looks good on you,” Sam said, coming into the room. She loved seeing her like this, relaxed and carefree. Her hair was pulled into a bun on top of her head and she wore yoga pants and a tank top. It wasn’t that often that she got to be that way. You would’ve never known that she had a baby a few weeks ago.
    “Mason and I are heading out to the pool,” Ellis said, kissing Sam briefly. Even in that little exchange, Lacey saw it. Love. “You guys enjoy your girls’ time.”
    The friends hugged, and Lacey fought tears. So much was churning through her right now. Sam pulled away and searched her face, knowing her.
    “Want to talk?”
    Lacey shook her head. “Not right now. Tell me about Florida. And Kerri. She’s grown so much while you were gone.”
    Sam kissed her daughter’s fingers, then settled back next to Lacey. “We really did nothing but relax in Florida. Had our friends over for a couple beach days, but that’s really all. Ellis and Mason played football all day, every day. Mason spent every evening over with Jillian and her family. I think he’s in love, but he’s being smart about it. Ellis also made me rest and took care of Kerri a lot, which was very nice.”
    “Such a dream,” Lacey teased.
    “You got that right,” Sam laughed. “So tell me, how was the ‘house call’, disguised as a date a few days ago?”
    “Didn’t happen.”
    “Lacey!”
    “It wasn’t me! His dad had a bad accident and was hospitalized. Then he had a heart attack while in surgery.”
    “Oh my word, Lace! That’s terrible! That poor guy went through it this week! First his dog, now his dad…”
    She was a horrible person. She hadn’t even thought of that. She was so focused on the things going on with her, she didn’t think of how he must feel with everything crumbling around him as well.
    “Is his dad okay?”
    “He’s in ICU, but stable,” Lacey answered. “I haven’t talked to Brant since his dad was taken in.”
    Sam narrowed her eyes at her. “You haven’t talked to him.”
    “No.”
    “Lacey Russell,” Sam grumbled. “What am I going to do with you?”
    “Look,” Lacey said. “He’s a player, okay? So I liked him and he seemed to like me. He has women falling at his feet all the time.”
    “And you know this how? You only talked to the guy a few times over what, two days?”
    “He’s