Summary:
Single Dads #7
An abandoned baby, a poignant note from his long-lost twin, and unexpectedly, Jax’s world is turned upside down.
Despite being adopted by a loving family when he was a child, Jax feels part of his life is missing, and driven by dreams of his brother being in danger, Jax is consumed by his search for his biological twin. Shocked to find a surprise delivery on his doorstep, Jax discovers that not only is he an uncle, but apparently, he’s a legal guardian to baby Charlie. He calls on the unwavering support of his friends and family to solve the mystery surrounding the new arrival, but also finds help from an unexpected source—Arlo, the enigmatic bear of a man who works for him.
Arlo is no stranger to caring. When his parents passed, he dropped out of college to care for his siblings, working construction to pay the bills. With his brothers grown and having left home, it’s Arlo’s turn to live, but when the next stage of his life means owning up to his love for Jax, he can’t find the words to be honest about how he feels. The problem for Arlo is that he’s been in unrequited love with his boss for three years and can’t bear to not be part of his life. Is it too much to wish for a miracle to make Jax fall for him too?
Since it's Christmas I will keep this review a little shorter than usually, short, sweet, and to the point . . . nothing wrong with that😉.
As I've said with every entry in this amazing RJ Scott series, I find nothing sexier than men who care for kids, be it their own, a nIece/nephew, sibling, or any number of found family scenarios. Once again, Miss Scott did not disappoint.
In Miracle we see not only a single dad but also a man who stepped up and raised his siblings after losing their parents in a plane crash, and to complete the trifecta, the single dad also finds a package on his doorstep in the form of his long-lost twin's little boy, Charlie. I seriously think my heart exploded with all the yummy feels.
As much as I adored all the caring-for-kids feels in Miracle what really stood out was the fact that one of the men was a "bit soft in the middle". Arlo is an active man who just doesn't happen to have the too-often-used-in-fiction six pack. For me it's that "average-ness" of the character that pushes this series entry from great to brilliant.
Another thing about Arlo that really spoke to me was how his brothers see what he did as sacrificing his happiness and future to fill their parents shoes after their passing but to Arlo it was never about sacrificing or duty. He wanted to keep them together, would he have given anything to not be in that position with their parents untimely death? Of course, but he never saw it as giving anything up. As an only child and my mom's 24/7 caregiver, I've had people think I sacrificed my wants and needs but I have never felt that way, not once in the 30 years since I stepped into the caregiver role, I never felt it was a duty either, it was and still is where I want to be and like Arlo I'd give anything for my mom not to need me but knowing what I do keeps my parents together in their own home is more than enough to know I am where I need to be and RJ Scott does a wonderful job showing both sides of those thoughts through Arlo and his brothers interactions with Jax. A small moment in the men's journey in terms of page time but a huge factor for this reader. So for that, another huge Kudos and Thank You to RJ Scott.
There is just so much love in this story, from family to friends, to finding the courage to open your heart, Miracle really is all about the love.
“No… mumble…” he cursed again.
This time, I tugged on his leg to get him out of the cupboard. “Out!”
He unfolded himself from where he’d been lying and propped himself up on his elbows. There was a smudge of paint over his left eyebrow, the same snowy white as the streaks in his steel gray hair. He was only thirty, but like his dad, his dark hair had lightened to salt and pepper when he hit puberty. His gray was as much part of him as his gorgeous eyes, and yes, I stared at him a lot.
When he wasn’t looking of course.
“What were you trying to say in there? Did you find something?”
“No.”
I sighed with relief. “So, what was all the mumbling about?”
“I can’t come over tonight,” he admitted, and couldn’t quite meet my gaze.
“What? Why?”
Wait, could I even ask that question? That wasn’t the kind of thing a boss asks the man who works for him, right? Arlo was under no obligation to spend time with me, but on the weekends when I didn’t have my girls staying, he would always come to my place on a Friday. We’d have beer, and he’d stay over in my spare room after we’d talked until late.
It was our thing.
“Are you okay?” I placed a hand on his knee to let him know I was there for him. He moved his knee, shrugged my touch away, and I wasn’t stupid, there was something off about all of this. “Are you ill? Shit, is something wrong with one of your brothers?”
“No, and no.” Arlo shimmied up, then leaned against the sink cupboard. “It’s just, I have this thing.”
“What thing?”
He stared at me and seemed to be steeling himself to give me bad news, so I sat my ass on the floor and crossed my legs. It couldn’t be too awful because, yes, he seemed distracted, but not completely miserable, so my first guess was it had something to do with his brothers—they were the only reason he’d skip what had become our regular thing. Although, why would any of that affect our standing date-slash-non-date, I didn’t know.
“What thing?” I repeated and poked him to encourage a smile.
He wouldn’t quite meet my gaze, and again, he moved away from my touch. That never happened—Arlo was a big cuddle monster, a soft bear of a man who was tactile and open with his feelings. His heart was so pure, so freaking full of love that sometimes, he couldn’t even contain it and would hug me so hard I couldn’t breathe.
He bit his lip, a typical Arlo habit when he was stressed. This was at odds with him saying everything was okay.
“Ihaveadate,” he blurted in one long run-on sentence, then dipped his gaze, and I swear his face was scarlet.
I slowed down the words to parse their meaning.
I. Have. A. Date.
“You’ve got a what now?” I asked after a pause; not sure I was hearing right.
He cleared his throat and, at last, held my gaze. For a moment, I was lost in watching him tug at his gray hair and seeing the uncertainty and nerves in his intriguing gray eyes. “A date,” he repeated in a softer almost apologetic tone.
Of all the things he could tell me, why was it something that was going to make me spin out?
Since when did Arlo date? He’d told me point-blank that being responsible for his two younger brothers, plus working for me, was enough without contemplating dating. I’d taken that at face value and almost settled into that sweet spot where we could be friends and I could lust from afar, ignoring the unrequited everything I had going on.
The last thing he needed, or should expect, was for me to ask why he was going on a date. Don’t ask. Don’t freaking ask.
“Why?” Shit. I couldn’t help myself.
He shot me one of his affectionate, patient smiles. One of the cute ones that made his eyes sparkle with mischief. Or something.
“Just because…” He sighed. “Sutton left for college, and now… I’m ready to move on. I need to date.” He stared at me.
I tried to read his expression and the determination in his tone. “Date,” I repeated.
A familiar smile teased his lips. “Trace downloaded this app thing, and I swished or swiped or whatever, and then, someone matched me, so I’m meeting this guy called Wilton tonight.” In one sentence, he threw open all my tightly checked emotions and ripped apart my ordered world.
Apparently, he was ready to date.
Date other people.
Writing love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.
She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.
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