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“I don’t care if she’s in jail or not, I just don’t want her near me ever again.”
“Rosie,” Chase calls down the line, “she will go to jail even if it’s only for a few months. I’ll make sure of that.”
“Okay. So we just have to wait to hear about the trial now?” I let out the breath I was holding.
“We might not go to trial if her defense opts to take the deal we’re offering,” he tells me.
“Right.”
“Half custodial sentence, half rehabilitation, and an indefinite restraining order,” Brody summarizes as though he’s double-checking that I’m sure I understand the choice I’m making.
“We’ll be free of all of this,” I shrug. “That’s what I want.”
I’m desperate to put this whole debacle behind us. I hate that it happened, but I hate how it affected Brody too. He had to miss his first race weekend, he was fined for fighting with Connor and I know it stirred up some awful memories of his mom.
“Leave it to me,” Chase tells us, informing us of a couple more points before he hangs up.
I can tell Brody isn’t totally satisfied that Natalya isn’t getting in more trouble for her actions. But the reality is that I knew she was bad news, more than that, he warned me of her and if I’d listened, we wouldn’t be living through this right now. More importantly, in a way, she’s brought us closer together. For me, that’s the best win.
“In the end we win,” I tell him as he pulls me onto his lap with a kiss to my hair. “We’re still together.”
“And you’ll always be the only woman I’ll ever love.” His rough hands cup my face as he touches his forehead to mine. “You’re my entire fucking world.”
Brody arranged for us to use the gated beach house from our date for a family barbeque. Having the people we love in a place that holds such wonderful memories is just another example of how perfect Brody is. He thinks of everything.
The kids are playing in the pool, with Maggie and my mom supervising and having a blast. Blaire and Blakely are showing off the results of their swimming lessons while Brooks is living it up in a giant rubber ring. The squeals, splashes and laughter have me smiling. This is what life is about.
My dad is in the outdoor kitchen with Rowan and Brody, making food while catching up. Rowan’s been pumping Brody for all the information on the season and his predictions for next year.
I close my eyes to soak up the sun, savoring this moment. After speaking to Chase this morning, I feel lighter. Everything is going to be okay.
“You falling asleep on me, Angel?” Brody teases, startling me. My eyes fly open and I see his grin as he looks down at me affectionately.
“Just enjoying the moment,” I admit with a smile. “I love it here.”
“I know,” he says, sitting beside me on the rattan five-seater L-shaped sofa. “That’s why I bought it.”
He says it so blasé, it takes a moment for it to sink in. My eyes fly to his, taking in the amused look on his face. The sound of the kids in the background fades away.
“You…wait what?” I stammer, surprise no doubt written all over my face. I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience.
He moves a stray wisp of hair from my face and gently tucks it behind my ear, and I instinctively lean into his touch, my body always craving his.
“I bought it. I needed somewhere here for the off-season, and I know how much you love this place. So it made sense.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but his sheepish smile betrays him, and I know he’s waiting for my reaction.
“That’s…oh my God, this is crazy. You own this place?” I ask, even though he’s already confirmed it. I just can’t believe he’s bought my dream house. How is this real life?
“I do. Although it’s a little too roomy for me. I was hoping you might want to move in to keep me company?”
Throwing myself at him, I wrap my arms around his neck and ask, “You’re serious?”
“As a heart attack.” He kisses my nose before adding, “This house is amazing, but without you, it’s not a home. So how about it, Angel? Want to build a home with me?”
“More than anything,” I whisper against his lips before I press mine against his, ignoring the wolf whistles behind me.
“Thank God, because I kinda already got you a housewarming gift,” he admits as he pulls back with a sheepish grin.
“You did?”
