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Driving back to Autumn’s, I feel like I have a new lease on life. I pull up her driveway, elated to find them both already on the porch waiting for me. My woman and my boy. I watch in wonder as they bound down the steps toward the car, jumping inside to see me.
The future starts now.
Autumn blasts the radio, and Christian settles into the booster seat I bought as soon as I left them this morning.
A familiar voice croons from the speakers, and Christian cheers. “Turn it up, Daddy. Mommy said this is my aunty singing on the radio.”
Grinning like a fool over at my woman, I look back at Christian and nod. “It sure is, buddy, and she’s going to love you so much. We can go visit her during your summer break from school if Mommy says it’s okay.”
“Can we, Mommy? Pleaaaseee.”
“Sure thing, baby. It’s more than okay. She’s our family too, and I’m learning that’s the most important thing in the world.” Autumn reaches over and squeezes my hand. Before she can pull away, I clutch onto it and curl my fingers around hers. I’m never letting it go ever again.
Turning the radio up, I look in the rearview mirror at Christian and blurt the lyrics with him as I pull out of the drive.
Hold me. Love me.
Please…just take care of me.
And I’ll take care of you too.
Sofina’s voice filters through the speakers, and for the first time in a long time, I feel at home. Happy. Complete.
No more watching, just fucking living.
Three months later…
“Don’t touch that,” I whisper to Christian. “In fact, don’t touch anything.”
Lucca laughs at my hovering. “Kids will be kids. Trust me, Ronan can afford to replace a glass candy dish.”
I purse my lips, and he simply grins at me. That man always gets his way when he smiles. My man. It’s hard to believe it’s true. Three months ago, he stormed into my life, made his presence known to our son, and has upheld his promise to love and take care of us. Every damn day, he proves what an amazing man he is. He makes up for lost time. My heart breaks at all the years we lost, but we’re not wasting another second.
“Come on,” Lucca says, grabbing Christian’s hand. “Aunt Sofina said she’d be in a recording room working on some lyrics.”
Aunt Sofina.
I still can’t believe I have a sister-in-law. When I glance down at the diamond wedding ring on my finger, I let out a happy sigh. We’ve been married less than a month, and I still stare at the ring in awe sometimes.
Sofina’s surely changed. She’s no longer the little girl Lucca ran off to raise. Sofina grew up well—thanks to her amazing big brother—and is conquering the world one chart-smashing track at a time. Her music is incredible. It’s all Christian and I listen to when we’re in the car together. We’re proud, that’s for certain.
And Sofina’s pretty pleased with her little nephew too. I guess when you’re a self-made millionaire at such a young age, you have no qualms throwing money at whatever makes you happy. In Sofina’s case, she bought her brother a house with the most wonderful playroom for Christian. At first, Lucca balked because my man is as proud as they come, but she reminded him he once gave up his entire life to make sure she was taken care of. Her buying him a house for her adorable little nephew was the least she could do to show her appreciation.
I love the house, but I love who lives inside it more.
As if cued into my thoughts, my husband casts a glance over his shoulder, heating me to my core with one fiery look. Sometimes, I barely make it to my teacher certification program classes because he burns me alive with his sexy glares. When I give in and finally allow him to ravish me, he simply grins and pats my ass before telling me to have a good night. It’d be infuriating, but it’s everything I’ve always wanted. Finishing my degree while he was gone and my heart was broken was difficult. When I walked away with my Bachelor’s in education, I felt proud, but I didn’t have the energy to finish what I needed to move on to the next stage of becoming a teacher. Plus, Mom had her stroke and Christian was an infant. I was needed on the home front. Now that I don’t have to work and Lucca looks after Christian in the evenings, I’m able to finally finish what I started.
We make it to the elevator, and Ronan stalks out of it, his face contorted in fury. Lucca frowns at him as he tucks Christian close to him in a protective way that makes my heart flutter. Ronan charges past where we came in at the same time someone bursts in the door.
