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It was always a little awkward being around her, as if I was supposed to say or ask questions, but for whatever reason I never did.
Maybe it’s because the man who taught me what it meant to trust ended up being the biggest, most untrustworthy, manipulator of all.
I guess I didn’t want to find out if she’d end up the same way. It was one of those situations where it was better to assume than know for sure.
Now, in her passing, I can look at Zoey, at the healthy and strong little girl she is and say the woman who gave birth to me had a hand in making her this way.
I can remind Zoey of the woman who tucked her in at night when her dad and I couldn’t.
I reach up, running my fingers along the engraving.
I will remember you, Maria Vega.
I make my way back to Captain, who stands outside his SUV, a small smile on his lips, eyes soft and bright as he pulls me into his arms, his lips instantly falling to mine.
He kisses me slow, with such purpose I lose my breath, and I realize in this moment, it was never about this place, and my subconscious knew this all along.
My drive to stay here, it was all to end up standing right here, right now... with him.
He is my purpose.
My home.
And Zoey, she’ll be our everything.
“So much, Beauty.”
I grin against his lips, whispering, “I love you, too, Cap.”
Always.
“Daddy, can we go swim now?!” Zoey calls from the back seat.
Cap pulls away with a grin, and the two of us climb inside.
“Of course we can, baby girl.”
Captain calls his brothers, letting them know we’re on our way back so they’re ready to swim when we get home.
As we’re pulling onto the property, Captain comes to a stop.
A girl with short, almost silver-colored hair, is climbing from an old white Camry, staring up at the girl’s Bray House with a scowl... a duffle bag hanging from her hand.
My mouth drops open, a laugh escaping before I can stop it, and Cap’s eyes fly my way.
“Holy. Shit.” I laugh again. “He did not.”
I look to Cap and he frowns.
“Beauty...”
I grin, shaking my head and hit the dash. “Get to the house.”
“Victoria.”
“Cap, come on. Give it maybe ten minutes.” I raise a bratty brow. “Trust me, this is too good.”
His eyes narrow farther, and then he scoffs a laugh, lacing his hand in mine as he continues to roll forward. “With my life, baby,” he whispers, kissing my knuckles, right where the single tidal wave tattoo sits, matching the anchor on his.
I’m the wave, he’s the anchor, and this life is our ocean.
We get to the house right as the others are opening the gate to the pool.
I practically skip from the car, a grin I couldn’t hide if I tried.
Captain chuckles. “Man, it must be good.”
“Oh, baby, you have no idea. Just wait.”
He shakes his head with a grin and joins the others, helping Zoey take off her cover-up and into her life jacket.
He strips down, and my eyes instantly fall to the tattoo now covering the left side of his ribs.
It’s an anchor splashing into the ocean, wrapped tight in barbed wire, each spike representing a single scar on my stomach. There are forty-two.
My man said he had to bleed as I did, as many times as I did.
He catches me staring and winks, jumping right into the water, making a big splash that has Zoey laughing and jumping right after him.
I smile, my eyes moving to Raven as she drops in the chair beside me, the other two boys hopping in with Cap and Zoey.
Raven grabs my hand and places it on her belly.
Right as my skin lands on hers, the baby kicks.
My eyes fly to hers and she grins, looking to her stomach.
“Playing basketball,” she whispers.
“I can’t believe you haven’t found out the sex yet.”
“I’m not finding out,” she tells me, looking back to the boys.
My eyes widen. “Why not?”
“I want to be surprised… like you were,” she says quietly, briefly meeting my eyes, and something inside me settles.
Zoey.
“But I talked to Maddoc about it, and we did make an appointment.” She smiles at the boys. “Only ‘cause someone else needs to know, needs something for himself… something to help bring him back when I can tell he’s feeling a little lost.”
“Royce.”
She nods, then hits my side with a grin and my eyes fly to the pool.
All three climb the steps at once, trunks riding nice and low, and at the same time, both Raven and I sigh, chuckles quickly following.
“That’s a lot of steam for one family.”
I nod, my eyes grazing over every inch of Captain’s physique. “Yep.”
Mine.
The boys prepare to jump in, ready to make a big splash at a smiling Zoey’s request when Royce’s phone rings.
