Pope chuckles beside me, his arm wrapping around my shoulders as he pulls me close. “Betty’s gonna take all the credit for this, isn’t she?” he murmurs.
I laugh, leaning into him. “She can take all the credit she wants. I’ve got everything I need right here.”
As the crowd begins to filter into the library, Pope and I hang back for a moment, watching them go. The library’s doors swingopen, welcoming everyone in, and I feel this sense of completion wash over me. Not just about the library, but about everything.
We’ve built something strong, something that will stand the test of time. And I know, deep down, that Pope and I are the same. We’re built to last.
I glance up at him, catching his eye, and he gives me that half-smile that always makes my heart race.
“Ready to build the rest of our lives together?” I ask, my voice teasing but full of promise.
Pope grins, pulling me in for another kiss. “Hell yeah,” he murmurs against my lips. “Let’s get started.”
Second Epilogue
Pope–two years later
The smell of fresh-cut wood still lingers in the air, though the library has long been finished. Now, it’s filled with the scent of worn pages and crisp new books—two worlds mingling into one, like everything else in my life lately. Stacks of books surround us, and somewhere near the children’s section, our nine-month-old son, Jameson, is happily cooing as he gnaws on a colorful wooden toy.
I lean against one of the tall bookshelves, watching Ruby as she crouches next to Jameson, her eyes soft and her smile gentle. There’s something about her, the way she moves, the way she talks to him in that soft, playful voice that does things to me. Always has.
Jameson babbles excitedly, his tiny fist waving in the air as he tries to shove the corner of a baby book into his mouth. I can’t help but grin. The kid’s got my wild hair—dark and unruly—but those eyes? Those deep, expressive eyes? Those are all Ruby. Every time I look into them, I fall harder for both of them.
“He’s going to demolish that book before he even learns to read it,” I say, pushing off the shelf and walking over to join them.
Ruby looks up at me with a teasing glint in her eyes. “Maybe he’s just trying to absorb the knowledge early. You know, get a head start.”
I crouch beside her, sliding an arm around her waist. “Or he’s just hungry. The kid’s been teething for weeks.” I lean in, brushing my lips against her ear. “Lucky for him, he’s adorable. Just like his mama.”
She chuckles, swatting at my chest playfully, but the way her body leans into mine tells me she doesn’t mind the attention. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Steele.”
“Good to know,” I murmur, brushing a kiss against the side of her neck. Jameson squeals, his chubby hands waving in the air like he’s applauding the moment.
I glance over at him, and my chest tightens with that overwhelming sense of pride and love I’ve been feeling since the day he was born. I never thought I’d be the family man type. Hell, if you’d asked me a few years ago, I would’ve laughed in your face. But now? Standing here, surrounded by books and love, with Ruby and Jameson? I can’t imagine anything more perfect.
I press a kiss to Ruby’s temple, my voice low. “I couldn’t have asked for more, you know that?”
She smiles up at me, her dark eyes sparkling with that mix of love and mischief that always gets me. “Oh, I don’t know,” she teases, “maybe we could add a little something to this perfection.”
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued by the sly tone in her voice. “A little something?”
“Or someone.” She winks, and for a split second, I’m confused. Then, it hits me.
No.
I stare at her, my heart doing this weird, frantic thing in my chest as I pull back to look at her face fully. “Ruby…” My voicesounds rougher than I expect it to, filled with disbelief and a bit of hope I hadn’t even allowed myself to feel until now. “Are you saying?—?”
She grins, biting her bottom lip before dropping the bomb in the most casual way possible. “I’m pregnant.”
It feels like the ground drops out from under me, and I’m pretty sure I’ve gone pale because Ruby’s laughing now, her hand reaching up to steady me. I blink at her, trying to process what she just said. Pregnant? Again? But we were told?—
“The doctor said?—”
“I know,” Ruby says, her voice softening as she cups my face with her hand. “We thought it might be difficult to have another baby. But I guess miracles happen.”
Miracles.
The word hits me hard, like a punch to the gut. I glance over at Jameson, who’s now happily flipping through the pages of a board book that’s covered in drool. He’s our miracle. And now…
