“Was that a yes?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “Absolutely yes.”
He jumped up and hooted.
His family hooted in the hall.
My mouth fell open. “Were they eavesdropping?”
“Are they Duprees?” He grinned, entirely unrepentant. “Now, where’s your ring?”
I lifted my chin, baring my neck. “Right here.”
He reached down and unhooked the chain, his fingers gentle at the back of my neck. He slid the ring free and clasped the chain back into place like it was sacred. Then he took my hand and put the ring where it had always belonged.
With that done, he slipped onto the bed beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Our legs immediately tangled as if we’d never been apart. He rested his cheek against my hair. A happy hum purred in my stomach.
Weston stared up at us, trying to make his eyes focus.
“Is it just me?” Griffin said. “Or did we make the best-looking baby on the planet?”
“It’s not just you. We definitely did.”
“That’s because he looks like his mommy.” Griffin cooed, rubbing Weston’s belly, and I’d never heard anything more attractive.
“No. He looks like you. Check out that nose and that chin.”
“He’s got your eyes, though,” Griffin said. Then, in the next breath, he whispered, “Promise you’ll never leave me again. Ever. I don’t think I could live through losing you another time.”
“Me either. I promise.” And I meant it. “You are where I always want to be. Even if it’s not Seddledowne. We can go wherever you want. I never should’ve stayed here without you.”
“It’s okay. I’ve kind of fallen back in love with Seddledowne.And you were right to stay. I had no idea you were hiding from DayGlow.” He sounded completely gutted. “If I’d known…”
“I know.”
His eyes held mine. “Weston is going to have the best childhood here. And the best life.We’regoing to have the best life. Together.”
“Together,” I echoed.
Then he kissed me—not gently—like he was making up for lost time.
Sitting on that bed, being loved by the man of my literal dreams, with our baby boy in my arms, I finally knew…
I was free.
And I’d never be far from home, ever again.
Epilogue
In the end, we waited a year.
Granny nearly had a stroke every time she saw us together, still unhitched. Especially since Mom and Dad let Jules and me live in their house, in adjacent bedrooms, so Weston would never feel the difference. But it was the right choice.
Jules needed that time to heal and to focus on working through her past without my constant need to haul her to the bedroom acting as a trigger. Oh, I still wanted to. Badly. But I’d made a career out of waiting for Jules.
During those twelve months, I learned my instincts were right. Jules really was the love of my life. Taking it slow gave me a chance to notice the things I’d missed on our first rushed trip down the aisle. From the way she bit her thumbnail when she was thinking, to how she couldn’t walk past someone standing alone without pulling them into a conversation.
But for a woman the whole world looked at, the most beautiful thing about her had nothing to do with her face. It had everything to do with how she loved our boy. Perfectly, patiently, and full of wonder—like she was mothering her younger self at the same time.
