“I didn’t believe you when you said it before.”
“No. But then I didn’t quite believe it myself.” I smile and press my forehead to hers. “I’ve loved every second of our life together so far and I’m hoping to continue that life and add to it. I want to see my love for you running around in the form of a mini you or me.”
“I love you too.” Her eyes close. “I was so scared you would sign those papers. I didn’t want you to. I hated having them drawn up but we made a deal and I thought…”
“I get it. We haven’t been quite as honest with each other as we promised we would.”
“No. We haven’t.”
“New deal. From now on, we tell each other every day how we feel. And we never, ever go to bed angry. We stay awake and work our shit out because the thought of going to bed without holding you makes me want to smash things.”
“I found a new house.”
Her words might seem like they’re out of left field but they aren’t. We’ve talked on and off about buying a new property to flip. “Where and how much?”
“It’s free.”
Pulling back, I look at her in question.
“I want to flip my house then sell it.”
Her house. The one she refused to sell before now. The one she was holding on to just in case. “Done. Call in sick tomorrow and we’ll go over and make a plan.”
“I’ll tell Edward he needs to find a replacement for me too.”
I grin. “Yes. Do that. But later.” I grab her hand and pull her away from the wall. “First, we’ve got an anniversary dinner to attend.”
17
LIZZI LU
EPILOGUE
Smiling, I shift the toddler on my hip higher.
He’s two today. And getting heavy.
My smile grows. I never could have dreamed I’d be here. Living this life. It’s so different than the one planned for me.
Edward chases my nephew across our yard toward the table where Carlla is putting a bowl of fries down. I love this for him too.
When I made the decision to quit Foxworth Industries, it gave my brother the okay he needed to step back. Unbeknownst to me, he’d been working his ass off because he thought the company was what I wanted. I’d been doing the same.
After a lot of talking—together, with Devon and Carlla, with Dad—we decided to sell. Neither of us wanted to continue working there, and with me and Carlla getting pregnant around the same time, it was a relief to be able to focus on more important things.
“Hey, there’s the birthday boy!” Devon swoops in and snatches Lewis from me. “Time to eat so we can have cake.”
“Cake!” Lewis claps his hands and my husband eyes me with censure.
He doesn’t need to say I told you so. I know cake first would have made Lewis happy. But I at least wanted to attempt to get something nutritious in his belly before he was loaded with sugar.
When Devon’s narrowed gaze doesn’t relent, I throw up my hands and roll my eyes. “Fine. I’ll get the cake.”
“Yes!” He grabs Lewis’s arm and pumps his little fist in the air, causing me to roll my eyes again.
With a hand on my barely swollen belly, I head back inside to find Livi and Lexi already putting the number two candle on the cake. With a sigh, I say, “He got to you.”
Livi laughs and Lexi says, “They all did.”
