“Before Grandma goes home.”
I nodded.
“I’d be okay if you wanted to marry Sam,” Tommy said.
I nearly choked on the breath I’d been taking. “What?”
“You guys love each other. Grandma told me. If you want to get married and have more babies or whatever, that would be cool.”
The tears threatened to come back hard. Even though he’d already given me permission, this felt different. More official. “I know Sam would be honored to be your stepdad, Tommy, if you wanted him to be. He loves you too.”
“Not as much as Henry,” he said, so soft I could barely hear him.
“Actually, I’m pretty sure he loves you exactly the same as Henry. He talks about you just as much, honey. Maybe more, sometimes.”
Tommy was quiet for a long time, but I saw the way he kept swallowing, trying not to cry. I held his hand and told him he could.
Finally, some time later, Tommy, wiping his eyes, kicked his legs out onto the lower steps. He was so tall now. And Sam was going to have to teach him to drive.
He looked over at me and said, “Sam’s gonna lose it when he hears Henry saying ‘dada’.”
“Yes,” I laughed. “He will.”
CHAPTER 43
Epilogue: That’s My Girl
SAM
TWO MONTHS LATER
Most people hate tuxes. Not me. I think they’re fucking dapper.
I adjusted my tie in the mirror, wanting to get it perfectly straight. Mostly, I loved looking good for Ellie. When she looked at me with that appreciative gaze—or you know, fuck-me eyes—I felt like the richest man in the world.
“You ready?” Ellie asked, leaning into the bathroom. She did a long sweep of my outfit in the mirror, her bottom lip pulling between her teeth in that hot, signature move of hers.
But it was her eyes that I was looking at now.
“There they are.” I grinned. Fuck, I loved this woman.
“There what are?”
“The fuck-me eyes. I was hoping for those more than the ‘he looks handsome’ eyes.”
She gaped, laughing. “Excuse me?”
“If you let me see what you’re wearing I’ll give them right back to you. Actually, I’ll give them to you now.” I leaned onthe counter, meeting her eyes in the mirror. Then I waggled my brows.
Ellie threw back her head and laughed. “My love, thosearenotyour fuck-me eyes.”
“What? Of course they are.”
Ellie came into the room then, and my jaw just about fell onto the floor. She was wearing an emerald-green gown thing that hugged every single curve. It dipped low in the front, too, giving me the world’s most delicious fucking view of the world’s most gorgeous fucking breasts.
“Thoseare your fuck-me eyes,” Ellie said.
“Okay, fine.” I pulled her toward me by the hips. “Good God, woman, you look almost as hot as you do in your work gear.”
