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And it was what she’d always wanted.
Nicole put her arms around Jordan’s neck. “I’ll love you forever,” she promised with all her heart.
EPILOGUE
JORDAN DROPPED ONTO the grass next to Nicole and she leaned against him.
Rose, their daughter, grasped a low branch of the larger apple tree as she pulled off a piece of fruit and handed it to her cousin. Then she grabbed one for herself and plonked onto the ground.
“Told you I could do it,” she announced smugly, her dark eyes gleaming in triumph.
Scott, who was Barton and Chelsea’s oldest and a few months older than Rose, was a little disgruntled.
“Mom says boys don’t grow as fast as girls,” he grumbled. “That isn’t fair.”
Jordan chuckled and felt Nicole’s body shake with suppressed laughter.
Having Chelsea and Barton as next-door neighbors meant less privacy, but their kids were growing up more like siblings than cousins.
Jordan eyed his own son. Blond and determined, even as a toddler, Jeremy was making strides in digging a hole for the new cherry tree he wanted.
Nicole grinned at Jordan. “Never underestimate a kid with the Masters stubbornness.”
“Yeah, mix it with George genes for planning and we’ll have cherry pie in a few years.”
Breathing deeply, he savored the scent from their yard. Chicken was on the grill and fruit was ripening on the tree. They still hadn’t caught up with yard work after spending ten days in England, so a few tomatoes had dropped off the vines and split on the ground.
“Getting adjusted to being back in this time zone?” Barton asked. Chelsea lay on a blanket nearby, drowsing next to their baby daughter, Evelyn.
“Slowly,” Jordan answered. “It was a great trip, but it’s good to be home again.”
Chelsea and Barton had kept all the kids while he and Nicole were away, something Nicole claimed was heroic, considering Evelyn was only two months old.
Jordan sometimes wondered why he’d ever thought the single life was so wonderful. Married life had its challenges, but he was happier than he’d ever been. He and Nicole were even discussing the possibility of having a third child.
Toby suddenly dashed through the yard, scrambling over their legs as Spike chased him.
“Spike, how did you get out again?” Barton roared.
Chelsea giggled drowsily. “How do you think?”
Jordan tried to look stern as he eyed his daughter, the usual suspect when it came to Spike getting out. “Rose?”
She smiled back innocently. “But, Daddy, Spike and Toby like playing together.”
“I have a feeling we’re going to have trouble with her in the future,” Nicole murmured.
“You think?” he asked in a dry tone.
Yeah, they were going to have trouble. But they’d face it together and that was as good a future as he could possibly want.
* * * * *
