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“That sounds like Alexandra,” I mutter beneath my breath.
Charlotte joins us, offering me a plate of food. I motion for her to place it on the table beside me as she sits on the chair and scoops Ashton into her arms. He puts his thumb in his mouth, the same thing Andy would do as a child.
“Andy used to put his thumb in his mouth,” I say wistfully.
“I remember. It drove Adriana crazy.” Charlotte laughs, then sighs. “It was a beautiful day. You held up well, Daddy.”
I lean in and kiss Charlotte's hair. “It’s not easy giving your baby girl away.”
“No, it’s not,” she agrees, stroking Ashton’s hair as he closes his eyes. “You and Ava have always had a special bond, but trust me, she’ll never leave you. Why do you think she’s pushing you to partner in the winery together?”
We have been discussing it of late. Ava and I have always been passionate about w
ine. She managed to find a vineyard which listed on the market only yesterday and even contemplated delaying her honeymoon to get this project started.
“I didn’t think of it that way.”
“She’s always going to be a daddy’s girl. That doesn’t stop just because she’s married. So now, you’ve got another little princess to worry about.”
I look down at Emmy, who has fallen asleep in my arms. “No one is going to touch this little girl. I will protect her for the rest of my life if I have to.”
Charlotte grins beside me. “How you ended up with four daughters is beyond me. I think the Universe really wanted to test your patience.”
“I have sons too.” The both of us shift our gaze toward where Andy stands. He’s near the back door in what appears to be a heated argument with Jessa.
The two of them have always been close, but according to Addy, that was until Jessa moved to London last year.
“What’s going on there?” I ask Charlotte.
“I would say they seem to be embroiled in some argument, and judging by the way Andy is running his hands through his hair, I’d say he’s jealous over Jessa’s new fiancé.”
“Fiancé? Since when?”
“Since that’s why she flew over, to tell Noah and Kate.”
I purse my lips, still in shock. It only felt like yesterday Jessa was born, and she’s always been a massive part of my girls' lives. After all, she is their cousin.
“Wait a minute, rewind back to Andy being jealous? They’re cousins.”
Charlotte releases a breath. “They’re not technically cousins. They are cousins to our girls, but not each other. It just feels that way because they spent so much time together, like Will and Amelia.”
Charlotte has a point, though as I watch Andy in what I’ll agree appears to be a jealous stance, I can’t help but feel sorry for him. We’ve all been there, done that. Thank God I never have to go through that again. The woman I love is all mine, and that’s all she’ll ever be.
“I’m going to take Ashton to bed. Then I’ll come back for Emmy.” Charlotte stands up slowly, careful not to wake Ashton. Before she leaves, I quickly stop her.
“I love you, Charlotte. Thank you for building this life with me.”
“It’s been quite some life, huh?”
“Worth every moment.”
She leans in to kiss me, careful not to drop Ashton, then takes him inside to place him in the room we’ve set up and decorated as his.
As I watch on, Twister has progressed to Noah and Julian joining in. With three men now surrounding Eric, even though Tristan is watching on the sideline with Adriana, he shouts with too much enthusiasm. “This is even better than Pornhub!”
I can’t hide my laughter as all the men shout profanities at Eric before hopping off the giant Twister mat.
Austin walks toward me and offers to take Emmy to bed.
