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“They do.” Rune grinned. “But they only know about eight of the coins.”
“But there were really how many?”
“Twelve.” Rune shifted backward to lean against the rear of the settee, settling his arm about Elle again. “The other two are with Weston, one for their girl and one for the new babe when it arrives.”
Des laughed. “That sounds right. Too much, but they are amazing. My children are still slow on the manners, so I thank you for them.” He nodded to them. “So where are you off to on your next adventure?”
Rune looked to Elle, his hand rubbing along her shoulder. He nodded to her.
Elle looked at Jules and Des as she grabbed Rune’s leg. “It’s here.”
Des’s brow wrinkled. “What? Here?”
“Well, not here at Seahorn,” Elle said. “An estate up along the coast, most likely.”
Rune nodded. “We are told there is a rather delightful manor house set in a wide berth of land leading to the sea that Hoppler is willing to let us have for a pittance. He doesn’t want to bother with the maintenance of it.”
“Hoppler?” Des asked, his eyes slightly narrowing.
“Apparently, a Lord Guidel was rather unlucky at the tables in the past year and it was the only thing that wasn’t entailed,” Rune said. “We plan on visiting it in a day or two.”
Elle looked to Jules. “And it is only a day’s ride away so that the cousins can play together often.”
Jules nodded, then blinked, stilling, her jaw slowly dropping. “Did you just say cousins?” She jumped to her feet, her actions mimicking her sons’ movements from a few moments ago. “Tell me this means what I think it does.”
Elle laughed, her hand rubbing across belly that had just started to harden. “It does. Five more months, or so.”
Squealing, Jules charged to her, grabbing her hands and pulling her to her feet to yank her into a fierce hug. Rune stood, ever protective, his hand a whisper on her lower back just in case Jules spun her out of control.
“Well done, man.” Des stood and shifted Susannah to balance on his side as he reached out to pat Rune on the back. “It is its own adventure, having wee ones about.”
“I am planning on it, my friend,” Rune said, his stare directly on Elle.
She caught his look past the flurry of Jules’s arms about her. The smile on her husband’s face so wide it made her heart clench. His copper-green eyes glowing so brightly, she swore she could see the sun and the moons and the stars in them.
Her world, wrapped in him. Wrapped in all of them.
All she had ever wanted.
Real and hers.
Hers forever.
