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“Still jealous even though it’s your baby in me?”
He growls and nudges his knee in between my thighs, drawing it up deliciously.
“Mine. Always and forever.”
“All I’ll ever want is you and our baby, Captain.”
Austin pulls me up onto his lap and crowds me against his chest, kissing my forehead. “You know what I think? I think it’s time for a real babymoon.”
I look at him skeptically and ask what he means.
“Now that you’re pregnant, it’s time for one last vacation together before the baby arrives. Anywhere you want to go. Name it. I’ll fly us there.”
“To Santa Fe. I want to meet your mom before the wedding.”
He laughs and gives me a sweet ice cream kiss. “Family isn’t exactly a vacation, babe.”
Dabbing a spoon of ice cream on his nose then licking it off, I tell him the truth that he needs to know. “Everywhere is a vacation with you, Captain.”
Epilogue
Five years later
Austin
Sierra, Jax, Brooks, and I have started a tradition in which we celebrate our wedding anniversaries together.
In earlier years, the four of us plus my and Sierra’s son, Kiran, were content with a thatched-roof hut in the remote Severed Key. Those were simpler times. But now, between our two families, we may be causing a population explosion on The Pearl Crescent islands.
Kiran has been joined by a sister, Sidney. The four-year-old and the two-year-old are too fearless and need constant supervision. For us to feel relaxed and enjoy a true vacation, we’ve rented out a villa at DragonZone, the family-friendly sector of Cerulean Resort.
As for Jax and Brooks, their two boys, Lief and Kai, are even more of a handful.
We’re raising four wild island children who are expert swimmers, fearless climbers, and adept paddle-boarders. The DragonZone staff has their work cut out for them.
On this day, we four adults have parked ourselves at the beachfront tiki bar not far from where the kids are making sandcastles with a bunch of other visitors and resort staffers.
Understandably, Sierra feels the need to turn and check on the tiny Sidney, who’s as likely as not to wander away from the group.
I reach over squeeze her hand. “Do you ever regret not moving back to the States? It’s not too late.”
Sierra cuts her eyes over to Jax and Brooks, who no doubt will live out their days here on the islands. Going back may never be safe for her, but especially not for Brooks.
My question must have reminded her of something, because she takes a moment to send a text. “Just sending some photos of the kids to my parents and to your mom.”
I squeeze her hand again, because I know that her decision to stay here was not received well by her family. Although they’ve warmed up to her because of the kids — and let’s face it; kids are a great buffer for judgmental family — the distance has meant that the kids don’t receive enough traditional grandparent time.
“Here’s the way I see it. Your mom is not made of money, and yet she visits as often as she’s able to save up the money, refusing any help. My parents are retired, with oodles of money. They could retire here or visit as much as they want, but they seldom do,” Sierra says. “Life is all about who and what you make time for. Traditional doesn’t work for me. Raising our kids almost one hundred percent outdoors, with an entire island full of people looking out for them, as total nonconformists who can grow up to be whatever they want? It far outweighs any traditional family set up. We take our chances and we don’t look back.”
My heart swells with love for this woman. I fell in love with her the instant we met, and though I tried to resist, she taught me to let go of the stranglehold I had over my emotions.
Sierra sees the strange look on my face; I can’t hide it when I’m getting choked up, thinking of how we’ve had nothing but time to get to know each other these past few years. I don’t take for granted a single second. “What’s on your mind, babe?”
“What’s on my mind is how I was never sure I’d have a wife, a family and real friends
. Everyone in my life up until I met you was already married with kids. Way ahead of where I wanted to be. But this place is full of found families of all different backgrounds,” I comment. “I just never thought I’d find mine.”
THE END
