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“Aw, poor vampire, having to travel to amazing places to film his what… second movie now?”
His hand stills as a cheeky grin dimples his handsome face. “Third, but who’s counting?”
Through the kitchen windows, we watch the kids play soccer with their grandparents, Patrick, and Lucy. Their laughter and the sound of Marcus cheering them on from where he’s placing food on the grill amplifies the sudden silence in the house.
Mortie reaches inside his front pocket and produces a thin, white handkerchief.
“I found it,” he says quietly.
Surprise rushes through me hard enough to jolt Rose into kicking. I place a shaky hand to my side, blinking up at Marcus’s brother when he places Leah’s bracelet in the other one.
“Mortie…”
I’m at a loss for words.
“The investigator we hired finally tracked it down.” His hand falls from mine as he smiles fondly. “I bought it for a quarter more than what Marcus sold it for.”
I shake my head, unable to tear my gaze from the jewelry. I was sure we would never see it again. “No, this was all you.”
His hand folds around mine, curling the bracelet under my fingers. “It was your idea, and you’re the one who found the person for the job. All I did was supply the funds to make it happen.”
I grab his wrist with my free hand and yank him into me with enough force to knock a breath out of him.
“Jesus Christ,” he exhales in a rush.
“Thank you,” I say, for more than just this gift, but for what this will mean to my husband and their parents. “Thank you so much.”
He gingerly pats my back before giving in to the hug altogether, and as well as I can with Rose in the way, I squeeze him hard.
Resting his hands on my shoulders, he gently separates us. “I’ll let you be the one who gives it to him.”
I frown, certain he’d want to be the one to share that moment with his brother. “Wait, are you sure?”
I’m given a soft smile. “I’m sure.”
I fumble with the tissue box, yanking several more tissues free when he leaves to get Marcus.
I watch everyone drop what they were doing to greet and hug him, and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be here in this house we’ve made our own, writing and traveling freely. All while being embraced by a family who has accepted me as their own, with kids who call me Mom, and a new life thriving inside me.
Mortie claps his brother’s shoulder, and before he can finish what he was saying, Marcus is trotting across the yard for the door.
He cranks the handle and opens the door in one swift motion, scouring me from head to belly to toe with his worried gaze. “Hey. Everything okay?”
My pulse thumps wildly when he crosses the room, fussing his hands all over my body when he reaches me. They graze my neck and shoulders before splaying on either side of where our sweet girl is settled.
“You’re scaring me, Heather,” he says. “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry. I-I’m not trying to.” I look up at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath so I can make this moment special for him, but it’s damn near impossible.
“Shh,” he says, bringing his hands to my face and kissing my forehead. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. Just like we always do.”
I inhale one last deep breath before taking one of his hands in mine and shakily placing Leah’s bracelet in the center of it.
Marcus goes completely still. “Where… where did you get this?”
His throat works, turning as red as his face as he stares at the only piece of his sister he has left—a piece he sacrificed for the ones he loved and believed was gone forever.
“Mortie and I worked together to find it.” I place a tender kiss on each of his trembling fingers before he closes them in a fist. “I’m sorry it took so long, but it’s yours, Marcus. She came back to you.”
