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“Maybe," he says. "Doesn't change the fact that I can't and doesn’t change the fact that I love you."
“I love you too.” Tears fill my eyes and emotion overflows in my chest.
Joy lights up his face. “For real?”
I laugh at the words, nodding. “Yes. For real.”
“So, you’re going to marry me, aren’t you?”
“I guess,” I quip. “I mean, I did kind of promise you after you took a bullet for me and all.”
“God.” His eyes shut as his face splits in a smile. “I love you and I plan on being around long enough to prove it to you every single day."
And he does, when we go home. The night after, when we finally make love again. A week after that, when we finally reveal to Mimi that he's her dad.
He proves it every single day through his recovery and the wedding planning.
And even as we stand under the altar, promising to be with me for life, he says it in front of our friends and his family.
Epilogue
Maddox
Twoyearslater.
“-C-H-I-A. Appalachia.” Mimi completes the sentence and smiles confidently from her spot on stage. She knows she’s right even before the judge announces, “Correct!”
“Wooo!” My victorious cry explodes out louder than the polite applause. "That's my girl!”
“Shhh, not too loud," my wife cautions, but she’s smiling as she says it.
My wife.
Love the ring of that.
It’s weird how I was so scared of getting married but now it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Ava and I got married in a small but luxurious ceremony on an Island, but the wedding didn’t delight me as much as the bride. She looked so beautiful on that day, and to this day I can’t believe she’s mine. I can’t believe I get to spend my free time with her, staring at her beautiful face every day, listening to her quippy statements, and living with someone who loves and lusts with such fiery passion.
Best of all, my wife is sitting beside me in her pretty yellow dress while we watch our little girl demolish everyone else on her spelling bee roster.
I lean in to kiss her and she accepts shyly.
“People are staring,” she murmurs when I break away. I shrug.
“So? My wife is a damn beauty and my little girl is a genius.”
“Yes, I know,” Ava giggles. “But you can’t be so loud about it.”
I can do whatever I want. I’m Maddox Reign.
I can already predict the eye-roll that statement would instigate, and while I love seeing Ava’s eyes roll, I don’t say it. It’s not the time or place to be turned on by Ava’s many looks.
“I’ll simmer down for the next round,” I tell Ava. She smiles brightly and kisses my cheek.
“Sap,” she whispers playfully.
“Always, for you,” I whisper back and she blushes. Her phone dings and she glances down at it.
I already know who the text is from. Harry Nixon. They’ve been texting nonstop since she aced the sale, and she’s now helping him refurbish the home. I told her this is extra credit and she doesn’t need to do all that, but it’s like she wants to go above and beyond. Which is why I hired her in the first place. I just have to make sure she doesn’t get too busy.
