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Katrina holds up her hand, stopping her from speaking, and I want to rip the fucking hand from her wrist. “You are disgusting. Both of you. He is my ex-husband,” she spits. “And you, are you having some sort of mid-life crisis? She is nineteen.”
I pull Aspen into my arms. She struggles against me, but I grip her harder, stopping her. “Get out. I will not have you upsetting, Aspen. If you can’t accept us, then you don’t have to be in our lives, but we will be together regardless of what you or anyone else thinks.”
Her face blanches, and she moves her gaze to the girl beside me. “I did you a favor, and this is how you repay me? You are my family, Aspen. What do you think your parents will say?” Aspen sobs beside me, the sound making my chest tighten, but I don’t look at her. I shoot daggers at the woman in front of me.
“Enough.” I boom. “Get the fuck out of my apartment Katrina and don’t come back. I will not have you speaking to her in this way.”
Katrina shoots us both a look of disgust before turning on her heels and leaving, slamming the door behind her. I let out a breath and turn to my little lamb. I wipe the tears from under her eyes and pepper kisses over her beautiful face.
“Everything will be okay, baby. I promise.”
“How? My parents will hate me. Katrina hates me.”
I pull her closer. “They will come around, little lamb. And if they don’t, then that’s on them. They won’t get to see their grandchild grow up. They won’t get to see you happy or how much I love you because I do, Aspen. I love you, and I love our baby growing inside you.”
She gasps, sucking in a breath. Her teary eyes look up at me, and a small smile curves her lips despite what’s just happened. And then she makes me the happiest man in the world and says the words I didn’t know I needed to hear.
“I love you too, Ethan.”
Epilogue
Aspen
“Sshh darling. Daddy will be home soon.” I stand looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the city of London as I rock Ella against my chest to stop her crying. She has been restless recently, and I think it’s because she is teething.
Ella Annie Caldwell was born four months ago. To this day, I still wonder how I got pregnant. I mean, I know it happens even when on the pill but out of all the women on birth control in the world, why me? I wouldn’t change Ella, though, not for anything.
To say it has been a hard year would be an understatement. After Katrina caught us, she immediately told my parents. My father was appalled and refused to talk to me for a couple of months, and my mother - although she didn’t like the situation – tried her best to be understanding. She didn’t understand, though. Not to begin with. She cried and screamed at me about being with a man so much older, about being with her sister’s ex-husband. Things were fraught for a while, but we eventually found some middle ground.
Ethan being the amazing man he is, arranged for them to fly here on his private jet, and we all sat down together to talk. When they realized how in love we were and saw the reality of my bump, they started accepting us a little more. It will never be one hundred percent acceptance, but for the most part, we all get along, and they are involved in their granddaughter’s life.
As for Katrina, I have never seen or heard from her again, and she hasn’t responded to any of my emails or texts. I can’t blame her. I did sleep and get knocked up by her ex-husband. Ethan says it’s a good thing and that hopefully, she will move on and find what we have with someone else. It upsets me that my aunt won’t be a part of my life, but I understand it.
I glance over my shoulder when I hear the door open, smiling when I see Ethan’s gorgeous face. When we found out I was pregnant, I decided I wanted to continue with my studies, and Ethan supported me in that. As I got closer to my due date, we both sat down with my professors and came up with a plan so I could study from home. It was the perfect solution, and I am still on track to graduate with my fellow classmates and friends.
My heart beats faster as I watch him move towards us. He is the man of my dreams, the love of my life, and I will never get enough of him.
“How are my two girls?” he asks as he steps into me. I instantly calm when I smell his scent, all man and Ethan. He drops a kiss on my lips and then one on Ella’s forehead. I swoon. I will never get over how this man is as a father. It’s the most adorable thing I have ever seen.
“Good. How was your day?”
He grins. “Good. I missed you both, though, little lamb.”
I roll my eyes at his pet’s name but smile. “We missed you too.”
He takes Ella out of my arms and pops her down in her bassinet now she has settled. He wraps his arms around me, and I lean into him, letting out a content sigh. Ethan Caldwell is my everything, and I can’t believe he is mine.
Epilogue
Ethan
Two months after that…
I pace my office, my thoughts where they always are on my little lamb and my daughter. I love them both so much I sometimes can’t breathe. Aspen still has no idea what I did to her birth control, and I will never tell her. I figured why cause an argument. She is happier than I have ever seen her, and I know she wouldn’t change Ella or me, for that matter. I wouldn’t allow it. She is mine, and that’s the way it will stay. Since little lambs’ family found out, I know it hasn’t been easy on her, but we are at a stage now where her parents are involved with both their daughter and granddaughter. They don’t necessarily like me – not that I care - but they accept our relationship for Aspen. For the most part.
I pull open my drawer and pull out the black velvet box that’s hidden in there and make my way down to my car.
Tonight, I will make Aspen Kincaid mine in every way possible.
