AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“For what? Having you placed in a cell for no reason and then opening the door for you?”
“Exactly,” I say, closing the gap between us, forcing her to look up at me.
I look at her—really look at her with every fiber of my being—and wipe a tear that’s fallen down her cheek.
I grip her waist and pull her into me—a move that has her lips parting and her chest rising.
“Because now, I can hold you when I say, I love you. I told you once if you were going to kiss me, you’d better bet the next fifty years on it, and I meant it. I’m all in, Melissa. And I love you so fucking much that I don’t want to live another day without you.”
I kiss her. My mouth crashes into her, and I caress the one woman who has captured my heart, mind, body, and my whole damn soul. Her hands quickly wrap around my neck, and we kiss like if we don’t, we’ll never breathe again.
Our pasts are messy.
Our present is complicated.
And the future is so fucking beautiful.
As we break from our kiss, our foreheads touch as we let our heartbeats simmer.
I look at her with a squint. “Are you the reason my mother came to see me today?”
She bites her lip. “I saw her at Genevieve’s salon. I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. I had to tell her how amazing you were. How hurt you must be. And how crazy I was about you.”
“She knew you were getting me arrested?”
She smiles. “Me? This was her idea. She told me if I was really in love with her son and if I had any plans of being her daughter-in-law in the future, I had to stop acting like a child and make a grand gesture that showed I meant it.”
“That sounds like my mom. That daughter-in-law part doesn’t seem to scare you. You know what that means for my family?”
“Will, I wouldn’t dream of thinking about a future with you that didn’t include trying to make you a father.”
I lift her chin and speak against her mouth. “Marriage or more kids … whatever life brings us, I’ll be a happy man, just having you, Hunter, and Isabella in my life.”
“You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Yes. And more importantly, I don’t want to forget our pasts. They’re ours, and they make each of us strong. They make our love invincible. You hear me?”
“I do.” She looks up at me like I might melt. “Damn, do you give a good smolder.”
“You think that’s good? Wait until you see what I have in store for you when we get home.”
“I can’t wait. I’m ready for the next fifty years to begin.”
epilogue
MELISSA
“I CAN’T BELIEVE WILL’Smoving in with you and the kids!” Tara exclaims as she nearly spills her drink at our table at Lone Tavern.
“I’m so confused about this entire living situation. It’s probably because you have an incredibly supportive parent, and mine suck,” Jillian adds.
I sway my head, understanding exactly how our story sounds to anyone on the outside. I wave my hand in the air as I explain, “Will suggested we take the next step and move in together. I was incredibly hesitant, as you know.”
Jillian looks over at Tara. “Melissa was a mess for the entire week. I had to take the colored pencils away from her because every time she sketched out a wedding, it would have a pros and cons list of whether or not she should move in with Will. And for the record, the pros list was incredibly long.”
Moving in with Will is definitely a pro. Over the past six months, he’s been the most dedicated boyfriend and a huge support to Isabella and Hunter. We managed to figure out a way to spend time together without interfering in our careers or my time with the kids. As it turns out, the kids love having Will over, and I love our lazy afternoons when the kids are in school or at Tyler’s, and we can sneak away for some much-needed intimacy.
“What are the cons?” Tara wants to know.
