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“Thanks, Mel,” he says.“I’m so glad you found a partner who suits you so perfectly.You deserve it.I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I say, happy tears filling my eyes as we end the call.
“Everything okay?”Aaron asks when he and Chase meet me back by his locker.
I beam at him.“Everything is so good; I don’t see how it could get better.”
“Ice cream?”Chase asks, with a shrug.
“Ice cream.Brilliant,” Aaron agrees, tapping a finger to his chin.“Pizza then ice cream?Or ice cream then pizza?”
“How about all of it all at once?”I suggest.“And salad for our health and a side of sauteed mushrooms with extra garlic for me?”
Aaron grins.“Pregnancy craving?”
I nod.“Pregnancy craving.”
“Yes,” he says, pumping an arm.“So exciting!Give it to me, buddy.”He holds out his balled-up hand.“Fist bump.”
Chase taps his fist to Aaron’s, and we head for the door together, as a family.
A family that no longer feels broken or fractured, but complete and even more beautiful for all the effort we’ve put in to make our love work.
Three months later, we’re married in a simple ceremony in my parents’ barn, surrounded by spring flowers and the people we love.I’m so grateful for my second chance, I don’t even care that I have a baby bump in our wedding photos.We can always renew our vows in twenty years and get some new photos then.
This man will still be mine in twenty years, there’s no doubt in my mind about that.
“Thank you,” Aaron whispers against my forehead as we dance.
I tilt my head back.“For what?”
“For loving me.For giving me everything I’ve ever wanted.I’m not sure fifty years is going to be enough.”
I lean my chest closer to his, threading my fingers into his hair.“Should we agree to stick around and haunt something together for a while after?”
“Well, Ididbuy the ghost house for you as a wedding present,” he says, making my jaw drop.“There’s enough acreage to build a bigger house farther back on the property, but we could live in the little house during construction.Then, we work on adding cottages every five years or so.By the time the kids are grown, we’ll have a full-blown compound.They can all live there with us with their families and never leave us and make sure we get tons of grandparent time.”
I cup his cheek, love for him making my heart feel too big and too small at the same time.“I’m betting our kids will want to stretch their wings, but I love that you’re already looking forward to being grandparents together.”
“I’m looking forward to everything with you,” he whispers.“I just don’t want it to go too fast.I want to savor every minute.”
“We will,” I say, knowing it’s a promise I can keep.“Every single one.”
And we do.
For forever and a happy haunting.
WESLEY
She haunts me.
This woman.
Watching her dance at Melissa’s wedding is fucking torture.Every graceful sweep of her arms, every swivel of her hips reminds me of that night I can’t forget, no matter how hard I try.
I close my eyes and see Tessa silhouetted by the moonlight streaming through the tent, her full breasts bare as she leans over me, whispering, “We shouldn’t do this.”
But we did.
