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“You okay, sweet girl?” I ask, pushing her hair back from her face. She’s lost a little weight since she’s been gone, but the slight baby bump is unmistakable against my lower abdomen. My baby. “What can I do for you?”
“A burger and fries with a large cherry Coke?” For some reason, that cracks me up. Dear God, this woman is insanely beautiful. “I’m starving, Callum. It’s been quite a busy few months.”
“Then why the tears? I know this was—”
She places a delicate finger over my lips. “I’m not upset she’s dead or traumatized by being the one to take her life. Not in the least. She’s never been a mother to me. We never had that kind of connection. And before you ask, my father lands in the same category.”
“And the crying?”
“Hormones, Mr. Jameson. I’m tired and hungry.”
“Then let me get you out of here and fed.” The emotions hit me hard then. The months without her, the constant worry, and I close my eyes while hugging her close. I could’ve lost them both without ever knowing about the baby. “I need you to know that I love you beyond all measure, Aliana. More than my own life.”
“I love you, too. I’ve missed you.” Her eyes tear up again, and she huffs at herself. It’s cute. “This hormonal crap is going to be a pain.”
I chuckle. “What can I do to make it better?”
“Never let me go,” she whispers against my lips, kissing me once again, and I forget the world around us. Nothing matters but the treasures in my arms, clinging to me just as desperately as I hold her.
I’ll never stop chasing her.
I’ll never stop loving her.
Aliana Camila Rubens was born to be mine.
Six months later…
I stand to the side and watch with pride as Callum cuts his palm and let’s a few drops of blood fall into a crystal chalice his uncle is holding. My eyes are riveted by him, watch every move he makes, and my heart fills with so much happiness as I take in the people inside the room bowing their heads.
My Callum.
My savior.
Their boss.
Closed fists bang on chests once and he follows suit, his gem-colored eyes flicking to me. But then again, he’s always seeking me out. Even inside the same room, he needs me nearby.
Come, he mouths, and his father places a hand at the center of my back to help me up the walkway and then the small staircase which lead to him. The platform isn’t large, but it’s secure, and I have my own vows to make.
And while not as official and sacred as his, it’s important for the wife of the boss to pledge her loyalty.
I’m his.
Today. Tomorrow. Always.
“Don’t be nervous, little one. We’re not like other families, and the women aren’t shunned,” his father whispers, tone affectionate and sweet. But then again, he’s been like that since I came to live here.
One look at me, and I was claimed by the same parents that failed him. Weird, in a way, but the arse is having too much fun watching them fawn over me. He also gets a kick out of saying I’m the reason he’s not the product of a broken home.
The two bickering old people have united with me as their goal.
Or better yet, to be the kind of grandparents that our child deserves.
“Easy for you to say, Abuelo.” I’m out of breath already, but being nine months pregnant does that to a woman. “I’m the size of a whale, and everything makes me feel like a hundred-year-old chain-smoker.”
My father-in-law bites back a laugh. “Would you prefer to be carried?”
“You wouldn’t?” I turn to look at him, eyes narrowed. “I’ll tell on you so—"
