It snapped Logan and me out of our moment, and I put an arm around her, hugging her in apology. She waved me off, laughing, apparently too excited at the prospect of us becoming sisters to care.
As conversation moved on to other things, Maia rushed around the table to me, bending down to look me in the face. For a moment we just gazed at each other, and I felt everything she was feeling without her having to say anything. I reached up to touch her cheek, and her eyes brightened with tears.
Just like that my eyes filled up too.
Because we suddenly knew.
She and I… we had Logan and we had each other.
And that meant we were finally going to be okay.
I glanced over at Logan to find him watching us intently, like he knew what had passed between us. His eyes darkened with deep-felt emotion. His lips parted and he mouthed, I love you.
And as I mouthed them back, in that moment – in that moment I would never forget – I felt the rare sweetness of absolute rightness… of absolute contentment.
Of absolute family.
EPILOGUE
Four days later in Italy
Shannon
“It was good of Joss and Braden to give us the villa again,” Cole said as we floated in the pool together. Spring in Lake Como was genuinely a mild affair, a bit like an early British summer, but today was an unusually hot day for the season and we were taking full advantage of it.
I bobbed gently against him, my legs wrapped tight around his hips, my arms around his neck. “I’m so glad we came back here.” It had seemed like the perfect choice for our honeymoon.
Cole’s hands kneaded my bottom, his low-lidded gaze making me tingle. “Me too. I have particularly good memories of this pool.”
I laughed. “It’s broad daylight. I only let that happen last time because it was dark.”
“Does that mean you’ll let me take advantage of you in the pool tonight, then?”
“Oh, you’ll have to get me drunk first. I mean, look at you,” I teased, smoothing my hands over his strong biceps. “Blech.”
He shook with laughter. “I know it’ll be a hardship for you, shortcake, but do it for me.”
“Oh, all right, then.” I laughed as he peppered my face with kisses and pretended to grope me.
“You’re wearing too many clothes,” he huffed.
“I’m wearing a bikini.”
“Yes. Too many clothes.”
Giggling, I held on tighter to him, urging my body closer to his as the water tried to gently separate us. “I think we should come back here for every big anniversary.”
He slid his arms around my back, drawing me up against his chest so our lips were just an inch from one another. I stared into his beautiful green eyes, and like always, I felt contented with the soul-deep knowledge that I’d found my best friend and my family in this man.
“I think that’s a great idea,” he said softly, brushing his mouth over mine. “And when we have kids and they’re older, we should bring them here too.”
“How many do you want?”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me. I’ll be happy if we have one or five, boys or girls… As long as they have a piece of me and a piece of you in them, that’s all that matters.”
“Do you have to be so perfect, Cole Walker?”
“It’s all part of my charm, Mrs. Cole Walker.”
I flushed, my body tingling with arousal as it did every time he called me Mrs. Cole Walker. I didn’t know why it was such a turn-on and a trigger, but it was, and I seriously regretted confiding it to him. I glowered at him. “You said you wouldn’t.” I squirmed as he cupped my ass, deliberately pressing me against him.
He grinned devilishly. “You are so fucking adorable.”
I closed my eyes and shut out what he was doing to my body. There was no way we were having sex in broad daylight in a pool! “I want three kids!” I practically shouted to distract us both.
Just as I’d expected, Cole stopped teasing my body and stilled. “Three?”
“Mmm-hmm.” I popped open my eyes to stare into his in earnest. “Boys or girls… I don’t mind. Although I would like one boy with green eyes and strawberry blond hair.”
His smile was slow and boyishly pleased. “Yeah? And when are we starting on making that happen, then?”
“Another few years?” I said. “I still want you all to myself for a while.”
“Another few years,” he murmured, staring at me with all the love and tenderness in the world. “We’re going to have really cute kids.”
I nodded, hugging him tight. “And smart.”
“And kind.”
“And talented.”
“We really love ourselves, don’t we?” he cracked.
I shook my head and stared into his eyes. No, I just really love you.
As if he read my thought, Cole closed the distance between us and kissed me so deep and so hard, I reconsidered the whole sex-in-broad-daylight thing.
Meanwhile, back in Edinburgh
Hannah
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d come around to my parents’ house and it wasn’t chaotic. Mum and Dad had to like it that way because it was constant. I knew Mum well enough to know if it was bugging her, she’d tell us all to shove off.
“Dad, can I go upstairs and play the computer with Will?” Dylan said quietly, staring up at his father imploringly as we stood in the hallway of my parents’ house.
We’d only stepped foot in the door and already my nephew Will was attempting to drag my stepson up the stairs.