Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
“I love you too, Nick,” she sobs. “I have for years and years, and I’ve never loved anyone but you. You’ve always been my obsession too, and I’ve never been able to forget you despite what I told myself. Now, we have a child, and yes, we should figure out how to be a family for Riley.”
My heart soars with joy, and to my surprise, tears spring to my eyes as I press a kiss to her blonde head.
“Thank you, baby,” I rasp. “That’s all I need to hear right now. You’ve made me so happy, and I’m glad we’re on the same page. You are more than I deserve, sweetheart, and I love you and appreciate you.”
Then, our lips meet in a passionate kiss, and it’s me who clings to the curvy girl. It’s me who seeks salvation in her arms because I spoke the truth: Kristie Linwood is more than I deserve, and it would be my honor to make her happy for the rest of her life, as a cherished and treasured woman. I want to spend the rest of my days making her laugh while holding her in my arms. In fact, I never want another day without being in her presence because Kristie is, and always has been, my obsession.
EPILOGUE
Kristie
Ilaugh as Milly throws herself into my arms when we arrive at the Austin airport.
“Kris!” she squeals with excitement. “I’m so glad you’re back! OMG, it’s been so long.”
“Careful,” my handsome boyfriend warns, frowning at his sister as we hug enthusiastically. “Kris is pregnant again, and we don’t want to hurt the baby.”
Milly merely rolls her eyes while bouncing up and down on her toes. “Of course I wouldn’t hurt the baby because I’m beyond excited to become an aunt again! I never even knew I was an aunt to begin with,” she says while cooing at the child in Nick’s arms. “Oh my god, I can’t believe I missed the first year of your life! Come here, Riley. Come to Auntie Milly. Goodness, you look just like your dad, don’t you?”
I laugh because with every passing day, Riley resembles his father more. Not only do they have the same dark hair and blue eyes, but Riley grows more mischievous by the hour, and sure enough, with an impish look, he begins tugging at Milly’s hair with a chubby baby fist.
“Ouch!” she squeals in mock outrage before pressing a kiss to his downy head. “Oh my gosh, are you flirting with me, Riles? Are you flirting with your aunt? Don’t worry, because I love you just the same,” she coos. “You are the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen!”
I laugh.
“Well, he’s eighteen months now, so he should know better than to pull hair.”
“Eighteen months is nothing!” Milly coos again while bobbling Riley in her arms. “You’re a pretty-witty little thing, aren’t you, Riley? Auntie Milly loves you.”
I share an indulgent smile with Nick because this is the happy family that we want. After our talk that day, our lives took a decided turn. I’m not saying that there will never be any misunderstandings going forwards, or that everything will always be perfect, but we’ve made a commitment to work things out together. Neither Nick nor I will let a wrong word or gesture derail us for years. Instead, we’ve pledged to nip any misunderstandings in the bud because the repercussions aren’t worth it.
Besides, now I’m pregnant with our second child. It was to be expected. My reunion with my handsome stepbrother was glorious and impassioned, and he decided to stay in Vegas for the time being.
“But who will run your medical device company?” I asked curiously. “You are the CEO, after all.”
Nick shrugged his broad shoulders before pulling me close.
“They’ll be fine for on their own for a while. I have good people working for me, and they know what to do. Besides, I’ve been working too hard anyways, and I want to take some time to get to know you and the baby. You two are my first priority, Kristie.”
The sincerity and depth in his eyes touched me, and I threw myself in his arms again.
“Thank you,” I breathed. “For holding space for us. For making sure that we’re seen and heard, and not just add-ons to your existence. You’ve made me so happy and grateful,” I add with tears springing to my eyes.
Nick stared at me, his azure gaze stormy.
“You would never be an add-on, sweetheart,” he replied in a rough voice. “You and the baby mean everything to me, and I never want to go back to the way we were.”
As a result, Nick rented an apartment in the nicest part of Vegas, and gradually integrated himself into our child’s life. At first, it was just being present for a few hours at a time, but it soon moved to staying over and helping with night feedings, changing dirty diapers, giving Riley baths, and taking the tot on park excursions while feeding him lunch and snacks. My boyfriend loves spending time with his son, and Riley adores the huge alpha male as well.