“I won’t take no for an answer.” She rambles on and on, but something in the woods behind Logan’s home has stolen my attention. A dark mist, deep purple in color, slowly morphs into the shape of a very tall man before dissipating into a blanket of mystery. It morphs back into the shape of a man, tall and stately, and if it had eyes, I would bet my life he was looking right at me. He walks down to the shoreline, wading in ankle deep, before turning around and waving for me to join him. A chill runs through my body as I reposition myself so I don’t have to look athim.
Demetri shows up with baby Tobie in his arms, and I feel sorry for the poor thing, so I do the only thing I can. I take her from him and politely excuse myself while Lizbeth gloms onto him, her mouth still going a mile a minute about the boys’ first birthdayparty.
I head over to Skyla and Logan. He’s holding Angel, rocking her on his hip, and from the looks on their faces, I’ve interrupted a heated exchange. Skyla pauses to glare at him, a look I’m sure he’s unfamiliarwith.
“What’sup?”
“Oh my God.” Skyla melts at the sight of Tobie. “Speaking of angels.” She takes the baby from me. “How are you?” She bounces her finger off her tiny nose, and Tobie kicks her chubby little limbs and squeals with delight. “Where is your daddy?” Skyla’s voice breaks. “It kills me that Chloe won’t step up to the plate.” She rests her cheek over Tobie’s dark curls. “Every child deserves amother.”
Tobie looks up and pats Skyla over the cheek. Their eyes lock over one another as if in that moment a bond had formed. Skyla threw out the maternal invite, and Tobieaccepted.
Angel stretches over to her. “Ma Ma.” She grabs a handful of Tobie’s dark hair and yanks her head back with a violentthrust.
“Angel!” Skyla turns Tobie away as she screams bloody murder. “I’m so sorry. It’ll be okay!” Skyla does her best to soothe her just as Wes shows up. Tobie stretches out her arms and screamsDaddythrough her tears, and it reduces me to cinders. At the end of the day, Wesley is a good father. I don’t think anyone, not even my wife, his enemy, would contestit.
The music starts up, and the makeshift dance floor Logan had constructed down by the shore fills in with Drake and Bree leading the way. The music is slow and moody, and I spot Ellis and Giselle out there, Laken and Coop, Michelle and Liam, and Em and Ethan. Mia and Melissa are dancing with Nathan and Barron. Hell, even Lizbeth and Tad are gyrating with the best ofthem.
“Go on out there.” Logan gives me a light kick in the back of the leg, and my knee collapses for a moment. “Dance with your wife.” He looks right at me with a softness to him because he means it. “I’ve got an ornery little lady on my hands to contend with. I’ll go see if I can’t sneak her a bite of thecake.”
Angel flaps her arms and gives a squawk of approval. Her pink face lights up like a Christmas tree. “Da Da! Da Da!” she sings, and we share alaugh.
“Don’t you dare feed her sugar.” Skyla presses a kiss to Angel’s tiny lips. “Youbehave.”
I lead my wife down to the dance floor, and we bury ourselves deep in the crowd beside Bree and Drake on one side, Laken and Coop on the other, and it feelsright.
My arms fold over her back, and she pulls me in close with her glowing crystal eyes sealed overmine.
“I love you, SkylaOliver.”
Her hips grind into mine. “And I love you, Gage Oliver.” She leans up on her tiptoes and presses a heated kiss to my lips. “I’m so thrilled to be your wife. I love our little family. We really do have itall.”
“We do, don’t we?” I give her a little spin, and Skyla bubbles with laughter. Skyla and I dance circles under those stars buried in fog. Brielle changes partners and dances with Ellis, with Logan, with Dudley. But Skyla remains steadfast in my arms. I don’t think I’d bow out if anyone tried to changethat.
Bree and Drake take center stage again as they head up to cut the cake—an enormous towering confection that rivals the size of a mid-sized sedan. Bree waves her bouquet at the crowd, and on cue a thousand single girls line up to catch it. She gives it a light toss over her shoulders, and Lex dives for it like a linebacker on her way to the victory line, but it’s Mia who holds it up victorious. Both Skyla and I exchange aglance.
“Any clue who she might choose as the groom?” I give Skyla a light peck over the cheek as Iask.
“I guess it depends what day it is.” She gives a slight frown before looking back up at me and relaxing into a smile. “I sort of wish that music was still going. That was kind of nice. Dancing with my husband happens to be one of my favoritesports.”
I glance around and spot Nathan and Barron in Laken and Coop’s arms. “I think we’ve got the kids covered for a few minutes. How about you and I getlost?”
“I like the sound of that.” She leans in with her lids hooded. “You know I’m still in Kegel hell, and thus insatiably horny. And by the way, I happen to hate that particularword.”
I wince because we both hate it, but we both love it because it means such great things for us. “Follow my lead.” I take her arms and wrap them around my waist as I scoot the two of us behind the wall of shrubbery Brielle erected just for theoccasion.
The world melts away, a new one appearing in its place as the white sandy shore gives way to black sand, and our feet touch down on precious Rockawaysoil.
“I love it here!” Skyla jumps in my arms as we take in the desolate ebony shoreline. From the distance, we can see the twinkling lights down at Silent Cove, but we can’t hear the music, so I produce my own. The air around us fills with the slow rhythm of a sax as Skyla’s body once again conforms to mine. “SmoothOliver.”
“I am smooth. I ended up with you, didn’t I?” I dip her backward, and she lets out a scream of delight. “Come here.” I pull her to me, and Skyla floats up on her tiptoes until her mouth is melting over mine. I harness all of my powers until the moon pours a single beam over us like a spotlight. It takes everything I’ve got, but I shield us with my love, placing a banner over us that no government agency can penetrate with the human eye. And then I take it to the next level. I pull Skyla into the heavens with me, Levatio style. How I miss those humble Levatio days, but I wouldn’t trade anything I have now to get them back. Everything that’s happened has molded our destinies, brought us our boys, brought us each other. Skyla is my wife, my life, and I will fight until my last breath, and then beyond to keep her. I’m greedy that way. A simple covenant isn’t enough for what we have. Not any force in heaven—her mother—or any force in hell—my father, can tear usapart.
A crackle of lightning goes off overhead, and a dull laugh rattles through me. I’d like to see themtry.
Nope, Skyla and I are an eternal pairing. I feel it deep down in my bones. Skyla brings out the best in me—and the beast. In one quick burst, a pair of wings erupts from my shoulder blades and into the night sky with a span of forty feet between them atleast.
Skyla tips her head back and laughs. “Gage Oliver—you are such a showoff! And so am I.” She bows her head a moment, and a burst of white plumes ejects behind her. Soft, bountiful feathers that glimmer an unearthly iridescent shade blossom over her shoulders, and Skyla glows under the light of herwings.
“Damn, you arebeautiful.”
