“We didn’t use anything,” she finally said after I rolled to my side and took her with me.
“No, but I’m clean and not worried about anything.”
“I’m also clean and on birth control.”
“Not gonna lie, that’s a little disappointing.”
“That I’m clean?” she teased. I smacked her ass as we both chuckled.
“No, that you’re on birth control.”
“We only just found our way back to each other,” she insisted.
“Yeah, but we have twelve years of separation to make up for. I wouldn’t be upset if we ended up with another life-long bond tying us together.”
“I wouldn’t either, but how about we work on getting to know each other again before we bring another person into our dynamic?”
“Okay, but fair warning, I’m not waiting long.” I put my hand over her mostly flat stomach and rubbed there. “I want to see you pregnant with our child, Aoife. Our family is going to grow larger and it all starts here. And once we get started, I’ll want to keep going and give you the big family you always dreamed of.”
“We never talked about that part,” I reminded him.
“Maybe not, but I knew. You always envied my brothers, that I had them. They’re your family now, too. They all know there’s nothing that will take you from me again. It might not be official in a legal way yet, but you’re mine. I’m yours. And one day soon, we’re going to be adding to that and those little members of our family will be ours - together.”
“Damn you, Logan. You’re not supposed to make me cry while I’m naked.”
“Why not? They’re happy tears and I can help kiss them away.” I leaned forward and did just that as I tasted the salty happiness that leaked from my woman’s eyes. We were meant to be in that moment together, no matter the road we took to get there. Aoife was probably right, it wouldn’t have worked if we had tried to force everything for the wrong reasons when we were younger, despite the love between us.
There was only one reason that mattered now. I wrapped my arms around Aoife like she might fly away and disappear if I didn’t hold on tight enough.
“You’re squishing me!” My woman giggled and I tickled her sides before pulling her close again.
“I love you,” I told her as I kissed the top of her head.
“I love you, too, Lo. Always have.”
“Always will,” I added as I thought back to the very first time I’d held and squished the little girl who stole my heart when we were six. One day, we’d be old, gray, and watching our grandkids find their own forever in someone close to them. I’d still be just as in love with her then.
Epilogue
LOGAN
One year later.
Miles,my brothers, and their families were with us at the cabin. Aoife and I hadn’t totally given up living in the city. I had to work there until I could train a solid team to run MadDox Security with Miles in my absence. Still, we had moved all her things from California to New York shortly after everything went down. Her father’s death was a quiet affair and the transition of power went over flawlessly, considering the worries we all had prior to Bill’s death. We had his remains cremated and the bastard sat on the mantle in my apartment. Aoife couldn’t bring herself to do anything with him just yet, but we both agreed he didn’t belong in our happy space in the country.
It didn’t take much to issue a death certificate for Aoife’s father, so she was able to claim what she wanted of his and then gifted the rest to her distant cousin who took over the family business. All of that felt like a lifetime ago, though.
One year felt like forever and no time all at once. It made me more certain than ever that Aoife was always meant to be my woman. I wanted to make that point with all of ourclosest friends and family. The only person missing was her grandmother. By the time Aine went back to Ireland after setting her family up to take over for Bill, she managed to break her hip in a fall and was recovering there. We had gone over to see her and help out when it first happened, but the stubborn woman tried to do too much, too soon once we came back home and ended up needing more physical therapy. She would miss being there in person for my surprise, but my sister-in-law Calista was going to live stream everything for her.
Aoife clapped from the top of the stairs as she glanced down and saw that everyone was dressed to the nines. She was the last to arrive, as intended. It might have seemed weird that we were all decked out in formal attire, but I wanted to give her the Christmas engagement she deserved without any other assholes to interfere. After the disastrous party she had been dragged to the year before, there was no way we would do it anywhere but our country home.
I walked over to the bottom of the stairs and held my arm out for her as she traversed the last step. “I love that everyone got dressed up. This was the best idea ever.”
If only she knew…
“Follow me, Aoife, I have to show you what the kids did to the tree.” I snickered, as if I was letting her in on a joke and she giddily accepted. When we got there, in front of the tree, I let go of her arm and reached into the branches. I had stashed the ring there earlier and was thankful that none of the kids had fucked with it. As I turned around, I went down on one knee and presented her with the still-closed box.
“Logan?”
