This.Right here.
My family.
The ease, the familiarity, the fun and the excitement.Nash in my life, at my side, just made everything better.
I’d found my person.My home.And this time, we’d do things right.We’d do them our way.
And we had the rest of our lives to get it right.
EPILOGUE
NASH
ONE MONTH LATER
The annual River Conservancy Benefit was held on the High Line, stretching along the elevated park with views of the Hudson.It was technically a gala—silent auction, champagne, the works—but the organizers were smart enough to make it an afternoon event so families could bring their kids to run around the gardens.
It was exactly the kind of event I used to dread—overcrowded and full of people pretending to care about causes they'd forget by morning.But it turned out I minded these events much less when I had the right people by my side.
With Clara's hand in mine and Mia's excited chatter filling the air between us, it wouldn’t have mattered where we were.Because we were together.
"Naff!"Mia tugged on my sleeve, pointing at the sculpture centerpiece—something built out of metal that looked like either water flowing around a clitoris or maybe a swan.Jury was out on that one."Pretty!"
"That’s some great art, isn’t it, little dragon."I crouched down to her level, straightening the bow in her hair.She and I had an art appreciation thing going on after a recent family trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.So now, whenever she saw a big painting or a sculpture, she had to show me.“Almost as good as the art you draw.”
Mia giggled, throwing her arms around my neck.I’d never get tired of her sweet little giggle or these lovebug hugs.I lifted her up, settling her on my hip as I stood.Clara watched us with that soft smile that made my chest tight—the one that said life was exactly perfect.
"You two are adorable," she said, adjusting the collar of my shirt with one hand while balancing her clutch in the other.She looked fucking edible in a silvery dress that hugged every curve, her honey-blonde hair swept up to reveal the delicate line of her neck.
"You're not so bad yourself, Mrs.Nightingale," I murmured, leaning in to kiss her temple.Even though we were legally married, we’d decided to have a proper ceremony and reception at a later date.The most important thing had been shredding our contract, which we’d done more or less immediately, with a wine toast and feverish fucking afterward.
"There’s the happy family," Archer's voice cut through our moment.He appeared beside us with Trojan in tow, both of them looking sharp in their tuxes.He booped Mia’s nose and gave Clara a side hug."I could tell it was you guys from the excessive canoodling."
"It’s not excessive,” I shot back.“Some of us are enjoying our wives.”
"Yeah, well, some of us don't have wives to enjoy."Archer grabbed a champagne flute from a passing waiter."By design.”
I caught the edge in his voice.We'd been having this conversation more frequently since I’d lost the inheritance.Most of the time I just wanted to needle him about it, because I liked when he got annoyed with me.But also, we needed the money.It was his turn to try the inheritance thing out, but he didn’t see it that way.
"Unckie Archie!"The way Mia pronounced his name sounded more likeOuchie.It was the cutest damn thing I’d ever heard, afterNaff.Mia reached for him, and he took her from my arms with surprising gentleness.
"Hey, monster.You being good for your mom and Naff?"Archer smiled down at Mia.She’d warmed up to him quickly, and the role of uncle looked surprisingly good on him.
"Yes," Mia said solemnly.
“You could have one of these too, you know,” I said in a low voice.“All you have to do is get married and—”
Archer sighed loudly, directing his attention at Mia.“Mia doesn’t want a cousin!”
Clara laughed, linking her arm through mine.“That’s right.She wants a baby sister.”
I kissed Clara’s forehead, fully unable to keep the words inside me.“And we intend to give her one.”
“Are you trying to have a baby already?”Archer asked, lifting a brow.“It’s been like, ten minutes since you got married.”
“Almost three months, actually,” I corrected him.“Trojan knows what I’m talking about.Tell him, Trojan.”
Trojan sent us a sly smile, trying to pretend he didn’t know what we were talking about.“Tell him what?”
