It took me a second to realize what she was saying. My brain glitched and I lost control of my eyelids, but then warmth spread through me, starting in my chest and rapidly shooting out from there. “Wait. Are you really pregnant?”
She nodded tearfully, disbelief creeping across her features as she held my gaze. “Is that okay?”
I scooped her into my arms with a whoop of joy. The next thing I knew, my mouth was descending to hers. I kissed her hard, holding her tight as my thoughts spun out and rearranged themselves into an order that felt impossible.
Kate was back early and she was pregnant. With my baby. She and I were starting a family together.
Finally, that was what made me realize I hadn’t answered her question yet. A laugh shot out of me as I lifted her clean off her feet, spinning her in a slow, slightly incredulous circle. “Are you kidding me? It’s not just okay. I’m thrilled, Katie. This is…”
I trailed off, unable to find the right words to say, so I just laughed and kissed her again, hoping my lips could convey the feelings my words couldn’t.
All my life, I’d been waiting for my happily ever after. To build the life I’d always dreamed of with the woman I loved by my side, raising our kids together and giving them all the love and joy that we had to offer, and right here, right now, I finally—fucking finally—had it all.
And it was all because of Jane Austen, a Discord, and a seriously messed-up family tradition that involved arranged marriages and no choice. In the end, it hadn’t really been so messed up at all, though.
Not for me, or Alex, or Charlotte. It kind of made me wonder what my brothers were in for, but for now, I carried my wife to our bed and laid her down, kissing her as I tried to come to terms with the fact that our life together was going to be everything I’d ever wanted—and so, so much more.
EPILOGUE
KATE
Our Fourth of July party had somehow turned into a full-scale sporting event inside the lake house. I sat back in my chair on the patio with a glass of lemonade sweating in my hand, watching through the wide windows as the men collectively lost their minds over a baseball game.
Nate and Trent were on their feet, hands in their hairand both of them angled toward the TV like this was a life-or-death situation instead of a regular-season game in July.
“You’d think they were the ones playing,” I said, smiling. “Or, at the very least, that their bonuses are linked to their performance as fans.”
Jane laughed beside me, one hand resting on the curve of her stomach. She looked so radiant now it was almost unfair, considering she’d spent weeks throwing up and frightening everyone half to death. “Alex only ever gets like this when he’s with Nate or Trent. It’s like their enthusiasm is contagious.”
Charlotte snorted. “You should hear Trent at home. He claims he’s a football guy, but then it’s baseball season, and suddenly, he’s an expert.”
As if to prove her point, Trent threw his hands in the air like he’d personally been wronged by whatever had just happened onthe screen. Nate clutched the back of a chair like he might tip it over.
Alex stayed seated, but he looked just as invested, pointing at the television while Will said something that made Jesse laugh hard enough to double over. It was chaos. Loud, ridiculous chaos, but it was also warm and incredible.
When I’d first suggested we invite Nate’s whole family out here with us for the weekend, he’d looked at me like he’d been wondering if I would divorce him if I had to spend that amount of time with them. It’d made me slightly nervous, but I’d insisted anyway.
All this time, I’d had to get to know them all in drips and drabs, quick meetings at the office or hurried family dinners whenever Douglas was in town. I’d been chatting to Charlotte over the phone and I went to have coffee with Jane at least one morning a week, which was easy since we lived in the same building, but I’d wanted more.
Quality time. So here we were.
This kind of family chaos was new to me, the unbelievably loud holidays and the house full of voices, empty beer bottles, and laughter. I’d wanted to experience it firsthand, and honestly, although it was crazy with so many people in one house, I loved it.
We’re definitely making this a tradition.
“I swear,” Charlotte said. “If Trent yells at the television one more time like the players can hear him…”
“He thinks it helps,” Jane said mildly. “They all do.”
Charlotte groaned. “He does the same thing with football. Full coaching commentary. From the couch.”
I smiled. “Nate does that thing where he predicts plays. Like he’s a genius strategist the team should employ.”
Glancing back inside, I saw him pacing in a tight circle like a caged animal. Will seemed to be egging Trent on while Jesse was cracking up beside him.
Jane followed my gaze, watching them for a beat before she turned back to me. “Does he get them right?”
“No.”
