We make it back to the apartment and send Fiona home with her promising to text us as soon as she reaches her place. Then, we’re alone.
Brady bends down in front of me and unbuckles the straps on the shoes I was wearing at the party, slowly easing them off my feet before running his hands leisurely up my legs.
“So, about this dress…”
I put one finger on his lips as they dip down toward mine. “Can we check on Ivy first?”
His face softens into the gentle, loving expression he often gets when he sees his daughter. “Yeah.”
Hand in hand, we pad down the hall and peek intoher room. Sprawled on her back, with her arms above her head, our little girl sleeps soundly.
“I love her so much,” I whisper.
“And I love both of you just as much,” Brady replies.
We close her door gently, then move into our bedroom. I drop his hand and step closer to the bed.
“Now, I believe you had plans for my dress?” I say, turning to look over my shoulder. I gather up my hair and move it aside.
Brady doesn’t waste a second, moving in behind me, his body so close to mine, I can feel the warmth radiating off him. Lips land on my shoulder as his fingers carefully lower the zipper.
“So many plans.”
“Good thing we have a lot of time,” I say breathily as he presses another open-mouthed kiss to my upper back.
“Mmm,” he rumbles in agreement. “Hopefully, the rest of our lives.”
“That sounds perfect.”
EPILOGUE
BRADY
The ringI bought has been burning a hole in the bottom of my suitcase ever since I hid it in a black pouch in the bottom of my toiletries kit. Now that we’re finally here, in England, seeing the country that has symbolized so much for Sage—both good and bad—for so long, I feel the weight of it more than ever. It’s hard to not constantly be patting the chest pocket of my jacket where I’ve tucked it away for later.
I want this trip to be magical for her. I want it to be more than she ever hoped it could be, a way to heal the wounds of teenage Sage, who had to give up everything to care for her dying mother. And to heal adult Sage, who had her life turned upside down, yet again, in the best possible way when we unknowingly created our mini-hurricane.
To make that happen, I need today to go off without a hitch. We slept in this morning, and had a lazy breakfast in bed so we could call back home and see our baby girl when she wakes up.
Only problem is, Sage doesn’t want to get off the phone, which is kind of necessary if we’re ever going to leave this hotel room.
“Oh Ivy, is that banana delicious?” Sage coos at the screen, and I hear our daughter giggle and babble in return. Then there’s a familiar wet, squishing sound.
“Aw, thanks for that, Sage,” Blair moans. “Now she’s mashed her breakfast everywhere.”
Sage laughs. “I warned you, she likes to play with her food.”
“It’s a good thing you’re so cute, missy,” my little sister mutters.
I move over to the bed where Sage is sitting and drop down beside her. Ivy shrieks as soon as she sees my face, and I grin. “Hey, baby girl. Be good for Auntie B.”
Ivy just babbles some more, slapping her hands down several times, right on top of the mess of soft food in front of her. I grin even wider, knowing I’m not the one who has to clean her up.
“Have fun with bath time,” I say with a chuckle. “But Sage and I need to get going. Love you, Ivy girl.”
Sage blows kisses and says her own goodbyes to Ivy before the phone pans to my sister, who’s looking at us with an arched brow.
“Do I get a goodbye? An I love you? Anything?”
