Page 101 of The Gambler Wagers Her Baron

Payton watched in stunned silence as the children returned, Damon trailing behind them. They each clutched the end of a small, rectangular box with a purple bow on top.

“What is this?” she asked, eyeing the delicate box as Abram attempted to pull it from Joy’s grasp. However, the girl was not to be thwarted and held tight to her end as the pair halted before her. Their mirrored smiles, blond hair, and green eyes were so much like their father’s.

Abram cleared his throat. “Father instructed us to get you a gift”—he glanced down resentfully at the box—“and I insisted on a book detailing the merits of the Egyptian aquatic military, but—”

Joy elbowed her brother, all while keeping her fingers tight on the box.

“Ooof,” Abram grunted.

“Children,” Damon prodded. “The hour is growing late…”

Joy focused on Payton at the same time she pulled the box from Abram and stepped forward. “While I do not agree with Abram’s choice of gift, I do very much believe Father was correct when he said—”

Affection shone in Damon’s eyes when he spoke to Joy. “What I said is not important, dear one.”

Payton glanced up to see a light blush stain Damon’s cheeks before he cleared his throat and looked away.

There would be plenty of time in the coming days to discover what exactly Damon had said, but for now, Payton took the small box from Joy as the child bounced with excitement.

“A gift, for me?” The box was smooth to the touch with the simple bow on top. “Shall I open it?”

“Yes,” her siblings called in unison as Joy nodded vigorously, her blond hair tumbling over her shoulder.

“I cannot imagine what could possibly be in this box,” Payton mused, turning it over in her hands.

“Well, it is not a book on the Egyptian military,” Abram grunted. When Damon gave him a stern glare, he continued, “Though I suspect you will like it all the same.”

“I am positively certain I will love it.”

“Open it,” Joy giggled.

Payton stared around the room as all eyes settled on her and the gift in her hands. Any other time, she’d have wanted a spot of privacy for such a precious moment, but as she took in everyone squeezed into the drawing room of Craven House, Payton was confident the moment was developing perfectly.

They were a family—all of them.

Payton had found her place.

A place she’d never long to move on from without Damon, the children, and her family by her side.

Nothing far better awaited her anywhere.

She would thrive. They would all thrive.

Together.

She took in a deep breath and opened the box. Nestled inside was an emerald, the shade identical to Damon’s, Joy’s, and Abram’s moss green eyes. The stone was set in a gold pendant with a delicate chain. The light from the chandelier above and the sconces on the walls made the gem glitter and sparkle.

“It is lovely,” Payton said, releasing her breath.

“Father says you should wear it tomorrow,” Joy gushed, squeezing her hands before her. “I helped pick it out.”

“No,” Abram refuted. “You wanted that dreadful pink stone. I selected the emerald.”

She glanced up to see Damon smiling at her over Abram’s shoulder. “The necklace is beautiful, and I can see both of you in it. May I wear it now?”

When Damon nodded, new happiness banishing the sorrow that had marred his face for far too long, Payton stood. Everyone in the room followed suit, calling their farewells as they departed the room until it was only Damon and the children with her.

Garrett poked his head around the doorframe and called to Joy and Abram. “Miss Joy, Master Abram, come along. I heard that Cook has a special treat for the pair of you waiting in the kitchen. Lady Theodora is already on her way…you do not want her to get all the surprise, do you?”