Page 116 of Accidentally in Love

“No, Avery MacGregor,” she corrected.

I beamed at that. “Okay, Mrs. MacGregor, get your ass upstairs and put on that red lingerie.”

She grinned at me. “I love you so much, and I’m sorry I almost ruined our marriage.”

I cupped her face. “You’re my wife, my last wife, and I’m never getting married again.”

“But—”

I put a finger to her lips. “Avery, I’m not gonna say our marriage will be perfect. Marriage is a give and take. I was married before, and I didn’t try for her. I didn’t work at it, but I’m not doing that with you. I’m not saying I’m gonna be the perfect husband, but I want to try for you.”

Tears pricked her eyes. “Oh, Nolan. I’m sorry for the way I acted, for pushing you away. You didn’t deserve that. I’m not a perfect wife, but I want us to be a team. I want us in this together.”

I slid my hand between us on her belly. I wish I felt the baby like she had, but I knew that would come soon. “We’re a team. You made me see I don’t have to shoulder the burden all on my own. It’s you and me against the world, okay?”

“I love you, and I can’t wait for you to hold our baby in your arms. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“You’re my light, and I’m never letting you go.”

“Don’t let me go,” she whispered.

Then I slanted my mouth on hers again.

Epilogue

NOLAN

CHRISTMAS THE FOLLOWING YEAR

“Nol, this is too much,” Avery said as she swept her hand across the living room.

“Avs, it’s Christmas!”

“Nol, it looks like Santa’s workshop blew up in here. Are you seriously wearing that?”

I looked down at my Christmas sweater that looked like a Santa suit and shifted the Santa hat on my head. “What, you’re not hot for Santa?” I asked her with a cheeky smile.

She shook her head at me. “You’re ridiculous!”

I held our daughter against my chest and looked down at her. She looked so cute in the Christmas onesie that read ‘The Best Gift’ in green and red font. Avery and I had made the cutest baby ever, and she was the best gift either of us had ever received.

“You hear that, Peanut? Your mother, the ‘Queen of Christmas,’ thinks it’s too much.”

Norah cooed and then promptly reached a tiny hand up to grab my beard. I thought about shaving off my beard after Norah was born, since she wanted to grab at it every time I held her. When I mentioned it to Avery, she threatened to divorce me. My wife certainly loved her beard rides.

“NORAH!” Avery chastised, taking the baby from me. She nuzzled our daughter’s nose against hers.

I couldn’t believe how big the baby had gotten already. Six months ago, I was in the hospital holding this tiny little thing in my arms and was absolutely scared shitless. But Avery and I were a team. We figured it out together, and now we had the family I always dreamed of.

“No pulling on daddy’s beard,” Avery cooed as she rocked the baby in her arms.

“She takes after her mother,” I mumbled.

“I heard that!” Avery said while she walked over to the Christmas tree and shifted Norah on her hip.

Watching my wife with our daughter filled my chest with warmth. They were everything I ever wanted, and some days it amazed me that both of them were in my life.

Last night, I begged Declan to help me set up the tree and decorate it in the dead of night to surprise my wife. We even recruited Gemma to watch Norah to make sure Avery didn’t wake up while we were in the middle of it. We didn’t just do the tree; we hung garlands across the fireplace, in the doorways, along the railing of the stairs, and put up all the stockings. The newest one for Norah since it was her first Christmas. We even put the lights on the house. Yes, in the dead of winter and the pitch dark. That probably hadn’t been a smart idea, but I wanted to surprise my sleep-deprived wife.