Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
I stand up quickly, walking around the table and taking her hands in mine. She beams at me with a smile I never could’ve dreamed of when this started. It’s a smile that makes me feel alive and purposeful.
“Carter just called me,” I say. “It was surreal. He said he’s forgiven me, and your job is no longer in danger. We can be together, Lily. Nothing is stopping us: not my diagnosis, not your mom, not your job, nothing. We can be together.”
When she tries to hug me, I take a step back.
“Not yet,” I murmur, my voice growing husky. “There’s something I need to say first.”
“Okay …”
“I love you more than I thought a logical, cold man like me could ever love.” When I fall to one knee, tears spring to her eyes. The restaurant isn’t busy enough for a big crowd, but already, people are turning to us. “Lily Brooks, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she cries, staring down at the ring. It’s a big cushion cut glittering diamond, flashing every color of the rainbow, something worthy of my woman, set within a flowery band as elegant and bright as she is.
I slide the ring onto her finger and then climb to my feet. She throws herself at me, making me laugh as I catch her and spin her around, finding her lips in the beautiful chaos of our happiness. She takes my face in her hands, kissing me with her classic Lily passion. It feels natural but also new each time. It makes me grateful.
Life is good, great, perfect. I can’t believe I lived such a cold, disconnected existence before. With my woman, my future wife, I know I’ll never return to that sort of life.
From this day on, I will love as if it’s my last chance to love.
“Shall we get out of here?” she whispers, brushing her hand across my side. She looks around, shocked to find people applauding.
I laugh. I hadn’t noticed it either until the kiss ended. I was too immersed in her. “That sounds good to me.”
EPILOGUE
LILY
Five Weeks Later
“Of course, they offered her the job,” Mom says, beaming at me across the dining table.
I smile at Mom, looking so happy, so at ease with herself. It’s been over a month, and there’s no sign of that mobster crap returning. Last night, I even drove by The Row. The bar is boarded up, and the families are safe.
Maddie grins at me from beside Mom. It took her some time to get over what happened—of course, neither of us is entirely over it—but she looks just as proud as Mom.
“Is that him?” she says, gesturing to the window.
My belly swirls as I hear Landon’s car pull up. The past weeks have been beyond perfect, each day sweeter than the last. We’ve still savored every moment, even after discovering he wasn’t on a shortened timeline.
“I just hope this doesn’t change anything,” I murmur.
Maddie stares at me. “You remember you were on speaker earlier, right? When you told him you got the job? I’ve never heard anybody as happy as that.”
“Still, this is different …”
“He will be overjoyed!” Mom says confidently. “I know I had my doubts, but Landon has shown himself to be a decent, loyal man. Now go tell him!”
I leave the table and enter the hallway, opening the door before Landon presses the buzzer. He always presses the buzzer to Mom’s place out of politeness, even though he has a key. I think of it as Mom’s place now since I spend so much time with my fiancé.
Landon rushes over to me, sweeping me up. “I knew you were going to get it,” he says. “You deserve it. I’ve seen how hard you’ve been working.”
“Today’s been insane,” I murmur when he puts me down. “It isn’t just the job …”
“No?” he says with an easy smile. Over the last weeks, that smile has come to his face easier and easier. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to be happy,” he told me the other night after we’d made love, both of us sweaty and contented. “I never knew I was waiting for you.”
“Remember our first time?” I say. “When we were a bit careless?” That first time, we hadn’t even considered protection. After we learned he could live for years with the proper care, we decided to use protection, knowing full well I could have gotten pregnant that first time. We agreed fate would decide.
“Wait.” His smile gets even wider. His voice bubbles with excitement. “Are you telling me?”
“I’m pregnant,” I say, my voice cracking with pure emotion.
I’ve rehearsed this moment countless times since taking the test. I’ve imagined him getting angry, suddenly distant. I’ve even imagined him completely changing, showing signs that this was always a love bomb. Having this pregnancy be an abstract idea was one thing, but the real thing was another.