Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
She smiled. “Yep.”
I grabbed her, wrapping her in my arms and kissing her hard. “Maggie darling,” I breathed. “That is amazing!”
She laughed, nestling close. I held her, knowing she needed my embrace. The closeness. She always did in emotional moments, and I loved being the one to give it to her. It made me feel ten feet tall that it was me she turned to. I made her feel safe and secure.
“We need a bigger house.”
She laughed. “We have a big house.”
“Four bedrooms. We need five.”
“Or we can turn your office into a bedroom and build you an office downstairs.”
“We can afford a bigger place.”
“But I love our house. We picked it out together when Jensen was just a little nugget. We made it our home. I love the neighbors and the big trees and the gardens you made.”
I laughed, kissing her sweet, sentimental mouth. “Okay, how about the idea we had for a man shed out back? I can work there.”
She snorted. “And escape the kids.”
“It crossed my mind.”
She nudged me. “You’ll have to make it up.”
“Oh, baby, I will.”
Jensen came running over. “Mommy, I’m hungry.”
Magnolia dug in her bag, handing me a container. “Sit beside Daddy.”
I helped him onto the bench, opening the container. He dug in, munching on the crackers, and I unwrapped a string cheese for him.
“Did you see the paper this morning?” Magnolia asked casually.
I chuckled, brushing the hair off our son’s face. “About Terry? Yep. I figured karma would catch up to him. I hope he rots in jail.”
“Your, ah, mother must be horrified.”
I sat back, swinging my leg. “Don’t care.”
“What if they came to you…” She trailed off as I turned and met her gaze.
“Never. After how she treated you, scoffed at our marriage, and walked past us as if we were dirt at that event when you were pregnant with Jens? Absolutely not.”
“Okay, just wondering.”
“She will never change. Neither will he. I want nothing to do with either of them.”
“I just don’t want you to regret—”
I took her hand, cutting her off. “I regret nothing. I have a family. Our family. All of you mean more than anything in the world. I want nothing of them to touch us. To touch our kids. Or you. All of you are wonderful, perfect, and mine. They mean nothing because that was all I ever was to them.”
“You’re everything to us.”
I kissed her. Then again. I did it a third time. Each longer. Harder. She was everything to me. The center of my world. The reason I was alive. Really, truly alive.
“I think our kids need a nap.”
She hummed and touched my lips. “A long one.”
“Or maybe we drop them off with Auntie Rylee and Uncle Sam. I’ll order dinner for them. Take my time celebrating another miracle you’ve brought to my life.”
She laughed. “Even better. Take me home, Mr. Bane.”
I kissed her again. “Always, Mrs. Bane. Always.”