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“Maybe I could manage to bring a date, too.”
“You?” Alec grinned. “You have to adopt the puppies, not date them.”
“Har har har,” Lance said grimly. “I’ve got someone in mind – and we all know that you’ll be the one struggling to bring a date over.”
“Nuh-uh… I’ve got chicks just waiting to go out with me.”
“Oh boy,” Colton chuckled, grinning at Eris. “I promise I wasn’t this bad.”
“I already knew that,” she smiled tenderly and rubbed her foot along his leg – only to feel him reach down and grab her by the heel. For a moment, she made a face, expecting him to tickle her foot, only for him to give her a soft, sweet, sentimental smile.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too…”
“Again? Yucky,” Zane blurted out, putting his head down on his fists, frowning at them. Lance patted him on the back and whispered something to him, causing the little boy to perk up.
“I wike that!”
“Uh oh…” Colton began.
“Nahhh, it’s no biggie,” Lance grinned. “I just told him that we’ll go look around at the truck and the ambulance.”
“Weee-woo mobile!” Zane exclaimed, clapping his hands. “We’re gonna make it go weeeee woooooo!”
Eris smiled nervously at Colton, who was still holding her foot under the table, caressing the instep, and she could practically read his mind.
“You really don’t mind having two little ones… do you?”
“I’m thrilled and cannot wait,” he smiled.
EPILOGUE
Two years later…
Eris looked up from where she was chopping the vegetables to put in a stew, admiring the scene before her. There on a blanket in the middle of the living room floor was her entire universe.
Colton had shamelessly wept despite the fact that he’d delivered babies in the line of duty before. Zane did not get his wish for a little brother – and was quite upset when he found out that he had a baby sister. He threw a tantrum to rival any child who got his toy taken away from him. Going as far as to tell both of them to ‘put the baby back’… but that had changed.
They all had.
Charlotte was lying on the blanket, having some time to roll around to gain some strength, but was accompanied by her favorite people – Daddy and Zane. Both were lying on either side of her, listening, and having the most precious ‘conversations’ that had zero words within them.
“Lottie,” Zane encouraged in a high-pitched voice. “Are you going to sing with us?”
“Are we singing, little man?” Colton said tenderly, his face so full of pride and love that it was staggering… only to have Charlotte interrupt with a loud coo.
“Oooooooooh,” the baby said loudly, waving her little fists as her lip curled so sweetly.
“Did you hear Miss Charlotte?”
“I did… and she’s singing,” Zane beamed and then cooed, pretending to talk to his sister. “Cooooooo, Charlotte… cooooo.”
“Ooooooh,” Charlotte screeched at first and then began to coo again, several times, only to have Colton join in. The baby would speak, then the two males would share a look and one would ‘answer’… before the other would join in. It was beautifully sweet and tender, making her heart burst with love as she stared at them.
She never imagined how beautiful things could be and couldn’t picture going back to the world she once knew. Not now, not ever. No, Colton was a vital part of their lives, and she still felt so much guilt for having kept him from these moments, yet he never brought it up. To him, it was their past, and he thrived, lived, and loved for all the tomorrows they would share.
Smiling, she set down the knife and carrots that had been in her hands, and dried her hands on a hand towel. No, this could wait five minutes because right now, she just wanted to be a part of this precious bubble before her, and met Colton’s eyes as she padded over silently, trying not to disturb them.
