Page 196 of Always Us

“A best friend. Love.” I gaze up at him and smile. “A family.”

“That’s everything I wanted, too. You gave me way more than I ever thought I’d get out of life.” He looks down at Ethan. “If anything, I should be thanking you. I mean, shit, I only asked you for three kids and then you went and threw in a bonus one.”

I reach over and touch Ethan’s hand, his tiny fingers, his baby-soft skin. “He is a bonus. A really great bonus.”

Garret leans down and kisses the side of my head. “I love you, Jade. And the life you’ve given me. And our kids. I probably don’t say that enough, so I’m saying it now. I love you, and I love everything you do for me and our family. You’re such a great mom and you’re an amazing wife.”

I feel like denying it because I feel like I’m never a good enough wife or mom. Life gets busy and crazy and sometimes I feel like I can’t keep up. But whenever I need help, Garret’s there for me. He’s always by my side, helping me, supporting me, loving me.

“You’re not so bad yourself. You’re an awesome dad. And the best husband ever. The hottest one, too.” I glance down at his bare chest and those sexy abs that he’s managed to maintain all these years. I reach up and give him a kiss, lingering at his lips.

“How about we put these two to bed and go back to our room?” I give him the smile I reserve only for him. He knows what it means.

He smiles back, nodding at the crib. “Go ahead.”

I slowly stand up and take Miles to his crib. Garret appears next to me, putting Ethan in his. Then Garret puts his hand around my waist, drawing me into him. He reaches behind my neck and brings me in for a kiss that makes my whole body fire up with desire. Even now, he gets to me this way. A simple touch, a simple kiss, is so much more with him. My body comes alive, wanting to be with him.

He slowly pulls away. “Let’s go.”

I turn off the lamp by the crib and we walk out into the hall and down to our room. The window’s open and a light breeze is blowing in.

“I wasn’t planning on going to sleep yet.” I give him my sexy smile and walk backward toward the bed.

“Damn straight you’re not.” He stops me, slipping off the straps of my nightgown and letting it fall to the floor. He picks me up and lays me down on the bed. Then he takes his pajama pants off and lies beside me, skimming his hand over my skin.

I close my eyes as he kisses my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. He continues to touch me, knowing every inch of me, knowing exactly what to do to make my body respond.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” he whispers.

I smile as I feel him lie over me. Garret always makes me feel sexy, wanted, desired. After having four kids, my body’s not as great as it used to be, but he doesn’t see that. He doesn’t see the flaws. To him, I’ll always be beautiful.

When we’re done, he holds me in his arms and says, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” I snuggle closer to him and whisper, “I will love you forever.” It’s the vow I made on our wedding day. But it’s also what I said to him back in the woods when I thought I’d never see him again.

Even if that day in the woods had been the end for us, I still would’ve loved Garret forever. He helped me find myself when I was lost. He was my friend when I had none. He loved me despite all my faults. And he never gave up on me.

But that day wasn’t the end for us. And every day, I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful we’re together. That I’ll always have my best friend next to me. The person I love most in the world. The person I will love forever.

As I lie in Garret’s arms, I savor how it feels, and how I feel at this moment.

I do that a lot now. I live in the moment. I focus on it. I pay attention to all the tiny details.

Before I met Garret, I spent all my time being angry about the past or worried about the future. But I’ve learned that when doing that, you miss out on the here and now. And before you know it, time goes by and you don’t even know what you missed.

I don’t want time to just pass me by. I want to live it and be present for each precious day. I don’t want to miss a single moment of my life with Garret and our beautiful family. It’s too great. It’s more than I ever imagined it could be.

And the best part is…it’s only just begun.