Page 96 of Forgotten Vows

He hangs up and stands there for a moment, staring down at his phone, and I can see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw is tight.He's worried.

But then Matteo runs up to him, tugging on his sleeve, and Lachlan's expression shifts. He smiles, crouching down to Matteo's level, and whatever my son is saying makes him laugh.

He's trying. He's really trying.And that's all I can ask for.

I turn away from the window and move back downstairs, finding them in the kitchen. Matteo is chattering about paint colors, and Lachlan is nodding along, his hand resting on Matteo's shoulder. "What do you think, Adriana?" Lachlan asks when he sees me. "Blue or green for his room?"

"I think we should let him decide," I say, leaning against the doorframe. "It's his room."

"Blue," Matteo says immediately. "Like the ocean."

"Blue it is." Lachlan ruffles his hair. "We'll go to the paint store this weekend and pick out the exact shade."

"Can I help paint?"

"Of course you can help paint." Lachlan grins. "It's your room, buddy. You're in charge."

Matteo beams, and the sight of it makes my throat tight.This is what I wanted. This is what I fought for.

"Why don't you go check out the backyard?" I suggest. "See if there's a good spot for a swing set."

"A swing set?" Matteo's eyes go wide. "Really?"

"Really," Lachlan confirms. "We'll get one installed next week."

Matteo doesn't need to be told twice. He's out the back door again in a flash, and then it's just me and Lachlan, standing in the kitchen of our new house, the afternoon sun streaming through the windows. "Everything okay?" I ask, nodding toward his phone. "With Declan?"

"Yeah." He slides the phone back into his pocket. "Just some business stuff. Nothing to worry about."

"Lachlan—"

"I mean it, Adriana." He crosses the room and takes my hands, his thumbs brushing over my knuckles. "It's nothing I can't handle from a distance. Declan's got it under control."

I search his face, looking for signs of stress or worry, but all I see is calm. "You'd tell me if it was something serious, right?"

"I'd tell you." He lifts one of my hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to my palm. "I promised you no secrets. And I meant it."

"Okay." I let out a breath.

"Come here." He pulls me into his arms, and I go willingly, resting my head against his chest. I can hear his heartbeat, steady and strong, and I let the sound of it calm me.

"I love this house," I murmur. "I love that Matteo has his own room. I love that we have a backyard and neighbors and a normal life."

"Me too." His arms tighten around me. "This is what I wanted for us, Adriana. This is what I've always wanted."

"I know." I tilt my head back to look at him. "And I'm so grateful. For all of it. For you."

He kisses me, slow and sweet, and I melt into it. When we finally break apart, there's heat in his eyes that makes my stomach flip and my pulse race.

"Matteo's outside," I whisper.

"I know." Lachlan's voice is rough, his hands sliding down to my hips. "But later..."

"Later," I agree, and the promise in that single word makes my skin flush.

—

Later comesafter we've unpacked the essentials, ordered pizza for dinner and eaten it on the floor of the living room because we don'thave a table yet, and after we've tucked Matteo into his sleeping bag in his new room and kissed him goodnight.