Page 183 of Contentious

“Can still hear you, and I understood exactly what I was saying.”

“Whoa,” Isla said. “This sounds serious.”

He reached for Cresley’s hand. “Feels kind of serious, too.”

“Was it the multiple near-death experiences that changed your mind about happily ever after?” Cresley asked.

“Nah, it was every minute with you and Ty and how all I want is more minutes just like those. As many as I can get, in fact.”

“I’m, ah… going to need a minute,” Cresley said.

“Isla, you’re my witness to the moment I went all in with the exceptional Cresley Dane and her incredible son, Ty.”

“I’m honored to have witnessed such a moment, and if I can be self-serving for a moment, welcome to the Remington Resistance Movement, Cresley. It’s lonely out here in the land of people who’ve brought one of them over to the dark side of love and romance.”

Carson laughed at her witty comment and decided he totally understood why Julian had fallen flat on his face in love with her. She was sweet, funny, gorgeous and a wonderful mother to two adorable, well-behaved kids.

Speak of the devil, he thought, as Julian came strolling in, straight from the office and still wearing a navy suit with a navy patterned tie over a light blue dress shirt.

Theo and Mila let out squeals of excitement when they saw him, and Isla’s smile must’ve looked like home to his brother, who bent at the waist to kiss her. “I heard there was a party over here.”

“It’s a pawty!” Theo said, splashing and laughing.

“Are you so used to having that knot around your neck that you don’t even think to take it off when you’re in the car?” Carson asked. One of the best things about being chief investigator was that he rarely had to wear a suit or a tie.

“I don’t do anything to delay getting home these days.” Julian stole a second kiss from Isla before standing upright. “I’d ask you two how it’s going, but…”

“It’s actually going really well for them,” Isla said. “I witnessed the exact moment when Carson went all in with Cresley. You now have an ally against the rest of your siblings who think you’ve taken leave of your senses with me and the kids.”

Julian’s smile lit up his face. “Is that right? Oh, the irony. Weren’t you in my face a few short weeks ago, telling me I was insane to commit to a single mom with little kids? Do I recall that correctly?”

“I have no memory of that.”

Julian’s bark of laughter made Isla and Cresley laugh right along with him. “You’re full of poo-poo.”

“Julian said poo-poo!” Theo said at the top of his lungs.

“Welcome to the land of little kids,” Julian said. “Where you have to watch every word you say.”

“That must be a struggle for you, brother,” Carson said, grinning.

“You have no idea. Isla is constantly chastising me.”

“Which leads to other things,” Isla said with a laugh.

“Enough already,” Carson said. “Who wants to stay for dinner?”

“Me,” all three kids said together.

They ordered pizza for the kids while the adults enjoyed Isla’s delicious chicken parm. During dinner, Carson got a text from his grandfather that made him laugh.

Glad to see some life in that house, ya jack wagon.

Carson showed the text to Julian, who chuckled.

“No such thing as a free place to live, huh?” Julian asked.

“Right? He drives me crazy spying on me.”