Page 63 of Mitch

Epilogue

Autumn watchedher husband as he carried their daughter on his strong shoulders. The sound of her giggles, the way he protected her and showered with so much love, melted her heart every single time she saw it, which was often.

Mitch was an amazing father to Maggie, as she knew he’d be to the child that grew in her belly. She’d never regret the day she met him and second to giving birth to Maggie, her wedding six months ago had been the happiest day of her life.

With just their families and friends, it had been a celebration of the love they shared, choosing the place where she’d first realised she loved him for the wedding. Ava and Zack had graciously offered the Estate and Mimi and Helen had done the flowers for her.

Her friendships with Evelyn, Pax, Callie, Taamira, Skye, and Ava had been one of the multitudes of bounty she’d been blessed with when she’d married Mitch Quinn. But Bebe and Aubrey were like sisters to her, and she loved them as such.

“Stop day-dreaming, Mrs Quinn.” Mitch hooked an arm around her waist as he held Maggie on his shoulder with one big hand on her back.

Autumn wrinkled her nose as she grinned at him. “I’m just remembering our wedding day.”

His eyes went warm with love for her as he bent to kiss her lips, it still made her heart quicken with desire and excitement. “Best day of my life.” He swung Maggie down in front of him, allowing her to toddle in front of them on sturdy legs.

Mitch swung an arm over her shoulders and bent to touch a palm to her rounded belly, at twenty weeks, they’d just found out they were having a son. Neither of them had wanted to wait, too impatient to know the gender of the child she carried. Autumn couldn’t wait to see Mitch hold their son in his arms.

His brow furrowed and she lifted a hand to stroke the bristled cheek. “You feeling good?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

He smirked, knowing her too well. “Nervous?”

“A little. This has been a dream for so long, and to be here now is amazing.” The truth was her belly was alight with nerves and joy. To exhibit her garden design at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show was surreal.

They stopped beside the garden she’d designed with the help of Mimi, David, Reg, Colin, and Ava. Her gardening club buddies had encouraged her when she’d told them her dream had always been to go to the Chelsea Flower Show with her design. She’d filled in the form with her details and forgotten about it until she got the invite to exhibit.

Mitch had supported her one hundred percent, fetching and carrying, shovelling and allowing their home to become overrun with tiny seedlings which she’d nurtured into healthy plants. They had stayed in the house where her life had begun, but now the top floor was one big apartment instead of two.

Maggie liked having her aunty Bebe and uncle Waggs close, and Autumn had wanted that too. She and Maggie had been parted from family and knew what it was to be alone but now she was surrounded by love.

Autumn blinked twice as she saw the gold rosette on the stand next to her name and that of her garden.

Looking up at Mitch with wonder, she gasped. “I won. Oh my god, Mitch. We won.” Autumn jumped up and down with pure delight as she threw her arms around the man who owned her heart.

“I’m so damn proud of you, honey.” His voice was gruff with love as he bent and kissed her as if it were his job, not caring that everyone could see, not holding anything back. The cheers from their friends and family who’d all come out to support her dimmed when she was in his arms, nothing else mattered when he kissed her.

Autumn kissed him back just as hard, her tongue tasting his love and her body shivering as she thought of the nights ahead with this man.

He released her slowly, and she caught the giggle of Ava and Zack’s son, Riley, who Maggie was looking up at with absolute adoration in her little girl’s eyes.

Mitch followed her gaze, her chest rumbling with a growl, which made Autumn laugh.

“Easy tiger, they’re only kids.”

“Yeah, now they are, but one day they won’t be.”

“And you will have to deal with it.”

He bent to pick his daughter up and blew a kiss into her neck, making her giggle. “No boys ever.”

“Or girls?” Autumn said with a tilt of her head and grin.

Mitch frowned. “No relationships ever. She’s my baby, aren’t you, Maggie?”

Maggie laughed and said her new favourite word as she patted Mitch on his head. “Dadadadad.”

Looking at the two of them together was her favourite thing in the world to do, and she knew it always would be.