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She shook her head. “I didn’t think it belonged to me anymore.”
“It’s yours. Just like my heart is yours.” He reached for her and slipped the necklace around her neck, doing the clasp with ease.
Reaching up, she touched the stone, running her fingers over it, her gaze never leaving Matteo’s. The tears started again, and he stopped them with a gentle brush of his thumb. He hated seeing her so upset, knowing he was the cause of her distress. “I’m too much trouble.”
“What?” He slipped his fingers under her chin, his thumb caressing her along her jaw. “You’re not any trouble. Why would you say that?”
“Everywhere I go, I seem to cause trouble. At the Leonards’, with you.” She sniffed. “Maybe it would be best if I did return home.”
“No,” he said vehemently, shaking his head. His fingers trembled beneath her chin. “You’re mine, Paige. I love you. You love me. We belong together.”
Her eyes went wide and she parted her lips, almost as if she couldn’t believe what he said. “I’m yours?” she whispered.
“All mine.” Leaning in, he kissed her, wanting to convey all the love, all the hope and joy he felt for her in that one brush of his lips. “I love you. Matty loves you. I want you to be a part of my life, Paige. Forever.”
“Forever.” She slipped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. “I like the sound of that.” Her lips moved against his as she spoke just before she kissed him.
“I do too,” he whispered just before he took the kiss deeper.
And then proceeded to show her just how much she meant to him.
Epilogue
Eleven months later…
“I want to see the baby!” Matty cried, banging his fists on the kitchen table.
“Matty, stop,” Paige chastised, sending Matteo a look. That same look she always gave him when she was overwhelmed by Matty’s antics. The one that made him feel like a hero, because only he could help her.
“Matty, don’t be so rude. Your aunt and uncle will be here any minute with the baby. And they won’t let you see her if you keep acting like this,” Matteo explained.
Matty pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I don’t want a baby cousin. I want a baby sister. And a baby brother.”
Matteo agreed, but he wasn’t one to push. They’d been married three months. Paige was young. He couldn’t force her to have a baby. Though the idea held such tremendous appeal he’d dreamed of it just last night.
He blamed the dream on Stasia giving birth to a beautiful baby girl they named Nicola. It felt like only yesterday that they’d gone to the hospital to see her briefly, leaving Matty with his grandmother. Such a beautiful baby when she’d been born, with thick, dark hair and rosy skin. Matteo had never seen Gavin look so proud or Stasia look so content.
Months later and the even more beautiful Nicola smiled and cooed, so chubby and happy, especially when little Matty played with her. She lit up the entire Renaldi family with her sweet baby laugh.
The doorbell rang and Matty ran to go get it, throwing open the door and yelling with such abandon, both Matteo and Paige winced.
“Your family’s here,” Paige murmured, a little smile curling her lips.
Matteo went to her, drew her into his arms and pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth. “Let’s go greet them. Or we could run away and hide.”
She laughed, pressed her hands against his chest. “I’m dying to see the baby.”
“You’ve seen one baby, you’ve seen them all.” He shrugged, though he didn’t mean it. He’d never been so happy.
When Paige had permanently come back home with him, he’d demanded she become his in every way. And now she was. It pleased him to see his ring around her finger, and it made him proud to wear hers. To know she belonged to him—that they belonged to each other. And she had formally adopted Matty, which Matty delighted in—especially when he got to call her “Mama”.
They were a real family in every way.
As a wedding present, Matteo had revealed to Paige that her former boss and wife were being investigated for money laundering. A nasty little tidbit the investigators his brothers recommended were able to discover for Matteo. It gave him a big pleasure indeed when the information he’d provided to the IRS had seemed to help. Those rats had been out for Paige’s blood and now Matteo had both of theirs.
After that, everything—life, work, home—seemed so damned rosy both he and Paige sometimes lay in bed at night, just staring at each other and not believing their good fortune.
