This is it. He’s going to end things between us.

  “I saw Violet at the hospital.” He pauses, waiting for me to speak or to react, but I do neither, because I’m barely holding on. “She works there. Been there for a while,” he explains. Another pause, and I close my eyes, just listening, waiting for the words to hit me.

  “I didn’t expect that I’d ever see her again. It wasn’t at all what I thought it would be. The feelings, the regret that I expected, never came.”

  My heart is racing. It’s hammering against my ribs. He has to be able to hear it, right?

  “Baby, can you look at me?”

  I don’t want to. I don’t want to open my eyes to see his rejection, but there isn’t a single thing I wouldn’t give this man, so slowly, I peel my eyes open. He rests his palm against my cheek.

  “There she is.” He smiles softly. “I love your big blue eyes,” he says, moving in to place a kiss on each brow. The reverence in his tone makes my chest tighten. “I love your heart,” he says, dropping his hand from my face to place it on my chest. “I love how big it is, how freely you give it without expectation.” He studies me, taking his time, letting his words take root.

  I can barely breathe as he speaks, like the moment is too full, too real.

  “When I’m with you,” he says, “I feel seen. I feel understood.” His voice softens, but it doesn’t waver. “For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m actually myself. Like I’m settled. Like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

  It’s as if he’s reading me like a book—everything that’s inside my heart. It’s confusing, because it feels like he’s telling me something I’ve longed to hear, but can I dare to believe that’s what this is?

  He smiles then, and it reaches his eyes, crinkling them in the corners. His words are reverent and honest. He looks at me like there’s nowhere else he’d rather be, like this moment is enough.

  “Eden Miller,” he says, saying my name with quiet certainty, “I’m in love with you.”

  There’s no hesitation in his voice, no doubt in his eyes as they hold mine. The words don’t feel rushed or dramatic. They feel solid, undeniable.

  “Y-You love me?”

  His smile grows. “Yeah, baby, I do.”

  “But… what about Violet?”

  “I thought I loved her once. I know that I did, but it wasn’t this kind of love, Eden. It wasn’t the kind of love that reaches into your chest and opens you up, laying you bare to the person you’re giving it to. I realize now that I didn’t fight for her back then because the Universe knew that I was waiting for you.”

  I try to hold back a sob, but it escapes anyway. Tears rush unchecked down my face.

  “Talk to me,” he says, worry in his voice. “I hate to see these tears.”

  “Good tears.” I smile, even though I’m crying.

  “Even the good tears I hate from you,” he says, wiping at my cheeks with his thumbs.

  “I saw you at the hospital. I heard you say her name, and I panicked. I thought you would fight for your second chance, and I was trying to prepare myself for the pain of losing you,” I confess.

  “No. No, Eden, I don’t want her. I was stuck in the past, on the rejection, but you pulled me back to the present. You brought me back to life. You accepted me in a way no one ever has. You knew all of me and still wanted me. You don’t care about my past or my bank account. You only want me, the man, and baby, that’s priceless. You are priceless.”

  “I love you so much,” I say, my voice cracking. “I’ve loved you for so long, but I was so afraid to say it. Afraid I wasn’t enough.”

  “You are enough. You are everything. You’re my everything,” he says, his tone laced with conviction.

  “I love you,” I say again, leaning in for a kiss. I need to feel his lips on mine. I need to know I’m not dreaming that this moment is real.

  He kisses me back. Pouring all his emotion into it, showing me with more than his words that he’s exactly where he wants to be. When I pull back, we’re both breathing heavily, and we’re wearing matching smiles.

  “I want it all, Eden. I want the house, the kids, the dogs. Whatever you want, I’m all in.”

  I nod, smiling and still crying. “Me, too,” I tell him. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  He holds me, kisses me, and whispers how much he loves me, letting time pass us by. Finally, he suggests we get cleaned up so we can pick up dinner and have birthday cupcakes.

  “You don’t have to. I can go back.”

  “Eden, they’re our family. At least, I hope they accept me. If not, it’s going to make holidays awkward, because you’re stuck with me.”

  “Our family,” I repeat, and he nods.

  I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect him. I wasn’t looking for love, but love found me. I’ll thank my lucky stars every day for bringing this man into my life. “You changed my life,” I tell him, following him upstairs to make myself look presentable from the tears.

  “You changed the play, baby.”

  “What?” I ask, laughing.

  “You changed me, too, and how I see the world around me, the way I see friendships, and my found family. You changed me to my core, and I love you for it.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Together, we get ready, stealing kisses and innocent touches, before picking up more pizza than we can all eat and going back to Nick and Carrie’s to ice some birthday cupcakes, and to let my family get to know the man who has completely, irrevocably stolen my heart.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Foster

  * * *

  Today has been a good day. The sun is shining, not a cloud in sight, and we’re all here. The guys, our families, and I are all celebrating. It’s the Fourth of July, but really, we’ll take any excuse to get together. I’ve always been here for these get-togethers, but today feels different. Today, I’m not just here as an extra person, the guy who tags along. I’m Foster Vaughn, friend, brother by choice, uncle, and most importantly, hers.

  I’m Eden’s.

  She’s what’s different. She makes my life better.

  “Una Fosser, up!” Camden demands, and who am I to say no? Placing my drink down on the ground next to me, I lift him onto my lap. The guys and I are sitting out in the yard, while the ladies are up on the patio. We’re split into groups, but we’ll all end up joined again at some point. The guys and I took off to the garage after we ate to look at Baker’s new set of golf clubs, while the ladies opted to sit and chat, much like we’re doing now—only they’re smart and sitting under the porch, out of this scorching-hot July sun.

  “Whatcha got there, little man?” I ask him.

  “Dis,” he says, holding up a glow necklace. Sloane bought a big pack of them. Camden and Coral have each had one in their hands all day.

  “Nice.” I hold my hand up for a high-five, and he slaps his tiny palm against mine. “Do you want to wear it?” He nods, and I help him slide it over his head. He giggles and looks down at his chest before giving me a big grin.

  Coral, who is sitting on her dad’s lap, reaches for Camden, and he takes her hand. “Fellas, we might have a match on our hands,” I tell them.

  Reid narrows his eyes at Baker. “Your son better watch himself,” he says, and we all laugh.

  “That would be cool, though, right?” Landry asks, looking down at Alexander, his nephew by blood, not just by choice, who’s staring wide-eyed, taking it all in. “If some of our kids ended up together?”

  “When they’re thirty,” Reid mutters.

  “Come on, Montgomery,” I tease him. “You can’t keep her locked away forever.”

  He sighs, running his hands through his hair. “I know that, but damn, I’m going to have a hard time controlling myself when some young a—arse kid”—he catches himself—“breaks her heart.”

  “We won’t let him,” Landry says. His tone is fierce, and it’s easy to tell that he’s thinking about his unborn child.

  “What about you?” Knox asks. “That smile says things are going well with Eden?”

  “If you classify me finding the love of my life as things going well, then yeah.” I shrug and chuckle because Camden mimics me. This kid is cute as hell.

  “Well, all right, then.” Knox nods.

  “You were right. You can say it,” I tell him with a smirk. “I know you’re thinking it.”

  Knox holds his hands up in the air. “I wasn’t going to say anything. I’m just glad you finally found her.”

  “Does this mean you’re going all in?” Reid asks. “House, kids, wedding rings?”

  “Yeah, I don’t know that it will be in that order, but I’m all in. We’re all in,” I amend, because I need to remind those old insecurities that this time, when I drop to one knee, it will be different. I hope so anyway. Losing Violet was tough. Losing Eden? I wouldn’t come back from that. That’s the difference that Knox was trying to explain to me, and I finally understand. If he needs to gloat, I’ll let it roll off my back. He deserves to. He was right.

  Camden wiggles to get down, so I place him on his feet, and Coral does the same. She toddles after him.

  “Babe, she’s headed your way,” Reid calls out to Bellamy, who’s sitting on the patio with the rest of the wives—well, wives, plus Eden and Amanda. Eden will be my wife soon. I don’t know when I’ll ask her, but I’m going to, and I can’t wait to start this next chapter of our lives together.

  “Fucking stoked for you, man,” Baker says.

  “Thanks. I’m sorry,” I say. “I know I kept a lot of my past from you guys, and it wasn’t because I didn’t trust you. It was that deep-rooted fear of rejection.”

  “You’re one of us,” Reid says.

  I nod. “I know. Thank you for making me a part of this family, even with me being stubborn.”

  “We all have our moments. But at the end of the day, we are a family,” Knox says. “You have the right to hold whatever you want tightly to your chest, but just know, nothing you say can make us kick you out of the circle.”

  “The circle?” I laugh.

  Knox points at Landry, who’s still cuddling his nephew, Alexander. “This one claims we’re a circle,” he says, rolling his eyes.

  “The circle of trust. Come on, you’ve seen that movie, right? The funny one.”

  “We’ve seen it,” Baker says.

  “That’s us. Our family. We might not be blood, but we’re bonded, and we have that trust. Our circle is getting bigger, but we’re the core five,” he says.

  I take a minute to let his words sink in, and the others apparently do, as well, because we’re all silent. “You know, Reynolds, you can be pretty insightful when you want to be.”

  “Shh,” Landry shushes me. “I don’t need that shit getting out.”

  “Hey, little ears,” Knox scolds.

  “He’s four months old. He’s not going to be repeating anything for a while.”

  “Tell that to your sister. If my son’s first word is a curse word, I’m sending her and her rage to your house,” Knox tells him.

  Landry chuckles. “But for real, my past is shitty, losing my parents, just having Corie, and now look at us. We have all of you, and that hits here.” He taps his hand over his chest.

  We all nod because nothing else needs to be said. These four guys, they’re my brothers by choice, and that will never change.

  “Okay, well, I don’t know about you, but it’s time we see what the ladies are up to,” Reid says, standing and heading toward our small group.

  “Ladies,” Reid says, nodding to everyone and making a beeline for Bellamy. She automatically stands and then perches on his lap.

  Knox takes the open seat next to Corie because she steals their son back from him, while Knox digs a bottle out of the diaper bag at her feet. They work together in sync, and it’s obvious they’re a great team.

  Landry scoops Rowan up gently into his arms, placing her on his lap, and wrapping his arms around her waist, while his hands rest over her belly. They’re both grinning with love and excitement about this new chapter of their lives, and I couldn’t be happier for them.

  Reid smiles happily with his wife, and his daughter, Coral, in his arms. She’s resting her head on his shoulder, and her eyes are drooping. The kids have had a big day playing together, and she looks like she could crash at any second. Bellamy reaches over and rubs her hand soothingly down Coral’s back, and her eyes shutter closed.

  “Mommy, no nap,” Camden says, snuggling into Sloane’s chest. He tucks his arms into his chest, and you can see from the flutter of his lashes that he’s fighting sleep, even without his verbal refusal.

  Baker kneels in front of them and brushes Camden’s hair out of his eyes. “You don’t have to nap. Daddy’s going to hold you both,” he tells his son. This is obviously something they do often because Camden nods, and Sloane stands. Baker takes her seat, and she settles onto his lap with Camden, and the three of them snuggle in one little Sinclair family embrace.

  “You plan on sharing that chair, baby?” I ask Eden.

  She smiles up at me. “Only if I don’t have to put her down,” she says, staring at the baby in her arms.

  “I can take her,” Amanda says, nodding to her sleeping daughter that Eden’s holding.

  “Not a chance, Momma. Just relax. You’re raising her all on your own. I can’t imagine breaks coming often with a newborn. Let me help.”

  “Okay.” Amanda nods.

  Eden stands, lets me sit, and then settles onto my lap with baby Mia in her arms. “We need one of these,” I whisper to her.

  “More than one,” she says, and my cock twitches, thinking it’s time to start trying. Eden wiggles, and I slide my arms around her to keep her still. There are kids present, and as much as I adore this woman, they don’t need to see my body’s reaction to her. That’s a behind-closed-doors, or at least just the two of us, kind of event.

  “It’s been hard,” Amanda says, drawing all our attention. “The divorce, starting a family all on my own… But at the same time, she’s saving me. I love her so much,” she says, wiping tears from her eyes. “I might not have given birth to her, but I love her as if I did.”

  “Yeah,” Sloane agrees. “I might know a little something about that.” She kisses Camden’s cheek. I can’t see it, but I know Baker is holding on to her a little tighter.

  “You’re both incredible,” Corie says, wiping at her eyes.

  “You can’t do that,” Sloane says. “I have a rule: My girls can’t cry without me crying with them, and today is a happy day. A good day,” she adds.

  “I know that I’m the odd girl out, but thank you for always including me. Bellamy, you falling in love with Reid turned out to be great for both of us. I don’t know what I would do without all of you. And the gifts you all brought to Mia today are incredible. I feel so broken yet whole at the same time. It’s a weird place to be, but I need you to know that I appreciate all of you. Thank you,” Amanda says.

  “Damn,” Reid mutters. He stands up from his chair and moves around the table, bending to wrap Amanda in a hug. “Whatever you need,” he whispers, and I’m not gonna lie, the moment has me all up in my feelings. Maybe it’s just me and the fact that I’m no longer hiding; everyone important to me knows me, and that’s freeing.

  You know, changing the play and all that.

  Reid makes his way back to Bellamy, leaning in to kiss her softly, before dropping a kiss to Coral’s cheek. She lifts her head and reaches for him, and he takes her, cuddling her close, and her eyes close again.

  “Camp starts soon,” Landry says, winking at Amanda.

  I watch her as she gives him a grateful smile, wiping at her eyes.

  “Yeah, this one’s never been to a game,” I say.

  “What?” everyone asks.

  Eden laughs. “I know, but the opportunity never came up.”

  “Oh, this is going to be so much fun,” Corie says. “We have so much to teach you.”

  “Do you know anything about football?” Bellamy asks.

  “I know that the guys play.” Eden chuckles.

  “My dad’s the coach,” Bellamy tells her.

  “Right, yes, I knew that, too.”

  “We need a shopping day,” Rowan announces. “You need some Vaughn gear, and just Rampage gear in general.”

  “I’ll handle that,” I speak up.

  “Oh, sure you can, but we’re still going shopping,” Rowan assures me.

  “Yeah, that sounds like fun,” Eden says.

  I know she’s worried about the money. She’s going to be shopping with ladies who don’t have a budget. Technically, she doesn’t either, if she’d just take my damn card. She and I talked to her boss, and as long as I’m happy with her performance, there is no clause saying an employee of Dust ‘N Shine can’t date a client of the company. Apparently, the owner met his wife that way, and he claims he’s not one to stand in the way of love.

  Eventually, I’d love for her to decide whether she loves the job or if there is a career path she would have pursued if she’d had the opportunity. I don’t care what she does. Hell, I’d be okay with her not working at all and staying home to raise our kids. We both feel strongly about our kids knowing how much they are wanted and loved, and if that’s what she decides, that’s fine. I don’t care what she does—works, stays at home, whatever, just as long as she’s happy.

  The conversation turns back to the season and everything the ladies need to teach Eden. The day is full of laughter, love, and hope. So much hope for what’s yet to come for all of us.

  It’s been a long time since my life outside of football has taken precedence. That’s all about to change. I fell in love with an amazing woman, and we’re about to start the next chapter of our lives together. She just doesn’t know it yet.

  A few hours later, the sun has set, the kids are inside sleeping, and the adults are enjoying each other’s company. We’re all winding down, and I’ve thought about heading home more than once in the last hour, but I remain seated, with Eden on my lap.