“It never should’ve rocked my faith in you.”

  “It’s all good, babe. I swear. I get it.”

  “Scott was released from jail last night, and he texted us, swearing again he had nothing to do with Skylar’s disappearance, and if it takes the rest of his life, he’s going to prove that to everyone. He said the new so-called evidence is bullshit, and even the judge said so when he refused to hold him.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I want to believe him. I’ve talked about it with Julia and Ali, and we’ve decided to trust him until we have reason to believe otherwise.”

  “That sounds like a good plan.”

  “I want to tell you something else.”

  “I want to hear anything you have to say.”

  “I’ve come to realize that you were right. Jared was intended to show me what I don’t want. Without him, I might not have taken one look at you and seen everything I do want. Although I have to give him credit for sending me a check for ten thousand dollars to pay off the dress I bought and to reimburse my bridesmaids for their dresses, the shower and the bachelorette party. It was a huge load off my mind to be able to pay them back for all that. He also included a note saying he was sorry for everything he put me through.”

  “Well, that’s something anyway, and for what it’s worth, I think we would’ve found our way to each other without you going through hell with him.”

  “I’d like to think so, but that relationship reset me in a way that needed to happen before I’d be ready for something like this. Before I was ready for you.”

  “And do you feel ready now? Really ready? Because if you aren’t, I’m not going anywhere, Gianna. I’m in this for the long haul.”

  “I am, too, or I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have said yes when you asked me to marry you.”

  We kiss for what feels like hours.

  “How about a shower before we rejoin the party?” he asks.

  “Yes, please.”

  The shower leads to round two of the best makeup sex ever.

  “We’re supposed to be getting clean,” I remind him as he presses me against the tile wall.

  “We will. After.”

  “I’ve never done this in the shower,” I tell him.

  “We’ll do everything for the first time together.”

  “I think we’d better get back to the wedding before we start a scandal.”

  “Oh, baby, the scandal started five minutes after we left. Why not fully enjoy it?”

  “I’ve also never laughed like I do with you.”

  He holds me so close that I can feel his heart beating against my chest. “I love you so, so, so much. We’re going to have the best life together.”

  “I can’t wait for all of it.”

  We wash each other and nearly end up doing it again before I push him away and tell him to get dressed.

  “You’re staying here tonight, right?”

  “If you’ll have me.”

  “Oh, I’ll have you.”

  “Milo.”

  “What, love?”

  “We can’t tell anyone we’re engaged. Not today. This is Sofia and Nico’s big day.”

  “I agree, but tomorrow… Tomorrow, we’ll tell everyone.”

  * * *

  NONA

  After Nico and Sofia leave for the hotel they had booked for tonight, thinking that would be their honeymoon, the rest of us sit around the firepit. My sons Vincent and Lorenzo, with their wonderful wives, Vivian and Elena, my daughter, Francesca, and her husband, Domenic Senior, as well as their son, Domenic, and his new wife, Stacey, have all stayed to spend more time together. Stacey seems very nice, and I’m looking forward to getting to know her.

  Our Domenic surprised us all by marrying a woman we didn’t know, but he seems happy, and that’s all that matters to me. His mother, on the other hand, is demanding he have a wedding she can attend. I can’t say I blame her for wanting to dance at her eldest son’s wedding. I’m sure he’ll agree to the fuss because he’s a good boy who’d never want his mother to be disappointed.

  They’re all good kids. We’ve been blessed beyond measure, and it just keeps getting better as new people join the family and bless us with more great-grandbabies on the way.

  “What’re you thinking about over there?” Marlene asks.

  “About life and family and how blessed we are.”

  “Indeed we are. It was wonderful to see our Nico smiling again, like he used to before disaster struck.”

  “I thought the same thing.” Though Nico isn’t technically Marlene’s grandson, you can’t tell her that—and I wouldn’t want to. She and I have shared everything, including our grandchildren, since her Vivian met my Vincent more than thirty years ago. That we also fight like wet cats is part of our charm, or so we like to say.

  There’s no one I’d rather bicker with than her. She’s my best friend in the world, and she knows that as well as I do.

  “I wanted to arrange it so you’d catch the bouquet,” I tell her.

  “Don’t be silly. That needed to go to Dee, not an old fool like me.”

  “You aren’t calling my fiancée an old fool, are you?” Alfredo asks.

  “We’re all old fools, and you know it,” she says.

  “Not me,” my “boyfriend,” Chris, says, making the rest of us laugh. “I’m only sixty-one.”

  I give him my trademarked testy look. “And you just have to keep reminding us of that, don’t you?”

  “I’m just saying. You may be old fools, but I’m not.”

  “I like him so much,” Marlene says, with a wicked twinkle in her eye.

  “You would,” I retort.

  I love to see Gianna sitting on Milo’s lap and Dee on Wyatt’s. Carmen and Jason left a while ago to get her home to rest, and the other wedding guests are long gone.

  “What a day,” Elena says with a sigh. “I’m so happy for Nico and Sofia—and Mateo.”

  “It was nice to see Nico more like his old self today,” Lo says. “That’s a big relief.”

  “Everything is finally getting back to normal,” Elena says. “Thank goodness.”

  Her battle with breast cancer is now behind her, with her latest scans showing no evidence of disease. Milo has made a full recovery, and if I’m not mistaken, he’ll be getting married before much longer. I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he does Gianna, and I’m so glad she came today and put the smile back on our Milo’s face.

  After coming so close to losing him, seeing him beaming with happiness and good health is all that matters to me. I love that boy with all my heart, and I’m thrilled he’s found a woman who makes him as happy as Gianna does.

  “I’d like to propose a toast.” After the others fall silent, I hold up my glass of wine. “To family, to love, to happily ever after, to Miami, and to all good things ahead for everyone.”

  “Hear, hear,” they say. “Hear, hear.”

  * * *

  CARMEN

  “Jason! Come quick.”

  He rushes into our room from the living room. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?” He’s hardly left my side since I came out of surgery, down one appendix.

  “No, come here.”

  When he’s seated on the side of the bed, I take his hand and put it over my belly where I felt the first flutter of activity inside a few minutes ago. “Can you feel it?”

  “What am I feeling?”

  “The baby. I think I felt her move.”

  “Might’ve been gas.”

  “Hush! It was not gas.”

  His smile is one of my favorite things in the whole world. And then he gasps. “I felt it!”

  “It’s so amazing, isn’t it? That’s our baby.”

  “Wow.”

  We’re quiet for a long time as we feel her movements, which send ripples across my abdomen.

  “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever felt,” Jason says, seeming as awed as I feel.

  “I’m so thankful she’s still in there.”

  “Me, too. How much longer do we have to wait for her?”

  “You’re the doctor. You tell me.”

  “About twenty more weeks.” While I was in the hospital, we found out I’m further along than we first thought and that we’re having a girl.

  “It’ll go by fast.”

  He kisses me and leans his forehead against mine. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  * * *

  MARIA

  “Are they finally asleep?” I ask Austin when he comes into the bedroom almost an hour after he went to tuck in Everly and Mateo.

  “I think so.”

  “Thank you for taking one for the team.”

  “I’m nothing if not a team player. I can’t believe you’re still awake.”

  “I was waiting for you.”

  He crawls into bed and wraps his arms around me. “Here I am.”

  “That’s what I needed.” I run my hand over the colorful ink on his arm, marveling as always at the intricacy of his drawings.

  “I love being what my baby needs.”

  “You’re very good at it.”

  “Why, thank you.”

  “Today was such a great day. Nico and Sofia are so perfect for each other, and Gianna came back. I bet we’ll be dancing at their wedding before long.”

  “I was so happy to see her.”

  “Nico went to her house to invite her.”

  “Did he? That’s awesome.”

  “He wanted Milo to be as happy as he is.”

  “Have I told you lately how much I love your family?” he asks.

  “I’m so glad you do. I love yours, too.”

  “Nice how that worked out, huh?”

  “So nice. All of it.”

  “Thank you for saving my Everly’s life—and mine.”

  “That was my pleasure.” I caress his sinfully handsome face. “I love everything about our life together.”

  “Even when I’m traveling with the team for months on end?”

  “Even that, because you’re doing what you love and what you’re best at.”

  “That’s not what I’m best at. I’m at my very best when I’m right here with you and our family.”

  “You do good work here. I still can’t believe that the hottest baseball player on the planet is my husband.”

  “Believe it. And I still can’t believe the hottest nurse in the history of hot nurses is my wife and the mother of my children—officially.” My adoption of Everly was final a month ago on one of the best days of my life.

  He makes me giggle whenever he says I’m the hottest nurse in the history of hot nurses. For his birthday, I bought a naughty-nurse outfit that blew his mind.

  “Are you thinking about the naughty-nurse getup? Because you’re not allowed to think about that unless you’re going to put it on.”

  “That’s too much work tonight, but I am feeling a little… needy.”

  “God, I love pregnant Maria, even more than I love not-pregnant Maria.”

  “Don’t get used to her. Horny, pregnant Maria is temporary.”

  As he moves so he’s on top of me, he says, “I’ll just have to keep her around by getting you pregnant as much as possible.”

  “Easy, cowboy. But if you could take the edge off, I’d appreciate it.”

  He gazes down at me with so much love. Our life together is a dream come true, and it’s all because of him and the way he loves me so completely. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than take the edge off for my gorgeous wife.”

  * * *

  DEE

  After we get home from the wedding, I want Wyatt to go straight to bed since he’s still recovering from pneumonia, but he has other ideas.

  “Let’s play foosball.”

  “I don’t want to. You need rest.”

  “I’m not tired. Let’s play.”

  “Why do you want to play with me when you can beat me with your eyes closed?”

  “Because there’s no one else I’d rather play with than you.”

  “Even though I’m easy to beat?”

  “You’re getting better all the time. Pretty soon, you’re gonna beat me.”

  “Sure.”

  “You are.”

  “Okay, then. Two games, and then you go to bed.”

  “Deal.”

  We go outside to the pool area that we’ve turned into a peaceful oasis for relaxing and entertaining. Pool and foosball tables are located under an overhang that protects them from South Florida’s frequent rainstorms. Wyatt mounted a TV on the exterior wall of the house for watching Marlins and Dolphins games.

  I love this space and how we’ve made the house our own in the time we’ve lived here together. The months since we bought this place have been the best of my life. Living with him, loving him, planning a future with him… I love everything about us. Except for the fear of losing it all without warning.

  That hangs heavily over me, but we’re starting with a therapist soon who’ll hopefully help me to cope with the unknown. The recent scare still has me rattled and feeling uncertain about the future in a way that I haven’t before now. Yes, I’ve always known his situation is precarious. But until the pneumonia hit, I hadn’t had firsthand experience with how quickly his health can deteriorate.

  I’ll be happy to have no further proof of that until we’re old and gray and cranky. That’s all I want in this life—to grow old with him. And maybe have a few babies together. I’d be all for that, too.

  “That was a hell of a wedding,” he says as he easily scores the first point.

  “Sure was. I never thought I’d see Nico settled down, but Sofia is perfect for him. She gets him.”

  “Yes, she does, and Mateo is adorable. They make a gorgeous family.”

  “Sofia told me she’s pregnant. That’s why they got married so quickly.”

  “That’s exciting news. Your family is having a massive baby boom.”

  “We are.”

  “When are we going to tie the knot and add to the population?”

  “Whenever you want.”

  “I’ve been ready since the day I asked you. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me when.”

  I look up at him, and he takes advantage of my distraction to score another point. Scowling at him, I say, “That was dirty.”

  Grinning, he replies, “All’s fair in love and foosball. So when do you want to get married?”

  “I told you—whenever you want.”

  He shakes his head. “I’ve never been married before—that I know of—but even an inexperienced guy like me knows who drives the wedding bus—and it ain’t the groom.”

  “That you know of,” I say with a snort of laughter. “I think you’d remember if you’d been married before.”

  He scores another point. “I hope so.”

  “Speaking of married, guess who else tied the knot today?”

  “Who?”

  “Marcus and Tara. I got a text from a mutual friend, asking if I’d heard. And before you ask, I’m happy for them. He’s doing really well, and she seems great for him.”

  “No residual feelings for your old love?”

  I look up at him to see if he’s serious, and he scores again.

  “I hate this game.”

  “But you love me, right?”

  “Most of the time.”

  That shocks him, giving me a chance to score.

  “And you say I’m dirty.”

  “All’s fair,” I reply with a cheeky grin. “Suddenly, I’m liking this game better, and to answer your question, I feel nothing for him except distant friendship and a hope that he continues to stay sober and finds happiness with Tara. But enough about him.”

  “About our wedding, and if you keep dodging the question, I’m going to think you don’t want to marry me anymore.”

  My shock at hearing that allows him to score another point. “I quit.” I walk away from the table and go to pour a glass of the Chardonnay he keeps chilling for me in the little fridge under the bar. When I’m seated on the wicker sofa we picked out together, he sits next to me.

  “What’s going on, Delores?”

  He calls me that only at the most important of times, usually when he’s buried deep inside me and is confident I won’t get mad. “Do you still want to marry me?”

  “I can’t believe you’d even ask me that.”

  “Then what’s the problem, sweetheart? And don’t say it’s nothing. You’ve been as fragile as an eggshell since I got sick. I’m sorry I scared you, but I’m all better now, and there’s nothing to worry about.”

  There’s always something to worry about, but I keep that thought to myself. I promised him I could live with the uncertainty of his situation, and I’m determined to keep that promise. But recent events have rattled me. I can’t deny that.

  “Let’s get married in September,” I say.

  “Yeah?”

  I nod. “It’s cooler then, and we can do it outside.”

  “Tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.” He kisses the back of my hand before leaning in to kiss my lips. “Everything is going to be okay. I swear.”

  Living with his situation is more difficult than I thought it would be, but since living without him isn’t an option, I kiss him back, thankful for every minute I have with him.

  * * *

  NICO

  “I can’t believe we’re married,” I say to my beautiful bride.

  “I know! Today felt like such a dream come true.”

  Her English has gotten so much better that it’s almost like she’s been speaking it all her life. She’s worked so hard on perfecting it that I love seeing her becoming so smooth.

  “Well, you can believe it, love. There’s no getting rid of me now.”

  She raises her head off my chest. “Why would I want to get rid of you?”

  “I’m not always easy to live with.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Don’t argue with me. I know you better than anyone.”

  “I love that you know me so well.”