Chapter 18
STONE
Ican’t stop watching her.
The party’s been going for a couple of hours now, and somewhere along the way Josie slipped out of my orbit and into everyone else’s.
Josie a natural hostess—chatting with Kya by the drinks table, laughing with Maggie, letting Ginger rope her into a conversation that involves a lot of hand gestures and knowing looks.
Mine.
“You’re staring, Prez.”
I don’t bother turning. “Mind your business, Hawk.”
“Your business is my business. That’s literally my job.” He comes to stand beside me, following my gaze. “She fits.”
“Yeah.”
“Took you long enough to figure it out.”
“Hawk—”
“Just saying.” He holds up his hands. “We’ve all been waiting for you to pull your head out of your ass. Glad it finally happened.”
Before I can respond, my phone buzzes. Club business that needs handling—something about the security rotation for tomorrow’s rally. I sigh.
“Go,” Hawk says. “I’ll keep an eye on things here.”
I find Josie first, pulling her aside.
“I need to handle some shit. Twenty minutes, maybe thirty.”
I wait for the disappointment. The frustration. The argument about priorities that I got every time the club pulled me away from family time.
Instead, Josie just rises on her toes and kisses my cheek.
“Go. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“You’re not upset?”
“Stone.” She cups my face in her hands. “This is who you are. The club needs you. Go handle it.”
She says it so simply, like it’s obvious. Like she’s not asking me to choose, because there’s no choice to be made—just a life to be lived, together, with all its complications.
God, I love this woman.
I kiss her properly—deep enough to earn a few whistles from nearby brothers—and force myself to walk away.
The security issue takes longer than expected.
By the time I get back to the party, the moon has risen and the string lights have taken over, casting everything in a warm gold. I scan the crowd for Josie, expecting to find her waiting for me, maybe looking a little bored.
She’s not waiting.
She’s in the middle of a poker game with Ginger, Andi, and Maggie, and from the pile of chips in front of her, she’s winning. She throws her head back laughing at Ginger, completely at ease, completely happy.
She didn’t need me to have a good time.
The realization hits me like a punch to the chest—but not in a bad way. She’s built her own place here, made her own connections, found her own joy.
And she’s still going to be in my bed tonight.
She’s the one.
I’ve known it for a while, but watching her now—laughing with my family, fitting seamlessly into my world—the certainty crystallizes into something unshakeable.
I’m going to marry this woman.
I tuck the thought away for later and head toward the back porch, giving her space to finish her game. That’s when I find Lily.
She’s sitting alone on the back steps, clutching Mr. Flopsy, her little face pinched with worry.
“Hey, kid.” I lower myself to sit beside her, joints protesting. “Aren’t you meant to be in bed?”
She shrugs, cuddling Mr. Flopsy close.
“Party too loud?”
She frowns, her mouth turning into a cute little pout. “Mr. Flopsy doesn’t like crowds. Too many people make him nervous.”
Sure, Mr. Flopsy doesn’t like it.
“Yeah? What helps him feel better?”
She thinks about it, her brow furrowing with the seriousness of the question. “Knowing where Bel is. And quiet. And...” She looks up at me with those big eyes. “Knowing the loud people aren’t mad-loud. Just happy-loud.”
Fuck, that hurts to hear.
“They’re happy-loud,” I tell her gently. “Everyone here is happy. And safe. No one’s going to hurt you or Mr. Flopsy. Not ever again.”
She stares at me, her little face pinched.
“I promise.”
She studies me for a long moment, weighing my words with a gravity no six-year-old should possess. Then, slowly, she leans against my arm—just slightly, just testing.
I don’t move away.
She settles in a little more.
We sit there together in silence, watching the party from our quiet corner. I think about what it means to make promises to a child like this. What it means to be the kind of man who can keep them.
“Is this our home now?” Lily asks quietly.
I look at her—this tiny, fierce survivor who’s been through more than any child should—and I know there’s only one answer.
“Yeah, Lily. For as long as you and Isabel need.”
She nods, satisfied, and goes back to watching the party. A few minutes later, Isabel skids out the door, looking frantic until she spots her sister.
“Lily! There you are!” She stalks over to us. “You’re meant to be in bed. You scared me.”
“Mr. Flopsy wanted to watch the party.”
Isabel meets my eyes over her sister’s head. An understanding passes between us. A shared recognition of what it means to protect the people you love.
“Thank you,” she says quietly.
“Anytime.”
She scoops up Lily and heads inside, and I’m left alone on the steps, thinking about family. About the ones you’re born into and the ones you build.
Josie finds me a few minutes later, dropping onto the step beside me.
“Andi cheats at poker,” she announces. “I’m almost certain of it.”
“Oh, she definitely cheats at poker. Hawk taught her.”
“And you didn’t warn me?”
“Thought you could handle it.” I pull her against my side. “Looks like I was right.”
She hums contentedly, leaning into me. “How was the club business?”
“Handled.”
“And the mysterious conversation with Lily?”
“Also handled.” I press a kiss to her hair. “You fit, you know. With all of us.”
“I know.” She sounds almost surprised by her own certainty.
“Good.” I tighten my arm around her.
We sit there as the party winds down around us—watching, listening, being part of something bigger than ourselves.
Tomorrow, everything changes. The rally. The FBI raid. The end of Summit.
But tonight, there’s just this, her warmth against my side, and the sound of my family laughing.