Epilogue
“Scarlet, grab the beach towels, will you?” Jude called as he got out of the SUV. There were still piles of sand on the floor from their last beach day at Iron and Vivienne’s vacation house in Coronado.
“Got ’em, Old Man.” Scarlet grinned at him, and he shook his head and laughed.
Ivy slipped out of the passenger seat, a big cooler in her hands, and waved to Thalia and Jane, who were jogging over to help them unload the car.
Ash and Jess were already there, and Ben bolted over to where they sat under a large beach tent, so Ash didn’t have to feel the sand on the bottom of his feet.
Ben didn’t mind the sand in the least, but he did love Ash.
Ivy picked up little Lily from the back seat and placed her on her hip.
Together the group walked toward the large house that really couldn’t be called a vacation cottage.
“Hey, Uncle Iron,” Scarlet shouted. It was incredible how the girl who once sported a makeshift weapon was now opening to others.
Ivy saw Red and Sully manning the grill, and Tiny the lizard, sunning himself on the deck.
When the reptile noticed Scarlet, it stood up and scrambled across the sand, tail whipping back and forth.
“He knows I brought him some mango. Don’t you, boy?” Scarlet said leaning down to pat the lizard’s head as though it were a puppy.
Ivy just smiled. This had become their monthly tradition.
Iron and Vivienne would come to California for a few days to a week out of each month.
They’d spend time with their friends at their beachfront property.
It turned out that Vivienne was actually wildly wealthy from her previous modeling and influencer endeavors, and she loved nothing more than spoiling her friends and family.
Sometimes, Vivienne’s sister, Hannah, and her family would come out to visit, but the best time had been when the entire Virginia SEAL Team had joined them for a week at the shore.
It had been awesome getting to know the men and women from Virginia, and Ivy couldn’t wait until they came back again.
Jude approached and took the cooler out of Ivy’s hands, then slung his free arm around her shoulders. “Happy, baby?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah.” She smiled up at him.
“Never thought I could be this happy,” Jude admitted. “This life is something I couldn’t have even dreamed of, and I can’t wait for the next chapter.”
They’d just put the down payment on a large home that could accommodate three kids, two adults, a cat, and a dog they’d just been accepted to adopt.
What Ivy didn’t know was that Jude carried a beautiful diamond ring in his pocket and had conspired with the kids to give her a proposal she’d never forget later that night.
Jude stared down at the woman he loved. The woman who brought him so much joy.
Ivy had cracked open his heart and showed him how to feel again.
If someone had told him six months ago that he would be (almost) engaged, a new homeowner, and the legal guardian of three amazing kids that he and Ivy we’re in the process of adopting, he would’ve laughed.
Would’ve said his life could never look anything like that.
Somehow though, that’s exactly what had happened.
Later that evening, as they watched the Coronado fireworks on the beach, Jude planned to ask Ivy to be his.
The kids had made a huge “Will you marry me?” sign.
They were already a family forged by a strong bond, and soon they’d be a family in the eyes of the law, as well.
Jude had found his happiness, and he planned to soak in every second of his new adventure.
The End