Epilogue #2
My heart trips over itself as I take in the serious look on his face. “This summer is like two months away.”
He tips his head back and groans. “Ugh. I don’t think I can wait that long. What about next month?”
I giggle. “You’re ridiculous.”
“No, I’m dying to be your husband, baby girl.”
“Husband,” I whisper. The ache in my chest when I say the word is nothing like the pain that’s plagued me for months. This ache is sweet, addicting. “God, you were barely my boyfriend.”
He smiles. “So what do you say?”
“About?”
He drops his head and sucks a nipple into his mouth.
“Camden,” I whimper, head tipped back.
“Shh, I’m busy.” He swirls his tongue and tilts his hips, grinding against my core.
After the orgasm he’s already given me, my nerve-endings are ready to fire off again, the sensation of his piercings rolling over my sensitive flesh making my eyes roll back.
“Camden, please.”
“Please what?”
“Fuck me. Put a baby in me. Make me yours forever.”
He thrusts inside me in one long stroke, stealing my breath and healing my heart at last, his eyes locked with mine.
“You are mine,” he says as he slides out slowly, only stopping when the ridge at his crown rubs at my entrance. Then he slams back into me.
“Yes.” Gasping, heart pounding, I brace myself, eager for more of him.
The pleasure builds quickly, and when the sensation is nearly too much to bear, I squeeze my eyes shut.
He tuts, landing a swift smack to my ass. “Open those eyes. Give me what I want.”
With a groan, I force myself to focus on his face. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
And for the rest of the night we show one another just how much. We fuck, we laugh, we make love, and we remind one another that this is it. This is the love we’ve always deserved.
I’m finally home.
August
“Don’t we normally turn here?” I ask as Camden passes War’s street.
We’re headed to the Warrens’ for dinner. It’s weird, heading to Josie’s childhood home to hang out with her parents while she isn’t even there. Though it feels more natural every day. Since our engagement, we’ve balanced our time with both Camden’s friends and mine. Separately and together.
I still do girls’ nights with Josie, Sutton, and Addie.
Hope and Winnie have even been coming lately, since Addie and Winnie’s younger twin sisters have been home from college for the summer and they’re more than happy to babysit.
Their presence has only made our girls’ nights more fun.
I really like Hope James, and I’ve always loved Winnie.
They’re both incredible moms, and they’re both doing it on their own.
They’re the only people I know with young kids, aside from JJ, and since Camden and I are doing everything we can to make a baby, I pay attention to all their advice and watch the way they interact with their children.
I’ve even watched Hope’s kids a time or two.
Her four-year-old and two-year-old have the most adorable southern accents, and her eight-month-old may be the cutest baby I’ve ever seen.
Hope herself has a bit of a southern drawl too, and I swear she’s wearing cowboy boots every time I see her. I think I may need my own pair. I swear they go with everything.
“I know where I’m going.” Without looking away from the road, Camden squeezes my thigh.
I sigh. “Can’t tell a man anything.”
He chuckles. “Trust me, baby girl.”
Head tipped back against the seat, I take in the houses as we pass.
“Always. God, I love it out here.” The road is flanked by tall trees with branches so long they reach toward one another over the road, blocking out the sunny day.
We made an offer on a house out here not that long ago.
I absolutely fell in love with it the moment we stepped inside.
It was on the opposite side of War’s pond, on three acres, with an amazing maple tree in the back, complete with a wooden swing hanging from a thick branch.
The place felt more like home than anywhere I’ve ever been.
I cried when our agent called and said we’d been outbid.
We haven’t looked at anything else. I can’t bring myself to.
For now, I’m okay staying where we are. Cora has been staying with us, and I like having her around.
It’s been fun getting to know her, and watching her and Camden always melts my heart.
She means so much to him. So honestly, staying put wouldn’t be terrible. At least for now.
When Camden makes another turn and a flash of familiarity hits me, I frown. “Wait, isn’t this—” The words die on my tongue when we pull up to the house we previously bid on. The one I fell in love with.
There are dozens of cars lining the street, and the lights inside the oversized navy colonial are blazing.
I shift in my seat and study Camden, butterflies fluttering in my belly. “What did you do?”
He smiles. “This is where you and I are going to build a life. Where I’m gonna finally knock you up.
Where we’ll watch our children grow up. We’re going to mark up one of those walls with little lines to commemorate their heights every year, and I’m gonna teach them how to skate out on that pond.
You and me, we’re going to grow old here, baby girl. ”
I laugh through my tears. “You already are old.”
He leans across the car and cups my cheek, swiping at my tears with a thumb. “Brat.”
“We really got it?”
He nods. “I had the realtor call. Told them that we’d pay a hundred grand over the other offer.”
My heart lurches. “Camden.”
“Tell me you’re happy, baby girl. Tell me you love this. Tell me this is where we’ll raise our family.”
“Yes.” Grinning like a fool, I leap across the car and kiss him. “Of course.” I clutch his shirt. “This is really our house?”
He laughs against my mouth as I pepper him with kisses. “Yes, it’s all ours.”
“Who’s inside?”
His eyes dance. “Guess we’ll have to go in and find out.”
“God.” I throw my head back. “You’re the best.”
“I really am.” Laughing, he pushes open the car door and hauls himself out with me still in his arms. As he carries me toward the house, I don’t argue.
I’m too damn excited. Too shocked to ask him to put me down.
Halfway to the front door, it swings open, and Josie and Addie appear, wearing huge smiles. “Surprise!”
As Camden carries me past them, I press my hand to his chest. “I love you. Thank you.”
“Welcome, baby girl.” With one last kiss, he eases me to my feet. “Now go enjoy our welcome home party. Your girls are dying for a tour.”
“Yeah we are!” Josie squeals. “I cannot believe you share a pond with my parents.” Her eyes shine, her smile wide. “I’m trying not to be Jealous Whore Barbie, but I really feel like my mom is stealing my best friend.”
Laughing, I scoop her up in a hug. “No one could ever replace you.”
It’s true. Josie was my first real friend. The person who brought me into this world. It’s because of her that I even met Camden. She took this stray in and gave her a family, and I’ll never forget that.
When we break apart, the other girls are eagerly waiting for their own hugs. One by one, they congratulate us. Their extended families file by too. Everyone we love is here.
Even Addie’s parents are here. Beckett gives Camden some type of man hug, with a lot of grunting and slapping on the backs, and then he pulls me in for a good one too.
“You know,” I say to Camden, “it’s because of a scholarship from Langfield Corp that I was even able to come to Boston in the first place. ”
“Really?” Camden looks between me and his friend.
Beckett smirks. “I remember your submission.”
I jolt backward. “You actually read the submissions?”
Beckett nods. “Every single one. Even shared it with Livy. Remember, babe?” he asks, grabbing her attention.
Liv gives me a kind smile.
“Savannah wrote an essay for the Langfield scholarship several years ago.” He eyes me.
“You wrote about your hope for a fresh start. You were all on your own at eighteen and you were determined to create a life greater than what you had in Vegas. Talked about how your father had abandoned you at a young age. Liv had a similar experience. You had us both in tears.”
Camden shakes his head in wonder. “Wow, so you wouldn’t have moved here if not for Beckett. Guess I should thank you for introducing me to my future wife.”
“Oh god, don’t get him started,” Liv moans.
Beckett chuckles. “I’ve been known to make a match or two.”
“Dad,” Addie groans. She loops her arm through mine and drags me away from her parents.
“Sorry. I’ll be right back,” I call. “Addie,” I hiss, “that was rude.”
She rolls her eyes. “Please, my dad will be talking about his latest match—a.k.a. you and Camden—for the next twenty minutes. I just saved you. And as a thank-you, you can give us the tour.”
As I take my friends from room to room, I fall even deeper in love with the place.
Josie calls dibs on one of the guest bedrooms, and Addie argues that if she’s this close to her parents’ house, she should just stay there. Then Addie claims it for herself. I laugh at them both. The house has seven bedrooms. They can each have one, and we’ll still have plenty of rooms for kids.
When we finish the tour, we return to the kitchen to find everyone around the island, snacking. I sneak in beside Camden and pluck a cracker from a tray on the island. “I really can’t believe this is our house.”
Camden presses a kiss to my forehead and picks up a cracker for himself.
“Speaking of homes,” Addie says, biting her lip.
“Oh, right.” I perk up and swivel toward her. “Are you moving into the Bolts building now that you’re on staff?”
She groans. “Ha. No. Though the hockey boys would probably be easier to keep in line than my new roommates.”
I frown. “Who are your new roommates?”
“That’d be me,” Winnie says as she sidles up next to her sister, grinning.
“Yup, and me,” Hope says, bouncing her daughter on her hip.
I look between the three of them. “What?”
Liv joins us and drapes an arm around her daughters’ shoulders. “Yup. My girls are going to do what my friends and I did.”
“Huh?” I’m so confused.
“My parents are moving out of their house,” Addie explains.
Cam nearly chokes on his cracker. “You’re giving up the brownstone?” he asks Beckett.
“It’s too much space for us,” Liv explains. “The twins have already left for college again, and Winnie doesn’t want to live with her lame ole parents anymore.”
Winnie sighs, her shoulders drooping. “That’s not what I said, Mom.”
“No,” Liv says. “You told me you were going to start looking for a place, but it doesn’t make sense for you and the boys to move out. They’re comfortable in the brownstone. Why disrupt that?”
“It’s settled,” Beckett says, eyeing Addie.
“It’s going to be great,” Liv tells her. “Just you wait and see. And it’ll be good for Vivi.”
“Vivi?” I ask. I’ve met Gavin Langfield’s daughter at a few family events, but I’m not sure what she has to do with Addie’s new living arrangements.
Liv leans in close. “Gavin is losing his mind. Says Vivi is acting out. But between you and me, I think she’s just acting like a typical twenty-one-year-old.
Anyway, she refuses to go back to school for her senior year, and he told her if she isn’t going to finish school, she has to find a job and a place to live. ”
“And I needed someone to help with the kids,” Hope says. “My dad’s launching another whiskey campaign, so it’s all hands on deck at work, and Vivi has agreed to be our live-in nanny.”
Beckett frowns at Gavin, who’s standing across the room with Millie. “It’ll all work out.”
“You’re all moving into the brownstone?” It’ll be interesting to say the least. And I suddenly understand why Addie was so eager to claim a guest room here. It’ll be a zoo over there, between Addie, Winnie, Hope, Vivi, and the five kids.
“Yup,” Addie says with the fakest of smiles.
Hope looks a bit uneasy, and Winnie’s expression when she nods isn’t much more positive.
“I, for one, think it will be great,” I say, keeping my tone light. “Think of all the memories you’ll make.”
Josie snorts. “She didn’t tell you the best part.”
Before my friend can elaborate, JJ steps into the kitchen and strides over to us. “Cam, the house is beautiful. Congrats.” They share a man hug, and then he gives me a side hug. “Savannah, I’m so happy for you both.”
“You heading out?” Camden asks.
With his lips pressed together, he dips his chin. “Have to finish packing.”
“Packing?” I ask.
He looks at Addie, a hint of uncertainty flashing in his eyes, then turns back to us. “Yeah, Ave and I are moving.”
“Oh.” That’s news to me.
And what about Tabitha? Rather than put him on the spot, I give him a smile.
“It’s good to see you. Thanks for coming.”
He nods, then spins to Addie again. “See you at home, Coach.”
My heart leaps into my throat as I watch the two of them eye one another warily. “What?”
Addie’s expression darkens into a glare as JJ disappears. “Oh, did I forget to mention that my father invited JJ and Avery to live with us too?”
Wondering how Addie and JJ will fare in the Brownstone among all of the chaos? Make sure you preorder
Paper Rings now.