Epilogue
EPILOGUE
HEATH
One year later . . .
“Was it this loud last year?” Stella asked as we swayed on the dance floor at my parents’ annual Christmas party.
“Yes, but we missed the loud parts.”
“Right.” She gave me a dreamy smile. “Because you were sucking my nipples in the sitting room.”
The couple dancing next to us gave her a sideways look, but Stella was too busy surveying the ballroom to notice.
I pressed a kiss to her temple and spun her in the other direction. She blamed me for her embarrassing moments, and over the past year, I’d taken the fall many times to keep the smile on her face. But the real culprit behind this curse was Stella’s verbal filter—or lack thereof.
“These guys are the best.” Stella nodded toward the stage. “Good choice.”
“Thanks, baby.”
The live band was rocking The Baxter. Maybe I was biased because Mom had put me in charge of music this year, but I saw more people dancing than in years past.
For the first time, my parents had relinquished some control over this annual Holiday event and had enlisted their sons to help.
I’d been in charge of music. Tobias had been assigned decorations. And Maddox had volunteered for food and drinks. His daughter’s sweet tooth would not go unsatisfied tonight because the dessert table was twice as long as usual.
“Oh, no,” Stella groaned.
“What?”
“Joe Jensen is coming this way.” She put on a fake smile, pretending to be glad to see him. “Hey, Joe.”
“Hi, Stella.” He stopped close enough that it forced us to stop dancing. “Say... I was thinking about the kitchen earlier and before I forget, I’d like to change the design.”
She tensed but that smile never faltered. “Okay. What are you thinking?”
“Can we make room for a subzero fridge and a professional-grade range?”
Joe had just told her last week that he didn’t cook much. But my beautiful wife didn’t throw that in his face. She simply nodded. “You got it. I’ll work up the numbers for you next week.”
“You’re the best. Heath, she deserves a raise.”
“Noted.” I chuckled, waiting for him to disappear into the crowd before I swept her into my arms again. “You’re going to win the bet, aren’t you?”
“Easily.”
“Damn.”
This summer, we’d made a bet about Joe Jensen’s house and when it would be finished. I’d figured it would be done by New Year’s. She’d promised it would take well into spring. Given his constant change orders and the specialty products he wanted in each room, it was now the longest-running project in Holiday Homes history.
And through it all, Stella had managed it perfectly. Not only had she won Joe over, but she’d won our bet and got to pick our next vacation spot.
“I’m thinking Hawaii,” she said.
“Last time you said Alaska.”
“I changed my mind. I don’t think I’ll be up for hiking this summer.”
“Why not?”
She took a deep breath, then dropped a hand to splay across her belly.
“Wha—” Holy. Shit. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
“Yeah.” The light in her eyes danced.
A rush of fear and anxiety and excitement hit me all at once and I had to stop moving before I tripped over my own damn feet. Was this happening?
“You’re pregnant?”
She giggled. “I’m pregnant.”
My arms snaked around her and I crushed her to my chest. “I love you. Fuck, but I love you.”
“I love you too.” She clung to me as I buried my face in her hair, drawing in that smell and letting it steady me.
My beautiful, amazing wife was having our baby.
“When did you find out?”
“Right before we left the house.”
“That’s why you were in the bathroom so long.”
She nodded. “I would have told you then, but I wanted to be alone.”
This, us on the crowded dance floor, was as alone as we’d been all night .
Guy and Wendy had been at home with us earlier, the women getting ready together. Then we’d all ridden to the hotel in my truck. Stella had been quiet on the drive, but I’d thought it was just because Guy and Wendy had been arguing.
Or . . . debating . They called their arguments debates.
Never in a million years would I have put those two together as a couple. They debated all the time, rarely agreeing on anything. But Guy was nuts over her and the way Wendy looked at him, well... it was the way I’d catch Stella looking at me.
“Are you happy?” she asked.
I nodded, holding her closer. “So happy.”
Next to our wedding day, this was the happiest day of my life.
We’d only been married for a few months, but nothing with Stella had ever felt rushed. She’d always been a part of my life. She’d been that missing piece. When her lease ran out on her apartment this summer, she’d moved in. Two weeks later, I’d proposed. We’d planned a fall wedding and the day she’d walked down the aisle wearing a white lace dress and my diamond on her finger was the day she’d made my whole life.
“You’re going to be the best mom.”
“Stop.” She pinched my ribs. “You’re going to make me cry.”
I leaned away, framing her face in my hands. Then I kissed her like we were home in our bedroom, not surrounded by family and friends. When I broke away, she had a pretty flush to her cheeks. “This is why you didn’t want champagne.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, Heath. Hi, Stella.” Gretchen danced over with her husband. “How are you guys tonight?”
“Good.” I clutched Stella’s hand. “Having fun?”
“It’s always a fun night. ”
“We’re going to grab some dessert,” I lied, taking Stella’s hand in mine and leading her off the floor.
There’d be time to tell friends later. There’d be lots of celebrating. But what I really wanted was a minute alone with my woman. We weaved through the crush, nodding and smiling as people said hello. Then we escaped the ballroom and I pulled her to the same place where we’d started a year ago.
The sitting room was empty. It looked the same as it had last year. The second the door swung closed, I had Stella in my arms again, my mouth sealed over hers.
She gave a little laugh, a breath hitch, then kissed me back. When she wrapped one leg around my hip, I pressed my arousal into her center. My hand cupped her breast and my fingers were tugging at the fabric of her dress when the door flew open.
“Oh, hell,” Guy muttered. “Get a room.”
Stella and I broke apart to see him and Wendy both averting their eyes.
“We did.” I dried my lips and made sure Stella’s dress was covering her nipple.
“Get a room with a locking door,” he said, dragging Wendy out and leaving us alone.
Stella giggled. “We should probably go back.”
“Yeah. But we’re leaving early.”
“We can’t. Remember we promised your mom we’d help clean up.”
I frowned. “I’ll get us out of it.”
“No, don’t. We’ll help. It might even be fun.”
I raised an eyebrow. “It will not be fun.”
“Cleaning can be fun.”
“Baby, I love you, but no. We’re not staying.”
She smiled. “Disagree to agree.”