Extended Epilogue
PAIGE
The afternoon sun spills golden across the vineyard, warming my skin as I chase after Shawn, Sienna, and Jasper.
Their laughter rings through the rows of trellised vines, high and bright, and I can't help but grin as I dodge Jasper's wild tackle attempt.
He's all gangly limbs and boundless energy, just like his siblings.
"You're gonna have to run faster than that, Mom!" Shawn taunts, darting between the grapevines with Sienna hot on his heels. Their giggles are infectious, and I feign exhaustion, pressing a hand to my chest like I'm winded.
"Oh no, you've got me," I pant, collapsing dramatically onto the grass. The kids pounce, tackling me in a tangle of sticky fingers and grass-stained knees. I wrestle them off, tickling Sienna until she shrieks with laughter, her little legs kicking.
A shadow falls over us, and I glance up to see Paxton standing there, his emerald eyes crinkled at the corners as he watches the chaos.
He's dressed casually today—dark jeans, a fitted black Henley that hugs his broad shoulders, the sleeves pushed up to reveal the tattoos snaking down his forearms. Even after all these years, the sight of him still makes my pulse stutter.
"Dad!" Jasper shouts, launching himself at Paxton's legs. Paxton scoops him up effortlessly, tossing him into the air before catching him with a grin. "You're getting too big for this, kid."
Jasper giggles, squirming in his arms. "Never!"
Paxton sets him down, and the kids scatter again, their laughter fading as they race toward the house. I push myself up, brushing grass from my sundress, and Paxton's gaze locks onto me. There's something in his expression—something warm and possessive—that makes my breath catch.
"What are you looking at?" I murmur, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
He steps closer, his fingers brushing against my waist as he pulls me against him. "Can't help it," he murmurs, his voice low. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
I roll my eyes, but my cheeks heat. "You have to say that. You're my husband."
His thumb traces the curve of my hip, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. "Doesn't make it any less true."
I lean into him, resting my head against his chest. The steady beat of his heart grounds me, and for a moment, I just breathe him in. This is everything I once dreamed of, everything I never believed I deserved.
And then I see it.
Our reflection in the glass door of the patio. He looks amazing while I'm…
My sundress clings to the soft curves of my body, and I can't help but notice the way my hips have widened, the faint silver lines along my stomach from carrying our children. My breath hitches, and I stiffen.
Paxton notices immediately. "What's wrong?"
I hesitate, then gesture vaguely at the glass. "Just… I can't believe you think that's beautiful."
His brow furrows. "What do you mean?"
I swallow hard. "I don't look the same. Not like I used to."
His grip on my waist tightens, his fingers pressing into my skin. "Paige."
I shake my head, suddenly embarrassed. "It's stupid. I know it is. I just?—"
"Look at me."
I force myself to meet his gaze, and the intensity in his eyes steals my breath.
"You carried our children," he says, his voice rough. "You gave me a family. You think I care about stretch marks or a few extra curves?" He leans in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "You're perfect. Every single inch of you."
My throat tightens. "Paxton?—"
"Tonight," he murmurs, his fingers tracing the waistband of my panties beneath my dress, "I'm going to remind you exactly how beautiful you are. Every. Single. Inch."
A shiver runs through me, heat pooling low in my belly. I open my mouth to protest, but the words die on my lips as his mouth crashes onto mine, his kiss hungry and possessive.
When he pulls away, his eyes burn with promise.
"Tonight," he repeats, his voice a dark vow.
And I know, without a doubt, that he'll make good on it.
The house is finally quiet. Shawn's nightlight glows faintly through the cracked door of the nursery, casting long shadows across the hallway as I tiptoe past. Sienna's soft snores drift from her room, and Jasper's favorite stuffed dinosaur lies abandoned on the floor—another casualty of his endless energy.
I pause for a moment, listening to the silence, before slipping into our bedroom.
Paxton is already there, stretched out on the bed in nothing but a pair of low-slung sweatpants. The lamplight caresses the hard lines of his chest, the tattoos that coil around his arms like living things. He doesn't look up from the book in his hands, but the corner of his mouth twitches.
"They didn't want to let you go, huh?" he murmurs.
I kick off my slippers and crawl onto the mattress beside him. The sheets are cool against my skin, but his body radiates heat like a furnace. "Someone had to make sure the kids didn't stage a rebellion."
His fingers brush against my hip as he sets the book aside. "And?"
"And they're asleep." I yawn, stretching my arms above my head. The movement pulls my nightgown taut across my chest, and Paxton's gaze darkens.
"Good." His voice is rough, low. "Because I've been waiting all day to have you to myself."
But I'm exhausted. Between the kids' endless energy, I feel like I'll be asleep before he can take off my clothes.
I roll onto my side, facing him. "What if I'm too tired?"
His hand slides up my thigh, his calloused fingers leaving a trail of fire in their wake. "Then you'll sleep," he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear. "And I'll make sure you enjoy every second of it."
A shiver runs down my spine. I know what that means.
His fingers dip beneath the hem of my nightgown, tracing lazy circles against my skin. "You remember what I promised you earlier?"
I bite my lip, nodding.
"Say it."
My breath hitches. "You said… you'd remind me how beautiful I am."
His thumb brushes over the waistband of my panties, teasing. "That's right." His lips graze my jaw, my neck, his teeth scraping lightly against my pulse point. "Every. Single. Inch."
I whimper as his hand slides higher, his fingers slipping beneath the lace to find me already wet. "Paxton?—"
"Shh." His voice is a growl, a command. "Just close your eyes, sweetheart."
I do.
And as my eyelids grow heavy, as the world fades into darkness, I smile.
Because I know he wasn't just saying those words.