Epilogue #2
Colton sealed the deal, placing his mouth on mine with a kiss that put all others to shame.
I loved this man with every fiber of my being. Our life was so damn perfect. He was getting better at delegating lab work thanks to the systems I'd put in place, so I had him more to myself. Now we lived together and were engaged.
A sound pierced the air, breaking the magic.
I stepped back, glancing at the puppy. Colton had put her down and she’d walked to the far edge of the island, and now she was looking down, clearly afraid of what was below her.
Colton scooped her up with one hand, easily bringing her to us.
The puppy lifted her paw, aiming it at me.
"She likes you more than me already," Colton said. Then, to my surprise, he pressed her tiny head to his cheek.
Oh, this is so adorable.
Holding the puppy in one arm, he pulled me close with the other and kissed me yet again.
This time, it was even better. I rose on my toes, putting my arms around his neck.
He kissed me until my legs shook. I pressed them together, feeling heat pool between my thighs.
And then I felt something fluffy push between us.
I stepped back yet again, laughing. The puppy was wedging her head between us, clearly needing attention.
Colton chuckled. "I figured we’d all need time to adjust to one another," he said, looking directly at the puppy, "but I didn't imagine you’d be a cockblocker from day one."
I burst out laughing, covering the puppy's ears. "Hey, don't tell her that. She'll believe you."
"I wasn’t joking."
"Don't listen to him, little puppy. We love you already."
He snorted. “I’d love her even more if she hadn’t interrupted my speech.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You were kissing me.”
“I was getting to the important part. This is the best day of my life, Zoey. And I look forward to spending every single day of my life with you," he said.
I smiled, sighing. "I'm going to make you the happiest man on earth. I promise you."
The puppy wailed again, and I laughed, looking down at her. "I didn't want to agree with Colton, but you don't have great timing, do you? But we love you anyway. Can we call her Liv? I’ve always liked that name.”
“Sure.”
We spent the rest of the day in bed and taking care of Liv. In the evening, we went to Jeannie and Abe's house. They were heading to Martha's Vineyard for a month so she could relax a bit.
Jeannie greeted us at the door. "Oh, come in. I'm so glad you made it. Congratulations on your engagement! And you brought Liv with you."
We'd FaceTimed before coming over, just to make sure it was okay, and Jeannie instantly noticed the ring.
She smiled at Colton. "You're going to make this woman so happy."
My heart sighed. I completely agreed with her.
"But don't think I'm off your back about those great-grandkids," she continued.
Colton put his arm around my shoulders. "Grandmother, give it a rest."
"Fine, fine. You’re off the hook for now."
"Thank you. How gracious of you," he said in a sarcastic tone.
Everyone arrived in the next five minutes or so, and they all oohed and aahed over the puppy and my ring. I was a bit on edge because even though Colton had assured me she was potty-trained, I didn't want her to have an accident in Jeannie's house.
The food arrived twenty minutes later. We'd all reached a compromise.
The boys were uncomfortable letting Jeannie cook for so many people, and she wasn't a fan of catering, so we'd decided to order in.
There was a flurry of activity in the dining room as we all went to grab plates and put all the food containers on the table.
"Hmm," Jeannie said, surveying the order.
We'd gotten a bit of everything: Chinese, Italian, Mexican, even a few burgers.
"Hey, this is actually a great idea," Gabe said as we all sat down. He'd already filled his plate to the brim with something of everything. "This way we can eat a ton of stuff instead of just—"
Jeannie cleared her throat.
"Man, you trying to dig your own grave or something?" Maddox asked.
Gabe shrugged. "Sorry, Grandmother. I love your cooking. Didn't mean any offense."
"Relax," she said.
"You know the best part of you leaving for a month, Gran?" Nick asked.
Jeannie narrowed her eyes. "What's that?"
"We don’t have to worry about any matchmaking plans while you’re gone."
She started laughing. "I had a feeling that's where you were going.”
Colton tilted closer to me, whispering in my ear, “Watch a master at work.”
"Just so you know, I'll have more free time at Martha's Vineyard to think and make plans," Jeannie continued.
It was almost comical how fast Maddox's smile went from smirk to shock. Nick and Leo looked stunned. Gabe seemed to take everything in stride.
"But you three can relax for a bit," she said to my half brothers, then turned to Gabe. "I've got big plans for you once I'm back. I'm going to introduce you to all of my friends' granddaughters."
"Separately or all at once?" Gabe asked with what I thought might be fake bravado.
Everyone at the table started laughing.
Jeannie tsked. "Oh, this isn't a joking matter, young man. Although, if it makes you feel better, then by all means, don't take it seriously. Once I'm back, all bets are off."
"Aren't they always?" Gabe asked. "You know what, Grandmother? I'm looking forward to it."