Epilogue
ALEX
Ten years ago, I never would have believed that I’d be spending a sunny afternoon stretched out on the deck of my yacht off the coast of Italy while my wife hunted down our toddler with a juice box. I definitely never would have believed that I’d be this happy about it.
In fact, I was reasonably certain that I would have checked myself into a mental hospital just for trying to imagine that this could be my life. But it was.
The Mediterranean stretched out around us, the azure blue water glittering in the sunshine.
A warm breeze drifted across the deck, carrying the scent of salt and sunscreen on every breath I took.
The entire scene was like something out of a travel brochure, and yet, the view wasn’t even the best part.
The best part was Cam and Jane, my family, both of them giggling with the kind of joy that still astounded me every single day. Honestly, I couldn’t believe people could be this happy, but I knew it was true because I felt it as I watched Cam race across the deck.
“Cameron,” I said to the tiny blur in a life jacket. “Not too far.”
He continued barreling toward the stern, shrieking with laughter as he went. Jane appeared at my side. “Go catch him before he goes over the edge. Or you could take him swimming. That’s what he really wants anyway.”
Cameron looked at us over his shoulder and immediately changed direction, the sudden alteration in course meaning that he was either already guilty of something or about to become guilty. Jane must’ve had the same thought because she narrowed her eyes and started after him.
“What did you do, Cam?”
He laughed and kept running. I sighed and pushed myself up on the deck chair I’d been lounging on. “That’s not a particularly reassuring answer.”
“My thoughts exactly.” She disappeared after him, presumably to grill him over the crime he must’ve committed. My guess was another sweet snuck from the kitchen and added to his stash.
I’d spent most of my adult life assuming satisfaction came only from accomplishment. Happiness hadn’t even been on my radar. My sole focus had been on the company.
To be fair, I hadn’t exactly been unhappy. I’d just always been moving toward the next acquisition or into another negotiation.
These days, I managed to balance that with time spent at home, but the company wasn’t everything anymore. Jane and Cam were everything, the family immediately after them, and the company coming in at a distant third.
For the last few years, getting my siblings married off had felt like a second full-time job, taking even more of my attention from my actual work. Charlotte’s union with Trent had been by far the smoothest, while our brothers had given me incessant headaches when their turns had come.
In the process, I’d earned myself a startling number of threats, insults, and accusations of being a tyrant. Some of those accusations had been valid, though. I could admit, at times, I had gotten a little sucked into the details, the bigger picture blurring at the edges.
Thankfully, it had all worked out in the end—even if a few of my brothers had truly hated me for a while there.
Jane’s laughter drifted from somewhere inside the cabin, a delighted shriek coming from Cameron seconds before a loud crash. I bolted upright in the resulting silence, scrambling to my feet just as Jane called out.
“We’re fine!”
I relaxed again. “What happened?”
She walked out with Cameron hot on her heels, both of them grinning as she came over and settled on the wide lounge chair with me. “We had a minor mishap while I was changing him into his trunks. He might’ve knocked your laptop off the desk, but it’s fine.”
Cameron beamed as he climbed into my lap. “You’re not working.”
I wrapped an arm around him and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “No, buddy. I’m not working, but you didn’t have to sabotage my laptop. I promise, I’m all yours for the next month.”
He clapped his hands and settled at my side, resting his head on my chest. Jane reached for her drink and took a sip before stretching her legs out and tilting her face toward the sun.
“Nate, Kate, and Emma have landed. They texted to let me know that they’ll meet us at the marina in Rome when we dock tomorrow. ”
“I still can’t believe Nate is actually taking a vacation.”
She chuckled, nodding without opening her eyes. “Kate physically searched his luggage and he hasn’t even packed a laptop. Unlike you, I might add.”
I groaned. “I need to be able to get online if there’s an issue. You know this. It’s the first time since I took over that neither Nate or I are going to be at the office. I still think it’s a recipe for disaster.”
She reached out and took my hand, lacing our fingers together before she squeezed it. “When was the last time your family took a vacation together, hmm? You deserve it and so do the kids. The company will be fine.”
My heart tripped over itself, but what was done was done. Since Theo was engaged now, Jane insisted this was a celebration of the end of my matchmaking responsibilities.
I was on cloud nine, more relaxed than I’d ever been now that I was officially off the hook. Jane was ecstatic too, but if I was being honest, I’d kind of enjoyed playing matchmaker. Even if a few of my brothers had ended up choosing for themselves in the end.
She shifted beside me, cracking open one eye to look at me. “What are you thinking about?”
“How do you know I was thinking about anything?” I asked quietly, glancing down at Cam, who was right on the verge of falling asleep with his head on my chest. “Maybe I was just zoning out.”
“Nope. You were making those little sounds you make whenever you’re trying to solve a dilemma in your head.”
“There’s no dilemma.”
“There better not be,” she grumbled, then opened her other eye too, her fingers tightening where they were still holding mine. “What’s going on in that big brain of yours, my love? You seriously shouldn’t be thinking about work.”
“I’m not.” I considered lying about what I’d really been thinking about but quickly decided against it. Jane knew me so well that she could practically read my mind, and besides, we’d always made a point of being honest with each other. “I was thinking about your brothers.”
She sat up and turned to face me, her eyes widening as she held my gaze. “Oh no.”
“Oh, yes,” I said, ignoring the warning in her tone. “Do you think any of them are interested in strategic marriage alliances? There are a few significant families who have reached out to me and I think?—”
“Alex, no.” She gave me a look that suggested she was about to throw me overboard. “Stop it.”
“What?” I asked mildly.
“You are on vacation,” she said, exasperation dripping from her tone. “You’re not supposed to be mentally arranging marriages while physically on a boat in Italy. For once in your life, could you just relax?”
“I am relaxed,” I countered. “Besides, I’m not arranging anything yet. I’m just assessing potential compatibility.”
Jane inhaled a deep breath, her eyes sliding shut like she was silently counting to ten. “My brothers are not part of the empire you’re trying to build.”
“No, but they could be.” I used my grip on her hand and tugged her closer to press a kiss to her sun-warmed forehead. “I love the way you still look at me like I’m capable of taking over the world and completely crazy at the same time.”
“Does that mean you’ll give it a rest?” she asked, smiling as she brought her eyes up to mine. “Promise me that the only thing you’ll think about for the rest of the month is which drink you’re having next.”
“Fine,” I said. “No more matchmaking for the rest of the trip. Unless someone expresses interest.”
Jane flopped back down on her chair and shook her head. “God, you desperately need a hobby.”
“I have hobbies.” I tried to think of one to mention, but nothing came to mind immediately. “Work, for example.”
“Work is not a hobby.” She let out a long sigh. “Maybe it’s time you worry about something else for a change.”
“I already worry about everything else,” I said lightly. “I’m an extremely balanced worrier.”
Cam shifted in my arms, fast asleep now, and I instinctively tightened my hold on him to stop him from flipping himself off the chair. Jane noticed, smiling softly as she watched us together.
As soon as I saw tears welling on her eyelids, I frowned. “Jane? What’s wrong? What just happened?”
She hesitated for half a second before she sighed and her gaze locked on mine. “I’m pregnant.”
For a moment, I genuinely thought I’d misheard. “Can you repeat that?”
Her smile widened, a single tear now clinging to the very corner of one eye. “I’m pregnant, Alex.”
“You’re…” My voice gave up as I stared at her, blinking too fast and incapable of saying another word for several long seconds. We’d been talking about it for a while. Trying. But I’d honestly thought that maybe Cam had been a miracle baby. “Are you serious?”
She smiled. “I wouldn’t joke about something like this.”
A disbelieving, joyful, almost overwhelmed laugh escaped me as I reached for her again, pulling her closer until she was tucked against my side. Cam stirred but didn’t wake. I pressed my lips to her temple and closed my eyes, my heart suddenly galloping.
“God, I love you,” I murmured. “When did you find out?”
“Last night.” She turned her head into me. Her eyes closed as she rested her nose along the length of mine. “I thought about telling you before I took the test, but I wanted to be sure.”
I slid the arm not holding Cameron around her hips, lifting my chin to bring my lips to hers. Our mouths met in a slow, grateful, maybe slightly incredulous kiss while the sun dipped lower, giving the air a magical, golden quality that perfectly matched what I was feeling right now.
Once Cameron woke up from was bound to be a brief nap, he was absolutely going to insist on going for that swim I owed him, but right now, Jane and I had this moment all to ourselves.
Just a few quiet minutes to absorb the fact that our little family was about to expand, our lives about to change again.
In the best possible way.
Relief spiraled through me, tangling with the joy, gratitude, and deep sense of peace settling into my heart. I’d seriously never thought life could be this good, and now, somehow, it was about to get even better.