Epilogue 1
Sol
Four years later
Racing through the crowd, my head goes side to side, searching for my husband.
Taking off my cap, I get on my tiptoes and search for my muscular man.
There he is. His broad back leaned against the trunk of a tree, pushing the stroller back and forth.
Leo and Juliana pick flowers from the ground.
My heart flutters as if it’s the first time. It never gets old.
Juliana hands him a flower. He crouches down, and she slips it behind his ear.
“Pretty,” she screams.
Leo points at his father and laughs. Max’s lips turn into a full-blown, beautiful smile.
“Don’t be mean, Leo. Dadda looks pretty.”
“Gracias, mi vida,” Max says in his husky voice. He’s everything you can hope for in a husband and father. He gives the kids everything he didn’t have.
I whistle. “The prettiest man here.”
His gaze meets mine, and his eyes sparkle like an enchanted forest. “Tesoro,” he says in a breathless whisper.
Damn, he’s hot as fuck. Seriously, I can never take my hands off him.
We decided not to have any more kids until I graduate with my bachelor’s in psychology.
Then we received a call for a foster placement of a newborn.
The day I held her in my arms, I knew she was mine.
Max fell in love instantly. Months later, we adopted her.
My Gracie is six months old. Three months ago, I got off birth control, and I told Max I was ready for us to try for another one.
He’s been on me every chance we get, and of course, I do the same.
Then again, it’s always like that with us.
With kids, we make it work any way we can.
We’ve had plenty of bathroom sex or office sex when I take the kids to their sitter’s house.
The man understood the assignment and knows what he’s doing.
I’m seven weeks pregnant. I haven’t told him yet.
I run to him, throwing myself into his arms, my legs wrapping around his middle. “Congratulations.” His breath pricks at my flesh.
“Thank you.” I kiss his lips. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
He shakes his head.
I press a finger to his lips. “Don’t you dare say it was all me. No, Max, you paid for my schooling. You help with the kids, so I could study and work. You have been my rock, my best friend, my husband. You and the kids have been my reason.”
“I think Dad’s in trouble,” Leo mutters, watching me as my finger is still on Max’s lips, hushing him.
“Oh, yes. Dad’s been a very bad boy,” I tease, and the kids gasp. I wink at Max.
His lips brush the shell of my ear. “You’ll have to show me how bad when we get home.”
“You know I will. I’ll have you on your knees.”
He only laughs, his body shaking mine as he gently settles me on the ground. “I’ll hold you to it.” His hand frames my face. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you, honey.”
A small whimper comes from Gracie. I check on her, but she’s sound asleep, making small, little whimper faces. “She slept through the entire ceremony,” Max says, staring at her.
With the back of my fingers, I brush her soft cheeks. “She sleeps like her father. You’ve been sleeping pretty heavily lately.”
His lips twitch, and he gestures to our little monsters. “Can you blame me?”
“Guess not.” I laugh.
Max runs his fingers through his silk hair.
“Leonardo, get down from that tree… Now.” With his towering height, he helps Leo down.
Leo is the spitting image of Max. I sigh inwardly because Juliana looks just like Max too.
Not joking. She also resembles her grandmother, Marabel.
My husband is insanely good looking. That’s not the problem.
I just hoped our daughter would look like me.
Next one. I touch my belly. They’d better look like their mama.
“What if we added…” I shrug. “Two more to the mix? We are about to make life wild just how we like it.”
His brows hike to his hairline. “What?” He licks his top lip, then grins. “You’re pregnant?” A breathless whisper escapes his handsome face.
“Yes… Ready for another round of twins?”
Max kisses me stupidly, hotly, and full of love and admiration. Our foreheads touch, and my husband frames my face. “I’m ready to do anything with you.” He blows a kiss on my nose. “Didn’t take me long enough to get you pregnant,” he teases.
“Cocky ass.”
The heat in his gaze heats me to my core.
“Grandpa,” Juliana squeals.
She runs to my father-in-law and jumps into his arms. They have their tiny fingers wrapped around their grandpa so tightly that he does anything they ask. Leo follows running to him.
Max takes the bouquet of roses from Hector, then hands them to me. “I left them in the car. Pops went and grabbed them for me. I got them for you.”
My heart explodes with the love and generosity he shows me every day. “Thank you, these are beautiful. You’re too sweet, Max.”
“You’re welcome, and you deserve it.”
“Grandpa, can we spend the night?” Leo asks, hanging on his neck.
“Leo the lion, how about after the party?”
“Party?” I ask.
Max groans. “Thanks, Pops.”
“Ay, perdón.” Hector covers his mouth. “And congratulations.”
“I planned a surprise party for you. Everyone is waiting at home. So just act surprised. This is a good time to put your acting skills to use.”
Excitement and warmth rush to my belly. “Like this.” I put a hand on my chest. “Oh, my gosh, guys.” Then I wipe my crocodile tears. “This is amazing.”
Max shakes his head, laughing. “Maybe add more drama.”
“Noted.” I nod. “Let’s get this party started. I’ll drive us there.”
“No!” they all shout in unison. Even my own kids. Traidores.
Max taps my ass. “I’ll drive us there. Remember, princess treatment.”
My driving has improved, at least that’s what I think.
Princess treatment is what Max gives me every hour of the day.
When I reunited with my relatives, he was there for me, holding my hand the entire time.
Healing is a process. Now, I can say I’m happy and healed.
Two years ago, I asked Max what was in the letter, and he told me.
It didn’t affect me like I thought it would.
I no longer wonder why my adoptive parents did what they did or why.
Some people still call me Rainey. There was a time that the name sat heavy—Rowan and Jenna’s name for me, their reasoning, all of it.
But Max started calling me Rain like it was something good, like rain was something you stood in on purpose.
Now when I hear it, I think of him first. The rest comes after, quieter than it used to be.
Life with Max has been everything I dreamed. I can’t wait to see what our future looks like.