Page 99 of Whatever You Want

“Really?” Amelia came up behind me. “Is this what you do when you’re home watching Gia all day while I’m at the office?”

“C’mon.” He took a sip of his beer and shot her that grin that usually got him out of trouble. “You’re making me look bad. You know how hard I work during the day while you’re off being a badass, running your own company.”

Marco recently resigned from the police force so he could stay home with Gia. He wanted Amelia to focus on her career, and it wasn’t like they needed the extra income. Amelia came from money, so they could be flexible with certain things. He still worked part-time doing private security, but at his own pace. The unconventional arrangement worked for them, and I had to admit, Marco was a really good dad.

“Whatever. It’s obvious you’re deflecting.” She glanced over at the heaping pile of chips in front of Emery. “Apparently, I’m in the wrong profession.” Her attention turned to Quinn. “Does your wife know your daughter is a card shark?”

He swung his arm along the back of her chair. “You know what they say. What happens at the poker table, stays at the poker table. Isn’t that right, peanut?” He slanted his head to the side and winked at Emery.

“Dad said I’m his lucky charm and whatever we win, we’ll split fifty-fifty.”

“Aren’t you just Dad of the Year.” I folded my hands along the back of Brina’s chair and leaned forward to glance at her cards.

“You’re home early.” Logan shot me a wink and stood up. “You must have kicked ass today at physical therapy.”

I crossed my arms. “Don’t even think about using that charm on me.”

He strode toward me, cards in his hands and a grin on his stupid, handsome face. “Relax, we’re helping the girls with their math skills.”

My mother parked her hands on her hips. “Tell me how teaching them the difference between a flush and full house helps with their addition and subtraction?”

Marco threw his cards in the middle of the table. “I tried to tell him Yahtzee would have been a better choice.”

“What were you thinking?” I asked the men at the table while the girls scooped up the chips when their fathers weren’t looking.

Logan cupped my face in his hands and gave me a soft kiss. “We were just having a little fun. How was your shopping day?”

“Fine, but judging by your nonexistent pile of chips, I’m worried we won’t be able to pay the credit card bill next month.”

He pulled me into his arms, and instinctively, I laid my head against his chest. “We could always ask the girls for a loan.”

Amelia shook her head and lifted Gia out of her bouncy seat. “Playtime is over. We have to be at your mom’s for dinner in an hour.”

Quinn cleared his throat. “We should probably get going too.”

We said our goodbyes and sent the girls up to their room. I started cleaning up the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Someone must have forgotten something. I raced over to answer it, surprised to see Luke.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were stopping by. Come on in.” I started to walk away but stopped when I noticed he was frozen in the doorway.

“I got your letter.” Luke’s eyes were trained on me. They were brimming with unshed tears.

I blinked in confusion. “What letter?”

He grabbed a white envelope out of his back pocket. I recognized the hospital logo right away. “Oh, my God.” I sucked in a breath. “It was you?”

My shoulders started to shake, and a sob broke through my chest at that sudden realization.

Logan caught me before I hit the ground. His brows knitted together like he was trying to work out a puzzle piece in his head. “Would one of you mind filling me in?”

Luke took a cautious step forward. “I received a letter today from my donor family.” A tear dripped down my cheek, and another one soon followed. “His wife sent me a letter. She wanted to stay anonymous, but wanted me to know her husband’s name. His name was Drew, and they met in college.” My mouth parted on a whimper. “She told me about his family and how much he loved his little girl. She mentioned his hobbies, even listed his favorite foods.” He smiled gently and moved his gaze to his brother. “She told me that she was finally strong enough to reach out to me and share her story. She had found love again with a great man that Drew would have approved of. She wanted to move on and let go of the past. It was her way of finally saying goodbye.”

I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and closure when I handed the letter over to the transplant coordinator at the hospital. I thought I was finally putting that piece of my past behind me. Never in a million years did I think Luke was the recipient who received my husband’s heart. Looking at him now felt like I was seeing him for the first time.

“Ava.” Luke hesitated before reaching for my hand. “I am just as shocked as you are.”

I moved quickly, gathering him in my arms, and sobbed. Relief, gratitude, and loss all swirled inside me. I clutched on to Luke, feeling my throat swell with affection. There was always this strange connection I felt toward him. Now I understood why.

Luke brushed the hair off of my face and wiped my eyes. “You are a brave, strong woman.” His own tears started to fall. “My family and I will be forever grateful for your sacrifice. I will honor this heart. I will cherish this gift until it no longer beats. There will never be a day where I won’t remember Drew.”

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