Page 127 of Sweet Little Spies

Adam sighed and his arm went around Serena, connecting themall. Like she always wanted to be. “Tristan heard her. Whatever he did it wasenough to make the toughest woman I know scream. Whatever it was, I hope itprods Cooper into making some kind of move. That kid is in love with her.”

“They’ll find their way.” Serena believed. Cooper and Kalahad been circling each other since they were children. “Like our boy did.”

Jake leaned over, nuzzling her neck. “Our boy finally gothis head out of his ass. Thank the universe. They can handle anything as longas they’re together. I just hope Kala figures it out. Cooper would do anythingfor her.”

She put a hand on Jake’s. “Don’t go there. Don’t make himout to be a saint. She worshipped the ground he walked on when they were kids.He did something, something she won’t talk about, and it cut her heart out.”

Kala wouldn’t have turned from him over nothing, but she wasfar more fragile than anyone thought. Something had happened between them, andit cost them years. Or perhaps they were like Lou and TJ had been and theirtime hadn’t come yet.

Serena prayed it would come soon because there was somethingdark in her niece’s eyes.

“You’re right,” Jake allowed. “I don’t know the story. Iwish she would tell someone.” He breathed in and brought her hand to his lips.“So did Adam tell you enough for a new story?”

There were always new stories. They were all around her ifshe opened her heart. Writing a story was like making a wish—that those sheloved would find what they need, that the world would be a kinder place. Whenshe sat at her keyboard, she created the world as she wanted it to be. Not freeof struggle. That was required for growth and to learn empathy and compassion.But a world where love won. A world where her children found what she had foundwith these men. “Just being with you is enough for a new story every day.”

She never stopped thinking up happily ever afters. Evenafter she’d found her own.

Perhaps tomorrow she would start a story about a brave youngwoman who most people misunderstood and the heroic young man she’d loved fromchildhood. She would write about them going on an adventure together, one thatwould allow her heroine to put aside the past and find a brilliant future. Onethat ended in two hearts finally beating as one after all these years.

She would sit and write, her words a wish, a dream, a prayerto the universe.

For love. For peace.

For everyone to find what she’d found.

“We have a completely empty nest.” Adam sat back as the sunsank beneath the horizon and the nightly show began.

The stars were a blanket of diamonds here. They shone andsparkled, illuminating the night and giving it a softness she’d never foundelsewhere. “Maybe we should spend more time here.”

“I’d like that,” Jake said quietly. “But I think we’ll haveto get better Internet.”

“Hey, I can do the wilderness thing,” Adam argued.

And they were off. Her men could fight like brothers. Likeonly the best of friends could.

Like family.

Serena turned her head up to the night sky and thanked theuniverse for the story of her life so far.

And for all the adventures yet to come.

---