Page 101 of The Acquisition

I chuckled. I'd given up fighting her on the nicknames after we found out she was pregnant.

"I honestly thought I would be dreading turning forty. Two years ago I had nothing ahead of me except for more work and thirty-eight years of regret."

I felt her smile against my chest. "And then I got locked out in the rain."

"Best fucking thing to ever happen to me. I got to sweep in and save the day."

She blew out a breath. "You were just hot for me and used my homelessness to get yourself a wife."

"Best acquisition I ever made."

* * *

"Did you ever think this would be our lives?" Beck asked as we stood by while his parents fawned over our kids.

"Did I think that I'd accidentally become your father-in-law? That I'd marry my daughter's best friend? Or that I'd have a grandchild older than my youngest daughter?"

I took a drink from my bottle of beer. "You know, oddly enough, this scenario never crossed my mind."

"Well, Violet will be older than at least one of your grandkids," he said, tipping his own bottle back while he looked at me over the bottle.

Jana and Evie made their way over to us while Fitz and Grace monopolized our kids. Evie's gaze flitted between Beck and me before she stopped and studied my face.

She slapped Beck on the arm. "You told him."

Beck winced. "It just slipped out."

"Told him what?" Jana asked.

Evie smiled, and I knew she wasn't really upset. This time Beck was overjoyed at the prospect at becoming a father again. Lucky for him, because best friend or not, I'd beat his ass if he ever put my daughter through that hell again.

Evie's hand dropped to her stomach. "We're having another baby."

Jana squealed and wrapped her arms around Evie.

My mind drifted, picturing the two of us with more children. I caught Jana's eye and she smiled, no doubt picking up where my thoughts had wandered.

Letting go of Evie, she came to stand in front of me. Her hand cradled the side of my face. "We aren't done yet. One of us is still young."

"I can't believe you started the party without me!" Sabrina chided from the door.

She ran over and hugged each of us. "Sorry I'm late. There were last minute issues at the New York office."

"And where is your better half?" I asked.

She hit my arm, and I made a show of rubbing the spot as if she could actually hurt me. "What has made these women so violent?" I asked Beck.

All three ladies looked at each other and said in unison, "Men!"

"To answer your question, he had to stay back in New York for another day. He said to tell you he'll see you for poker night," Sabrina relayed.

Fitz came over with Gracie propped on his hip. "Are we all here now?"

I looked around at the family gathered, with one distinct absence. Sabrina put her hand on my shoulder. "Waverly made her choices. Nothing you did made her the way she is. She's an adult, and it's time she owned her decisions."

I nodded. I wouldn't give up hope that someday she'd apologize and come back around, but I also wouldn't hold my breath.

"Yeah, Fitz, we're all here," I replied.

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