Page 106 of Single Mom's Christmas Wish

“I’ve got an idea, and it’s going to sound weird,” I say.

Callie raises an eyebrow. “Weirder than having three husbands?”

“Guys, you can come in!” I call out, laughing.

A split second later, the door opens. Archer, Reed, and Maddox come in, but I don’t see Chelsea and the kids anywhere.

“She took them downstairs. Our mom’s on her way, but we figured they should hang out at the cafeteria for another minute or two together,” Reed says as if reading my mind.

“What’s going on?” Maddox asks, giving Callie a hard glare.

I quickly bring them up to speed on the conversation that my sister and I just had, ending with a most unexpected conclusion—unexpected even for me. “I know what her name is going to be,” I say, kissing my daughter’s warm forehead.

“Go on,” Archer replies.

“Katherine.”

Reed scoffs. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“Hey,” I shoot back, trying not to laugh. “Come on, it’s a beautiful name. And Katherine Monroe did leave me eighty million dollars after a lifetime of ill-placed resentment. Despite her abrasive nature, she tried to mend things toward the end. Besides, I’m sure that this little Katherine here will be a much better version than her predecessor.”

“Oh, Dakota,” Callie tears up. “How can you be so decent toward people who have done you so much harm?”

“For real?” Maddox mutters, still glaring at her.

I laugh. “Come on, babe, give it a rest. We’re cool. We’re trying to mend fences over here. I want our daughter to bear the name.”

“We trust you, and we will respect your decision,” Maddox sighs deeply. “You’re the mother of our child; you’re the one who carried her and gave birth to her. Therefore, you get the deciding vote.”

“That was smooth, brother,” Reed says, giving Maddox a joking nudge before looking at Callie. “Are we cool?”

“Yes, sirs,” Callie replies. “I’ve even come with a peace offering.”

Archer spots the box and quickly grabs it from the side table, turning the bracelet over and over before whipping up a bright, proud smile. “This is a beautiful piece of jewelry. Thank you, Callie.”

“It’s for Katherine,” Callie says. “For when she’s older.”

It’s for Katherine.

The name settled quickly and beautifully. I’ve spent most of my life overthinking every decision, no matter how big or small. But ever since I married the Faulkner triplets, things have gotten lighter and simpler, and I see no point in wasting energy thinking about anything too long. Overthinking is going to be the death of me if I don’t limit it to small doses.

I’m happy. I just gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I kept my grandmother’s house, and I’ll be able to enroll Maisie in Prescott Academy next semester. I can open my own cocktail lounge and build the kind of life I’ve always wanted, but I won’t have to do it alone because I’ve stumbled upon these three incredible men, and I know they’ll never let me struggle again. Ever. They will give me that smidge of space I need, and it only makes me love them more.

Epilogue II

Dakota

If I thought last year went by in a flash, this one has gone even faster.

At least it’s ending with champagne and fireworks. For most of my life, I learned that a lot can go wrong in a single year. For the past couple of years, however, I’ve learned that a lot can go right, too. And tonight marks not only the end of the calendar year but also the end of the first successful business year for The Emerald Slipper, my own cocktail lounge.

Set in the heart of San Francisco with a stunning view of the city’s twinkling skyline, my place is every cocktail aficionado’s wet dream. For a while, I didn’t think I was going to make it this far. But then everything changed. In a way, I reckon the Faulkner brothers were like good luck charms. They’ve brought me nothing but peace and happiness and so much love that sometimes I feel overwhelmed by everything I feel for them, but overwhelmed in a good way.

“Damn, this place looks hot,” Archer says as I serve him another mint julep.

“I need to thank your interior designer for that. Phillipe is out of this world,” I reply, looking around, admiring the Frenchman’s iconic handiwork. “I can’t believe we’ve already been featured in two major interior design magazines.”

“We have many copies of both issues,” Reed adds with a wink.

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