Page 125 of Someone to Watch Over Me

“You must be Wynter.”

“How’d you guess?”

“You’re the one who says everything you think, right?”

“That’d be me. This is my daughter, Willow. I have a daughter!”

“Congratulations,” Tom says, smiling. “She’s gorgeous.”

Adrian’s son, Xavier, toddles over to Wynter, wanting her attention, and she deftly handles both kids, sending Xavier away happy with a small bag of Goldfish crackers.

“You’re good at this mommy thing.”

“You really think so?”

“I certainly do. You were a great nanny to Xavier, and you’ll be an awesome mom to both your babies.”

“We’re going to make it official with adoptions. Willow will be a Hartley, because that’s important to Jaden’s family—and me. But Adrian will be her legal father.”

“I love that for all of you.”

“Sometimes it’s all still surreal, you know? Jaden is gone, Willow is here, Adrian and Xavier are my family now… We’re theirs.”

“Life is strange and wonderful.” I lean in closer to whisper, “I’m sleeping with my high school crush.”

“Was it worth the wait?”

“Very much so, but I never would’ve skipped over Jim to get to Tom.”

“I know that. You don’t even have to say it. I suppose we can’t do anything but fully enjoy the moment we’re in while always remembering Jaden and Jim.”

“Yeah, for sure.”

We share a smile full of heartache, joy, grief and love.

When I first met Wynter, I never would’ve expected to one day consider her a close friend. She was so bitter, obnoxious and difficult. We gave her a ton of grace and space to mourn the loss of her young husband to bone cancer. She’s repaid us a million times over by being a friend we all adore.

“With everyone here,” Iris says, “let’s introduce ourselves to Luke and Angela again.”

“I’m Brielle. The little red-headed ginger inside is my son, Charlie. I was expecting him when my husband, Mark, was killed in a skiing accident while attending his brother’s bachelor party.”

“Naomi. My fiancé, David, died of lymphoma. I’ll be forever thankful that this group allowed a not-quite-widow into the group.”

“You’re one of us, Nay,” Iris says. “I’m Iris. My husband, Mike, who was a corporate pilot, died in a plane crash. My three kids are Tyler, Sophia and Laney. After a rough few years, we’re all doing much better these days. And this guy is my fiancé, Gage Collier.”

“I lost my first wife and twin eight-year-old daughters to a drunk driver.”

“I love your Instagram account, Gage,” Angela says.

Luke nods. “Me, too. A few weeks ago, I went all the way back to the beginning and fell down the Gage Collier rabbit hole. Your words have helped me more than you’ll ever know.”

“Thank you. That’s nice to hear.”

Iris smiles at Gage, who seems embarrassed by the praise.

“I remember being right where you are now.” Gage’s warm gaze takes in Angela and Luke. “I didn’t have children anymore, but I was left to start over when I really liked the life I already had. None of the progress you see here, for any of us who’ve re-partnered, happened easily or quickly or painlessly.”

“Gage is so right. I’m Derek. My wife, Victoria, was murdered by Arnie Patterson and his band of thugs, who also held my one-year-old daughter, Maeve, hostage for a time. If you’d asked me then if I’d ever take another chance on love or romance or any of it, I would’ve said no freaking way. Maeve and I muddled through, thanks to my parents and some great friends and a wonderful nanny. Then we met Roni, who was pregnant with her late husband Patrick’s son, Dylan, and now we’re engaged and raising each other’s children. Like Gage said, nothing about it was simple or painless.”

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