Page 27 of Kissing the Wrong Mountain Man

"I know you did. I just hope you never forgot we all love you, even with this." He jabs at my beard.

"Hey, knock it off. And you can't talk." I jab back at his—which, incidentally, is nowhere near as soft or shiny as mine.

"Is it safe to approach, or are the children still play fighting?" Schapelle teases.

"He started it," I say before instinctively reaching for Willow.

Schapelle hands me our daughter and hugs my brother. "So good to see you!"

"And you. Happy birthday for several months ago!"

I love that our families get along so well, even if it meant I worked a little faster than I would have liked on the second-floor addition. Staying with her folks during the build showed me what she'd been saying all along—they're great, but they're a lot. Harmless, but a lot.

We chitchat for a few minutes. Culver asks Schapelle about how her new book is coming along, and she asks him how his plans to open a restaurant, now that he's quit playing hockey professionally, are going.

Eventually, Hannah rejoins us.

"How'd it go?" Culver asks, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She shakes her head and lets out a long, frustrated breath. "I don't know how Malik puts up with her."

"Eep. That good?" Culver says.

"Anyway, hi!" Hannah hugs Schapelle, brightening. "Happy surprise months-late birthday!"

They start chatting while I glance down at the beautiful little angel I'm holding. I never imagined I had all this love locked away inside of me. It took an incredible woman like Schapelle to help me heal my broken parts. This little one does the same.

But there are some things I have to do on my own. Like therapy. I go once a week. It wasn't easy, especially at the start. Some days, I'd feel worse after the session than before it. But I'm sticking to it and determined todo the work, as my therapist puts it.

He says there are two components to pain—the thing that caused the pain in the first place, and then our inability to process it, thereby keeping the pain alive. I've been through a tough situation, but I don't want it to tarnish the rest of my life. And I know Lachlan wouldn't want that, either. He'd want me to move on, so that's what I'm doing. Me living a good life is the best thing I can do to honor his.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when I hear Hannah ask Schapelle, "Have you heard about the Palladino edge?"

Beside me, Culver's entire face goes bright red. "Uh, babe. That's aCulverPalladino exclusive."

"Ohhhh, right." Hannah giggles. "This isn't suitable for a baby to hear." And with that, she whisks Schapelle away.

"Do I even want to know?"

My youngest brother shakes his head. "Believe me, you do not. I should probably go check on Malik."

"No problem."

He makes a hasty exit, and I wave to Ma and Pa on the other side of the room, happy to see her wearing the extravagant necklace I bought her, despite her protests that it cost too much. Maybe it did, but there's no amount of money I won't spend on the woman who raised me to be the man I am today.

Or my wife and child I love with all my heart.

I'm still not comfortable being a millionaire, and maybe I never will be. But it's a good feeling, knowing I'm set up financially, that my family is safe and will always be taken care of. And it's nice to be able to put the money to good use, too. I've donated anonymously to a number of women's shelters along the west coast and bought the search and rescue unit a fleet of new UTVs.

I'm not alone for long before Tenley comes over. "May I?"

"Of course." I hand Willow over to her and watch as she dotes on her niece, cooing and making all sorts of baby noises.

"Would you like to have kids?" I ask, since she's such a natural with Willow.

"I wouldloveto have kids, but first I need a date."

"Well, there are some eligible men on the mountain." I tip my head toward the search and rescue crew I invited along.

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