Page 66 of What About Now

She nods. “I’ve never done that.”

“It’s fitting that you do with your husband.” I kiss her again. “I want all of them, Brogan. Every first you’re willing to give me, I want them. I’ll cherish them.” I pause to kiss her again. “You know what else I want?” I ask her.

“What?”

“Your last.”

She relaxes into me. “I want so badly to give them all to you,” she whispers.

I don’t bother to hide my grin. She’s mine. I feel it in my soul. This is the start of our forever.

“I think you’re going to need a bigger house,” I tell Forrest a week later, standing in his living room for the girls’ fifth birthday party.

“I blame all of you. You spoiled them,” he says, pulling his eyes from his daughters.

“Says the man who bought them matching art desks and a truckload of art supplies.” Legend laughs.

“Hey, my daughters are turning five today. That’s a big deal. Besides, they love my tattoos and are fascinated with drawing and coloring lately.”

“Second generation of Everlasting Ink, maybe?” Lachlan asks.

“Maybe,” Forrest says, wearing a grin as he watches his daughters bounce from new toy to new toy sprawled out all over their living room. Lilly chases after them, loving every minute of the time she’s getting with her big cousins.

“Your wife seems awful comfortable holding my son.” Legend knocks his shoulder into mine.

“She’s good with kids.” And she does look comfortable. She also looks beautiful. The jade green shirt she’s wearing with her jeans makes her eyes pop, but to me, she looks beautiful no matter what she’s wearing, and even what she’s not.

“How’s that going?” Roman asks.

“Good. She’s—” I pause because I don’t know how to describe it to them.

“Everything?” Forrest asks.

“Yeah,” I agree. Everything is exactly what she is. She’s the light in my life, and she’s the tether that grounds me. When I asked her for six months, I knew my feelings for her would grow, but I never could have imagined this overwhelming need to consume everything she is, because that’s what she’s done. She’s consumed me. I’m hers and always will be.

“Welcome to the club,” Legend tells me.

“Thanks.” Neither Brogan nor I have brought up the fact that we are less than two months away from the end of our agreed-upon six-month trial period for this marriage. I try not to even think about it because the weight of it sits heavy on my chest like a bag of bricks.

“Do they ever run out of energy?” Lachlan asks as the girls continue to play, while the ladies sit close by, keeping an eye on them.

I guess you could say we’re looking over all of them where we’re standing around the kitchen island.

“When they sleep.” Forrest chuckles.

“Pretty much,” Legend and Roman agree.

“Those little angels kept swiping the icing off the cake. They’re going to be wired for hours,” Lachlan says fondly.

“It’s their birthday.” I defend my nieces. “They can swipe all the icing they want.”

“Definitely,” Lachlan agrees.

“They can go home with you,” Forrest jokes.

There is no way he’s sending his daughters home with me. “I’ll take them. They can have a sleepover with Uncle Mad and Aunt Brogan.”

“You can’t take them on their birthday,” Forrest says, and I laugh. I know my friend far too well.

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