Page 49 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Nanny

She looks away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Because I don’t belong here, Jack. I thought I did, but… seeing you with Casey, realizing you might have a chance to be a family… I couldn’t stay.”

“Sonya, no,” I say, stepping closer and grabbing her hand, refusing to let her go. “You’ve got it all wrong. Casey and I, we’re not getting back together. She kissed me, yes, but it meant nothing. I told her off. I told her that what I want, what I need, is right here in front of me.”

“What are you saying, Jack?”

“I’m saying I love you, Sonya,” I confess, my voice breaking with the intensity of the emotions I’ve been holding back for so long. “I don’t care about the past, about Casey or any of it. You’re the one I want. You, Sonya. And Fiona, she needs you, too. We both do.”

For a moment, there’s only silence. I’m terrified, afraid that I’m too late, that she’s already made up her mind to leave. But then, Sonya steps forward, wrapping her arms around me as she presses her face against my chest.

“I love you, too, Jack,” she whispers. “I was so scared that you wanted Casey back, that you’d choose her over me. But I can’t keep running from this. I don’t want to. I want to be with you, with Fiona.”

I hold her close, relief flooding through me as I bury my face in her hair, inhaling the familiar, comforting scent of her. “We’ll figure it out,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to the top ofher head. “Together. We’re going to make this work, Sonya. I promise.”

She pulls back just enough to look up at me, her eyes shining with determination. “Together,” she agrees, her voice strong and sure.

I kiss her then, pulling her into me like I’m afraid to let her go. And this time, I know it’s right. No more running, no more doubt. Just us, taking the leap together.

Epilogue - Sonya

Six Months Later

The lake sparkles under the warm afternoon sun, a perfect backdrop of serenity that contrasts sharply with the flutter of nerves in my chest. Jack’s hand is warm in mine, his grip firm and reassuring as we walk along the familiar path. He’s talking about something—something about work or Reiner’s latest mishap—but I’m only half-listening, lost in the rhythm of his voice and the steady beat of my heart.

It’s been six months since everything came crashing down and then slowly started to piece itself back together. Six months of laughter, of late nights with Fiona, of navigating this new life where every day feels like a fresh start.

Casey left after her final confrontation with Jack, proving once and for all that she wasn’t ready to be the mother Fiona needed. It still makes my blood boil to think about her walking out—again—this time with the faintest promise to try and get her act together, but Jack’s anger was different. It was quiet, simmering, but he didn’t let it eat him up. Instead, he turned to Fiona and me with that same steady love that’s held us together all this time.

And he’s never once made me feel like I’m second best.

“I think Reiner’s gonna lose his mind if Evan makes him redo that framework again,” Jack says, squeezing my hand and pulling me from my thoughts. His smile is easy, but there’s a glint in his eyes that makes me pause. “He’s about ready to throw Evan in the lake just to cool him off.”

I laugh, leaning into him as we walk. “Maybe we should get him one of those stress balls with the faces. Youknow, something he can squish instead of wanting to strangle everyone.”

Jack chuckles, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. “I’ll let you handle that suggestion. Reiner might take it better coming from you.”

I raise an eyebrow, and a teasing smile tugs at my lips. “Oh, so now I’m the Reiner whisperer?”

He grins, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that always makes my heart flutter. “You’ve got a way with people. It’s one of the reasons I’m so damn crazy about you.”

I roll my eyes, but there’s no hiding the warmth that blooms in my chest. It’s been like this, easy and natural, ever since that day on the side of the road when Jack pulled me back from leaving. We’ve faced everything together—Casey’s departure, Fiona’s first steps, even the uncertainty of what it means to be a family. And through it all, Jack’s been my anchor, his quiet strength a constant reassurance that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

We reach the edge of the lake, and I breathe in the fresh scent of water and pine. The birds are chirping, punctuated by the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore. Jack stops, and his gaze drifts out over the lake as if he’s seeing something I can’t quite catch. There’s a stillness to him, a moment where it feels like the world has slowed just for us, and I feel a rush of gratitude for this man who’s become my everything.

“Come here,” he says softly, tugging me closer until I’m standing right in front of him. His expression is unreadable, and I tilt my head, studying him.

“What’s going on, Jack? You’ve got that look on your face.”

He chuckles, but there’s a hint of nervousness there that I’ve never seen before. “What look?”

“The one where you’re trying to hide something, but you’re terrible at it.” I grin, poking him lightly in the chest. “Spill it. What’s on your mind?”

Jack takes a deep breath, and he pulls me even closer. “Sonya, you know that day I ran after you? When I told you I couldn’t let you leave?”

I nod, and my heart speeds up as I recall the desperate look in his eyes, the way he’d spoken every word like it was a lifeline he couldn’t afford to lose. “Yeah, I remember.”

He swallows hard before saying, “I told you then that I didn’t care about the past, that I wanted you and Fiona to be my future. And every single day since then, you’ve proven to me that life brought you to us as a gift. A prize I never expected, but one I’m so damn grateful for.”

My breath catches, and I can feel my heart hammering in my chest as Jack reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box. He opens it, revealing a delicate ring that sparkles like the lake behind us. My hand flies to my mouth, tears already blurring my vision.

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