Page 4 of Enduring Magic

“Yes, but I didn’t realize how much I’d miss you both.”

“It’s only been eighteen hours.” He rose and set Olivia in her crib before turning to take Summer into his arms.

“Tell me you slept like a baby while I was gone, and I’ll teleport back.”

“I didn’t say that. Both Olivia and I had a rough night of it.” He yawned and scratched the stubble on his square jaw. “As a matter of fact, I was going to try to sneak a few hours’ sleep, myself.” His steel-blue eyes heated to molten metal as they dropped to her lips. “Care to join me?”

Summer giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Placing a finger to his lips, he clasped her hand and tiptoed from the nursery. When they got to the hall, he raced with her to the bedroom he was currently using. Ducking inside, he shut and locked the door. “Get naked, woman. Based on past experience with your daughter’s timing, we have to make this quick.”

All her fatigue disappeared in the face of his desire. Lifting her hand, she snapped her fingers, divesting them both of their clothing. “Quick enough for you?”

“Boy, was it ever!” He scooped her up and dove for the bed amidst her gales of laughter.

2

Coop trailed his fingers up and down Summer’s back as she sprawled across his pleasantly sculpted chest. Both of them were breathing hard, recovering from “nap time.”

“Should I text your brother to ask if he’ll listen for Olivia while wereallysleep this time?” she asked, placing a featherlight kiss on his muscled pec.

“I’ve got it.” He reached for his cell and tapped out a message as Summer closed her eyes.

“You know, we have to decide what we’re doing for your little angel’s first birthday this year.” She yawned and rolled onto her back, bringing the sheet up to her chest. “We also have to stop my father from buying her everything like he did for Frankie’s first birthday. My sister practically had to build a spare room for all the toys.”

Coop chuckled and rolled on his side. Tucking his hand under his head, he stared down at her. With the edge of the sheet, he traced a random pattern over her breasts, pausing to lean in and kiss her hardened nipple. “I’m not opposed to Ollie being spoiled, in the least. It’s the one thing your father and I agree on, but please, never tell him that.”

“Promise.” Summer reached up and ran her nails across his scruff. To her, he was sexier when he was a little unkempt. The messy hair and a couple days’ growth of beard told her he was in easy-going-Coop mode, the not-so-uptight-sheriff version of the man she loved.

“When do you head back to the ship?” he asked absently.

“I’m not in a hurry. Mama knew I was planning to take a nap, and I suspect she also knew that nap would be here.”

Coop’s lips twisted in a semblance of a smile, and he flopped down. “Back to the birthday discussion. Keaton and Autumn want to host it here. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Not really, but Dad might. I’m sure he’d prefer somewhere a little more fortified, like Thorne Manor or his place in North Carolina.”

“We could host it at our home”—he paused dramatically—“along with a wedding.”

Thoroughly shocked, Summer’s eyes flew wide.“What?”

Of course they’d discussed marriage, their engagement was proof, but it had never been quite the right time, with one challenge or another popping up for her family.

Coop rolled to his knees, a small black jewelry box in his hands. “This is merely a formality since you’ve already agreed once before, but will you marry me, Summer Thorne?”

Giddy, she knelt in front of him. “You know I will.”

Nestled inside the box was an antique-looking silver locket decorated with gold filigree on the front. With great care, she removed it and eased open the lid to display a picture of their little family. Coop had Morty in one arm and embraced Summer, who held Olivia, in the other. Behind them, perched on Eddie’s trunk, were Saul and Rocco.

“It’s beautiful, Coop! Thank you.”

“It’s not the engagement ring you were expecting, I know, and I still intend to conjure one for you when I develop the skill. But that was my grandmother’s locket, and I wanted you to have it.” His shining eyes lost a little of their sparkle, and he pushed his hand through his thick blond hair as he sighed. “I still miss her after all this time. You never got to meet her, but she’d have loved you, Summer.”

She bit her lip and looked up at him from under her lashes, weighing how he would take her next comment. There were quite a few things his parents had wiped from the memories of the Carlyle boys in their effort to suppress their magic and have them live what they considered normal, non-magical lives.

Knowledge of their witchy neighbors, the Thornes, was one of them.

Summer’s parents had cloaked their estate when she and her sisters were young. Only after they felt she and her sisters were old enough to control their abilities did they remove the glamour from Thorne Manor and let it be known they were all in residence. It was during high school that Summer met Coop for the third and final time.

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