Page 87 of Fumbled Love

My heart raced at the feeling of the band sliding onto my left ring finger.

A smile played on his lips. “Aren’t you even going to look at the ring?”

I brushed my lips against his. “I don’t need to. If you’re the one putting it on my finger, then I will love it.”

His eyes bored into mine. “Look at the ring, Kinley.”

I looked down, and OMG! I blinked up at him. “It’s my grandmother’s ring.” I stared at him, dumbfounded.

He cleared his throat. “She gave it to me when I asked her and your mom for their permission to marry you.”

“She did what? She said she was taking it to the grave with her.”

“Yeah!” He looked away, embarrassed. “She traded it for a lunch date with Brady and box seats to the Super Bowl.”

A laugh bubbled out of me at the strings he must have pulled. I remember going through her jewelry when I was younger and admiring her ring. It was an emerald-cut diamond with two small diamonds on either side. She swore up and down that the ring would never leave her possession. Maverick could have splurged on a big, expensive diamond. Instead, he gave me something much more meaningful. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

His fingers gazed down my cheek. “She told me you always wanted it.”

“I got the ring I always wanted. The man of my dreams and a baby on the way. I’d say I just scored the perfect life.”

EPILOGUE

KINLEY

We turneddown a long gravel road, pulling up to a gate with a security panel. It felt like a secluded paradise, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city. If neighbors were nearby, I didn’t see them, and the closest main road was a mile away.

The truck pulled up to a massive brick house with tall white pillars. Two rocking chairs were sitting on the wide-open porch, and I could totally picture spending my mornings there, sipping coffee while waiting for the sunrise.

“Whose house is this?”

Instead of answering me, Maverick unbuckled my seat belt and opened the driver’s side door. Then he walked around the truck to unbuckle Zander from his car seat.

“Is there a reason why you’re not answering me?” I asked, stepping out of the truck and grabbing Zander’s diaper bag. My little boy was banging his tiny fists against his father’s chest, begging to be let down. He was eighteen months old and always on the run.

“Not yet, little man.” Maverick placed a soft kiss on his son’s head, and I handed him the animal book he loved to carry with him everywhere he went.

“Maverick, don’t make me ask again,” I said, wobbling up behind him. I was nine months pregnant with our second child. I was moody, cranky, and ready to pop at any second. Mila Rose was expected to make an appearance any day now, and I couldn’t wait to push the little thing out of my stomach.

He sighed. “Our condo is getting too small. I want our kids to have room to run around. I want barbeques and birthday parties in the backyard. I want movie nights on the couch and dinner out back overlooking the lake. And honestly, it would be nice to give this little guy his own playroom, so I don’t have to worry about stepping on another plastic toy again.” I laughed. “I want a home for us to make memories. When my realtor sent me this listing, I knew this was the perfect place to raise our family.”

I brushed my lips against his. “It sounds perfect. Let’s check it out.”

“I want this house to be exactly what you want. If this isn’t it, then we will keep looking.” He linked his fingers with mine and started to move, but I stopped him.

“Are you and our kids going to live in this house with me?”

He raised his one eyebrow. “Well, I’m your husband and these are your babies, so yeah?”

“Then that’s all I want. My home is wherever my family is.”

“Fuc…fudge, I love you.” He leaned in and kissed me deeply before Zander started pulling on my hair.

I laughed. “You are getting better with the potty mouth, but you still need to work on it a little bit more. Especially since this little guy started talking.”

“Mama. I want down.” Zander started kicking his legs out as we walked through each room.

Maverick lifted him on his shoulders, and Zander started slapping his head playfully. We both knew if he set him down, Maverick would spend the entire time chasing him around.

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