Page 126 of Twisted Truths
The Shamrocks were incredibly supportive when we arrived in Boston with Franklin. Nash’s agent helped us get settled into our new apartment, which is conveniently located a ten-minute walk from the Auerbach Centre, where Nash trains, and a fifteen-minute drive from the TD Centre, where his home games are played. Clay’s wife, Quinley, was a godsend with Franklin.
As he got older and I gained a little more freedom, she helped me launch a soap-making business online. It’s really taken off the past three months, and I’m so proud of my little venture. At least one good thing came out of my time in the Sunfire Circle.
For the first time in my life, I’m truly happy and content. Nash gave me a photo of Zara to add to the locket I still wear around my neck. I think of her, Madeline, and Annie every day. They’ll never be far from our minds and hearts. We tell Franklin stories about his mum every night. We want him to know her.
Turning the television down low, I busy myself with tidying the apartment while I wait for Nash to return home.
He finds me in the kitchen making a cup of ginger tea. Wrapping his arms around my stomach from behind, I lean back into him with a smile.
“Good game tonight, MVP.”
Nash grins against my neck. “Thanks, little possum. How are my girls?”
Twisting in his arms, I slide my arms around his neck and press my lips to his. “We don’t know it’s a girl,” I chastise him.
He rests his forehead against mine, offering me his signature cheeky grin. “It’s a girl. Trust me.”
I roll my eyes, extracting myself from his embrace and picking up my cup of tea. “We’ll love him or her regardless.”
“Of course we will,” Nash agrees, his magical fingers easing the knots in my shoulders as he follows me into the living room. “But I’m telling you now, it’s a girl. I feel it in my bones.” He picks up the baby monitor from the couch and places it on the coffee table before sitting down and pulling me onto his lap. “How’s our little guy?”
“Busy,” I smile. “He wore himself out running circles around the couch.”
“That’s my boy.”
Settling into his body, he pulls the throw blanket over us as I take a sip of my tea. “We’ll be able to tell people after our scan next week,” I tell him, knowing how eager he is to announce to the world we’re expecting our first child together.
We never shied away from telling the truth about Franklin—that Nash and I are raising his sister’s son. Her memory will forever live on in the little boy.
Nash’s hand slips beneath the blanket, finding mine. His thumb traces gently over my fingers before stopping at the ring on my left hand. The one he gave me four months ago, three weeks before we found out we were expanding our family.
He twists the ring lightly, not taking his eyes off me. “You know, I still can’t believe you said yes,” he murmurs, nuzzling into my neck.
I smirk. “You didn’t give me much choice when you cried.”
“Did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
He laughs softly, then kisses the tip of my nose. “I’m glad you did, though. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me, Hadley. I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”
“I wouldn’t want to do life with anyone but you,” I tell him honestly.
He pauses before his free hand comes up to cradle my cheek. “I love you.”
My throat tightens, and I whisper back, “Love you, too.”
“For real?”
I kiss his lips. “For real.”
EPILOGUE TWO
NASH
SIX MONTHS LATER
The low hum of voices and the clicking of camera shutters makes me force a smile as I take a seat at the table in front of the press. I just want to get this over and done with so I can get home to Hadley. She was complaining of mild back pain this morning, and I want to make sure she’s okay. The baby is due any day now.
