“I love you too.”

“Oh, God, Natalie the poor man has almost been killed. Must you maul him?” Jules breezes in with a bag full of food. She plants her hands on her hips and shakes her head.

“Don’t be a brat, Jules.” I sit up and start unloading Luke’s food for him. My stomach grumbles and I’m pleased to see that she brought some for me too.

“We’re having a baby.” Luke gives Jules a wide smile.

“I know. I’m so happy for you guys.”

Jules walks to him and plants a kiss on his cheek, smiling at both of us.

“Lips off my man, Montgomery.”

“Jesus, you’re so selfish.”

***

We’ve been home for a week and Luke has mostly recovered from his injuries. There will be no visits to the gym for a few more weeks, but the bruises have faded.

“The moving van is here.”

“You are not lifting anything. Don’t even think about it. Your wrist is still healing.” He hasn’t even lifted me lately, and I’m missing it.

“Well, that makes two of us.”

“I didn’t hurt my wrist.” I raise an eyebrow at him as he crosses the great room to me.

“I do love your sassy mouth.” He slaps my bottom and I squeal, before moving his hand around to settle on my belly. “There is no lifting for the beautiful woman I knocked up.”

I laugh and caress his handsome face.

“Are you sure about me moving in here?”

“Of course. We’re getting married in two months anyway, it makes sense.”

He stiffens and frowns down at me.

“Don’t you want to?”

“I want to be wherever you are. It doesn’t make sense for us to move in with Jules.” I smirk. “Jules can live in the house as long as she pleases, and I’ll still use the studio for work.”

“But?” He raises an eyebrow.

“But, I think that as our family grows, we might need more bedrooms.”

His face softens and he kisses me gently on the forehead. “I’ll buy you any house you want.”

“I want to stay here for now. We’ll keep our options open.”

“Okay.” He kisses me again before the moving guys ring the doorbell and start unloading boxes and a few pieces of furniture. I left the majority of everything at the other house for Jules.

All of the boxes go up in a spare bedroom so I can sort through them at my own pace. The unloading doesn’t take long.

“Do you need to work this afternoon?”

I ask Luke after the men leave.

“No, you?”

“Nope.” I walk toward the stairway and start ascending the stairs toward our bedroom.

“What in the world should we do to occupy our time on a rainy Thursday afternoon?” Luke murmurs in my ear at the top of the stairs.

“Hmm… we could read.” I suggest.

“Nah, I’ve been doing a lot of that lately.” He nibbles my neck and wraps his hands around my waist, spreading his palm over my belly.

“We could watch a movie.”

“I’m not in the mood.”

We finally make it to the bedroom and I turn in his arms, kissing him softly while I run my fingers down his cheek.

“I’m all out of ideas,” I whisper.

“That’s okay,” he whispers back. “I have a few ideas of my own.”

Epilogue

“Holy shit.”

I’m standing in a beautiful bungalow in Tahiti, in front of a full-length mirror and I don’t even recognize the woman staring back at me.

I love my wedding dress. It’s long and billowy. It’s white chiffon with a beaded bodice and spaghetti straps and the skirt falls from the empire waist all the way to the ground. I won’t be wearing shoes today. My makeup is classic and simple, perfect for a beach wedding, and my hair is curled and pinned into an intricate bun behind my left ear with a red rose pinned to it.

I’m wearing my pearls.

“You are stunning.” Jules kisses my cheek and I smile at her nervously. She is also stunning in her simple pink chiffon gown. I look around the bungalow and smile in happiness and warmth and love. I am surrounded by beautiful women. Luke’s mom Lucy and Jules’ mom Gail have their heads together in a corner. They both look lovely in their pretty pink dresses.

Samantha and Stacy are cooing over little Sophie, who is simply adorable in a soft pink dress with a pink headband.

Jules is, of course, my maid of honor, and Stacy and Sam are my bridesmaids.

Sam and I seemed to have buried the hatchet after Luke’s accident, and we have become good friends. She did most of the legwork on planning this fantastic wedding.

“Are you nervous?” Stacy asks.

“I wasn’t until I put this dress on, now I’m a little nervous.” I smile and look back in the mirror. Holy shit, I’m getting married!

Neil walks through the door and smiles widely when he sees all of us.

“I’ve been sent in here to give you this.”

He hands me a wrapped box with a card attached and kisses my cheek.

“It’s almost time.”

“Are the boys ready?” I ask.

“Yes, and your soon-to-be husband is a nervous wreck. He is ready to make you his wife.”

I laugh and kiss Neil’s cheek, “Here, take this back to him.” I hand him a wrapped box, also with a note. “And tell him I’ll meet him in a few. I’ll be the one in white.”