“It’s jumping the gun. Never mind.”

“Teresa. If this is going to work, we need to be able to talk about anything.”

“What if I get pregnant?”

The thought of her carrying his child . . . Pax’s chest damn near burst with pride and excitement. “Do you want kids?”

“Yes, I do. Very much. I thought I’d never have them after the rape, thought I’d never be whole enough to let a man touch me. Now the thought of it—yes, I do want children.”

“Then what’s the problem?” AJ asked.

“Whose baby will it be?”

Pax looked over at AJ, and they both nodded. “It’ll be ours,” Pax said.

Teresa closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, a tear slid down her cheek. “I love you.”

Pax knew whenever she said the words, she meant she loved them both. And that would always be good enough.

“Come on,” he said, puling out his wallet to pay the bill.

They headed outside to climb on their bikes. Teresa grabbed her helmet.

“Oh, Pax?”

“Yeah, Teresa?”

“AJ’s name is Adirondack Jolon.”

Pax’s eyes widened. He looked over at AJ, who cringed.

“No shit?”

Teresa grinned. “No shit. Now that you know, it’s kind of like a secret bond. You’re sworn to never to reveal that to anyone.”

Pax shook his head. “Dude. I’m sorry.”

AJ slammed his helmet on. “Not as sorry as I am.”

Pax laughed and fired up his bike. “Let’s go home.”

He finally had a home to go to, and a woman who loved him as much as he loved her.

THEY TOOK OFF, AJ TAKING UP THE FRONT, LAUGHING AS HE realized he now had the family he’d always wanted. His best friend, and a woman they both loved.

Families were never alike from one house to another, from one generation to another. He thought of the children he and Pax would give Teresa, and realized he was nothing like his stepfather, any more than Pax was a product of the world he’d grown up in, any more than the children they’d create would be anything like they’d been.

Things were going to be different. Tonight was their new beginning.

He rode the night with a wide grin on his face and led his family home.