He tugged me close and brushed his lips over mine. “Have I told you lately how amazing you are?”
“Not in the last hour or so,” I teased.
“Damn. I’m falling down on the fiancé job already.”
I rose on my toes to give him a quick kiss. “Not even close. You’re killing it, just like you will when I can call you my husband”—I placed his hand over my belly—“and as our baby’s father.”EpilogueVaughnSix-ish months later…"He's beautiful," Morgan whispered as her finger trailed over my son's hair.
Allie smiled—tired, but jubilant—as she took in the sight of her best friend holding our baby. "I cursed a blue streak at Vaughn during labor, but now that I see him, it was all worth it."
He was definitely worth the crescent-shaped nail marks I acquired from Allie squeezing my hands during her contractions. My woman had a hell of a grip, especially if she was in pain.
"Have you picked a name yet?" Morgan asked.
Allie and I exchanged a smile. For months, our friends and family had been asking what we planned to name our child. We'd said we weren't sure and were considering several options. The truth was, we'd chosen the name about a month after Allie told me she was pregnant. Boy or girl, we always knew what our baby's name was.
"Your nephew's name is James Morgan Corbett," Allie announced.
Not surprisingly, Morgan burst into tears. Gage rubbed at her shoulders and reminded her that seeing her cry killed him. She waved him off as she rained kisses on my son's face.
"My nephew has a great name," she said, her voice shaky.
When Morgan and Gage left, James and Mila arrived. Telling James that I'd named my son after him was a moment I knew I would never forget. I'm not ashamed to say we both cried. Because of the belief he'd had in me, I'd grown into a man worthy of Allie. And now, we had a family.
After finding Mila, getting rid of Marcella, and fully embracing a new fitness routine, James had a new lease on life. I loved knowing that the man who was my father figure would be around for many years to come. He was so excited about being a grandfather to James that he could hardly contain himself.
Later, when all the visitors were gone, and it was just my little family and me, I climbed onto the bed with Allie and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She settled into my side the way she always did. As though it was her favorite spot in the world.
"Thanks for coming to Chicago and getting me knocked up with your super sperm," she joked in a soft tone.
I bit back a laugh, so I wouldn't wake James, who was nestled comfortably against my wife's chest.
"Any time you want a repeat performance, I'm up to the challenge," I teased.
She tilted her head and smiled at me before settling in again.
"I want five more, but I think we'll wait about a year between each addition," she answered.
Other than discussing the fact that we wanted more than one, we'd never discussed how many. I was stunned that Allie was willing to go that high, but I was all for having as many as my wife wanted.
"Five more?" I asked.
She nodded. "We need to adopt at least three."
Fuck, she killed me. I loved her so much it hurt.
"In case I haven't told you enough for it to stick, I love you, Allie. Forever."
She tilted her head and looked at me again. Her green eyes were soft when she smiled. "It's stuck, but I'll never get tired of hearing it. I love you, too. Forever."