Epilogue
Mara
A few years later…
“Mara!” River’s voice bellows through the house in search of me. I can’t help but smile at the urgency in it. You'd think he’s been gone for a week and not only for part of the day.
He’s been out at the country house for some meetings with Cillian. It’s ironic how my fear was the two of them never getting along, but now they’re best friends and actually own a few businesses together. River once told me that he could never hate Cillian. Without him, I could have died all those years ago, and each time he sees Cillian’s scars, it reminds him of the sacrifices my brother not only made for me but for him too.
When it comes to family, River really does feel it all. He even senses things, and at times it reminds me a bit of my mom. It didn’t take me too long to piece together why my mom pushed the college thing and even put me up in the same building at River. She always has a plan and knows what she’s doing.
“Mara!” River growls this time, and his voice is closer. His steps move faster down the hallway as he pushes open one door after another.
We haven’t lived in our new home long, and I’m still putting our own touches on it. Once we found out I was expecting, River wanted us to at least have one permanent home that’s more settled. We hopped around a lot over the years, going on trips when we had a break from school. Or taking even longer vacations during the summer. As madly in love as we were and as much as I wanted us to start a family, I’d been hiding away for far too long, and River had so much he wanted to show me before he shared me with anyone.
It’s funny how the tables have turned over the years. Once upon a time, I was always expecting the worst and feared so much. Those days are long gone now with River beside me. I've become pretty fearless while he showed me the world and took me to places I thought I’d never see for myself. Life is full of all kinds of surprises. To understand the good, sometimes you have to feel some of the bad. So far, though, everything has been perfect.
“Honey!” I finally call out, showing the poor man some mercy. The door to the nursery swings open a few seconds later.
River stands there in all his glory. The suit jacket he had on this morning before he left is now gone, along with his tie. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and I can see the tattoo he got on our one-year wedding anniversary: the word bet in bold letters. It's something we always say to each other now when we’re in the middle of a face-off or challenge.
“Why are you hiding from me? Should you be on the floor like that? Have you eaten?” He fires one question after another. “Do you think they have pregnancy nurses like they do baby nurses? That should be a thing.” His brows pull together, and I already see him thinking about this business opportunity. I think he’s forgotten there are two guards on the front gate, but I’ll let that go for now.
“Are you saying I need a babysitter?” I laugh.
Yeah, since I’ve gotten knocked up, the tables have really turned. It’s rather adorable actually. River can be so calm and soothing until he’s not. I seem to be the only thing that can really shake his steely exterior, and I’d be a damn liar if I didn’t admit that I love that. That only I can shake this man.
River’s eyes narrow, and I know he’s thinking about someone watching me at all times. “They could just be around. You could call out if you needed them and they could do random checks. They wouldn't need to hover.” Again, the security comes to mind, but I keep that to myself.
“No, not hover. That’s your job,” I tease.
River clears the rest of the space between us, easily plucking me up off the floor even though I’m already seven months pregnant. The only reason he’d even gone out to see Cillian is because I’d pushed and he took a freaking helicopter, making the trip in forty-five minutes.
“You’re pushing it,” he says before he claims my mouth in a deep kiss. His fingers sink into my hair, and I grip the front of his shirt. Damn, I missed him too. Years together and still I can’t get enough of him.
Sometimes I think I was so unsteady and unsure of life not only because of my accident as a child but because I knew something was missing inside of me. There was a part that I needed to be whole and to steady me.
“Pushing it? I thought you liked it when I pulled it.” I nip his bottom lip making him groan. “Or better yet, sucked it.” I lick my lips.
“Don’t even.” His hand wraps around my waist and tightens so I can’t try and go to my knees.
“Are you telling me no?” I puff out my bottom lip and stare up at him through my lashes.
“God, I love you. You could tempt anyone.”
“I don’t want to tempt anyone. Only my husband.”
“We can’t.” He closes his eyes, taking a long, deep breath. That was not the response I thought I’d get. I was sure my feet were about to leave the floor and he’d carry me back to our bedroom.
“But I’m all…” That’s all he needs to hear before his hand is up my dress and his fingers hit all the spots I need. The man gets me off in less than a minute, and I gasp in his arms. “I loved that but—”
“I’ll do better later. For now, we have guests.”
“A surprise?” I whisper as a smile spreads across my face. He nods. Surprises were another thing I used to dislike. Not anymore. It’s so inspiring how someone can make you look at the world so differently. “My baby shower?”
We’re terrible at secrets. At least keeping them from each other. I love that we keep nothing between us, and I adore how close my family is, but I relish the fact that with River I have something even deeper.
He nods and then offers me his hand. “Shall we?” He lifts our joined hands and kisses the back of mine. “One more thing,” he says before we step out of the nursery. “She’s here.”