I turn to Zoe, who’s rubbing her eyes. "What about you, Zoe? Do you want Mari back?"
The little girl nods and continues to rub her eyes.
"Good enough. Get dressed and brush your hair and your teeth. We’ll get breakfast on the way. I’ll pack a small bag and call your school on the way to let them know you won't be there today."
"Do you know where she is?" Fawn asks.
"I know where she's going, and if we hurry up, we can beat her there," I say, and the girls scramble into gear.
Mari
I think I cried most of the way here. My head hurts, and I'm exhausted. I don't want to know what I look like as I walk in the door of my brother's house. I want to crawl into bed and sleep, maybe stay there for a few days. That sounds amazing.
I don't bother knocking—we never have, and my brother knows I'm coming. When I enter the living room, I freeze. It’s not my brother standing there waiting for me.
It's Dalton.
"What...? How...?" I’m in shock and unable to form a coherent sentence.
"It was never a game," Dalton says, taking a step toward me.
I take a step back and hit the door behind me.
"Once I dealt with the work emergency, I started putting plans into motion so I could step down and do most of my work from home. I want to be around you and the girls more. As for ignoring you, I had my assistant send several texts to you every day. I checked after reading your note, and she never sent them. I fired her on the way here. I should have called instead of relying on texts. I fell into old habits, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I’ve spent years putting my business above everything and everyone, but then I met you, and I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to be with you. I want to be there for the girls. I want us to be a family."
My head hurts from all the crying, but now it’s spinning. Is he telling the truth? Can I give him another chance?
"I love you, Mari, and I'm not letting you go. You want to stay here with your brothers? Fine, I'll go remote and move here as well. The girls decided on the way here that they're willing to do whatever it takes to bring you home."
I shake my head, my eyes welling with tears. I've never had someone want me so badly they’d change their whole life for me. To know he feels even a bit of what I feel for him in such a short time is crazy.
Dalton closes the distance between us and cups my face, rubbing his thumbs over my cheeks and wiping away my tears.
"I love you too." I thought I was an idiot for falling for someone who didn't want me back.
Dalton wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a kiss. It’s far too short and interrupted by my brother and Ellie and the girls invading the room in giggles and smiles.
"After everything, I can't believe you let him in the house." I glower at my brother.
He shrugs and looks at Ellie. "Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. I think him flying in a private jet to beat you here meant he was serious."
"You're going to marry me, little one, and soon," Dalton says as he pulls a ring from his pocket.
It’s not a question, but it’s okay. I want to marry Dalton more than anything in the world. My heart knows he’s the one for me. I hold my hand out, and he slides the ring onto my finger.
"I bought this ring the day I was called into the office. It was also the day I bought the girls’ charm bracelets," Dalton says.
The girls hold up their arms to show off their bracelets, and their smiles fill me with joy.
I almost made the biggest mistake of my life, but now I’m complete. I’m surrounded by love and ready to move forward into a bright future.
Epilogue
Dalton
Two months later
We decide to have a Christmas wedding, so I fly Mari’s family to Tennessee. I put them up in cabins not far from our house so they have their own space. They’re staying through Christmas, so our honeymoon will start a little late.