My lip trembles and tears run down my cheeks as everything falls into place. He gave it all up for me. He divorced me, because the man he was could never be my husband or Penny’s dad. He sold his house because we could never build a life on such foundations, and he gave away the one thing that caused so much heartache in our lives—the business. He gave it all up . . . for me. For us. So with a shaky hand, I reach out and whisper, “My name is Katia.”

He smiles, big, beautiful and real.

“It’s nice to meet you, Katia.”

“And you, Marcus.”

EPILOGUE

KATIA

Six months later

“God baby,” Marcus groans, moving deep inside me.

My legs are around his waist, my fingernails running down his back. He’s fucking me slow, right there on the brand new mattress I got just two days ago.

“Marcus,” I whimper. “I’m coming.”

He lets me come, long and sweet, and then he fucks me harder, slamming his cock in and out of me until he finds his own release. Together we come down from our high, wrapped in each other.

“I gotta go to work,” he murmurs into my neck. “When all I wanna do is fuck you all day.”

“It’s a nice thought.” I laugh softly. “But I’m not sure Penny would appreciate us being cooped up here any longer.”

He chuckles and pushes off me, staring down at me with the most intense but gorgeous brown eyes. “You’re right about that.”

He presses a kiss to my nose and gets off the bed. I roll to my side and watch him get dressed, pulling on a suit and running his fingers through his hair. I smile, unable to help it. Things in our lives have been perfect for six months. We’ve both been getting the help we need, and together we’ve managed to push ourselves forward until the past seems like a distant blur.

Marcus is happy. I never thought he would be. I worried so much when he gave everything up for me, but now I see in his eyes that he doesn’t regret a single moment of it. He’s carefree, I’m carefree, and we finally have what we both deserve. I get out of bed, pulling some clothes on and flashing him a smile before heading out into the lounge, just as Penny toddles out of her room.

“Momma!” she cries, running towards me.

I scoop her up. “Hi baby.”

She points to the fridge and says, “Ta.”

I laugh. She figures if she says ta enough, I’ll just feed her constantly. She’s too cute. Marcus joins us in the kitchen just as I’m pulling out her breakfast. He leans down, sweeping a kiss across her forehead and ruffling her curls. “Hi baby girl.”

She smiles up at him, like she always does. He smiles down at her, his eyes crinkling, like he always does. I smile at them both, my heart swelling, like I always do.

And it’s perfect, and beautiful, and just the way it should be.

Finally.

~*~*~*~

“Oh my God, Landon, gross!” I cry, throwing a carrot stick at him.

“Landon!” My father barks. “Stop that.”

Landon is grinning as he licks a cracker and then drops it back into the bowl. I throw another carrot stick at him. “We did not come from the same father,” I yell. “What is wrong with you, dude?”

He chuckles and lifts the cracker, hurling it at me.

“Stop it, you two.” Dad chuckles.

Penny charges across the lawn towards Landon and wraps her arms around his legs. I laugh loudly. “Atta girl. Show Uncle Landon what for.”

Warm arms circle my waist, and I smile to myself as Marcus brushes his lips across my earlobe. “Your family are crazy, baby.”

“I know.”

“I like it.”

I laugh. “I know.”

“Oh my God, get a room!” Candy yells from Ford’s lap across the yard. I wave a carrot stick at her.

“Don’t make me use this.”

She grins and crooks her finger. “Bring it on.”

Ford laughs, slapping her thigh. I smile at them, so glad that they’re still coming along the way they should. They’re happy and they seem to work well with each other. Candy and her bubbly nature fits perfectly with Ford and his broody one. Sometimes chalk and cheese combined can make good things.

“Should we tell them?” Marcus murmurs in my ear.

“I think we should.”

He steps back and I lift my glass and tap it. “People, people, I have an announcement to make.”

“Oh my God, she’s pregnant!” Candy squeals.

I throw her a scowl. “Seriously, Candy?”

She clamps her lips together after mouthing sorry.

“I’m not pregnant,” I say, scanning all of them.

“Well then?” Wyatt calls, appearing from inside the house with a young, pretty blonde by his side. I give him a ‘you’ll tell me about that later’ look before continuing.

“As you know, Marcus and I recently got divorced.”

“Booooo!” Landon yells.

I flip him the bird.

“Anyway, we did it for a reason. Even if I didn’t know the reason at the time. Now, now we’ve decided the time is right. So . . .”

“You’re engaged!” Candy cries.

I shoot her another look, and she giggles loudly. “Oh my God, sorry.”

“No, actually, we’re not engaged.”

They all stare at me, confused.

“Marcus and I got re-married.”

“What?” Candy cries, leaping off Ford’s lap.