“Got a question to ask you now, Piper… But whatever your answer, just know that all I want out of this life is you by my side. However that looks for you.”
My lips tremble, and I barely manage to hold it together as he squeezes my hand once more before stepping back. The music still plays around us, but all I can hear is the blood rushing in my ears and the soft scrape of denim as Christian drops onto one knee in front of me.
“You’re the love of my life. Since the first moment I saw you—hell, even before that. It was only ever gonna be you.”
He exhales once, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket, and when he opens it, he reveals the most stunning ring I’ve ever seen—a round black diamond surrounded by a halo of sparkling clear stones.
“Will you marry me, darlin’? Will you let me spend the rest of my life loving you the way you were always meant to be loved?” Tears pour freely now as the biggest smile stretches across my face. I nod, then I nod harder, laughing through the tears spilling down my cheeks.
Christian’s whole face lights up, and he doesn’t waste a second. He pulls the ring free from the box and slides it onto my shaking hand like he’s been waiting his whole life for this moment. Before he can say anything, I reach forward, grab the black cowboy hat off his head, which now matches the black diamond glinting on my finger, and settle it right on top of mine.
Because I belong to this man, wholly, wildly, and recklessly.
Christian stands and sweeps me into his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist, clinging to him, kissing him, and suddenly the whole bar erupts around us—whoops, cheers, and boots stomping against the wood floor all crash through the little world we’d just made for ourselves.
I turn my head slightly, pressing my cheek to his, and through the blur of tears and laughter, I see them. My sister is beaming, hollering, and clapping her hands. Christian’s brothers are grinning like they had a hand in all this. Savannah is crying and laughing at the same time while Preston slings an arm around her and Ivy, with pride written all over his face. And everyone else in the bar, from close friends to complete strangers to people who somehow feel like family now, are sharing this small, perfect piece of the happiest moment of my life.
Epilogue
Christian
Seven Years Later
WatchingPiper come down the stairs with our little girl perched on her hip, her black hair a beautiful mess, while the twins barrel through the house like they’ve had straight sugar for breakfast—God, it just about wrecks me.
This is my everything.
It’s Christmas Day, and they woke us up just after dawn.
Not that I mind.
I’m still up before the sun every day, even at forty-eight years old. It’s just part of who I am. Hell, it’s the only way I get at least an hour every morning to go down on my wife before the chaos starts.
An hour to worship her body the way she deserves. To take my time with her while whispering against her skin how much I love her, love our life, and love the way she clenches so tight around me when I make her come.
An hour to owning her and loving her every goddamn day. And looking at her now, happy and laughing, and carrying our world in her arms? Yeah, there’s not a single thing I’d change.
Later today, we’re heading over to Callan’s bar. It’s been a traditionfor us for as long as I can remember, a piece of our lives that’s stayed constant no matter how much everything else has changed. But now, it feels different because it’s not just the same familiar faces.
Now, it’s both of my brothers.
It’s Piper’s sister.
It’s my closest friends—the ones who’ve become more like family over the years, and somehow, having all of them there, under the same roof, makes the day feel even more special.
“You ready to do presents, cowboy?” Piper asks, smirking at me over Presley’s head, her emerald eyes sparkling.
I lean down and press a kiss to our little girl’s soft hair. She’s three years old now and the spitting image of her beautiful mama.
“Absolutely,” I say, smiling widely.
“Are you ready for the mayhem?” she asks, arching a brow as she shifts Presley against her hip.
“I fuc—” I stop myself just in time when Piper’s eyes widen. “I love the mayhem.”
“Daddy nearly said a bad word,” Cooper pipes up, his face full of smug satisfaction as he points a finger at me. Chase, his twin brother, bursts into a fit of giggles, clutching his stomach like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard.
“Looks like Daddy didn’t get on the good list because he’s got a filthy mouth,” Piper teases, lowering Presley to the ground.
