Her shoulders began to slump. He was splitting up their property. Made sense. He wanted her to have them.
“Thank you,” she managed to say. Her voice didn’t squeak or tremble or screech.
She turned back to the judge, more mortified than ever before as she slipped the unlucky box into her purse.
“Aren’t you going to put them on?” Miss Molly piped up.
This day couldn’t get any more humiliating.
Had he invited her family and friends to witness her take-down? Was this his final revenge for having left him the way she had? Was he that cruel?
She couldn’t imagine that for even a second.
And why was everyone so dressed up?
Unless…
Was this his sign?
Even as the thought entered her mind, she watched as he bent down on one knee and pulled another box from his pocket.
She clamped her hands over her mouth, and she didn’t give two figs that they were trembling.
“Mackenzie O’Brien, I did as you asked and gave our future plenty of thought. Yes, you’ve been a pain in my ass. Yes, I hate that you left me the way you did. I’m sorry that it took me so long to realize that the version of you I see now is simply an updated version of a girl I’ve loved forever. A girl I want to love forever. I don’t care how we make our family, because you are the part that matters to me. You are my family. I love you more than any stupid plan or any outdated idea of what a perfect family life looks like. You want to work crazy hours? We’ll make it work. Not sure how or if we’ll have kids? We’ll make that work, too. Just say you’ll stay with me for the rest of our lives. Stay married to me, Kenz. Please.”
He opened the box to reveal a gorgeous diamond and sapphire anniversary band.
“You didn’t have to—”
“I did. You deserve the world, and I’m going to work every day of my life to give it to you.”
She knelt in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her tears seeped into his collar, but she couldn’t hold them back.
“I love you, Gabe. I will never, ever put you through that again.”
“Kiss her already, will you?” Mr. Clark’s grumpy voice startled Mackenzie, but Gabe’s smile broadened.
“I have to do as the gentleman requests.”
He slipped the band on Mackenzie’s finger and planted a kiss on top to seal the deal.
Then he kissed her lips, making a promise to love her the way she wanted to be loved. Forever. Again.
For good this time.
The judge banged his gavel and dismissed “the circus” from his courtroom. Gabe led her down the aisle again, only this time she clung to his arm.
He lifted her into his arms when they reached the door.
“I’m carrying you over every threshold for the rest of my days. Not risking any bad luck.”
She kissed him as he carried her into the lobby.
“You guys wait here a minute, ‘kay?” Sabrina instructed them before gesturing for all of their divorce-turned-wedding guests to follow her and Mr. Clark.
Gabe pulled her on his lap on a creaky bench. How different this place looked than the first day they had come here for the divorce months ago.
Light shone through an ancient stained glass window down the corridor. The colors of hope were a stark contrast to the dusty and dark paneling she had noticed during their first hearing.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” she asked, running her finger along his jawline.
“More sure than ever.”
“My schedule?”
“We’ll make it work.”
“My cats?”
“I’ll buy stock in antihistamines.”
“Babies?”
He smiled. “Do you remember how sick and in pain you were during the pregnancies? I wouldn’t wish that on you, my love. We’ll figure things out. If you want to try fertility treatments, we’ll try them. If you want to adopt, we’ll do that. Heck, if you want to hire a surrogate and plant our embryo in someone else’s uterus, we’ll do that. I don’t care how we have a family. I only care that you are in it.”
Possibilities lightened her spirit. Ideas poured through her mind. Love filled her heart.
“We’ll make it all work,” she promised. To him and to herself.
“Damn straight.” He reached to the back of her hair, sliding his hand under her veil. “You cut your hair?”
Her stomach twisted. He had always loved her long hair.
“Deal breaker?” she asked, only half joking.
His lips quirked into a semi-smile. “Nah. There are no deal breakers here.”
She started to kiss him but was interrupted by Sabrina yelling for them to come outside.
Though she argued that she could walk on her own, he insisted on carrying her out the front door.
She smiled as the sun glimmered across the faces of their loved ones. They lined the path to the parking lot with little bottles of wedding bubbles which they blew as Gabe carried her past them. Gabe’s friends slapped him on the back and hollered suggestions on how to spend their wedding night. Gabe blushed a little, but his smile was full of intent.
“I recognize the tall guy from around town, but who are the others and why are they acting like your best friends?”
“The silverback gorillas back there? Those are my poker buddies. I know you don’t want me to drink, but after you left I started hanging out with them once a week. Sometimes I have a beer or two. I’ll stop if you want me to, but I’m hoping you can compromise about the new me.”
She bit the inside of her cheek. “Of course you can keep doing what you’ve been doing. If you can handle it without being an ass, then you go for it.”
He planted a wet kiss on her forehead.
“I’ll try my best to never be an ass to you again.”
“Maybe I’ll join you in the occasional drink. I have to admit, the beginning part of drinking had a certain appeal.”
“As long as you’re with me.” Gabe tightened his grip on her.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and nearly tripped.
“You can put me down, you know.”
“Never. Where are your keys?”
She reached into her purse and handed them to him.
He didn’t unlock her door as she had anticipated. Instead, he tossed them to her sister, who wagged her eyebrows as if she knew something Mackenzie didn’t know.
“You’re coming with me.”
“I am?” Her words came out on a cloud of desire. Breathless.
“You bet. And I’m not letting you leave my bed until we both decide we’ve had enough.”
“I guess we’ll never be leaving bed, then.”
“I guess I’ll have to learn to live with that.”
He placed her in his car and nonchalantly stroked her breast as he pulled away. That simple touch was enough to turn the flames he had been stoking into an inferno strong enough to burn down the town.
“Please drive fast.”
“And risk having Jenkins stop us for speeding?”
“I’d say it’s worth the risk.”
Mackenzie O’Brien watched the speedometer increase at the same pace as her heart. He noticed her staring at his handsome face—a face she would never tire of looking at—and reached over to squeeze her knee.
And once they made it home, he kept every promise he had made to her.
Over and over and over again.
Chapter Twenty-four
Nine months later, Mackenzie got her chance to have the baby shower of her dreams.
Though her womb remained empty, her life was far from barren.
Sabrina sat in the guest-of-honor loveseat beside Mackenzie, flanked by pink and blue balloons and showcasing a swollen belly.
“I’ll never be able to thank you enough for this gift you’ve given me,” Mackenzie said through her tears. “I can’t even believe you offered to carry my ba
bies.”
“Oh, please. I’ve never been so spoiled. Between you and Gabe, I’ve been treated like a damned princess.”
“You deserve to be treated like a goddess.”
“I’ll feel like a goddess when I hand these babies over to you. My god, I swear they’re trying to kick their way out of me to get to their mother.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Me neither. Can’t wait to see my damned feet again.”
Gabe came up behind Mackenzie and massaged her shoulders. “Tell me what you need, Sabrina. I’ll be sure you get it.”
She didn’t have to give him the list. As guests poured in, Gabe made arrangements for a masseuse to give Sabrina a prenatal massage with a special concentration on her feet and legs.
Later that night, after everything was cleaned up and Sabrina was tucked into a luxury cottage over at Reed’s cottages, Mackenzie and Gabe put the finishing touches on the nursery they never thought they’d finally fill.
For an early birthday gift, Gabe had commissioned a local artist to do an oil painting of Ariana that looked incredibly lifelike and beautiful. The painting hung over the crib their twins would sleep in. Their big sister would watch over them.
“Can you believe we’re so lucky?” Mackenzie cooed.
“Not lucky. Deserving. Because you’re going to be the most amazing mother on the planet. A Supermom.”
She smiled and leaned up to kiss him.
“Our babies will be lucky to have you for a daddy.”
“I look forward to showing them what a happily-ever-after looks like.”
And as they cuddled and made love that night, Mackenzie knew for sure that every dream she had ever imagined had already come true.
More From Amanda Torrey
If you enjoyed this book, would you please consider leaving an honest review where you purchased the book? Reviews help other readers discover new authors and help authors be able to write more books. The review doesn’t have to be lengthy—even a couple of sentences would be great! Thank you so much for being the best reader ever.
To be notified of future releases, and to be eligible to win “subscriber only” prizes, please sign up for Amanda’s newsletter. You can sign up here or on Amanda’s website. Amanda loves to hear from readers, so please find her online!
Books by Amanda Torrey
Teen Fury Trilogy (Young Adult Paranormal)
Unleashed (Book One)
Embraced (Book Two)
Atoned (Book Three)
Teen Fury Trilogy: The Complete Collection (Boxed Set)
Healing Springs Series (Adult Contemporary Romance)
*Books in this series can be read in any order*
Not Over You
Stay
A Heart to Call Home
Two Is A Lonely Number
Loving a Wildflower
So Complicated
Wherever You Go
Can't Lose Me
Also by Amanda Torrey
The Immortal Contract (Adult Paranormal Romance)
Can't Lose Me Page 19