Chapter 16: Chapter 16

EPILOGUE

Lana turned at the sound of the front door closing. Removing her glasses, she massaged the bridge of her nose and swiveled her chair around just in time to see Matthew stroll into their home office dressed in a coal black business suit that fit his muscled frame perfectly. She glanced at the clock above his head with a smile on her face. Six o’clock on the dot. When they moved in together he promised her he wouldn’t turn into a workaholic just because of his new position, and thus far he’d kept his promise. But she knew he would. Matthew was a man of his word. She knew instinctively he’d quit before he broke his vow to her.

“How’s my baby,” he said with a smile as he kissed her soundly on the lips, taking his sweet time rediscovering the unique taste of her mouth.

She smiled when he lifted his head, before she glanced down to stroke her hand across her ever expanding waist.

“He or she is fine.”

He curled his lips into a grin. “I was actually talking about you. But how is my other baby too?” He asked as he lovingly stroked his palm across her belly before he leaned down to kiss her stomach.

Dropping down into the chair across from her, he pulled it up, and tugged her feet into his lap to massage one swollen foot between his hands.

She laughed. “Both of us are fine. How was work?”

She forced herself not to giggle when he scrunched his face up into a frown. “Why didn’t you tell me Jenkins was such an idiot? The marketing department is falling apart without you. You have to come back,” he complained.

“You’ve been saying that every day for the last eight months and every time you ask I tell you no. I never thought I would like it so much, but I really enjoy consulting for retail companies and with the baby coming in a month the flexible schedule is ideal.” She leaned forward to place a quick peck against his lips when he continued to frown. “You

guys will be fine without me.”

She laughed when he shot her a pleading look. “That sad face will not work on me and you know it, besides, you have nothing to be sad about. You’re doing a phenomenal job at Renault and tomorrow’s your birthday.”

A smile spread across his face as he leaned back into his chair. “Ahh, I almost forgot about my birthday. Have you thought about the present I asked for?”

She had.

When they discovered she was pregnant, she’d agreed to move in with him. Not as slow as she wanted to take things, but it was as close as they could come to a compromise. With a baby on the way, he’d wanted marriage, but she didn’t, especially if it turned out they weren’t compatible after all. She knew rushing into an ill-fated marriage would only make things worse in the end. But the reservations she had eight months ago were slowly starting to wane. Of the two of them, she truly questioned who was the wiser, because Matthew seemed to know all along that they were good for each other, and he was right. She on the

other hand had been cautious, wanting to take her time to be sure about them.

But with his birthday a day away, and the question he’d asked her months ago still looming over them, she’d come to realize that she’d never been more sure of anything in her entire life. She loved Matthew and if he wanted them to be married before their child was born, then she would give him that.

“Well? What about my present?” He asked softly. She saw the doubts swirling in his eyes and she hated that he even doubted her, but she couldn’t blame him. Almost from day one, Matthew had proclaimed his love for her over and over, but as usual, she’d taken just a bit longer to do the same. But the look on his face was like a fist closing around her heart. She never wanted him to question the depth of her feelings for him.

She leaned in again to caress his cheek with her palm. “I love you, honey.”

His sapphire eyes sparkled when she said that. It had taken her so long to say the words, that she knew he treasured hearing them each and every time she said them. “I love you too,” he said with a warm smile. “So?” He hedged when she didn’t finish, his expression anxious.

“So what? Tomorrow’s your birthday, so you’ll just have to wait until then to get your present,” she said with a secret smile. “But I can promise

you, you’re going to love it.”

“Lana,” he groaned, but the joy on his face was unmistakable. Her heart flip flopped in her chest at the love she saw shining in his gaze.

His happiness was infectious and she beamed at him as she leaned in closer to capture his lips in a searing kiss. Their lips melded so perfectly together, that she couldn’t help but recall the words he’d said to her a long time ago—there weren’t two people in the world more perfect for

each other than they were.

And she couldn’t agree more.

THE END