Chapter 66- END OF BOOK TWO

One year later, Chicago

The laughter of Tyler and their four-year-old adopted daughter from the orphanage, Mathea, was the sweetest sound in the world to Mary Johnson. It had been a long trip for the two of them, and after their third wedding, friends gathered to celebrate her coming back into the world. Amaya was the one who was overjoyed to learn that she was alive, and since then, Tyler vacation house has been tormented by their gifts almost every week, and because Mary was three months pregnant, they decided to take a long holiday in the Maldives, as Tyler had promised. Everyone had been kept in the dark about Anthony's riches and their travels to Scotland and Thailand.

Mary paused and listened to their antics. Soon, Mary strolled into their bedroom.

"What’s all the laughter about?" she asked, zipping her suitcase.

Tyler responded with a smile on her lips. "I helped Mathea close her case and lift it to the floor. It was so heavy I told her I’d better check to see if she had Applejack in there, which brought on a fit of giggles."

"It’s a shame her Applejack can’t go."

"I wouldn’t let my kid go that far without me, either," he winked.

"I know," she moaned as Tyler's arms went around her waist, and he pulled her against him. “Finally, I can have all the time in the world for my wife.” He lifted her chin and brushed her mouth with his. "I already waited too long."

She flashed him a small grin. "Good for you to wait."

The past year had been a whirlwind of happiness, adventure, and love—more than she had ever dreamed of. There was no more guilt. No more bad feelings about the past. No more adventure. Just life with a man she loved and a daughter she adored. She had the whole package, and never again would she let doubts and insecurities take over her life.

They’d gotten married in the small church, with her family and Tylers.

With the help of Amaya, it was all perfect. It had been stress-free for Mary and a happy occasion—even peaceful—which was a new standard for the Johnson family. The reception had been at the mansion, and then she and Tyler had flown away for a few days in the Maldives.

Tyler kissed the hollow of her neck. She turned to him and thought that she would never get tired of looking at his handsome face. "Ready, Mrs. Johnson?" Tyler asked. "We’re leaving in ten minutes."

"Yes, boss," Mary saluted playfully, and she caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror. She stepped towards it. "Am I gaining weight? I bought these capris two weeks ago for the trip, and they feel a little tight."

"You look the same—beautiful. But there could be another reason your pants feel tight."

Mary frowned. "What? Too much ice cream?"

Tyler shook his head. "That too, but have you thought you might be pregnant with a twin?"

"No. It's too early to tell."

She looked in the mirror with her hand on her stomach, and then her eyes caught his. "So, dear husband, how would you feel about that?"

"Happy, very happy!" Tyler smiled at her and kissed her again.

"Our lives would change," she mumbled almost to herself as the thought took root.

"Our lives are about to change anyway, so we might as well make it a full-meal deal.

“Are you ready for that?"

She met his gaze. "As long as you’re with me."

"Always, my love," he said lovingly. He brushed the hair from her face, fingers lingering on her skin. "You look very satisfied. Tired, but satisfied. I love that I put that look on your face."

She leaned into him, her heart full of joy. "I’ll buy more ice cream when we get back from our vacation, if I can wait that long." The excitement was already running through her system. Another child. That would be the icing on the cake of their happiness.

"In two weeks, we’ll be moving to the new mansion," Mary said.

"Sweetheart, please stop worrying," Tyler said with a smile. He grabbed her hands and held them splayed against his chest, directly over his heart, beating wildly for her, only her. “I love you. It’s what I wanted to say to you every morning. I’ll do whatever it takes to make our marriage work and to show you how much I love you.”

Her lower lip wobbled, and he shook his head. “Oh, no, you don’t.” Tyler kissed her slowly, tenderly, infusing every ounce of his love for this incredible woman into it, hoping she could feel one tenth of his love for her. To his horror, she broke the kiss, wrenched out of his embrace, and backed away, her gaze firmly fixed on their adopted child. "Tyler, I just want you and Mathea to be happy."

"We are happy. Mathea already loves the new mansion, and I feel confident we can make it work, but you know what?"

"What?"

Tyler raised a brow. "Is there something between my cousin, Lea, and your brother?"

Mary smiled. "Maybe, I don't even know; the two have been cats and dogs since our wedding." She touched her stomach. "Um, remind me to ask the asshole next time."

He shrugged, unable to keep a goofy grin from spreading across his face, and his heart stopped as he captured her hand and raised it to his lips.

“I.” He placed a soft kiss on her palm, his tongue lightly tracing her lifeline until she shivered.

“Love.” He nibbled along her knuckles, grazing them with his tongue.

“You.” He nipped at the fleshy base of her thumb, sucking it gently until she moaned.

“And I love you too,” she gasped as his mouth covered hers, stealing her breath along with her heart. Mary gasped as his mouth covered hers, stealing her breath along with her heart. His mind-blowing kiss ignited the store of hope, happiness, and dreams she’d harboured for so long, sending a surge of longing through her body that took every ounce of strength she possessed not to ravish him on the spot. "Tyler, she’s been staying with you for quite some time, you know."

"And I'm so grateful she finally agreed to love me for the rest of her life." He kissed her lips passionately, and they lost track of where they were for a little while. "We may have to stop for ice cream on the way to the airport. I, too, am impatient. Perhaps the ice cream can determine whether it is a twin or not."

She rolled her eyes.

"Mommy, do you have my Little Pony sunglasses?" Mathea called. They slowly drew apart.

"Why would I have your sunglasses?"

"Because I can’t find them."

"Did you look at the top of your head? That’s where they were the last time you lost them." The little gir's chuckle followed. "Yep. That’s where they were. I want to take them with me. Aunt Amaya gave them to me, and they’re pretty. Oh, yeah. I’m pretty too."

"Ten minutes, and everyone has to be in the car ready to go. Got it?" Tyler asked with a huge smile on his lips.

"Got it, Daddy!" Mathea shouted back. They were finally going to the Maldives and then straight to Disney World.

It had been a year of love, burned pancakes, and changes, and they were all stronger for them. Even Mathea. They’d been through a great deal and had come through everything with smiling faces and stronger spirits. Mary felt truly blessed. No longer would a secret weigh her down with guilt and indecision. Love had filled her with confidence.

Tyler kissed her again and lifted her suitcase from the bed. "That means you, too, Mrs. Johnson."

She patted him on the back as he walked out. In minutes, she and Mathea were in the kitchen, ready to leave on a vacation they’d dreamed about for years. For a moment, Mary looked around her home and knew life would be different when they returned. They would put the old mansion on the market and move to the new one. But she knew it would be a change for the better. They had a year of getting to know each other and growing as a family. Now they would go forward and make life even better. She just wished Dave would come home soon.

"Let's go, baby," she tried to get them out the door so they wouldn’t mess up their schedule. Mathea came to a halt at the doorway, her hand on her luggage. "I'd like to say something first, mommy."

"Do I need to contact the media?"

"I'm serious, Daddy," Mathea's feet stomped.

"All right, what do you have to say?"

"I'm overjoyed that we're now a family. I am so happy."

Mary had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing out loud. Tyler too, they grinned and both nodded their heads. He recovered first. "Well, baby, your mother and I are thrilled, too, because we're a real family, and we're thankful you're not weird or anything."

"Whatever, daddy. I am pretty. No one can take that!" Mathea covered her eyes with hot-pink feathery rhinestone sunglasses. "So cool too," she took a tiara from the glittering purse Dave had given her for her birthday and placed it on her chead. "I'd like it if you could call me Princess Mathea from the House of Johnson while we're in the Maldives."

Tyler caught Mary's eye. "What are your thoughts?"

"Well, I suppose. It's OK."

"Mommy is the boss," Mathea laughed and drew her bag closer to the door. "I need to text Uncle Dave that we're leaving."

"Remember how we discussed continuous texting?" Tyler reminded her. Mathea rolled her eyes and resumed her walk to the car. Tyler encircled Mary with his arms. "We need to have another child as soon as possible so we can stop spoiling this one."

"Too late," she said quietly as she leaned on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you too, our life, and our beautiful child. I've never felt happier." Mary snuggled into Tyler's arms, thankful for a moment when they could have been destroyed, but love had kept them together. As it always has.

The past can’t hurt her any more. She made her peace with it, and nothing she felt now was going to change what happened. “I love you," she trailed off, blinking back the tears in earnest now. “I can’t believe you actually loved me all those years ago. I was convinced you were only interested in having me along because you were scared of being alone, being the uptight little boss you were.”

Tyler pouted, “And you’d be the expert to judge, being the troublemaking rebel you were.” He laughed and cupped her cheek. “You’re gorgeous when you fire up. Always have been.”

“Yeah, well, you bring out the worst in me.”

“And the best.”

He inched towards her, his fingers feathering against her face, caressing with infinite skill and patience. “I love you, Mary. Now and forever.”

“Now and forever,” she murmured, a second before their lips met in a burst of sweetness, light, and untold promise.

THE END

Coming Soon…

Lea and Dave’s Story