The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove #1)(100)

He was already shaking his head. “Don’t do that for me, Jane. I don’t want to change anything about you.”

“I’m doing it for me,” she said. “Because I need more of us than a visit here and there. You are my person, Levi. And I’m yours.” She took his hand. “You could stay with me until your place is ready. Unless you’d like to keep sleeping on your parents’ couch?”

He grinned. “So I’ll be a kept man. I like it. Don’t worry, I’ll put out as often as you like.”

She laughed. “How long can I keep you?”

He cupped her face. “How does forever sound?”

Her heart turned over in her chest, exposing its underbelly. “It’s a date.”





Epilogue


Five years later

Jane staggered down the stairs, plopped into a dining room chair, and did gimme hands toward Levi’s coffee mug.

He slid it to her.

She sipped, grateful it was still steaming hot. It also had more cream than coffee, which meant . . . “You made this for me.”

There was a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Sleep well?”

She smiled, scooping up Cat, who’d been winding around her ankles. “When you finally let me go to sleep.”

Levi flashed a grin. “I don’t remember hearing any protests.”

“Not a single one.”

In response to this, he hooked a foot around the leg of her chair and pulled her closer.

Miffed, Cat jumped off, and Levi scooped Jane into his lap, pulling her in for a heart-stopping kiss that had her melting into him.

“Ew.”

They broke apart and looked over at Nicole, their four-year-old daughter, who with the exception of Jane’s own green eyes was the spitting image of her daddy. Their daughter was still in pj’s, wearing—if Jane wasn’t mistaken—syrup. A quick glance around the kitchen told the tale. Waffles had been made. Messily.

“Why do you and Daddy kiss so much?” Nicole wanted to know.

“Because we love each other.”

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“Sort of,” Jane said. “But we’re married, so that also makes him my husband.”

“Did you like kissing him before you were married too?”

She glanced at Levi, who was watching the twenty questions quiz with amusement. “I’ve always liked kissing your daddy.”

“My friend Shelley at school says her mommy thinks my daddy’s hot.”

Levi choked on the unfortunate sip of coffee he’d just swallowed.

Jane laughed. “I’d have to agree with her.”

Nicole crawled up into Jane’s lap, and as she was still sitting in Levi’s lap, it was a very tight fit. “Do you have to go to work today, Mommy? Can we go sledding down the hill?”

The house that they’d built had a slope in the backyard—perfect for sledding. Jane kissed the tip of Nicole’s cute little nose. “I’m not working today.” She was now employed at the Sunrise Cove hospital and loving it. She’d taken the week off because Mateo had finally talked Charlotte into saying “I do,” and as her best friend’s matron of honor, Jane had a lot to take care of.

But today was all about Nicole. “Sledding sounds perfect. Why don’t you go get ready?”

“Yay!” Nicole leapt down and ran out of the kitchen. They could hear the pitter-patter of her feet moving through the house and presumably into her bedroom. There was the sound of drawers opening and closing as she searched for the sledding gear she’d picked out herself from Cutler Sporting Goods. Cal had been arrested and had done some time, but unfortunately had never paid back a penny. Still, after floundering for a bit, the store was beginning to thrive again on its own merit.

Jane leaned back against Levi’s chest and sighed in pleasure as he dragged his mouth down the side of her neck. “Mmm . . .” she murmured. “You going to work for a little while?”

“No. Thought I’d go sledding with my two favorite girls.”

She twisted around to face him and smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you more.” He leaned into her and was halfway through giving her another heart-stopping kiss when those little feet came running into the kitchen again.

“Daddy! Leave her alone, we’re going sledding!”

Levi gently nudged Jane off his lap and stood to face the sweetest little tyrant they’d ever met. “Can I go too?”

Nicole giggled. “Of course, Daddy. Can Peyton come over and sled with us? And Taylor? I promised my cousins. Oh, and Aunt Tess too! And Grandma and Grandpa! And Auntie Charlotte and Uncle Mateo!”

“Everyone can come.”

“Really?” Nicole asked, bouncing up and down.

“Really.”

Nicole ran to him, flinging herself into the air. Levi caught her and then snagged Nicole’s mommy in close too. “Caught you both.”

“Careful,” Jane warned. “The syrup’s sticky.”

“Perfect. Now we can stick together.” He pressed his forehead to Jane’s. “For always.”

Sounded like the perfect plan.





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