Lead Me Home (Fight for Me #3)(115)

Closing my eyes, I sighed and relished the sensation.

Her touching me.

So freely.

“How could I not be?” she whispered.

That aura she wore rolled through the room.

Thunder.

Colors and strobes.

I eased back so I could look at her.

She caressed along the line of my hair, head tilting as she spoke softly. “My sister is home. Safe with Penelope and her husband.”

She stroked across the shell of my ear.

So tender.

So sweet.

It sent a chill trembling through the middle of me. “My mama is safe. My grandma is safe.”

Her brow pinched as she moved to trace down my jaw. “I’m here, with you.”

Her fingertips plucked at my bottom lip, her words turning to wonder. “And we’re gonna have a baby.”

One side of my mouth pulled up, twisting into a smile. “I can’t believe it.”

She searched my face. “I know you question it, Ollie. But I want you to know I trust that you are going to be the best daddy this baby could have.”

Overcome, I kissed her, long and deep.

Who could blame me?

I was just a man loving on his girl.

I threaded my fingers through her hair, our gazes locked.

I was entranced by that energy.

The girl a spell.

The best kind of magic.

Caging her in, I pushed onto my hands and knees. I dove in to kiss across her bright, bright heart, and then I worked all the way down until I made it to her stomach.

“Thank you, Nikki, for trusting in me,” I mumbled at her flat belly.

I sucked in a deep breath and made a promise that I would never, ever break. “This baby will always know that her daddy will be there for her. No matter what. No matter what mistakes she might make. No matter what life throws our way. For all my days.”

Nikki’s fingers were in my hair, and she was nudging me up. Eyes glistening with adoration in the muted, dancing light. “You want this? With me?”

I finally settled my weight between her thighs.

Carefully.

I wrapped her up.

Held her close.

Because I was never going to let her go.

“There’s nothing more I want than to get to have a family with you, Nikki Walters. Nothing I want more than to spend all my days loving you. Nothing that makes me happier than you loving me back. You are my home.”

Because I finally got that life was worth living.

It was worth cherishing.

And I had everything to live for.

Nikki stared up at me, her words so soft. “You have it all wrong, Ollie. I always trusted you. You just had to figure out how to trust yourself.”

I pulled back and gazed down at her, running my thumb across her temple. “Forever and ever, you and me.”

I felt it.

The spirit that fluttered through the air.

And I knew that Sydney would always be there, too.

Free.

Watching over us.

A smile forever on her face.





Epilogue





I peeked out into the hall, frantically waving Hope and Jenna in where they had parked in the back lot. “Do you have it?”

Giggling, they both bustled inside, slinking through the big metal door.

“No, Nikki, we totally don’t have it,” Jenna said with all kinds of sarcasm dripping from her smart mouth as she lifted the huge pink cake box a few inches higher, waving it in my face.

“Stop that,” I swatted at her. “I just want this to be perfect. Goodness, I’m nervous.”

“You’re bein’ ridiculous, Nikki. Ollie is gonna love it,” Hope told me in her sweet way. She was two months further along than I was.

Excitement blistered through my veins, and my hand was caressing over the tiny mound growing in my stomach, my skinny jeans still fitting but just barely.

Goodness, I couldn’t wait to be a mommy. The proof that the world really could be a better place. That good things were still granted.

Blessings and joy.

Jenna let go of a loud laugh. “That, or he’s going to go all savage ogre on our asses and kick us to the curb for throwing him a surprise birthday party. I’m not sure which one to put my money on.”

“I’m putting all my money on my man,” I told her, lifting my brow as they passed by.

“Oh, someone has it bad,” Jenna sang as she started down the hall toward the main area of the bar.

“Well, if thinking about someone twenty-four seven and missing him like crazy all day while he’s gone is having it bad, then so be it.”

I might have it bad.

A damned fever when it came to Oliver Preston.

Rex and Kale were supposed to be keeping him busy today. A guy’s fishing trip for his birthday.

It really was just to give me the time to set up.

Streamers and balloons and twinkle lights had been strewn across the entire space, and one big area had been sectioned off just for our friends and family.

The Italian caterer was already setting up at the back of the roped off area.

We rounded the corner, and Cece was setting up the private bar next to the caterer. “Made sure to stock you two some ginger ale,” she said with a wink as she tossed a few bottles of it into the big ice bucket.