Be My Hero (Forbidden Men #3)(120)

I grinned and kissed her hard and long.

Remembering we had company, I glanced up to find Hart watching us in amusement. "So, when can I start?" he asked.

"Tonight." I was starting to tell him every new bartender needed to get broken in on a ladies' night, when I suddenly realized where I'd seen him before. The tat behind Eva's ear brought the glimpse back into my mind. Hart was the deejay who was going to play at my wedding reception.

Realizing he would have a bigger role in my future than I'd first realized, I smiled at him. "Yeah, I think you're going to fit in just fine. Wear at tight, black T-shirt and jeans and show up before six when we open."

A grin spread across Hart's face. "Will do, boss."

After he disappeared from my office, the woman with her arms wrapped around my waist gazed up at me with absolute adoration. "So I'm guessing you're not pissed at me for hiring him on the spot. I just felt a good vibe from him."

I leaned down to rub my nose along hers. "Don't worry. I got the same vibe. We definitely have us a new Forbidden boy."

"And he's definitely hot enough to fit in," she answered, her unique blue eyes gleaming with mischief.

I narrowed mine. "Oh, you think he was hot, huh? That why you were so eager to hug him?"

She laughed, spilling out that sound I loved most in the world. "No, I hugged him so you'd turn all jealous and caveman and pull me away from him."

"You are one devious woman," I murmured. "Is that the only reason you came in today? To make me prove how crazy I am about you? I thought you were staying home with the babies."

"I was but . . . " She yanked open her purse and pulled out an official-looking envelope. "This came in the mail, so I dropped the kids off with Reese and came straight here."

My stomach roiled with instant unease. We'd gotten too many official letters lately. After her father's death, his will had stipulated Eva get a nice chunk of his inheritance that she was forced to share with her newly widowed mother. But her mother had been fighting for more of the money, so she'd hired a lawyer, to which we'd had to put our new lawyer to more work to fight back.

Eva had said she didn't want any of her father's money, but I thought he owed it to her, and more. For Skylar, Julian, and our future Chloe, she'd decided to keep it.

"It's from social services," she said, surprising me.

I hadn't thought we'd get word back about Julian quite so fast. A new worry gnawed at my gut as she stuck her finger in the slit and opened the letter. Tightening my arms around her, I held my breath as she quickly scanned the single page.

Her eyes lifted to mine, sober and unsmiling. I almost started sobbing right then. We hadn't been granted the adoption, had we? We were going to lose him.

Then tears prickled her eyes. "They said yes. Oh my God. They said yes. We can adopt him."

"What?"

"We can really keep him." Hugging me, laughing and crying at the same time, Eva began to jump up and down and screech her excitement.

"Oh, shit." In a split second, I was crying with her, tears of joy streaming down my face.

Hauling her up off the ground, I spun my woman in a circle as I sobbed into her neck. As we held onto each other tightly, I wondered why this moment hadn't been in any of my glimpses. I didn't know if I'd ever felt quite this happy and relieved before.

But I guess Madam LeFrey hadn't wanted me to see too much. Damn witch had made me sweat it out. Which only made me appreciate the moment more.

"I love you so much," I told Eva, kissing my way up her neck to her mouth.

She found my lips and kissed me back. "I love you too."

"Before we adopt him, though, you have to do me one favor."

"Anything," she promised, only to pause and give me a leery eye. "Wait. What do I have to do?"

I winked. "Marry me."





Eva's Epilogue


EVA


Eight Years After That

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

I smiled over at my husband as he turned into the long lane of our driveway. Trees in the front yard cast a nice shady shadow before revealing our four-bedroom ranch-style home. "Why are you so worried? I don't see how this time is any different than the last."

He sent me a dry look. "The twins didn't exist the last time you came from the hospital after giving birth." He said twins as if he actually meant evil, demon spawn.

I laughed and shook my head. "I'm sure they didn't destroy the house that bad."

Pick snorted. "Reese is probably trying to peel them off the ceiling right now. I'm telling you, letting her and Mason watch our kids while you were at the hospital was a bad idea. Who knows what kind of habits their insane twins have already taught our perfect little angels."

"My God. You're getting dramatic in your old age, Patrick."

But he did have a point.

The two-year-old Lowe children could be quite a terror. They went full-speed all day long, curious about everything and always eager to play.

We heard the commotion from inside as soon as Pick killed the engine and opened the car door.

Glancing at me with gritted teeth, he muttered, "Still think I'm overreacting?"