Gaining Miles (Miles Family #5)(28)

She lifted my hand and placed the ring on my finger, repeating the same phrase. “With this ring, as a token of my love and fidelity, I thee wed.”

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.” The minister smiled. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Grinning, I brushed her hair back from her face. Leaned in close and placed my lips against hers. I kissed her softly at first. Then I slid my arms around her, drew her against me, and kissed her harder.

She threw her arms around my neck as our guests clapped and cheered. I picked her up off her feet and twirled her around. I was just so damn happy, I couldn’t help myself.

I set her down and the kids all mobbed us. Cooper almost knocked me over, and he picked his mom up and spun her around too. I got big hugs from all the girls—Amelia, Zoe, and Brynn got to me first. Then Hannah, Grace, and Naomi. Elijah, looking adorable in his little suit, gave me a big high five. Chase hugged me tight, as did Roland. Even Leo, which meant a lot to me. I knew how he felt about being touched.

There were more hugs and congratulations from the rest of our guests. Then more food was brought out, wine served, and the celebration began.

I stood with my arm around Shannon and watched it all unfold. It was like seeing the last piece of a puzzle finally click into place. Everything was as it should be. I was married to the woman I’d loved for so long. My kids—I could really call them mine, now—were all happy. We had the joy of grandchildren. A home we both loved.

I had everything a man could want—certainly everything I’d ever wanted. Love. Family. Comfort. This was my life. They were my life. After everything we’d been through, we had each other. We had this. And that meant we had it all.





Bonus Epilogue





Grace





Two years later



I stood outside the house, a set of keys dangling from my fingers. My keys. A jolt of excitement sent a little shiver down my spine. I’d done it. I’d planned and saved for years for this. And today, after signing paperwork until my hand felt like it was going to fall off, the house was mine.

A tangle of blackberry bushes covered the front window—most of the windows, actually. The front yard was knee-high grass and weeds, the fence was rotting, and that was just the outside. The interior was going to be a total gut job. At least the structure was sound. It needed a lot of drywall repair, but the walls were sturdy, and the roof was good.

The rest? It was pretty much a disaster. It needed a new kitchen, new bathrooms, new flooring, new paint, new windows. My realtor had tried to talk me out of buying it. As had my mom.

But this was more than just a house. It was a dream. A dream I was fighting to keep alive.

Asher and I had walked by this house on the way home from school every day for years. Most kids crossed to the other side of the street, calling it haunted or creepy. Not me and Asher. We’d both loved the old abandoned house on Evergreen Street. Years ago, we’d made a pact that we’d buy this house, together. It was where we were going to live our life. Start our family.

The plan had been to buy it after we were married. But those plans had been interrupted. Asher wasn’t here. He was in prison.

Another shiver ran down my spine, but this one wasn’t excitement. It was cold fear. It ran through my veins whenever I thought about Asher and what he was going through.

I took a deep breath. Smelled the fresh air and shook off my dark thoughts. There wasn’t anything I could do about Asher right now. He wouldn’t be gone forever. And when he got out, he’d come back to a dream that I’d turned into reality. Our dream. This house.

A strange way to cope with your fiancé being in prison? Probably. But I wasn’t going to sit around doing nothing for eight years while I waited for him to come home.

My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was Shannon, my father’s ex-wife. My mother had unknowingly been the other woman in an affair, having two children with Lawrence Miles—me and my much younger brother, Elijah. Four years ago, I’d gone looking for my father—he’d gone deadbeat dad on my little brother—and discovered he was not only married, but had four other children.

It had been a shock to everyone, but my new family had embraced me and Elijah—and my mom. Mom had become good friends with Shannon. We’d been at Shannon’s wedding two years ago when she’d married Ben Gaines. And when my mom had married Jack Cordero last year, Shannon had been her matron of honor.

I swiped to answer her call. “Hey, Shannon. Aren’t you still in Barbados?”

“We are,” Shannon said. “But I wanted to call and see if the house closed today.”

“It sure did.” I walked up to the front door. “I’m here now. I just got the keys.”

“Congratulations. Benjamin says congratulations, too.”

“Thanks. It’s so sweet of you to call.”

“Of course,” she said. “Send me some pictures if you get the chance. We’re here another week, but when we get back, I want to come see it in person.”

“Definitely,” I said. “Are you guys having fun?”

“This place is paradise,” she said, her voice a little dreamy. “We’re having a great time.”

“I love that. You guys go get a yummy tropical drink or something. Enjoy yourselves. You certainly deserve it.”