Surprise Delivery(110)

“Is he drunk?” Duncan hisses.

Regina shakes her head. “No, he’s actually not.”

“I know this isn’t your typical engagement party speech, but there are some things I need to say to the happy couple,” Henry announces.

I feel myself stiffen up as he looks out at us, though there is a small ember of hope burning inside of me. Duncan gives my hand a squeeze and when I look up at him, he silently mouths the words I’ll never get tired of hearing, ‘I love you’.

“Duncan, Alexis,” Henry starts. “The first thing I want to say is that I’m sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. What I said and did was wrong. Beyond wrong, actually. And Duncan, yeah, in retrospect, I deserved the punch in the nose for it.”

Another wave of laughter ripples through the crowd. As I listen to Henry, the skeptical, petty side of my mind tells me that this is all an act. That he’s got an agenda. But as I listen to him, I also can’t help but hear the sincerity in his words. Shockingly enough.

“Duncan, that day in my office – the last time we spoke all those months ago – you reminded me of something that I’ve obviously either taken for granted or forgotten. Many things, actually, but the one thing you said that I can’t shake is that the Clyburne legacy is family,” he continues. “You’re right. That sense of family is something Mom and Dad instilled in us when we were young. As were some of the other traits you mentioned – compassion, kindness, generosity – everything. You were right. I was wrong.”

Henry takes a sip of his champagne and looks down at the ground, as if contemplating what to say next. He looks back up at us, his eyes locked onto Duncan’s. It’s then I feel the full weight of his sincerity. The look on his face is one of sadness. It’s the look of a man who desperately misses his brother. Seeing that look on Henry’s face makes the tears well in my eyes.

“Duncan, Alexis, I won’t blame you for never wanting anything to do with me again. Hell, in your place, I wouldn’t want anything to do with me,” he says. “I just want you to know how sorry I am. Both of you. And I also want you to know that if you’re kind and generous enough to accept me back into your family, I will do everything I can to prove it was the right decision for you to make. I want to be a part of your lives. I want to be a part of my niece’s life. I just desperately want to be a family again.”

Duncan turns to me and I nearly pass out from shock at what I see in his face – tears in his eyes. Tears rolling down his cheeks. It shocks me, but also warms my heart to no end. I give him a smile and a quick kiss on the lips.

“Go to him,” I whisper. “I support you, Duncan. No matter what.”

Duncan gives me a nod and starts off across the dance floor, headed for the stage. Regina turns and gives me a grateful look and a smile.

As Duncan mounts the steps, an even deeper hush falls over the crowd. Everybody is staring at the two brothers intently, with bated breath, watching and waiting to see how the family melodrama plays out. Duncan steps closer to Henry, then reaches out and pulls him into a tight embrace. The two men cling to each other as the crowd of guests erupt into applause. As I watch them, my heart swells with emotion and I can’t keep the tears from rolling down my cheeks. Regina pulls me close and embraces me, spilling tears of her own.

“This really is the perfect ending to a perfect night,” I say.

Regina steps back and smiles wide at me but shakes her head. “No, dear. This isn’t the end,” she says. “This is just the beginning.”

I laugh and wipe away the tears. Truer words have never been spoken.





Two months later…





“Remind me to thank Henry for this,” I say. “This is amazing.”

“Yeah, this is pretty nice,” Duncan says. “I mean, if you’re into this sort of thing.”

I lower my sunglasses and stare blankly at him. “Seriously?”

Duncan laughs and climbs up the ladder, stepping back onto the dock of our private bungalow on the water. A long bridge connects our bungalow to the mainland, and we’re surrounded by the most pristine, crystal blue waters I’ve ever seen in my life.

As our wedding present, Henry sent us to Bora Bora for our honeymoon. It’s a place that was always on my bucket list, but I honestly had never thought I’d see it anywhere but the internet. Regina is caring for Aurora while we’re indulging ourselves, and our every fantasy, out here in paradise. It still feels strange and a little tense to leave my baby girl behind, but I know she’s in good hands. Regina loves her and always takes amazing care of her, which eases my worries. After all, Regina raised two good men, so she probably knows what she’s doing.

The sun is sinking toward the horizon, but its rays make the water clinging to Duncan’s toned, tight body glitter like droplets of gold and I’m suddenly very hungry – though not for food. Speaking of food, I glance at the clock and see that it’s closing in on six. The private chef Henry hired to spoil us is going to be here in thirty minutes or so.

Our bungalow, like the rest of them, sits on pylons out in the water. They’re all staggered, ensuring total privacy for the guests. Which has been perfect for us – and will continue to be.

I’m stretched out on the well-cushioned chaise lounge on the rear deck, reading a magazine and soaking in the sun. I thought it strange to find a chaise out on a rear deck over the water, but it hasn’t stopped me from enjoying it. There’s a low retaining wall that runs around the deck and automatic shutters that can seal the deck, keeping everything from getting wet in case of a storm.