The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc #3)(89)
"You're starting to sound like your sister."
"Actually, it was her idea. We're going to start the Coburn Family Foundation, and I want you to be part of it. It will give me a chance to actually help people without worrying about polls or elections or any of that. Most importantly, it will allow me to spend as much time as possible with you. So what do you say?"
"Where do we begin?" Charlotte asked.
"First, we have to make a statement so that the press will go away, and we can finally get some peace and quiet. I'll have to spend the next few weeks mending fences. In exchange for their silence, I told the party brass about my father's infidelity and Big Greg's attempted blackmail. They seem to think they dodged a bullet with things working out the way they did. I'll endorse Gerry and step out of the spotlight. Gerry's a good man, and he should have been the pick from the start."
"Then what happens?"
"Then we start our life together. I want to be with you every step of the way. The pregnancy, labor, everything after, every baby step, first word, birthday party, every scraped knee and homework assignment, I want to be there for all of it. I don't want to miss a moment with you, or any of our children."
"Children? More than one? One step at a time," Charlotte said. "I've been thinking about names. If the baby is a girl..."
"We'll name her Emma," Jack said. The look in his eyes said, And you thought I had forgotten.
"What about names for a boy?"
Jack grinned. "I think anything other than Jack will do."
Charlotte leaned in and kissed him. "Sounds good to me, but I don't think we'll have to worry about that." She placed his hand on her stomach. "We're going to have a girl, I have a feeling about this."
Jack took both of Charlotte's hands and helped her to her feet. He kissed her on her forehead, then her lips. "A girl, huh?" he said. "My mother and sister are going to insist on buying her more dresses than you could imagine."
"Jack, are you sure this is what you want? You said you didn't want a permanent marriage," Charlotte said. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to."
"I want you," Jack said. "Whether that's as Charlotte Coburn or Charlotte Crowley, I don't care. As long as I have you, I'll be the happiest man alive."
"Of course you have me," Charlotte said. "I am yours and you are mine."
"Then let's go introduce our baby to the world," Jack said.
"And then we can be in private?" Charlotte asked.
"Then we can be in private for the rest of our lives. After today, all I want in the world until my dying day is to have you and Emma and the rest of our children by my side."
Jack took a step towards the front door, still holding Charlotte's hands.
"Are you coming?" he asked.
"Sure thing Congressman Coburn," Charlotte said.
"I think I'm going to go by Mr. Coburn from now on. Let's go, Charlotte."
"I believe you meant to say, "Mrs. Coburn," Charlotte said. She smiled and stepped outside with her husband, hand in hand, ready to begin their new life together.
Epilogue
Jack stood before the crowd, smiling and holding the microphone in his hand. Charlotte watched the warm light of sunset fall across his face. He looked more happier than she had ever seen him. She followed his gaze out across the crowd of family and friends who sat assembled on his family's Cape Cod yard. The ocean lulled behind him as he cleared his throat to speak.
"Since I left office, I haven't had to give many speeches. So forgive me if I'm a bit out of practice. In four years as a member of the US House of Representatives and in ten months as a candidate for Senate, I gave hundreds of speeches. I gave speeches on employment and infrastructure, conservation and progress. I've given speeches about so many important issues, but I've never given one about the one thing that matters most: love."
Jack turned to Charlotte as he continued, taking her hand. "Charlotte, when I met you two years ago, I didn't believe in love. I didn't know its mystery or majesty or its redemptive power. I didn't understand how it could take root in someone's heart and mind and just never let go. Of course, that all changed the day you walked into my life, and while I wasn't willing to admit it to myself then, I was in love with you from the moment I saw you. It took a little while longer to convince you to give me a chance, but I thank God every day that you did.
As hopefully everyone here knows, Charlotte and I married last January in a small ceremony in DC. We did it because we wanted a marriage without all of the fuss and attention of a big wedding. We didn't want the speeches and the toasts or any of that, but today, we're here to stand tall and shout for everyone to hear that we love each other."
Jack shifted, and looked deep into Charlotte's eyes. He might no longer be a politician, but he hadn't lost his affinity for giving speeches, she thought. She wanted him to keep going forever. She never tired of hearing him say how much he loved her. Charlotte gave him a little wink and a smile
Jack continued. "Before I met you Charlotte, I thought I knew what family was. I thought I knew who I was, but you've shown me that life can be so much more, and that I can rely on you and the rest of my family for a strength I could never have alone. You've shown me what it truly means to be part of something bigger than myself. You are my everything, and I love you now and forever." He slipped the microphone into Charlotte's hand. "Your turn," he whispered.