Epilogue

NIALL

Two Years Later

A fter a year of marriage, I knew better than to trust my wife in dark, creepy places. We were touring an old house in the French Quarter and it was everything we both loved, but I’d lost her halfway through the viewing with our realtor, and it was freaking me out not knowing when she was going to jump out at me.

Which I knew was going to happen.

She had to be hiding somewhere, biding her time to pop out and scare me—or worse, the poor realtor. Linda Longfellow had been in the real estate business for close to six decades, many of them spent selling properties as historic and unique as this. It would be a real pity if she met her demise being scared to death in one of those houses she’d dedicated her life to selling.

“As you can see, it’s been completely renovated,” she said as she and I walked through the living areas on the first floor. “The current owners redid it top to bottom just five years ago.”

Which means I’m going to have to gut it to bring it back to its former glory , I thought as I nodded at her.

Thankfully, Tallulah had been using that degree of hers to bring my properties back to life and she was incredible at it. Even if this place currently looked like a shrine to glass and chrome, I knew my wife would be able to restore some of its original character.

“I know you usually prefer to do your own revival of more neglected properties, but this place is a steal at the price,” Linda continued. “It’s been impeccably maintained and all of the antique furniture and fittings are in the attic. The owners didn’t want to part with it, but they also didn’t want to live in a haunted-looking mansion.”

I chuckled. “Pity, but I’ll take it anyway. Put in an all-cash offer for me, would you? I’d like to close the deal as soon as possible.”

Linda’s face lit up with her smile as she nodded. “You always make my day, Mr. Morrison. I’ll do that and send over the paperwork.”

I shook her hand when she extended it to me. “Thanks, Linda. I’d better go find my wife, but we’ll lock up.”

“Of course. The keys are in the door. You can return them to my office when you’re done.” She grinned before she took off, giddy about our deal.

As I looked around, trying to decide where to even start searching for Tallulah, I winced. Stark white tiles and walls, with glass partitions on the stairs and massive glass chandeliers and downlights did not belong in a place like this.

I shook my head as I strode down the hall to find my wife, surprised when I heard her in one of the bathrooms. Water was running from the faucet, and I grinned. This would be the perfect opportunity for me to scare the hell out of her this time, so I hung back, waiting until she opened the door before I rushed it, clearly startling her.

“Niall!” she yelled, smacking me on the chest as she blinked away the shock. “That wasn’t funny.”

I opened my mouth to argue that it had, in fact, been funny, but as I looked at her face, I realized her eyes were teary and her cheeks were pale. The playfulness evaporated from me and worry wound itself around my heart.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked, taking her hands and frowning as I tugged her closer to me. “Why do you look a little sick?”

As I wrapped my arms around her, I led her gently to a bench in the passage and she sniffled as she sat down, collapsing in what appeared to be a miserable heap. She looked around the place. “These people ruined the house by modernizing it. Don’t you think? It’s awful. None of this stuff belongs.”

“I agree, but if that’s what’s wrong with you, then you better tell me quick because I just put an offer in. An offer I’m going to have to withdraw if working on this place is going to make you physically ill.”

“No, it’s not that.” She sniffled a few more times, looking genuinely sad as her gaze bounced from the chandeliers, to the floors, to the mostly hidden speakers on the walls. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“That this place makes you sick?” I frowned deeply, so confused that I was starting to feel a little nauseated myself.

“No.” She sighed, turning to face me as I sat down beside her. “I had this whole thing planned with Jake and Sayra’s help. We were going to make it so special.”

“Make what so special?” I asked. “You didn’t bring those giant spiders in here to scare me, did you? You know how I feel about those eight-legged demons.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I wasn’t going to scare you.”

“Then you’ve lost me completely, babe. What does any of that have to do with you being sick? Or with the house?”

“It has nothing to do with the house,” she said sadly. “Seeing it this way has just made me depressed, which not only ruined the house itself but also my mood and my plans.”

I reached for her hands, more worried now than I had been before. “Sweetheart, just say the word and we’ll burn this place to the ground after we buy it. I won’t have it upsetting you like this. I love history but not more than I love you.”

“That’s sweet but the house is fixable. It’s not that.”

I shrugged. “You’re not making any sense. Let me take you home. Maybe you just need to lie down for a little while.”

“Do you remember that party we threw at our house during Mardi Gras?” she asked, once again throwing me for a complete loop.

I nodded. “Of course, I do. It was awesome.”

Those hazel eyes met mine, looking at me intently and with some kind of meaning I still just really wasn’t getting. “Do you also remember that quickie we had in my office during the party?”

I smirked. “Yeah, I remember. I damn near stapled your hair to the desk accidentally while we were going crazy on each other. Do you want to have a repeat in the office here? I bet they also have a sturdy old desk.”

She smacked me in the arm but finally cracked a smile. “I’m pregnant, you idiot. I told you that night we weren’t protected, but we went ahead and did it anyway, and now, I’m pregnant and I’m feeling so damn sick, and I just want beignets and to go home and take a nap.”

As I stared at her, I blinked rapidly a few times, my mouth opening but not a word coming out. Did she just say she was pregnant? She totally said that. She’s pregnant.

I blinked hard a few more times as I processed. My gaze dropped to her stomach and I narrowed my eyes. Of course, it would be way too early to see it, but still.

There was, in fact, a baby in her belly. Even if I couldn’t see it. And it wasn’t just any baby. It was my baby. My baby and hers.

“Are you mad?” she asked when I still hadn’t said anything. “I only found out a couple days ago and I really did have a plan to tell you.”

I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat, a face-splitting grin breaking out across my lips. “No, I’m not mad. Of course, I’m not mad. I just… I was trying to get my head wrapped around it. You’re pregnant?”

She nodded, a tiny crease appearing between her eyes. “You’re really not mad?”

“I’m really not mad.” I tackled her in a gentle hug, throwing my body—softly—against hers and pulling her into me.

I held her as tight as I dared. Warmth invaded my chest and made my heart feel like it was growing to previously unknown proportions. All sorts of loving, tender, and protective instincts suddenly reared up in me, raging and fighting for dominance.

I closed my eyes as I tried to get a grip on everything going on inside, whispering the only thing that really mattered against her ear. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, Tallulah. I’m surprised as shit and I don’t really know what to do with everything I’m feeling, but I’ve never been happier.”

Her arms finally lifted to wrap around me in turn and she buried her face in my chest. “That’s a relief. If it helps, I don’t know what to do with everything I’m feeling either. In my case though, my feelings just keep being purged from my stomach, so I suppose that’s something.”

I chuckled, holding her closer before lifting my head away to kiss her soundly. “I’m sorry you’re feeling so bad. I’ll buy you all the beignets in New Orleans after I drop you off at home, okay? Any other requests?”

“Fizzy water and canned peaches,” she murmured, her eyes suddenly lighting up as she brought them back to mine. “And toothpaste. A lot of toothpaste.”

I laughed, so happy that I felt like I would burst as I stared back at her. I’d never felt so lucky, or so fulfilled, or so damn joyful. I even felt pressure at the backs of my eyes as I wrapped my arms around her again.

“You got it, babies,” I murmured against her hair. “Whatever you two want, I’m going to get it for you, but first things first, let’s get you home. I’ll tuck you in for a nap and then I’ll go on the most random shopping spree ever.”

Tallulah smiled against my throat as she nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good. Also gummy sweets, please. And noodles. I need noodles for lunch.”

I chuckled, taking her hand, and led her out of the house. I couldn’t believe that we were going to have a baby, but as I stepped into the sunshine outside, I knew our lives had just changed. Irrevocably. Again.

And once again, I knew that as long as I had Tallulah by my side, this was the start of yet another adventure I could hardly wait to begin.

***

If you loved this book, don’t miss out on Weston’s fan favorite …

Check out book 1 in A Wedding Bells Alpha Novel called Say You Do .

My brother is an idiot—he’s getting married.

And I’m in charge of getting things together since our folks are gone.

Lucky me. The guy who thinks love is for the birds and worn-out 80s songs.

I honestly don’t have time for this drama. I run a billion-dollar company, have women to entertain, and am working on my plans to rule the world.

No, seriously.

And yet, when you least expect it, life kicks you in the balls.

The beautiful, snarky woman that runs the flower shop is perfect to help me pull off this wedding.

Just seeing her sends my head spinning with possibilities.

She’s perfect. To play my fake wife for an event I have coming up as a side deal.

My ex-wife will be at the event, and I sure could use someone to show her how well I’ve done since she ripped out my soul.

So my curvy new friend gets my ring and a chunk of my wallet before agreeing to the deal.

Funny thing is, I’m not so interested in taking it back by the end of the adventure.

I’m willing to go all in on what might be the best decision of my life.

And I’m demanding the same of her. No maybes. No I-don’t-knows.

No fear of what might be or might not be.

Open your pretty pink lips and utter the words.

Say you do.

I gotta have THIS