“Leon,” she breathed with remorse, and reached for him.
“My fault.” He caught her hand and kissed her palm. He might have left it there, but he met her gaze and admitted, “But I felt like you’d cut us apart. Like I’d lost you forever. It hurt like hell. I won’t pretend it didn’t. That’s how I know I won’t let it happen again.” He gently crushed her hand as though stamping the truth of his words into her skin and bones. “It didn’t help one bit that I’d told you to do it. When I saw what you did with the money, though, I was glad you took it. Thank you for making that right.” He kissed her fingertips, then his mouth twitched. “I saw your brother while I was there. He threatened to kill me,” he said conversationally. “I pointed out that since you and Illi are my beneficiaries, that might look suspicious. I think we’re good now.”
“Leon, you didn’t.” She closed her eyes, never once having considered that she stood to inherit her husband’s vast fortune.
“What? Who else am I going to leave it to? You’re my wife. Do you want a big wedding this time?”
“No.” She cupped his stubbled cheek. “I want you. Just you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Same.” He leaned across and they kissed. “You’re all I will ever need. Well...” He sent a significant look to their daughter.
Tanja wrinkled her nose ruefully. “Same.”
A week later, Leon bought a piece of property overlooking the ocean. When his mother and Cornelius arrived a few days after that, they all convened on the site of their future home. Leon and Tanja spoke their vows with their most cherished loved ones in attendance.
This time they meant it.
EPILOGUE
Five years later...
“BUT I’LL STILL live with you,” Illi said anxiously, her legs tight around Leon’s waist, her arm around his neck, her hand in his.
“You absolutely will,” Leon told his daughter. “You will live with me forever.” He briefly squished her tighter against him. “Even if you get married and have children and grandchildren. I love you too much to ever let you live with anyone else or go anywhere without me.”
She giggled. “I have to go to school by myself. And you don’t live with Yaya,” she said, referring to his mother.
Smart as a whip, she was, and had a wonderful streak of independence he adored as much as every other part of her.
“How about this? You can always live with me if you want to. Will that work?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
He kissed her forehead, not telling her he already resented having to share her with schoolteachers.
“Did it land?” Tanja asked as she returned with their son’s hand clutched in her own.
“It did.” He nodded at the flight board above where they stood.
Christo put his arms up, wanting Leon to hold him, too. He scooped up their toddler and asked him, “Did you go?”
Christo nodded.
“No. Just me,” Tanja said ruefully. She was in the middle of carrying their next son or daughter, so a lot of Christo’s potty training attempts were falling on her since she was always headed that direction anyway.
Leon loved seeing her pregnant, with her features round and sensual and rosy. Hell, he loved her when she was asleep or awake, sweaty from a workout or polished for an evening out. Grouchy from a bad night with a fussy baby or irreverently teasing him into laughter.
He loved her right now, trying to pretend she wasn’t nervous as a mama duck and fierce as a mama bear beneath her glow of anticipation.
It had taken years to find Brahim and sort out his immigration. He wasn’t a child any longer. He was nineteen and had wanted to come to Canada, even though things in Istuval had stabilized.
Leon had an office tower in Vancouver and Tanja would be off work with the new baby, so they had decided the city would become their base while Brahim settled in his new home. Illi was enrolled in a local school in the fall. They had a comfortable home on the north shore that would give Brahim an option between a guest house by the pool or a room inside the mansion with them.
First though, they would spend the summer at their home in Tofino, where the pace of life was slower and the rest of Tanja’s family was looking forward to opening their arms and homes to their newest member.
“Thank you for this,” Tanja said with a squeeze of Leon’s arm when passengers began streaming from the secured area.
“Your children are my children. You know that.”
She gave him a shaky, touched smile and a kiss, then turned to watch for Brahim.
Leon didn’t have misgivings precisely, but he was fiercely protective of his family. Brahim had spent years as a drafted child soldier in a mercenary force. That sort of experience had to leave scars, so he was experiencing some apprehension even as he knew they would get through any bumps or nicks that might come about.
A few minutes later, a gasp was torn from Tanja’s throat. She rushed toward a lanky young man, tall and dark wearing tattered jeans and an army green T-shirt.
He was looking up to read the unfamiliar signage and startled when Tanja was suddenly in front of him. He was disoriented and surprised, but his reaction was immediate. He dropped his duffel and hugged Tanja with such tangible relief it cracked Leon’s heart clean down the middle.
“Is that him?” Illi slid down from Leon’s secure hold.
He watched her walk forward, faltering slightly when Brahim released Tanja to look at her belly. His smile was exactly like his sister’s, full of happy wonder as he said something that made her laugh.
He looked searchingly past her and froze as he saw Illi.
Leon held his breath, protectiveness surging anew in him.
“Illi.” Brahim covered his mouth and sank to one knee. His eyes grew bright, and he blinked them fast and hard. He held out a hand. “Look at you. Our mother would be so proud if she could see you,” he said in a choked voice.
Without any urging, she rushed in for a hug.
He clutched her tight, eyes closed, yet he showed such gentleness that Leon’s throat tightened.
Tanja came back to him and buried her face in Leon’s shoulder, trembling and clearly overcome. Hell, he could hardly withstand the intensity of this reunion.
“Mama?” Christo touched her hair.
“I’m okay, little man. Mommy’s just really, really happy.” She showed him her beaming smile and round cheeks tracked with tears. “Your brother is here.”
Christo looked at her belly, making her laugh and stammer out, “The other one.”