I bent and kissed her, then sat beside her. “Good. I think he’ll be okay.”
“I hope so.” She shook her head, ringlets blowing across her cheek. “If you’d have asked me four years ago…”
“I know,” I said. “So damn weird. But it feels good. It feels right.”
Shiloh leaned over and kissed me again. “You’re a good man. The best.”
“Don’t know about that. But you’re my wife, so I must’ve done something right.”
Her smile was radiant. Happy. To think I had a hand in that blew my fucking mind. We’d been married for a year and every day still felt like a dream, one that I never wanted to wake up from.
Voices sounded from down the path that led to the Shack. Violet and Miller appeared, him with his guitar strapped to his back and carrying a cooler while helping his very pregnant wife along.
“I think I remember how to walk on sand,” Violet teased, then laughed as Shiloh and I hurried over.
“You guys are too much,” Violet said after Shiloh hugged her and helped her to her chair. She was only four months along but looked about ready to burst.
“I remember lugging one around in there,” Shiloh said. “I can’t imagine two.”
Violet laughed. “Neither can I. Neither can he.” She jerked a thumb at Miller who looked more tired and harried than his wife.
Shiloh beamed at Miller. “Because he’s taking the best care of you, aren’t you?” She kissed his cheek.
“I’m trying,” Miller said.
“He’s doing more than trying,” Violet said, smiling fondly at him. “He’s amazing.”
“The both of you are,” Shiloh said warmly.
About six months ago, Miller and Violet adopted a foster child through the charity Miller’s last concert supported. Sam was a sweet, quiet kid who loved photography. They hadn’t planned on adding to their threesome so soon, but sometimes life had a way of making plans for you.
Miller and I clasped hands, and I relieved him of the cooler that was filled with hotdogs, buns, chips, and marshmallows. “Sit.”
He sank gratefully into the chair. Miller was a natural worrier, but I didn’t blame him. I’d missed Shiloh’s pregnancy. I’d missed so much that she’d endured alone. I envied Miller his worry; I’d have taken all of it from Shiloh had I been there.
But as Bibi liked to say, wallowing in regret was like choosing to drink from a poisoned well. We can never go back and fix our mistakes, only learn from them.
I glanced at Shiloh, my thoughts full of second chances.
I got the fire going as the sun began to sink into the ocean. More voices approached. Holden strode up, River Whitmore following, both carrying more coolers of food.
They stopped just outside the ring, Holden wearing an expression I’d never seen. Unsure. Nervous.
“Hey,” he said. “Everyone, you all know River.”
River gave a small wave, and it was so good to finally see him here.
Now we’re complete.
Violet gave a little cry and struggled to get out of her chair. Miller helped her to her feet, and she flew at River, hugging him and kissing his cheek.
“So happy you’re here!” She turned to Holden and smacked a kiss on his cheek too while River shook hands with Miller and me. Then Shiloh took her turn kissing Holden and welcoming River into our circle.
“How you doing?” I asked Holden with a grin. He looked dumbstruck, watching River with our friends, here at the Shack, talking and laughing.
“Oh shut up,” Holden said tightly. “You know exactly how I feel.”
“Like you’re so happy, you’re fucking head is going to explode?”
He nodded, sniffed. He looked at River the way I looked at Shiloh, the way Miller looked at Violet. Like he couldn’t believe something so good was his.
“He looks perfect here, right? Like he belongs.”
“Because he does.” And because I’d had a really fucking good day, I pulled Holden in for a hug.
Holden sagged against me for a minute, then stiffened and shoved me away. “That’s enough out of you, Wentz. I’m already on the verge. I’m relying on you to be your usual unpleasant self or I’m going to lose it.”
I smacked my hand on his back. “How about this—if you ever fucking disappear again…”
He snorted. “You’re one to talk. But fear not, my disappearing days are over.” He flashed his left hand, the setting sun glinting off the silver band—a ring River had commissioned from Shiloh a few months ago. “River has made an honest man out of me.”
“Doubt it.”
Holden’s mischievous smile returned. “He loves to try.”
I rolled my eyes as he joined the group, taking charge of the food and barking orders at everyone.
River approached me and we clasped hands. “Where’s the little guy?”
“Home with the grandmas,” I said. “Congrats, by the way. You guys set a date?”
“Not yet,” River said, rubbing the back of his neck. “After Holden’s book tour, I guess. Tomorrow, we leave for six weeks. I’d rather stay put, but if he doesn’t travel now and then, he’ll go stir crazy. Compromise. That’s what it’s all about, right?”
I nodded and we both looked at Holden, drinking from a bottle of sparkling water and saying something that had Violet clutching her belly with laughter.
“He looks good,” I said. I met River’s eye. “You did that.”
“Nah, he did that,” he said, referring to Holden’s time away, when he wrote his book and got himself dried out. “He worked his ass off. I’m really fucking proud of him.”
“He worked hard for you. He’s happy because of you. Thank you for that.”
River smiled, glanced down. “Well, it goes both ways—that happiness. It runs deep.”
Holden sidled over. “The last thing I need is you two palling around together. Next thing I know, you’re BFFs.” He steered River away. “Ronan’s the most dangerous of us all. Knows all my secrets…”
I chuckled and rejoined Shiloh in the chair beside hers. The night’s hours flowed in laughter, music, and food. Holden had us all clutching our sides at some of his stories, and then Miller would play, his voice carrying across the night, seeping into our bones.
Shiloh leaned into me, her cheek on my shoulder.
Violet sat with Miller in the sand, tucked into his embrace.
River and Holden did the same—Holden wrapped in River’s arms. He wasn’t sleeping but his eyes were closed, his expression purely content.
“I’m so glad they’re here together,” Shiloh whispered to me. “Now we feel complete. “
“I had the same thought,” I said, except something nagged at me. I watched Miller run his hands over Violet’s belly and knew what it was.
Shiloh felt my eyes on her. “What is it?”
“I want to take you home and put a baby in you.”
Her eyes widened, her face flushing. “I wish you’d say what you really mean,” she teased. “You’re serious? You want…another baby?”
“And this time, I’m going to be there with you every step of the way. From the moment you find out you’re pregnant to the day she’s born.”