Everly is crying so hard, she’s practically hyperventilating.
She’s unable to speak.
She’s waving her hands at a furious pace in front of her face. As if that’s enough to dry the tsunami of tears.
“Oh, no, Daddy,” Naomi panics.
“I think she needs a minute,” I whisper.
Everly lowers herself to her knees and grabs Naomi in her arms.
“Sweet Naomi,” she chokes. “I love you too. I would be the happiest and luckiest woman in the world to be your mommy. So to answer your question, yes, I want to be your mommy with all my heart.”
“You do?”
“Other than your father, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Will you be Luna’s mummy too?”
Everly and I laugh.
You have to leave it to a five-year-old to derail a perfectly laid out plan.
“Of course, you’re a team.”
My child’s happy blue eyes sparkle. “She said yes, Daddy,” Naomi jumps up-and-down. She comes to a dead stop and frowns.
“What is it, sweet pea?”
“I’m going to have a mummy.” It’s almost as if it’s only now it’s sinking in. “I won’t be different anymore. I’m going to be like all the other little girls.”
Shit.
I didn’t see that coming.
Her words tug at my heart. Unable to hold back, my eyes mist and soon tears roll down my cheeks.
“Don’t cry, Daddy,” she says, bringing her tiny little hands to my face to wipe my tears away. “I have a mummy and so does Luna. And now, we have a big family.”
There isn’t a dry eye in the room.
It takes Everly a few long seconds to find her composure.
“As for you, Holt Alexander Christensen,” Everly says, meeting my gaze. “There are no words to express how much I love you. I’ve had this dream so many times—”
“It’s as real as it gets, precious. We belong together.”
“We belong together,” she repeats.
“We belong together!” Naomi shouts, shaking her tiny fist in the air.
There’s a collective round of laughter.
This kid is stealing the show.
“Sweet pea, you interrupted Everly.”
“Sorry, Daddy. Sorry, Mummy,” she grins. “My mummy.”
The sheer excitement and blissful joy on her face is indescribable.
Everly starts crying again.
“Holt,” she hiccups. “Waking up next to you would be a gift I’d cherish every single day of my life.”
Delight and pride pulse through me.
She’s all mine.
Gently, I lift her face to mine and drop a soft kiss against her lips before wiping away her tears. “Let me make it official.”
“Gosh, there’s more?”
“Precious, I haven’t slipped the ring on your finger yet,” I tell her, taking hold of her left hand.
“Of course. I’m so emotional, I’m not even thinking straight.”
I help her up and pull the ring out.
“Together forever,” I say.
“Together forever!” Naomi shouts.
It was supposed to be Everly’s line, but Naomi usurped her moment.
You got to love her excitement.
“Together forever,” Everly says.
“Soon-to-be Mrs. Christensen said yes!” I shout lifting her hand up in the air.
Friend and family clap and holler.
When the cheers settle, my daughter speaks.
“Mummy. Daddy.”
“Yes, Naomi,” Everly and I say in unison.
“Hmmm.” She scrunches her nose and purses her lips.
“What is it?” I ask, smoothing the frown creasing her brow with my thumb.
“Can you start having babies right now? Maybe I can be a big sister by Christmas.”
A loud roar of laughter rumbles the bakery.
This kid.
It was Noni and I for the longest time.
Then came her faithful companion, Luna.
My precious Everly completes us in so many ways.
Our family is getting bigger, but I want more.
I suspect my beautiful fiancée will need some time to get used to her new role. Secretly, I can’t wait to start a family with her.
And They Lived Happily Ever After!
Who’s The Next Bad Boy Stud
In The Series?
I’m furiously writing Jace’s sizzling hot romance. It’s an incredible enemies-to-lovers romance that will keep you turning the pages. In the meantime, I have another phenomenal romance for you.
The whole idea for the Bad Boy Studs series started with Holt Christensen. I introduce him in Delectably British. Read this passion-filled, enemies-to-lovers second chance romance for a sneak peek.
“The passion, the drama, the characters
were all incredible!” —Jamie Leigh
Get it now > Delectably British
Scarlett’s Book Banter!
Dear Sexy Reader,
Oof.
Are you still all emotional over that ending?
I cried so hard when I wrote the epilogue, I gave myself a headache.
My proudest moment is when my editor—married with adult kids—sent me an email to let me know he cried ugly.
Every time I edited that part, I cried.
I think it’s Naomi.
In fact, as I’m writing this, I went back and re-read the epilogue for the nth time and you guessed it, I’m still crying.
When I wrote Holt, I was going through a very emotional time as an indie author. I was questioning myself a lot at the time. I know they say we each have our journey, but at the time I felt like I was falling way behind in so many aspects of this self-publishing business gig compared to many of my fellow authors who seemed to crush it every step of the way.
I spent way too much time trying to figure out where I had gone wrong. Eventually, I just moved on... and Holt’s romance emerged.
Maybe I carried those doubts with me when I wrote the emotional ending of Holt’s story.
I think writing this book mended my heart and gave me the confidence to push forward.
Thank you for still being on this ride with me. I appreciate it. It means a lot to me that you’re still engaged with this series.
Holt and Everly’s romance was sweet and sinful.
I so loved Ainsley.
I’m still struggling to remember when I made the decision to kick off the book by flashing back to the 80s, but that was crazy fun. The whole book was a blast to read during the editing stage.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for another single dad.
You’re going to love single dad Jace’s enemies to lover’s romance.
I’m still furiously writing his sizzling hot romance, but in the meantime, I have another phenomenal romance for you.
The whole idea for the Bad Boy Studs series started with Holt Christensen.