A Love Worth Saving (Forever Yours Book 2) (10 page)

Epilogue

Three years later . . .

“Reed, honey,” Ashley called, “can you finish zipping my dress for me, please? I can’t reach it.”

“Okay. Be right in.” Reed ambled down the hall, entered their Cambridge penthouse bedroom, and let out a low whistle. Ashley stood in front of her dresser. Her classic navy dress clung in all the right places and those heels . . . Dear lord. “You look fantastic.”

She glanced down at her rounded belly and laughed. “Right. It’s good to humor the pregnant woman.”

He strode over and took her in his arms. “You’re beautiful to me.” He kissed her.

“Reed,” she said, breathless, long moments later. “We’re going to be late if we keep this up.”

“We can’t have that. I want to see you walk across the stage with your diploma in your hands.” He nuzzled her ear.

She shivered.

He smiled, gave a reluctant sigh and released her.

“Mommy, Mommy.”

Leah, their two-year-old, raced in.

Ashley knelt down to Leah’s level and tugged on one soft, chestnut-brown curl. “Look at you in your pretty pink dress. You’re all ready to go.”

Eyes dancing, Leah nodded. “Yep. Daddy helped me.”

Ashley smiled up at him and his heart turned over, the way it always did when she flashed him one of her grins. “Thank you,” she mouthed, then scooped Leah into her arms and gave her a noisy kiss.

“You and Daddy did a great job.”

Leah giggled. “Grandma and Grandpa are here.”

Audrey and Ken McNamara stood in the open doorway.

Reed went over and hugged his parents. They’d resolved their differences. Caring for Leah and balancing the stresses of home life and work had given him insight he’d never had before. It wasn’t always easy, and he understood better why his parents behaved the way they did. Opening himself to love had healed his heart and he was grateful they were part of his life again.

“Let me take her so you can finish getting ready, Ashley.” Audrey held out her arms to the wriggling child. Come on, angel, let’s go out to the living room and see Aunt Kate and Aunt Nicole and Uncle Max.”

“Okay,” Leah agreed happily.

Ashley gave her another kiss, and they headed out, leaving Reed and Ashley alone.

Reed zipped up Ashley’s dress.

She turned to him. “Ready to go?”

“Wait.” He withdrew a slim box from his jacket pocket and handed it to her.

She opened it and gasped. “It’s gorgeous.”

He extracted the slim diamond bracelet from its holder and slipped it on her wrist. “Congratulations, sweetheart. I am so proud of you.”

Ashley grinned. “Thank you, but I couldn’t have done this without you. You made it easy for me to get through school.”

He’d enjoyed his stint as Mr. Mom and housekeeper extraordinaire since Leah’s birth. These past three years had given his life new meaning.

“Are you happy?” Ashley asked.

“More than I thought possible.” He had a prosperous company, a delightful daughter, and a son on the way.

He had Ashley.

His love. His wife.

He kissed her.

She kissed him back. Not a chaste brush of her lips over his. No.

She kissed him like she’d never, ever, ever let him go.