Nate Afew weeks after that visit from Colin, I was still wondering if Kate had been right and he’d been serious, but life had been so busy that I hadn’t had a chance to ask him yet. I stood in front of the windows in our apartment, looking out at the glittering city lights, and desperately missed my wife. She and I had settled into my apartment for now, but honestly, I was looking for something bigger. Possibly lower to the ground. A place for the two of us that we could make our own. I glanced back at my laptop sitting on the bed, the screen glowing in the dark room with the real estate listings I’d been going through before I’d gotten up to refill my whiskey. So far, I hadn’t seen anything that seemed right. It was frustrating as hell. I’d hoped to have a few places lined up for us to look at by the time she got back, but I was striking out spectacularly. Releasing a de ep sigh, I ran my fingers through my hair and took a sip of my drink. At least I’d finally bought her a car. That was one more st ep in the right direction—toward getting her settled in Chicago for good. If she ever wanted to move back to New York, I was going with her. I just had no idea how that could work logistically, given my role at W&S, but for now, she seemed happy here and I was intent on ke eping it that way. I just worried it was becoming a losing battle. That was why I was still nursing my whiskey, unable to sle ep as I mulled it over. Kate was one of those people who had to be insanely busy, and with Alex back at work now that Jane was up and moving, Kate had been working from home. Mostly for her dad’s firm. She had an office at W&S, but apparently, she didn’t want to work there when she was dealing with Vanderhaul and Marksmith business. Her old clients were happy to have her back, at least, but she was also starting to get restless. I had a feeling that these last couple months, she’d gotten used to whole a new level of busy. Since she would be taking over the Hinds Global account when the time came, her dad hadn’t assigned her any new clients and those that had been reassigned when she’d come here were still gone too. The sale was coming through, thank God, but it was happening at a snail’s pace. Like they normally did. In the meantime, all the fine-tuning was taking place for a smooth
transition, but Kate had been left with only three hedge fund clients for Pete and nothing else to do. Although she hadn’t said anything, I could tell it’d been bothering her. The restlessness. The waiting. The vast amounts of nothing she sometimes had to fill her time with after running at full speed for so many months. The cat had helped a little. Asshole. She’d been sad to say goodbye to her orange tabby friend when we’d discovered he belonged to the couple a floor below us. They were in their fifties and not only in the process of moving out, but they’d also received some complaints about him being allowed to roam freely, so they’d let her say goodbye to Tim Tam—named after the cookie—but he wasn’t visiting anymore. They did send her pictures of him and updates on occasion, but that wasn’t enough. I knew it, which was another reason why I’d been hoping to line up some places for us to look at. Going back to bed, I climbed in and settled with my back against the headboard, whiskey in one hand and raking the laptop closer with the other. Right now, Kate’s was visiting her parents in New York. With things finally settled here, she’d also gone to pack up her apartment and put it on the market. I’d gone with her, helping her box up the stuff she’d wanted to send here and donate the rest, but I’d had to come back early for work. It’d been three days since I’d left her there, and while I knew she was obviously safe with Pete and Courtney, I’d genuinely hated coming back without her. It’s crazy how fast you can get used to having someone with you all the time. After so many years alone, basically single my entire life, I would have thought this would feel normal, but it didn’t. I glanced at her side of the bed, her pillows perfectly fluffed instead of dented and the room d epressingly quiet. I sighed and tossed back the rest of my whiskey in one big gulp. Fuck, this sucks. Trying to distract myself by going back to the real estate listings, I scrolled for a few more minutes, but no perfect place had magically been dropped into the lineup on the website. Eventually, I gave up and reached for the TV remote, switching it on and pressing play on a baseball game I’d recorded weeks ago. My laptop was still open next to me and I smiled a little when it chimed with an incoming email. It was instinctive. Muscle memory after all the years I’d spent talking to Emma at this time of night.
Obviously, it wasn’t her now. Kate was probably asle ep, and even if she had wanted to talk to me, she would have just called. My thought process cut off when I glanced at the screen and saw Emma’s name on the notification. What the hell? Chuckling, I picked up the laptop and slid it back to my legs. I clicked on the email, kind of hoping this was something naughty. My dick roused at the thought. Now that might actually be able to distract me. She and I had k ept things strictly platonic for years, but after that night when she’d told me she was in love with me, we’d ventured into murkier territory from time to time. More and more often as our relationship had grown stronger in the months leading up to her being sent to Chicago. It had been a damn long time since we’d done anything like that, though. My heart rate was already kicking up, but as the message appeared, I suddenly had a feeling this wasn’t that. Emma: CB, we need to talk. Still hopeful she might be going somewhere fun with this but happy to just have her back on the other side of the phone, I arched an eyebrow and quickly typed out a response. CB: We do? What’s up? Emma: I’m sorry, but... I’m seeing someone else. He’s the love of my life. I met him and I just knew I couldn’t let him go. CB: Oh, really? Emma: Yeah. He’s really into baseball, though. That’s his only flaw. CB: How is that a flaw? Emma: He’s a CUBS fan! She put a little throwing-up emoji after the words and I laughed, shaking my head. Even from several states away, it seemed Kate hadn’t lost her ability to find a way to harass me. I was still trying to figure out how to respond to that when another message from her popped up. Emma: Also, I’m having his baby. I jerked to attention, so startled that I nearly fell off the bed, but then I relaxed. Of course. She’s joking. Stringing me along just to get a rise out of me. CB: Okay. How do I get rid of this guy so we can be together? I’ll be a good st epdad, I swear. A grin curved on my lips, but then the bedroom door burst open and the woman in question st epped inside. I blinked hard, staring at her silhouette for a second as my mind raced to catch up to what my eyes were seeing.
“Kate?” “Hi, love,” she said softly, but for some reason, she also sounded nervous. “Surprised?” “You’re not supposed to be back until tomorrow.” For a long minute, I just stared at her, wondering if she was a mirage, but then my chest filled with a weirdly bubbling kind of joy and immediately I set the laptop aside. “Come here, baby. God, I missed you.” I pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed, going over to her in just a few long strides. I couldn’t wait to touch her again. To have her here with me. In this room that had felt so wrong and empty without her in it. As I reached her, however, I stopped short of pulling her into my arms, picking her up, and carrying her straight to our bed as I’d been intending. Now that I was close enough to see it, the look on her face wasn’t something I’d ever seen before. “Kate?” I asked carefully, my heart suddenly hammering against my ribs. “What’s going on?” “Was that a stupid way to tell you? I thought it would be cute,” she said, but she was all choked up and I frowned. It took me a second to realize what she was saying. My brain glitched and I lost control of my eyelids, but then warmth spread through me, starting in my chest and rapidly shooting out from there. “Wait. Are you really pregnant?” She nodded tearfully, disbelief cre eping across her features as she held my gaze. “Is that okay?” I scooped her into my arms with a whoop of joy. The next thing I knew, my mouth was descending to hers. I kissed her hard, holding her tight as my thoughts spun out and rearranged themselves into an order that felt impossible. Kate was back early and she was pregnant. With my baby. She and I were starting a family together. Finally, that was what made me realize I hadn’t answered her question yet. A laugh shot out of me as I lifted her clean off her feet, spinning her in a slow, slightly incredulous circle. “Are you kidding me? It’s not just okay. I’m thrilled, Katie. This is...” I trailed off, unable to find the right words to say, so I just laughed and kissed her again, hoping my lips could convey the feelings my words couldn’t. All my life, I’d been waiting for my happily ever after. To build the life I’d always dreamed of with the woman I loved by my side, raising our kids together and giving them all the love and joy that we had to offer, and right here, right now, I finally—fucking finally—had it all.
And it was all because of Jane Austen, a Discord, and a seriously messed-up family tradition that in volved arranged marriages and no choice. In the end, it hadn’t really been so messed up at all, though. Not for me, or Alex, or Charlotte. It kind of made me wonder what my brothers were in for, but for now, I carried my wife to our bed and laid her down, kissing her as I tried to come to terms with the fact that our life together was going to be everything I’d ever wanted—and so, so much more.
Epilogue Kate Our Fourth of July party had somehow turned into a full-scale sporting event inside the lake house. I sat back in my chair on the patio with a glass of lemonade sweating in my hand, watching through the wide windows as the men collectively lost their minds over a baseball game. Nate and Trent were on their feet, hands in their hair and both of them angled toward the TV like this was a life-or-death situation instead of a regular-season game in July. “You’d think they were the ones playing,” I said, smiling. “Or, at the very least, that their bonuses are linked to their performance as fans.” Jane laughed beside me, one hand resting on the curve of her stomach. She looked so radiant now it was almost unfair, considering she’d spent weeks throwing up and frightening everyone half to death. “Alex only ever gets like this when he’s with Nate or Trent. It’s like their enthusiasm is contagious.” Charlotte snorted. “You should hear Trent at home. He claims he’s a football guy, but then it’s baseball season, and suddenly, he’s an expert.” As if to prove her point, Trent threw his hands in the air like he’d personally been wronged by whatever had just happened on the screen. Nate clutched the back of a chair like he might tip it over. Alex stayed seated, but he looked just as invested, pointing at the television while Will said something that made Jesse laugh hard enough to double over. It was chaos. Loud, ridiculous chaos, but it was also warm and incredible. When I’d first suggested we invite Nate’s whole family out here with us for the weekend, he’d looked at me like he’d been wondering if I would divorce him if I had to spend that amount of time with them. It’d made me slightly nervous, but I’d insisted anyway. All this time, I’d had to get to know them all in drips and drabs, quick meetings at the office or hurried family dinners whenever Douglas was in town. I’d been chatting to Charlotte over the phone and I went to have coffee with Jane at least one morning a week, which was easy since we lived in the same building, but I’d wanted more. Quality time. So here we were. This kind of family chaos was new to me, the unbelievably loud holidays and the house full of voices, empty beer bottles, and laughter. I’d wanted to experience it firsthand, and honestly, although it was crazy with so many people in one house, I loved it.
We’re definitely making this a tradition. “I swear,” Charlotte said. “If Trent yells at the television one more time like the players can hear him...” “He thinks it helps,” Jane said mildly. “They all do.” Charlotte groaned. “He does the same thing with football. Full coaching commentary. From the couch.” I smiled. “Nate does that thing where he predicts plays. Like he’s a genius strategist the team should employ.” Glancing back inside, I saw him pacing in a tight circle like a caged animal. Will seemed to be egging Trent on while Jesse was cracking up beside him. Jane followed my gaze, watching them for a beat before she turned back to me. “Does he get them right?” “No.” They both laughed. Inside, Nate suddenly threw both hands up in victory. Trent grabbed his shoulders and shook him. Even Will was suddenly on his feet, jumping up and down. Jesse launched himself onto Will’s back, and for his part, Will didn’t miss a beat, grabbing his brother’s legs and zooming around the room with him like they were kids. I shook my head slowly. “Look at them.” Charlotte laughed. “It would’ve been embarrassing if wasn’t so adorable.” “De eply,” Jane agreed, but she was smiling when she said it. She shifted in her chair and grimaced. “This baby really likes stretching into my ribs.” “Is that what’s making you glow?” I asked, not even really teasing. She genuinely was glowing. She looked up. “It’s not making me glow. It’s making me sore.” “You are glowing,” Charlotte said immediately. “It’s actually annoying how good you’re looking.” “Okay, fine. I’ll take it.” Jane laughed, absently rubbing a hand over her stomach. “I spent weeks throwing up all day long, so I feel like I deserve to glow.” “You do, but you are feeling better though, right?” I asked, suddenly worried about how remote this place was. “Would you like to move inside, or—” “I’m fine.” She rolled her eyes when I k ept my head cocked and my eyes on hers, concerned now that I’d realized how far away we were from any medical professionals. “Kate, I’m one hundred percent okay now. I even went for a full check-up before we left and my doctor gave me the go- ahead for the trip. Stop worrying.” Alex appeared briefly in the window behind her, just checking in again. He’d been doing it systematically all weekend. His entire face softened as he looked at her, but then Nate said something that dragged his attention back inside and he disappeared again.
Charlotte made a quiet sound. “God, he’s so obsessed with you.” Jane chuckled. “I hope so. Our due date is this fall, so he’d better not change his mind now.” “Wow, that’s closer than I thought,” I said, blinking rapidly. “Do you really still not know what it is?” She groaned. “No.” “You’re stronger than me,” Charlotte said. “I don’t think I’d last eight minutes before finding out.” Jane laughed. “I almost asked last week.” “What stopped you?” “Alex,” she said. “He wants to be surprised.” Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Of course, he does.” “I want to be surprised too,” Jane said quickly. “I do.” I arched an eyebrow at her. “You don’t sound convinced.” “I’m dying,” she admitted. “It’s killing me not to know.” Charlotte leaned forward. “Boy or girl?” Jane rested both hands on her stomach. “I think it’s a boy.” “You do?” I asked. She nodded. “I don’t know why. I just do.” Charlotte smiled. “Alex probably thinks that too.” “He won’t say,” Jane said. “He says he doesn’t care.” “That means he cares,” Charlotte said as the men erupted again from inside, shouting overlapping with laughter and groans. Trent clutched his head. Nate dropped dramatically onto the couch while Will pointed at the screen like he was making a legal argument. “Unbelievable,” Charlotte muttered, glancing out past the deck toward the glittering lake, sunlight dancing across the water while the trees swayed in a gentle breeze. “It’s so beautiful out here and they’re holed up in the house. We should cut the power.” “Do you know that the first time Nate brought me here, he told me I could do whatever I wanted to the rest of the house, but I wasn’t allowed to touch the den? I thought he was kidding, but I’m not so sure anymore.” Charlotte chuckled. “He’s always been a fanatic when it comes to sports. I think it’s an outlet for him.” The back door suddenly slid open and the noise spilled out onto the patio. Nate was at the center of it, all bright eyes and smug satisfaction. “The Cubs won,” he announced, like this was breaking news of national importance. “Again.” He looked entirely too pleased with himself for someone who hadn’t personally contributed to the victory. Jane laughed. “Congratulations on your achievement.” Charlotte pumped her eyebrows at him. “We’re all very proud of you.” Nate ignored them and came straight toward me, still
riding the high of victory. “It’s my year. I’ve been saying it all season.” “You’ll probably say the same thing every season,” I said. He shrugged. “I would still be right.” I smiled up at him. “You know what you should do?” His eyes narrowed immediately. “That tone suggests I’m not going to like this.” “You should sponsor the team so we can get better seats.” Charlotte perked up. “Oh, I like that idea.” Nate groaned. “Absolutely not. Besides, I have great seats already.” I frowned. “No, you don’t. Do you?” “Yes.” Jane laughed into her glass and Charlotte grinned. “This is getting interesting.” I turned fully in my chair to face him. “You have great seats? Since when?” He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck as those blue eyes darted to his sister, then the lake, then the woods. “I may have access to a box.” My jaw dropped. “You have box seats and you’ve never taken me?” He shrugged. “There were circumstances.” I stood up slowly. “What circumstances could possibly justify this betrayal?” Charlotte was openly laughing now as Nate winced, finally bringing his gaze back to mine. “You wear that hat.” I blinked. “What hat?” He stared at me, then reached up and touched the brim of the Yankees cap sitting snugly on my head. “This hat. You wear it to every Cubs game.” “So? I’m from New York.” “Yeah, but it makes me look like a fool,” he said like it was obvious. Charlotte leaned forward, amusement glittering in her eyes. “He has a point.” I smacked his shoulder. “You are a fool.” He smiled, slow and easy before he winked at me. “A fool in love, for sure.” Leaning over, he pressed his lips against mine and kissed me. When he finally pulled back, his hand slid naturally down to rest against my stomach. The small curve was still easy to miss if you didn’t know to look for it, but Nate seemed to be extremely aware of it. His palm pressed gently against the slight rise of my lower belly, his thumb brushing absentmindedly back and forth. “How’s Brandon?” he asked quietly. “Or Emma,” Charlotte called. Nate glanced over at her. “Why must you be like this?” She grinned. “Why does it have to be Brandon? It may very well be an Emma.” Nate k ept his hand where it was, his expression softening in that way it always did lately, like he still couldn’t quite believe this was real. “It could
be an Emma. A mini-Kate. I would be okay with that.” Charlotte stood and wandered over, nudging Nate aside with her hip until she could drop into a crouch in front of me. “Hello in there.” Nate snorted as he watched her speaking to my stomach. “You’re ridiculous.” She looked up at him, her eyes so similar to his that I still couldn’t get over it when they were together. The famous Westwood blues. I wondered if our child would have those too, irrespective of whether it was an Emma or a Brandon. “You cried when you found out,” she said. “How’s that for ridiculous?” He scoffed. “I did not.” Her eyes rolled so hard, it looked painful. “Nate, you video-called me and you absolutely were crying.” Jane laughed. “He did?” Charlotte nodded emphatically. “Full emotional breakdown.” “It was not a breakdown,” Nate argued. “It was a beautiful moment.” When she looked to me for support, I smiled. “It was a breakdown.” He sent me a mock-scowl. “Traitor.” Charlotte rested her chin on her hand, still crouched. “I’m going to be the favorite aunt.” “You mean you’re going to try,” Nate said. She shrugged. “Nah, I’m already Emma’s favorite.” He shook his head. “That’s not how that works.” She stood again and bumped his shoulder. “You love me.” He sighed. “Unfortunately.” Their easy bond shone through in a way that made me smile—and feel a little jealous. I’d always wanted a sibling and Nate had six of them. I also felt a small pang of sadness for Charlotte. She and Trent had been trying for a baby, and not too long ago, she’d been hopeful she was pregnant. But no announcement followed. She would be an amazing auntie, but in her heart, I knew she longed to be a mother, and Trent a father. He’d built that incredibly massive ranch house for a reason. “You did good,” his sister said quietly. Nate frowned. “At what?” She inclined her head toward me. “Everything.” He glanced at me, then smiled down at her next to him. “Yeah, I did.” When he st epped back to me, I reached for his hand, lacing our fingers together, and he squeezed gently. Although I knew it was just a silent I love you, it was also a reminder that I didn’t have to be jealous. I was part of this family now too and they’d really gone out of their way to include me. To make me feel welcome and like one of them. Relaxing into his side, I rested my head against his shoulder and once again thanked my lucky stars for sending me him. No matter how bumpy things had gotten, Nate really was my soulmate in every single way, and I was so damn grateful that I had him. I was abruptly yanked out of my tender
thoughts when the men started shouting again from inside. Nate stiffened. “Oh, I have to go. The next game’s on.” Charlotte groaned. “Unbelievable.” Jane laughed. “They’re going to be like this all night.” “They’re going to be like this forever,” Charlotte countered. Nate smirked. “Probably.” He dropped a quick kiss on top of my head and raced back in, like he was afraid that whatever team he would be rooting for now would lose outright if he missed so much as a minute, and I sank back down into my chair. The sun dipped lower over the lake, turning the water gold while the trees darkened at the edges as evening slowly cr ept in. Behind me, the guys were already roaring again, Charlotte and Jane falling into another easy conversation by my side. I took a moment to just drink it all in, the fact that we were all here together, at the gorgeous lake house that was fast becoming one of my favorite places in the world. I couldn’t wait to spend more holidays here, raising our kids with Jane and Alex’s, Charlotte and Trent’s, and all the others when the time came. Surrounded by family, chaos, and love, it felt like Nate and I had somehow made it to exactly where we were supposed to be. Right where we belonged. Together. *** Want more of Nate and Kates story? Download this Extended Epilogue today!! Get your copy HERE!!