Olivia I stare at the house in the late morning—our home. The sound of waves and a briny
wind greet me, as though I’ve never left. But what makes it the best is the feel of Liam’s
arm around my waist as we walk along the garden toward the main entrance. “I can’t
believe I’m back,” I murmur. “Why not?” “I wasn’t sure if you’d acc ept my proposal. If... I’d
hurt you too much.” I reach for his hand, and he threads his fingers with mine. St ep by st ep
we head inside. The late morning light hits the Steinway just right; it gleams as though to
say, “Welcome home.” “Home sweet home,” I whisper. It feels like every cell in my body
relaxes. “What about your condo?” he teases, his eyes crinkling. “I’m going to sell it. It was
a place for me to es cape to and plot my revenge. I used to think about it like I was a snake
under a rock, coiling up, storing energy and just waiting to strike.” I take our linked hands
and place them over my belly. “But this is where I want to live and raise our baby. I missed
you. And so did our baby.” He places a firm kiss on my forehead. “I missed you, too.” I put
my other hand around the back of his neck and pull him down for a proper kiss. Suddenly
his phone buzzes. He ignores it, but another buzz and then another interrupt us. “See what
it’s about. Just in case. Might be your brothers,” I say with a rueful grin. They didn’t bother
us last night, but today might be different. Liam rolls his eyes but pulls out his phone. The
smile vanishes. “What is it?” “Shit. It’s from Frederich. Grandma’s on her way.”
“What?” I blink. She never visited, and I don’t see why she would now. “What does she
want?” “Not sure.” The security system pings with an alert. Liam checks the app and
scrunches his face. “She’s here. Crap. Jesus, why is she here? Grandpa too!” “This is
ridiculous, Liam.” Cedric’s voice booms over the phone. “You should add us to the system.
We are your family.” Yup. They’re definitely here. Liam squeezes his eyes shut for a
moment. “The program is malfunctioning, so I can’t add anybody. But give me a second. I’ll
let you in.” I lay my hand on his tense arm. “It’s going to be fine. They can’t do anything to
you.” He nods grimly. “Yeah. I guess.” I narrow my eyes. They better watch what they say
and do to my husband. I don’t think Sorcha and Cedric are as obliviously cruel as his
parents, but I’m not letting him suffer in silence. Several minutes later, the two elders of
the family barge inside. Sorcha’s in a fashionably elegant dress that makes her look like the
sylph from La Sylphide, while her husband is in a starched white button- down shirt and
jacket and slacks. No tie makes it casual, I guess...? Sorcha marches in, Cedric with his
hand on her elbow. Her eyes rake me up and down, her mouth tight. Guess she doesn’t care
for my casual jeans and a shirt. And she doesn’t like the fact that her grandson’s also in
jeans and a shirt. “What was the meaning of the drone show last night?” she says without
preamble. “Aren’t you married?” “Didn’t you know...” I trail off, not sure if Liam k ept our
brief s eparation from them for a reason. “They were in Saint Petersburg for a month,” he
says. “They just landed this morning.” That explains why they didn’t intrude into my life. I
hug him from the side. “We’re most definitely married. We’re going to have a second
wedding.” Liam’s eyes brighten in surprise and pleasure. “Really?”
“Shouldn’t we? And make sure to invite everyone and get blessings from those who love and
care about us? I want everyone to know I chose you.” I grin up at him, enjoying the awe and
joy rippling over his handsome face. I know I’m going to love spoiling him. “You mean the
spectacle wasn’t enough?” Sorcha demands, her eyebrows raised high. “Nope.” I turn my
attention to Liam and cradle his cheek. “You’ll always be my number one, Liam. The most
important, the most irr eplaceable person in my life.” “At least the children are cute, my
dear,” Cedric says mildly, running a soothing hand down Sorcha’s ramrod straight back.
“Not cute, devoted,” I say with a sweet smile. “Don’t you agree, Grandfather?” Cedric clears
his throat awkwardly. “Yes, of course. But you can be both.” “Olivia sure is cute.” Liam
beams. Sorcha blinks once, slowly. “I suppose there’s no helping a bias toward one’s wife.”
A glint of approval flashes in her eyes before she shifts her focus to me. “The wedding will
happen—” “We’ll take care of it.” I run a hand over my belly. “I have to make sure I don’t
stress out the baby.” “Baby?” Her eyes widen. “Oh my.” “Exactly. If they’re anything like
Liam, they’ll be adorable. Just imagine.” Her expression softens. “Spectacular.” “I always
knew you were a woman of unusual taste and discernment.” I smile at her and Cedric.
“You’re both invited to the wedding. But if you don’t mind, could we have some private
time? I’m exhausted from the pregnancy.” “Certainly. You should have more help around
the house, too. See that she’s taken care of, Liam,” Sorcha says. “Anyway, we’ll go now.”
She takes Cedric’s arm and they leave without further ado. The second the door closes, I
loop my arms around Liam’s neck, then go on my toes and kiss him to show how much I love
him.