Teasing: EPILOGUE

They asked me how’s life. I looked at you and answered, she’s fine.

—Maverick’s Secret Thoughts

“But Daddy,” Rosie pouts. “Emmie would love a sister for Sparkles.”

“Emmie doesn’t want a horse for her birthday, baby girl.” I pick Rosie up so she can see inside the jewelry case, and her eyes take in every sparkling piece she can see.

“Did you pick one out already?” she asks with an adorable awe in her voice, just as the clerk comes out of the back room with a small box in his hand.

I did pick one out, because there was no way I was going to try to focus with a five-year-old at my side. I knew I’d include her in this in a very different way.

The clerk rests the box on the velvet tray in front of us and cracks it open. “A perfect three-carat, pink diamond, flanked by smaller white-diamonds on either side, just as you asked, Mr. Beneventi.”

“Daddy . . .” Rosie gasps and I smile. “It’s so pretty.”

“Pretty enough for Emmie?” I ask her and watch her face scrunch up while she thinks about it. She scoots up to her knees and plants both hands on the glass case, not worried about leaving sticky handprints. That’s okay. For what I paid for that ring, this kid can leave handprints everywhere. “And she’ll be married to us once we give her that?”

“Not exactly.” I hold the ring up in the light and hope like hell Emmie loves it. “We’ve got to ask her to marry us first, la mia piccola rosa. Then if she says yes, we’ll plan a wedding.”

“Do we have to ask? Can’t we just tell her she’s gotta marry us? What if she says no?” My sweet girl worries, but luckily, I don’t.

Some things are just meant to be, and that woman is meant to be my wife.

“Once you’re married, can I have a sister?”

Shit.

“One thing at a time, sweets,” I tell her over a laugh, and she smiles.

“That’s not a no.”

What the fuck? “It’s not a yes either, kid.”

I shoot off a text to Camden.

Fifteen minutes later, Rosie and I walk into Sugar Hill Assisted Living. She’s got a bouquet of flowers, and I’ve got the ring box hidden in my pocket. The front-desk girl smiles at me. Camden filled her in on the plan. And the two of us make our way to her dad’s room.

The door is open when we get there.

The three of them are laughing at something when Rosie skips in, but I lag behind.

Emmie’s smile morphs into surprise. “What are you doing here, little rose?” She looks from her to me. “Is everything okay?”

“That depends on you, baby.”

Rosie squeals, and Emmie’s surprise looks more like confusion as I move in front of her and drop to one knee. “You see, Emily Rose Monroe, we’ve got something very important to ask you, but it only seemed fair that we ask you in front of your family, since we’re asking you to be our family.”

“Maverick . . .?” she gasps as I pull the box from my pocket.

“But you’re not allowed to say no,” Rosie adds, and I chuckle.

“Will you marry me, Em? Be my wife. My life. Be my everything. Love Rosie and me the way we love you.”

“And be my mommy,” Rosie adds, and Emmie’s lips tremble as she holds back her tears.

My girl is a crier.

“Maverick . . .” she gasps, and it’s the sweetest sound. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

She pulls me up, and I crash my lips to hers, lifting her from her feet and spinning her in a circle. “I love you so much, la mia luce solare.”

“What about me?” Rosie asks, and I set Emmie down on her feet and wrap my arms around both girls. My girls. My life.

“We could never forget about you, sweet girl. You’re the reason we met.” Emmie takes Rosie’s face in her hands and kisses her head. “Do you want to know a secret?”

Rosie shakes her head.

Em brushes Rosie’s hair away from her face and smiles at her. “I fell in love with you first.”

Rosie beams, and I grab my phone and take a picture. She’s going to want this for her scrapbook.

Camden has been quietly recording the whole thing on his phone, so she can have that for later and edit it into whatever pictures she wants.

Her dad clears his throat. “I didn’t know you were the reason they met.”

Rosie jumps up in the chair with him. “Yup. I introduced them, grandpa.”

“Grandpa,” he murmurs back with a big smile on his face.

I’m not sure how many more good days he’s got left, but I hope it’s years’ worth.

“Oh yeah, Dad. How did we not tell you this? Mav was a real asshole,” Camden tells him with a shit-eating grin.

“Language, Uncle Cam.” That shuts the shithead up.

I tune them all out and focus on this incredible woman. “I love you, Em.”

“Per sempre, Maverick.”

“Per sempre, Em.”

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