Page 153 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

“Want to know something?” she asked.

The toddler nodded.

Hellcat reached for his hand, and they entwined their fingers together, resting them on their daughter’s tummy. “You can call him Mister if you want. But you can also call him Dad.” She stroked her daughter’s hair. “Do you understand what I’m saying? He’s your daddy.”

Stevie gazed up at him in wonder. “You mine?”

His heart swelled so big he didn’t think he could stand it. “I’m yours, baby girl.” He kissed her cheek, filling his senses with baby shampoo and impossibly soft skin. “And you’re mine.”

In that moment, the pieces of his life rearranged.

He knew the elation of a perfect landing, the spike of happiness at getting the call he’d been drafted, and the high of signing a big-time athlete.

But forming a bond with his daughter, taking his place in this little family, calmed the chaos inside him.

It was a revelation to belong to something so permanent, so vital.

It became his highest purpose.

And he knew nothing had been—or ever would be—as fulfilling.

My family.

* * *

Finally, the wedding day came, and it couldn’t have been more perfect with sunny skies and a lovely breeze that rustled the trees and grasses.

Lorelei, her parents, her brother, Slick, and some of their friends got up extra early to decorate the barn. They hung gorgeous crystal chandeliers at varying heights. Margot had found them in an estate shop in town, and they added drama and sparkle to an otherwise basic room. Swaths of white gauze fabric draped in grand swoops from one beam to the next, along with strings of tiny white lights. Clusters of flowers wreathed the entrance and adorned the tables.

Since Noa was estranged from her mom, Lorelei and Margot stepped wordlessly into that role. They helped with her makeup and hair, got her into her dress, and hugged her a whole lot.

When it was time for the ceremony, Lorelei couldn’t wait to see her friend say, “I do” and join her life with the man of her dreams.

She and Slick walked down the aisle first, parting to take their places on either side of the flower-strewn arch. In his black tux, his blond hair neatly combed, he stood half a foot taller than Ginty. They had their heads together, talking quietly. He said something that made the groom break into a smile and pull Slick into his arms.

How does he do that? She guessed it was part of his job to be attuned to his client’s needs. Or maybe, underneath that businessman façade, he was a sensitive man who paid close attention to the people he cared about.

He knew what they needed to hear to relax them, heal them. He’d certainly done that for her.

The man was gorgeous.

Kind.

Smart.

And so damn good in bed, she was a rag doll when he finished with her.

Their bond grew stronger every single day.

But the best thing of all? She trusted him. She hadn’t thought it was possible to overcome her betrayals, but this man had never wavered in his transparency and honesty. From the moment she’d met him in the cabin until last night when he’d told her how Mr. Marchaud’s condemnation had gutted him, he’d confided in her and exposed feelings she knew were hard for him to handle.

Having his character called into question plucked at his powerful need to be a good and honorable man. He hadn’t decided how he was going to address the problem, but the fact that he could put it aside to be fully present for this wedding spoke volumes about the way his priorities had changed.

He caught her watching him, and emotion pinkened his cheeks. “You look beautiful,” he mouthed.

“You look hot,” she mouthed right back.

When the string quartet launched into the tune, “At Last,” Lorelei took her cue to start singing.

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