Page 32 of A Very Grumpy Marine

She’s mine.

Finally,fully, mine.

And I’ll follow her to the ends of the earth to keep it that way.

ELEVEN

Lymric

Five Years Later…

The scentof salt and plumeria fills the air as I dig my toes into the warm golden sand, watching the turquoise waves roll in. The Hawaiian sun glows on my skin, and for the first time in a while, I feel completely at peace.

There’s no deadline for me to hit, no paperwork or chores that need to be done. Nothing on my to-do list at all. It’s just me lounging on a beach in Hawaii while my hot husband and adorable daughter splash in the water nearby. It’s paradise.

A delighted giggle fills the air, and I glance up just in time to see Camden toss our daughter, Emery, high into the sky before catching her effortlessly. She squeals with laughter, her dark brown hair damp from the ocean, and I can’t help but smile at the sight.

We’ve been in Hawaii for a week now, staying in a beachfront hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the ocean.Camden had surprised me with the trip, saying it was long overdue for our little family to have a real vacation.

For the last five years, it’s been me going on trips for work and then returning to Wolf Valley and to my family. Camden and I have made the routine work. He loves being at home with Emery. And he knows how important it is for me to keep working and has been nothing but encouraging. And all of my hard work has really paid off.

A few months ago, I was offered a promotion, and I jumped to take the new job offer. It was less travel and more administrative work, but it meant that I got to spend most of my time with Camden and Emery.

The timing couldn’t have been better, because we had found out that I was pregnant with our second baby. As if on cue, I feel a kick in my stomach, and I smile as I rub my little baby bump.

“Again, Daddy!” Emery demands, her dark blue eyes—Camden’s eyes—shining with excitement.

Camden chuckles, adjusting her in his arms. “You sure? I might throw you so high you touch the clouds.”

Emery gasps, her little hands clutching his shirt. “Really?”

“Really,” he teases, pressing a loud, exaggerated kiss to her cheek before tossing her up once more. Her joyous shrieks mix with the crashing waves, and my heart swells with love.

Camden looks over to me and smiles when he sees me watching them.

“Should we go see mommy?” He asks Emery, and she shouts yeah.

I sit up as they make their way through the water towards me.

“Are you getting hungry?” Camden asks me, and I smirk.

“I always seem to be these days,” I joke, and he laughs.

“Udon?” He asks, and I nod.

“Udon!” Emery shouts, and we all laugh at her excitement.

We get packed up and head back to the hotel room to shower and change. I wrangle Emery out of her swimsuit and into a sundress while Camden showers.

“How’s baby?” She asks, her little hand resting on my stomach.

“They’re doing good. They’re hungry, though,” I tell her, and she pats my stomach.

“We’ll have udon and tempy soon,” she says before she runs off to grab her shoes.

I smile at her shortening tempura to tempy as I get my own shoes on. We’ve been trying some new food while we’re here. Emery loves exploring and branching out. She gets a lot of that from me.

Camden comes out of the bathroom, and his eyes find mine. He still looks at me with so much love, even after all these years.

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