Page 132 of Hello Billionaire

Since there wasn’t a ton of room in the tattoo shop, Liv and Mia sat in the front waiting area, and Hen sat beside me, her own windmill tattoo on her wrist.

The tattoo artist, a guy named Henry with more ink than bare skin, asked if I was ready.

I nodded. “Go ahead.”

The needle sliced into my skin, hurting like hell. “Oh my gosh, that’s worse than I thought it would be,” I said, trying to stay still.

He didn’t say much, just kept tracing the design.

To distract myself from the pain, I asked Hen, “What’s it been like? Being a Griffen?” I planned to change my last name after the wedding. Even though I’d have a different name than my kids, it would be okay because we still shared what mattered most—our love for each other.

She smiled warmly at me, her grin so contagious. “It feels like when you’ve had a long day of work and you come home.”

I smiled back, despite the tattoo pain, because I knew exactly what she meant. Gage and I may have had a rough start, but he’d been my safe harbor, even before we started dating. “I’m excited I get two new sisters.”

She squeezed my free hand. “Me too.”

The pain in my wrist stopped, and Henry said, “All done. What do you think?”

I stared at the stark black mark on my wrist, the perfect windmill matching all of the Griffens’. “Iloveit.”

It reminded me of the ink on Gage’s arm, the place we’d gotten engaged and promised forever, the place where my kids romped around the tank, happy and carefree, despite all we’d gone through in the last year.

And in that moment, I knew I wouldn’t trade my story for anything. All the pain of being cheated on, of having to start over at thirty-four with three kids counting on me. I’d never give it up. Because even if this family didn’t come about in the “ideal” way, it brought me four of my favorite people, who I knew would be there for me always.

It was perfect. And it was mine.

Epilogue

Liv

Acoustic guitar music played through the lobby of The Retreat, where guests filled two rows of white folding chairs. There were only about twenty people here, and when everyone on the guest list had arrived, Jenna came up to me and said, “I think this is it.”

I nodded. “I’ll go get the guys.”

“Sounds good,” she said, and I went to the elevator, riding up to the suite where Gage was getting ready with Andrew, Levi, Rhett, Tyler, and my dad. “It’s time to go out.”

Gage nodded, smiling as he did. Ever since he and Farrah got together for good six months ago, he’d been happier than I’d ever seen him. He worked less, hung out at the farm with our family now, and had come to Wednesday night dinner at least once a month, sometimes more.

Not to mention, he bought the house Farrah and the kids lived in. It was now theirs to share and make a million memories in, together.

Dad clapped his back. “Ready, son?”

“I am,” Gage agreed. “I know the speeches are supposed to come after the wedding, but I just had to say how grateful I am to have you here. All of you. I know this isn’t the way you might have imagined me building a family but—”

“It’s perfect,” Rhett finished with a smile. “You hit the jackpot, Gage. And you’re already a billionaire. So unfair.”

We chuckled, and I wiped at my eyes tearfully. Up until a year ago, I hadn’t known if my family would ever make amends, and having us all here together... it meant the world.

Gage bent down on one knee and called Levi and Drew over. The boys sobered, each taking one of his outstretched hands.

“I fell in love with your mother, but I want you to know that you and your sister? You’re just as important to me.” His voice broke. “You, your mom, you’re all my happily ever after.”

Now I was sobbing, and even Rhett sniffled as the boys hugged my brother.

Tyler patted their backs and said, “We’re lucky to be your family.”

“Agreed,” Dad said.

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