Page 71 of Bastard

“Shut your mouth, Jace Malone. That was the perfect proposal for me and you know it.”

Late night whispers. Yeah, she was probably right.

I set Sam down on the corner of the bed and found my pants from the night before, pulling out the velvet bag. I thought it was weird to pick out a ring for a woman. That seemed like a terrible idea. Something she’d hopefully wear all the time, but had little to no say in? Some traditions were weird and dumb. Instead, I got Sam a ring for the sake of getting her a ring.

I slipped it out and put it on my pinkie finger. It was a thin gold band that looked like a vine and wrapped around a small emerald like the leaves and petals of a flower.

“This is something I thought you’d like. Next we’ll go get you whatever you want for your official ring.”

She reached out for it, but I held it away. “Nope. You liked last night’s proposal?” She nodded furiously. “Well then give me this, okay?” I got down on one knee and took a deep breath. “Nothing about my life has been normal. I didn’t have normal parents, none of that crap. So this may seem silly but I want to ask you the old fashioned way, okay?”

Sam flushed like she was a little embarrassed. “Of course Jace. I’m sorry. I’m just excited.”

“Good” I winked. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Nothing has ever been normal…except you.” I knew she was mine the day we met and that never changed. The way I perceived it morphed over the years and now I loved her so completely that it wasn’t about possession. I was only about love. “I would like to build a somewhat normal-not-normal life and spend the rest of it with you. I love you, Sam.”

She grinned. No tears. Just complete happiness. “I would love to build a normal-not-normal forever with you, too.” Then held out her hand.

I slipped it over her finger and kissed the back of her hand. Sam and I were engaged. Not too bad for a kid who got kicked around. I had the power over my own life, good friends, and the love of the most amazing woman a man could ask for.

“Get up here. Let’s celebrate!” Sam peeled her robe open and scooted backward on the bed grinning from ear to ear.

I climbed up after her, feeling more alive than I ever had before. How far was I willing to go, and work, and fight, for this? For Sam and the whole future we now had before us?

I slid over her warm, soft body and kissed her deep, feeling the rightness of this in my soul. This was where I was always supposed to be.

All the way, baby.

Epilogue

Four Years Later…

* * *

Sam

I wiggled my toes in the Florida afternoon sun. Just beyond them the pool sat empty. Beyond that, Georgia walked along the patio edge, looking out at the Gulf of Mexico, holding my daughter’s hand.

Nina was a ball of fire just like her grandmother. Sweet as can be one minute, fierce the next. I wouldn’t be surprised if she started mixing in expletives before the age of ten. Hopefully Georgia would teach her situational awareness while she was at it.

“You seem happy.” Charles Ming sat beside me sipping a fizzy water and munching from a bag of chips.

“I am.”

“In the end, balance is restored,” he said with a wistful look on his face as he watched Georgia and Nina. “Georgia is happy too. Especially right now.”

I thought long and hard about what to name my daughter. The urge was strong to name her after one of my mothers, but in the end I wanted a fresh start for her with no ties to my complicated past. Nina would carve her own path with her own name.

“I’m glad you two have been so amenable to visiting.” Jace and I decided Calusa Key was home. We built a new house here for our growing family and the future we wanted.

That also involved me handing the Stroman reigns over to Jasmine Painter. She was an excellent executive and loved being in charge. I loved the company but didn’t want the stress. So instead I found a place in research and worked alongside Clancy. I was still the majority owner and all that important stuff, but I didn’t spend my days managing a company. I spent it diving into the data I loved.

“Are you kidding?” Charles chuckled. “This is what gives Georgia life. She can never get back what was lost, but being the best grandmother the world has ever seen? That’s the next best thing.”

Georgia scooped Nina up and pointed out the pod of dolphins swimming by. She probably whispered fifteen fun facts and promised to buy her one if she was good. My mother—I could finally call her that without feeling a wave of guilt—was no typical grandmother. She wore designer pants and a blouse, heels even in the Florida heat, a full face of makeup, perfect hair, and jewels everywhere.

Tonight she wouldn’t just serve macaroni and cheese, she would serve gourmet macaroni and cheese. Bedtime stories would be acted out in great detail.

“You don’t seem to mind being a grandfather.” Georgia and Charles married and Georgia finally changed her name. We both went by Stroman. For me, it was because I couldn’t change my name again. I didn’t have it in me. Besides, Jace didn’t care about my name. And for Georgia, I think it was empowering to reclaim her name. And Charles didn’t care any more than Jace did.

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