Page 28 of Jasper

She playfully swats at my chest. “To Houston.”

“To Houston?” I repeat.

“Dad said he’d approve your leave. But if you don’t want to?—”

“Iwantto.” I draw Vanessa’s lips to mine for a deep, sensual kiss. A kiss filled with promise. Filled will all the love I hold for her. My heart is hers. It’ll always be hers. “I’ve waited four years to find you. I don’t want to waste another daynotby your side. I love you, Vanessa Wheeler.”

“You know what?” she says, fingers trailing a playful rhythm across my chest. “I think I love you to.”

“You think?”

“Maybe you should take me back to your place sooner rather than later so I can figure it out.”

“With pleasure.”

EPILOGUE

ABOUT A YEAR LATER…

JASPER

“You got the cake?” I ask Joel as he steps into my kitchen.

“Yes, I got the cake.”

“You’re sure it’s the right cake?”

Joel shakes his head, setting the bakery box on the counter. “They swore up and down that it’s the right cake.”

“Good, good.”

“You nervous or something man?” he asks on a chuckle.

“Wouldn’t you be?”

“Yeah, probably.” Joel lets out a soft sigh, and I catch him staring into space.

“She’s out there,” I say to him about his future wife.

“Probably lost at sea,” he says with an amused headshake. Poor man is the only single one left in the J-Squad. He pretends to be happy living the bachelor life, but I know better. He wants what we all have.

“Then it’s a good thing you’re a rescue swimmer.”

The front door bursts open, and a bunch of excited female chatter fills the air. Several of the wives agreed to help me set up the gender reveal party that Vanessa knows nothing about. Erin,who’s in town visiting for the week, has agreed to keep my wife entertained until it’s time to surprise her.

Either Vanessa will be thrilled by the surprise party or super pissed. Because we couldn’t agree whether or not to find out the sex of our baby or let it be a surprise, we’ve been putting it off.

But our little bundle of joy will be here in less than three months.

I know my wife.

Despite what she’s been saying, she’ll want to know.

Probably.

“Remember the plan,” I say to Joel. “If Vanessa says no?—”

“I’ll take the cake to the shelter the next town over. I swear I won’t eat it. I’ll scrape off the fancy words. No one will ever know what they’re eating.”

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