Page 110 of Starting Over with You
I cock a brow. “I will?”
His eyes burn with desire, and that damn grin makes me weak. “You will.”
“I know,” I mutter, and he winks.
Then he turns his attention to the kids and claps his hands. “Just so y’all know, there won’t be any of that step shit around here. Nope?—”
It’s Skyye who groans, and we all look at her expectantly, but Dean just beams, rocking on his heels. Then he points his finger guns. “We’ll be full-on cha-cha with extra dance partners.”
I snort, but the boys grimace as Skyye looks to the ceiling. “Was that supposed to be a joke?”
Skyye nods. “Yeah, he likes dancing.”
“But I don’t, and I’m not dancing,” Flint complains, while I snicker at his dismay.
“That was awful,” Ash says, looking at me. “This is the guy you chose?”
I flick my gaze up to Dean’s, and I sigh deeply as my heart overflows. Then I nod, and my voice is gruff as I tell everyone the honest-to-God truth.
“Only him.”
CHAPTER
FORTY-THREE
Dean
“So, you and Kenni gonna get pregnant next?”
I almost choke on air and throw my neck out as I whip my gaze to my daughter. I narrow my eyes while she cracks up, her laughter bubbling as I shake my head. “No way in hell am I waking up at night for anything but Kenni.”
She fake-gags, but it’s all for show. Shelovesthat I love Kenni. My baby girl cuddles into my side, and I kiss her forehead as we both glance over at where Nyle is holding Missy’s brand-new bump while most of the town gushes around them.
My backyard is packed, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I told Jackson I’d throw a barbecue to help him get on Liam’s good side, but I masked it as a thank-you party for Nyle.
Whichtheyturned into a baby announcement.
Honestly, you couldn’t pay me to have a kid in this economy.
But watching Missy glow like that, full of love and excitement? It’s hard not to smile. When she was pregnant with Skyye, she always looked a little green, probably because she was carrying my baby and not the guy’s she was meant to be with. She’s only four months along now, but you’d think she was eight with the waythey’re fussing over her. Not that any of us would say a word. We’re happy for them. I owe Nyle my life.
For savingthelight of mine.
Nyle stands proudly in his “#1 Daddy” shirt, and even though he’s the biggest dork I’ve ever seen, I appreciate him. Even Sadie stopped calling him names. She brought him snacks while he recovered from the gunshot wound to his bicep. It got infected and took longer to heal, but you’d never know it from the size of his smile.
When I thanked him for what he did, he just said,“You’d have done it for Missy.”
And I would have.
So every time he annoys me, I remind myself—he took a bullet for the woman I love.
I hear Kenni’s laughter and follow the sound to where she’s standing with her dad, who’s holding Maggie close to his chest. Maggie moved in with him, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the two of them so happy. Jett jokes he’ll never call Willie “Dad,” but with how close those two are getting… he might not have a choice. Hazel, Bea, and Kenni all smile as they talk. Bea leans heavily into her walker, laughing loudly, deep wrinkles and all—proof of a life well lived.
A smile tugs at my lips.
Kenni belongs right here.
In Thistlebrook.
