Page 564 of One More Kiss

Epilogue

Andrea

One Year Later

The rapid tapof dress shoes clattered against the wood floor as Maddie scrambled into the kitchen.

“What do you think?” She did a little twirl to show off her pretty dress for tonight's father daughter dance.

I wasn't sure I'd ever seen Maddie so excited before, and the sight sent a little pang through my heart. Years ago, I had hoped that Maddie might be able to forge a relationship with her father. But after the day Blaze had shown up at my old apartment, he’d never come back. To this day, Maddie never knew that he'd stopped by. It didn't matter. Mick had moved seamlessly into our lives, and I was certain that he couldn't love Maddie more if she were his own flesh and blood.

He’d taken over the running of the garage. He and his cousin Travis were now partners in the business, and they were looking to open a second brick and mortar shop in the next town over. I still worked at the nursing home, but I had cut back to part-time after the birth of our second baby. Michaela looked just like Mick with her dark hair and huge doe eyes. At only eight months, she already had her daddy wrapped around her finger.

“You look beautiful.” I set down the pot I was holding and moved toward Maddie, then pulled her into a hug. She was growing up so quickly, and it scared the hell out of me. But I was infinitely grateful that Mick was in our lives for good. He was a calming presence for both of us, and I don't know what we would do without him. As if my thoughts had conjured the man in question, my husband stepped into the kitchen.

A huge smile split his face when he saw Maddie. “Look at you. You're going to be the most gorgeous girl there.”

Maddie blushed in pleasure and gave a shy smile under his fawning attention. “You have to say that.” She rolled her eyes. “You're my dad.”

Mick went down on one knee beside her and took her hands in his. “No, I have to say that because it's the truth.”

My heart swelled with love as I watched them. Michaela must've been feeling left out, because she let out a squawk of gibberish where she sat on the floor playing with her toys. I scooped her up and settled her on my hip.

Mick looked at Maddie. “Why don't you give your mom a hug and we’ll get ready to go?”

She flew over to me, wrapped her arms around my waist in a brief hug, then was gone again as quickly as she’d come. “Bye, Mom!”

“Wait for me,” Mick called to Maddie over his shoulder as he rose to his feet and sauntered toward me. He cupped the baby’s head, sliding his fingers through her silky dark curls before dropping a kiss on her forehead.

He turned to me and slipped one finger under my chin. “I think it's my lot in life to be surrounded by beautiful women.”

I grinned back at him. “We could always try for a boy next time.”

He lifted one dark brow and smirked at me. “I've always liked the idea of having a son.”

A couple of years ago, I never would've thought any of this was possible. But the moment Mick stepped into our lives, he changed everything. Me most of all. I loved him with every fiber of my being.

I stretched up on my toes for a kiss. “I love you.”

“Dad!” Maddie’s voice floated in from the living room. “We’re going to be late!”

“Love you more.” He kissed me once more, then stepped back with a wink. “Sounds like our girl’s getting impatient out there. I better go.”

From the fridge, he grabbed the small container he’d picked up on his way home from work.

I couldn't hold back my grin as I watched Mick slip the corsage around Maddie’s wrist as a final touch for her special night. Her eyes widened with surprise, and she threw her arms around him in a huge hug. “Thanks, dad!”

He was an amazing father, a wonderful husband… More than I ever thought possible. He told me once that maybe he'd never been with another woman because he was waiting for me. But the truth is, I’d been waiting for him. He was the man I've been waiting for my entire life, and I would never let him go.

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