Page 71 of The Billionaire and His Forever

“No. Abbie, listen to me. He victimized you. You were manipulated and controlled. It wasn’t your fault, and you’re not to blame. Not ever. But now…now you are free.”

I sigh into him. “I am. But what you said before—about how you didn’t think you deserved what we had—I think I felt the same. I didn’t think I deserved this happiness, either. Or, I don’t know. Maybe I thought, after what I did to you, it was only fair to have it taken away.”

“You took my happiness with you, my love. And someone else’s. But now you’re home, and you know what? This family is going to be even stronger.”

I nod, tears filling my eyes. “I never wanted to hurt Jude. I’m so sorry she had to go through all of this.”

“She hasn’t been the same without you. That girl really loves you. And she’s going to be absolutely over the moon when she realizes you’re back.”

“I can’t wait to see her tomorrow,” I whisper.

Graham tips my chin up and gently places a kiss on my lips. “I’ve got a better idea. Get a robe on. We’re going to make pancakes with Jude.”

I laugh as he climbs out of bed and pulls his robe on, then goes into the closet to take out a spare for me. “You’re serious? Graham, it’s midnight!”

“It is. Which is why she will be so incredibly excited to be woken up by her favorite person to get into some late-night culinary mischief.”

He throws the robe at me and smiles as he watches me put it on. Then we tiptoe down the hallway to Jude’s room, where we burst in to invite her to the happiest family reunion of her life.

Epilogue

Graham

FIVE YEARS LATER

“I’m going to be late!”Jude calls over her shoulder, pushing through the crowds to the stables.

“Wait up!” Abbie laughs. “We don’t want to lose you!”

“It’s the stables! You know where to find me!”

Abbie shoots me a look and we both roll our eyes and smile. “Teenagers,” she says.

I pick up little Posey and lift her onto my shoulders. She squeals with delight as she settles into one of her most favorite places in the world. I would carry this girl to London and back if it meant hearing that joyful squeal every time.

“Careful,” Abbie warns.

She’s got baby Max wrapped around her chest, with a protective arm tucked around him. She’s stunning in mom mode. I knew she would be a good mother when I saw how engaged she was with Jude, all those years ago, but watching her care for our smallest cargo from their first breaths, their first furious little screams, has been an entirely novel experience.

And still, even with two new babes to care for, Abbie and Jude are still thick as thieves, gossiping by the pool, going on trail rides, enjoying weekend shopping trips with Gigi—Jude’s nickname for Abbie’s mom—the only grandmother that my daughter has ever known. After divorcing Ford, who is still serving jail time, Abbie’s mom moved into the estate house with us. She’s been running a successful interior design firm from there ever since. She and Esmeralda get along like a house on fire, and I couldn’t be happier with the arrangement.

Jude doesn’t seem to give her grandmother half as much teenage attitude as she gives me and Natasha. And although I’d love to see my daughter grow out of that sassiness at some point, I also love knowing that Jude and her Gigi care for each other so much. It’s gone a long way toward filling the gap that Natasha left when she moved to the UK—and even though my ex-wife has done her best to be a mom to Jude on her monthly visits from London (per our modified custody agreement), Natasha still struggles to put Jude first. When she does show up for Jude, though, she really makes the moments count, for which I am grateful. And Jude manages her mother’s caprices well. I hope in no small part because Abbie and I have worked so hard to ensure that all our children are surrounded by so much love.

Our family, as blended and unconventional as it may be, truly is a thing of beauty.

I pause outside the stables, allowing Abbie and Max to go first, and take a minute to just drink it all in. Jude has been training for this event for months, our entire world devoted to nothing but horses for so long that it’s hard to remember what other hobbies we ever had. And now, we’re here to cheer her on for the championship of the season.

It will be nice to relax after this. For a little while, anyway.

I feel like the luckiest man alive.

“Go, Daddy, go!” Posey wiggles her adorably roly-poly four-year-old body on my shoulders. “Gotta find Juju!”

Translation:Hurry up, Dad. We have to find Jude.

“Let’s go get her then, love.” Holding her legs tight, I bounce her gently as I make my way through the barn, homing in on the cascade of giggles up ahead, where Abbie and Max stand outside of Desi’s stall.

Jude and Cassie are in there already, brushing Desi and talking strategy. Cassie gives me a stern look as we approach.

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