Page 81 of Had To Be You

“It won’t be long now. You sure you’ll still love me when I’m as big as a house and an emotional mess?”

“I’ll only love you more.” His response is sweet and swoony, and one that no one on this earth would expect to hear from his mouth. Affection typically kills Liam. Except with me.

“Your love for me and our baby makes me melt, you know?”

“That stays between us three,” he says. “I can’t have the reputation I built as a ruthless attorney tarnished.”

“Then that’s where it will stay,” I tell him, pointing from me to him then to my belly.

He raises his head to meet my gaze, his cocky grin on full display. “That’s not your typical sassy response I’ve come to expect.”

“Should I try this again?” I pretend to re-think my answer, tapping the tip of my finger against my chin. I mess with him. It’s far too much fun so I keep going. “I’ll make sure the word on the street is that you watch Monday night football with one hand down your pants and a beer in the other. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays too. Better?”

“Yes, much. You want to know why?”

I nod, in between kisses. I’ve worked him up. Mission accomplished.

“Because that mouth of yours is such a turn-on. That witty mouth that winds me up.”

I smooth my hand over the stubble of his jaw, burning for him. “Ditto, Liam. Ditto.”

Another Epilogue

Liam

We’re lying under umbrellas, baking in the sun. The biggest decisions we will make today is whether we should lie out on a striped beach chair or take a dip in the ocean. Whether I’ll have a beer or some fruity drink Ellie pushes on me. A mid-day siesta or a bowl of shave ice. It’s a rough life but someone has to live it.

I surprised Ellie with a trip to Maui. It was on her list of places she hoped to visit. I plan on getting through that entire list, checking off each and every one of her most wished for vacation spots, by the time she turns thirty.

The timing seemed right, what with how busy and chaotic our lives have been lately. Making partner at the firm came with its own set of stresses and commitments, and my practise has been growing by the day, keeping me busier than ever. Ellie has been busy too, between the pregnancy and working hard at Bloom. She’s also been setting up a nursery and getting ready for our baby to arrive. I’m still convinced it’s a boy, by the way, and I’d be willing to bet the house on that.

She’s nearing the beginning of her third trimester and our lives are about to change. I’m told sleepless nights for the next five years are coming at us full force, so ten days away in a tropical paradise at the Fairmont Kea Lani seemed fitting. And I was right.

We’ve luau-ed, played in the surf, swam beneath waterfalls and attempted the road to Hana. Turns out a three-hour drive in a rental car on a narrow, winding road is not ideal for a pregnant woman. We turned around fifteen minutes into it and shared fish tacos with a view of the Pacific Ocean at a beachside dive bar instead.

Ellie is stretched out on a chair beside me under a floppy hat with, of course, one of her crossword puzzles. She’s in one of her bikinis that threaten to kill me with her baby belly proudly on display. She has her phone in her hand and a smile on her face. Gorgeous in every way.

“What’s making you smile, Ells?” I ask, turning my gaze towards her.

“It’s just your brother. You would know if you checked the group chat,” she says, not looking up, furiously typing away at the screen.

“So help me God with that wedding group chat, Ells.” I tell her. “Parker and Olivia have been married for almost a year. Why the hell am I still being tortured with that thing?”

She smiles in amusement. “We’re in Hawaii, Liam. The happiest place on earth. Stop being so grumpy. It will mess with the zen here.”

“That’s Disneyland, Ellie,” I say sarcastically, but not really meaning it. “Besides, I thought we were taking a break from our phones this trip? If I remember correctly it was another one of your sacred rules.”

She tsks me and continues to type, giggling away at whatever she’s messaging. I admit, I’m curious as to why she’s gone from smirking to bust-a-gut laughing so I begrudgingly reach for my iPhone and open the app.

I scroll through the messages.

Miles: You two should really think about one of those portraits. Matching Hawaiian shirts, leis and grass skirts. A neon sunset in the background.

Ellie: Good thinking. I could blow it up to almost life size and hang it above the mantel.

Miles: Liam would prefer it on the wall in his office behind his desk. Trust me…I know my brother well.

Fucker.

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