you see our families together? Your mother and my mother, your father talking with Leon… Tara and Kendra… Gage and Laurel… Our families are one now. Just like you and me.”
“Where does this romantic soul of yours come from?” she whispered, gazing up at him adoringly.
“It comes out only for you,” he said. “So I guess it comes from you.”
“Today is the best day of my life.”
“And mine.”
Epilogue
Charli and Miikka got home to Anchorage more than two months after leaving for their first trip to Finland. Though they’d had a fantastic time at their wedding and subsequent honeymoon, they were glad to be home. Miikka had yet another surprise for her, so he hung back when they got to the house, letting her go in first.
“I’ll get the rest of our stuff,” he told her, going back outside.
“I just want to shower and go to bed,” she told him.
“Will you grab me a bottle of water?” he asked, going back outside.
He grabbed their two big suitcases and took his time walking back inside, hoping to give her time to find the surprise.
He knew she’d seen it because he heard her squealing when he got into the house.
“Miikka Laasonen, get your ass in here right now!” she yelled from the kitchen.
He laughed as he followed the sound of her voice. “Yes, Mrs. Laasonen?”
“How did you do this?” she demanded.
He’d had their kitchen completely renovated while they’d been gone. They’d started the process before they left, but they should have been back weeks ago for the finishing touches. Instead, he’d found a way to make it happen from afar. It had taken help from Ryder and Logan, but it had gotten done and it was beautiful. He’d known what flooring and color scheme she wanted and they’d chosen the types of appliances they wanted two months ago. So he’d hired people to finalize everything while they were gone and she was now standing in the middle of the room shaking her head.
“Don’t you like it?” he asked, walking over to her and pulling her close.
“Like it?” She stared up at him with her heart in her eyes. “I love it. Almost as much as I love you.”
“You must like it a lot,” he teased, “because I know you love me a lot.”
“You just keep surprising me, every single day, with how wonderful you are.”
“Are the colors right?”
“The colors, the walls, the countertops, it’s all perfect.”
It really was, he thought to himself. Black granite countertops, cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, including the double ovens she’d wanted, and a bright, cheerful peach color on the walls. He’d had roses that matched the walls delivered, and they were on the edge of the counter.
“Did you read the card?” he asked, nudging her in that direction.
“Not yet.” She walked over and smelled the roses, inhaling deeply. “These are beautiful.” She slowly took out the card and read it aloud. “Muruseni, my love, my wife. Thank you for loving me and letting me love you. I plan to spend the rest of my life making you smile. Always, Miikka.”
She turned and smiled, tossing the card on the counter and running to his arms. She didn’t say anything, merely buried her head in his chest and hugged him. He stroked her back and held her, loving how she felt in his arms, how comfortable it was knowing she was his.
“Wanna go practice making babies?” he whispered against her hair.
“Practice or the real thing, I’m good with both.”
“Yes?” He looked down into her big blue eyes in surprise. “Really?”
“I want to make you as happy as you make me, and I know you want babies.”
“Yes. Very much. But not yet. I want at least one year of just us. Working on the house, traveling, spending time with our friends and family. Then babies.”
“Okay.”
“That you want to get pregnant now, after the things that have happened… This means everything to me.”
“You mean everything to me.” She smiled and reached for his hand. “Bed?”
“Yes.” He followed her up the stairs toward the rest of their lives. And nothing had ever felt better.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Miikka and Charli’s book. For an excerpt from an upcoming book and more information on all my books, turn the page.
EXCERPT FROM AXEL (Royal Protectors Book 3) - Unedited, subject to change
Chapter One
Solange
Huddled on the floor of the broom closet above my family’s café, I listened to the sound of shattering glass and splintering wood, my hands shaking as I clutched my