Her Secret Santa - Miley Maine Page 0,63

about it. He was not strong physically, or at least had never had that same aggression when it came to fighting that he had in business where he was basically a headhunter who could not be beaten.

I was proud of myself, the way I had changed. I’d gone from being a tall, skinny kid to being strong, powerful, and very capable in all areas of my life. I hoped that one day I would teach my kids to be the same. I wanted them to be all that they could dream of.

And I hoped that one day Julie and I had as many kids as we desired. I wanted the house to be full of kids, but if she only wanted to have a few then that was up to her. We would talk about it and come to an agreement. I knew that she would be such an amazing mother. I hoped I lived up to her expectations as a father. I believed that if I loved my children and always hoped to do right by them, then I would.

But it was a big adjustment. I was going to be a family man, finally after all this time. I didn’t even realize how much I had dreamt of it until it was actually happening. I was going to be the best husband I could be. I never wanted to give Julie cause for alarm. I wanted to prove to her how much I deserved her and hope that she was never disappointed by me. I loved her more than I could ever truly express to her.

It was not long before I finally drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, she was still right there in my arms.

Epilogue

Julie

Six Months Later

I was married.

The idea didn’t fully hit me until I heard the words “I do” echoed back at me in front of everyone. The words bounced around in my ears as I looked into Tony’s eyes. His gaze was so full of love. The entire congregation erupted in cheers as we kissed and held each other for the first time as man and wife. This was the moment I’d been waiting for all my life.

I looked over at Lizzy and Nellie, both of them crying their eyes out in their bridesmaid’s outfits. Lizzy was my maid of honor. She was so happy for me. I had the best friends anyone could ever have, and I knew that if there was ever anything that I needed then I could have it from them. I wished them both the same type of happiness.

After the wedding and the reception, Tony and I went back to the mansion. The wedding was there in Anchorage. I loved the house, the wilderness everywhere, and the beautiful Alaskan sky that hung above me at all times. Especially this time of year, when the temperature was beautiful, and the snow was far away from us.

“So, how does it feel to be Mrs. Tony Caplan?” Tony asked as we relaxed in the back of the limo. We were heading toward the mansion, where we would get a good night’s sleep and then head out to the jet tomorrow on our way to Rome for the first leg of our honeymoon. We were going to Rome, then to London, then Paris, and last Tokyo. They were places I’d always wanted to go to and now I finally had the opportunity. I was worried that Tony would go crazy being away from work for that long, but he would manage. He assured me that it would be fine. I figured we’d make it three days before he started to freak out about it. The guy was addicted to his work. But then again, so was I.

“It feels wonderful,” I said.

He held me and rubbed my shoulders. “Your parents were both in tears. Even your dad. That floored me. That guy doesn’t act like he’s ever cried in his entire life.”

“No, he hasn’t,” I said. “That’s my dad for you. Your father-in-law. How does that sound?”

“He sounds great,” Tony replied. “We get along well. He’s a good guy, as long as I don’t have to sit and listen to him gripe about how Joe Montana is the best quarterback the world will ever see, and this Tom Brady fellow is a total hack.”

I laughed. “Well, he has a point.”

Tony groaned. Tom Brady was his all-time favorite player. I think it was because he’d hung out with him a few times and they