The Proposal - Kitty Thomas Page 0,87

It wasn't fair for the boys not to know their other biological grandparents. And when Cade came, the same became true for him.

We waited until the last possible second to tell my parents the truth, but they took it better than anyone else. They love Griffin and Dayne. I think they always wanted more children, and a part of them adopted my friends the moment they met them.

The rest of Livia's family did end up finding out. Her mother was right, kids talk, and it was impossible for them to understand why they couldn't talk about their family. And it was unfair to them. Livia's father did not in fact have a heart attack. He's tougher than they all thought. But he hates us guys—me especially—and no doubt spends large portions of his time planning our grisly deaths.

So far no scandals have rocked our businesses.

We spend Thanksgiving each year with Griffin's family, Christmas Eve with Livia's, Christmas Day with Dayne's, and New Year's Eve and New Year's Day with mine. These kids basically get four different Christmases. And I know Lily will be the most spoiled because she's the only little girl. I can tell my mother is lying in wait to start the Disney Princess indoctrination as soon as Lily can focus long enough to absorb it.

Instead of going into the house through the kitchen with everyone else, I enter through the sun room. I bend down to kiss Livia. She looks tired, and even though I'd love to have more kids, I honored the contract and didn't argue with her about getting her tubes tied.

“You want to hold her, Daddy?” she says. “She's all full of milk and content and snoring.”

I chuckle and gather up the bundle of fat baby in my arms and sit in the rocking chair across from Livia.

Lily sighs in her sleep and snuggles in against me, her tiny hand splayed on my shoulder.

“Livia, if you could go back in time, knowing everything you know now, would you have said yes to our proposal?”

She arches a brow. “I wasn't given much of a choice.”

“I know, I know. You've been a pampered and spoiled hostage practically living in a castle, but seriously, knowing how things have turned out, would you have said yes, voluntarily?”

She stands, and stretches like a cat. She's still got the tiniest bit of post-baby bump which I secretly hope she never loses. I like that last small reminder of her finally carrying my child. In a way I'm glad I was the last to conceive with her because this final form she has taken... it's all mine.

She leans down and kisses me in an echo of my earlier action, then she whispers, “I guess you'll never know.”

31

Livia

The First Dance

Two weeks ago. The Wedding Reception.

The first dance of the bride and groom as a couple is announced, and Soren guides me out onto the dance floor. I glance over to the table where the wedding party sits to find Griffin and Dayne watching me and Macy watching Griffin. The men each watch me so intently I worry other guests will notice. But all eyes are on me and Soren as he expertly sweeps me around the dance floor. Spinning me and dipping me.

We hear “Woo hoos”, from the guests and glasses clinking as they try to get us to kiss during our first dance. Soren finds a moment and does just that. He is so charming, and everyone in this ballroom is under his spell, even me—even knowing all that I know about him and fearing all that is to come. Even with this secret we carry with us—this secret that weighs us all down and makes a happy ending feel so impossible.

I was surprised two months ago when Soren actually agreed to meet with a wedding dance choreographer to learn a dance to go with our song. He doesn't talk to me during the dance, but I don't think it's some Machiavellian strategy on his part, he's just trying to remember our choreography.

I miss a step because I'm so caught up in my head, but he rescues it, leading me so flawlessly through to the next part of the dance that I know no one noticed. They are all too taken with him to notice. Everyone on my side thinks he's the best thing that ever happened to me, and everyone on his side thinks he's a lucky son of a bitch.

And I know in this moment, they are forming opinions