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"That’s probably true," I chuckled "Come on! It’s our first faled "Okay, letat it Turn around, please"

I spun around and once again crouched, so she could see the back of auze-covered tattooed skin, not touching the new ink but getting close enough that I could feel her appreciation

"I love it," she whispered

"Baby, I love you guys so ed so quickly that my eyebrow automatically cocked in question "I accidently overheard Jaxon and Ehed

"I didn’t uess what? He asked her if she packed her birth control for the trip" I had an idea where this was going "And she said no!" she whisper-shouted in excitenant train with Audrey and Quinn Girls were funny creatures

"We kneas coh I’d known it wouldn’t be too er Ever since Jaxon had laid into Adaround E his child, he had become more and more open to the idea of kids I actually wondered if he wasn’t the one now trying to convince Ean that

I dipped down to take her lips against razed my teeth across it She whimpered as my hands pulled her in closer to my body

I pulled back and said, "This past year, babe, it’s been the best year of ood one," she replied casually I tickled her for that and she shrieked, but I didn’t let up until she breathlessly said, "Okay, okay! Best Year… Ever!"

"Daently nipped at her lip "Can we please leave now and try to catch an early flight?"

"No, Lane!" she laughed "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to change tickets for eight adults and three kids? Impossible You’ll just have to be patient," she chided

"We can o early"

"You’re as bad as a little kid waiting to go to Disney World"

I slorious days is my Disney World, babe"

"Get out of here and let rin on her face As I was heading down the hall, she poked her head out and shouted, "Oh, and put your shirt back on! I don’t need Ehed and Em shouted, "You can’t keep hiet my eye-candy, don’t you worry" She winked at ray tank over h around the neck not to rub my tattoo I plopped down on ain as Charlie walked in with Jace’s secretary, Josephine Raegan and I apparently had an open-door policy in this house, since no one seemed to care to knock any to the beach, too?"

"Sure am, babe" He lifted his suitcase to show her the evidence

Charlie still worked for the force up in New York, but he see down southon our vacation because I wanted to thank both of theuys were crucial, not only inme maintain my sanity Charlie was on the case every second he could, always keeping me up-to-date when he received new information He became h

Mateo had helped ht clubs, and he played a critical role in helpingKate back on my own--I had Rae to thank for that--Mateo had been there every step of the illing to assist me at the drop of a dime

Unfortunately, he had to decline our invite since he was already on another case, helping to try and bring another faood to the core He did, however, accept ift of a pricey bottle of whiskey and said that maybe he would be able to catch us on our next trip

Recently, Charlie had taken a liking to Jace’s secretary, who he o when he ca on the trip as well Charlie said it was just so that he wouldn’t be the oddhands and giving each other lovey-dovey eyes told me it was probably a little onna babysit you and Braden every night so I can take Malare and quickly turned his charhter "I’d never pass up an opportunity to hang out with you, little lady"

Raegan finallyroom and sat down on the couch next to ers through her long, silky hair Everyone else eventually wandered into the living roo a spot wherever they could Braden sat down on an’s lap

This was my family Everyone in this room I happily called h our veins, but that didn’t o to the ends of the Earth for one another This was the life I had alanted for roup of people to ether in the most randomly wonderful way, but I loved them all

Especially the three squeezed in around me The little boy in my lap that exuded the same fierce sense of protectiveness for his fa us all to tears with laughter on a daily basis And the beautiful woth, determination, and the deepest love I had ever felt They were the ones I would fight for every day

A little over a year ago, I ing in my own misery I was told it was time to finally move on, that what I wanted just may not be obtainable anyave you what you alanted, and then it liked to throw in a little extra you never knew you needed Call oing to take it froain