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  My eyes watered. “He looks just like you.” I sniffed as more tears came.

  “He’s a good-looking lad, isn’t he?”

  Tears fell down my cheeks. “I love him so much. I just met him but I love him.”

  “I love him too,” he whispered. He pressed his cheek against mine as we looked down into our son’s face.

  “Eight and a half pounds,” the nurse said.

  “No wonder he was so hard to push out,” I said as I stared at the beautiful baby in my arms.

  “Sorry about that,” Ward said with a chuckle. “He’s definitely going to be over six foot. I can tell.”

  “My son is going to be taller than me before he hits high school.”

  “You’ll keep him in line,” he said. “You’ve got the sass.”

  The nurse approached then gently took Ward Jr. from my arms.

  “What are you doing?” I blurted. “Don’t take him away.”

  “We need to get you cleaned up,” she said. “You can have him back as soon as we’re done. Don’t worry, dear.” She took him away and placed him in a plastic crib.

  I stared at him in longing.

  Ward patted my hand. “We’ll get him back soon, darling.”

  “I never want to leave him. I want to be with him all the time.”

  He kissed my lips. “You will soon enough.”

  ***

  Ward held our son in his arms and he looked down into his face with a smile on his lips. “Such a beautiful boy.” He held him against his chest and stared at his face like he had no intention of ever looking away.

  “He is beautiful.”

  “The girls will like him. I can tell.”

  “Well, the girls can lay off. My son only deserves a princess.”

  He chuckled. “Already a protective mother…”

  There was a knock on the door and heads poked inside. “Can we come in?” Skye whispered.

  “Yes,” I said. “Come see Ward Jr.”

  Skye and Cayson came inside, followed by a herd of the rest of the family.

  Skye spotted Ward Jr. and gasped. “He’s so perfect.” She immediately stuck out her hands so she could take him.

  Ward looked hesitant, like he didn’t want to give him up. But then he cooperated. “Make sure you support his head.”

  “I know how to hold a baby, Ward,” Skye said with a teasing tone. “You can calm down.” She brought him to her chest and stared down into his face. Cayson stood next to her and admired Ward Jr. “He has your eyes, Ward.”

  “He does,” Ward agreed.

  “That’s what I was hoping for,” I whispered.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Ward Jr.,” Cayson said. “I’m your uncle.”

  “And I’m your Aunty Skye,” she said as she rocked him slightly. “Now I want one…”

  Cayson’s head snapped in her direction and he was grinning.

  “Well, not right this second,” Skye said. “But soon.”

  Cayson’s excitement increased by tenfold. “Can I hold him?”

  Skye was just as hesitant as Ward was. But then she handed him over.

  Cayson held him like a pro. “He’s big.”

  “Eight and a half pounds,” I said proudly.

  “He’ll be a rugby player,” Cayson said.

  “No,” I said immediately. “Too dangerous.”

  Slade came behind Cayson and looked down. “Man, that’s one cute baby.” He whistled loudly. “Babies are usually ugly. You guys got lucky.”

  “We know we did,” I said quietly.

  “Can I hold him?” Slade asked.

  “Uh…” Ward looked uncomfortable.

  “Maybe later,” I said.

  Slade’s face fell in sadness.

  “He’ll be fine,” Cayson said. “Slade will be careful.” Cayson handed him over and positioned Slade’s arms in the right way.

  My heart was beating fast but I felt better knowing Cayson was right next to him just in case something happened.

  “He’s already buff,” Slade said with a laugh.

  Trinity came to his side and rested her head on his shoulder. “He’s adorable.”

  “He is,” Slade agreed.

  “I want one.” She gave him a meaningful look.

  “Yeah?” Slade asked. “Right now? Because Skye and Cayson haven’t had theirs so we need to wait.” He said it quickly like he was looking for an excuse.

  “You’re right,” Trinity said. “But our time will come. I just hope our baby is as cute as this one.”

  “With my looks that shouldn’t be a problem,” Slade said.

  “You’re right.” Trinity kissed his cheek.

  Sean and Scarlet came next, and Scarlet took Ward Jr. from Slade without even asking. Sean leaned over her shoulder and they stared at our baby together. Everyone else came in and examined the baby, saying how cute and adorable he was.

  Finally, my parents entered but they looked at me instead of the baby. Remorse and sympathy was in both of their eyes. I knew guilt weighed on their shoulders because they didn’t approach Ward Jr. like they thought they didn’t deserve to.

  “Mike, give Ward Jr. to my parents,” I said.

  Both of my parents looked surprised.

  Mike handed Ward Jr. to my father. “He’s cute, isn’t he?”

  Mom and Dad both looked into his eyes and their eyes moistened with tears.

  “He’s beautiful,” Mom said as she sniffed.

  “Perfect,” Dad said. He felt Ward Jr.’s small fingers in his hand and chuckled when Ward Jr. made a cooing sound. “Absolutely perfect.”

  Everyone else fell silent as they watched my parents enjoy their first grandchild.

  “I want to hold him.” Mom took him next. She gently rocked him back and forth. “Look at those beautiful eyes, Cortland.”

  “He’s the exact image of his father.” Dad put his arm around her shoulder. “He’s a beautiful baby.”

  The rest of the family started to creep out of the room like they knew we wanted privacy. Everyone knew about the strained argument between us. They either wanted to stay out of it or they hoped we would resolve it.

  Mom and Dad approached the bedside and sat down. They were both absorbed in my son and seemed to forget about Ward and I entirely. Then Mom finally returned him to my arms. “You guys did a wonderful job.”

  “I know we did.” I cradled my son in my lap and looked down at him, pride and love in my heart.

  Dad bowed his head before he spoke. “I’m so sorry about everything…I was wrong and—”

  “It’s okay,” I said.

  “It is?” he asked in surprise. “Because it’s not.”

  “I’m sorry too,” Mom said. “We were both hot-headed and bad tempered. We were unfair and shouldn’t have acted that way. We’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

  “Really, it’s okay,” I said. “I’m a parent now—I understand.”

  Dad’s eyes softened.

  “Now that I have this beautiful baby in my arms, all I want to do is protect him from everything. I want him to be happy, to never know pain, and to always make the right decision so he’ll never live through the same mistakes I’ve experienced. I want his life to be full of laughter, joy, and love. I want him to have everything, all the good without the bad.” I turned my gaze on my parents. “I don’t think you handled it very well but I do understand. And because of that, I forgive you.”

  Dad wasn’t an emotional guy but his eyes moistened even more. “I’m so proud to call you my daughter.” He stood up and leaned over the bed as he hugged me.

  I returned the embrace while I kept one arm around my son.

  Mom hugged me next, and her wet tears splashed onto my neck. “Thank you for giving us such a beautiful gift—as well as your forgiveness.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive,” I said. “Let’s just move on and be happy. And let’s spoil this kid rotten.”

  ***

  Visiting hours ended and the family was
forced to leave. While I loved having them there, I was glad they were gone. It was nice to enjoy the peace and quiet. My family was loud and always had something to say.

  I remained in bed while Ward Jr. lay in my arms. He stared up at me constantly, like he was amazed by what he was seeing. I wondered what he was thinking, if he was thinking anything at all.

  Ward watched us from his chair, his fingers resting on his lips.

  “Someone has a staring problem…” I smiled while I looked down at Ward Jr.

  “People like to stare at beautiful things.”

  “I guess that’s why I’m staring back.” I continued to watch him until his eyes grew heavy. Once they closed, he opened them again like he was trying to stay awake. But eventually he couldn’t fight it and his eyes fell.

  “Night-night, sweet pea.”

  “Sweet pea?” Ward whispered.

  “Yeah, he’s my sweet pea.” I leaned over and rubbed my nose against his. He stayed asleep but released a musical sigh.

  “I like it,” Ward whispered. “It’s cute.”

  I leaned back against the pillow and kept my eyes open. I was tired and sore. But having a baby in my arms kept me awake.

  Ward left his seat then sat at the edge of the bed beside me. “You doing okay?”

  “Just a little tired.”

  “You want me to put him in the crib?”

  “No…leave him a little longer.”

  “Okay.” His arm moved around my shoulders and he pressed a kiss to my temple. “This is the greatest day of my life. I’ll never forget the look on your face when you first held our son. And I’ll never forget the first time I felt him in my arms.”

  “I’ll never forget it either. I can’t believe I love someone so much…and I hardly know him.”

  “You do know him. You’ve known him for nine months.”

  “I guess so…”

  He turned my face toward him and gave me a slow and sensual kiss. “We’re a family now—the three of us.”

  “A very cute family.”

  He stared into my eyes for a long time, just looking and saying nothing. Deep within, I saw an emotional battlefield. A million thoughts and feelings were coursing through him. There were too many for me to count or understand. “Let’s make it official.” His hand moved into his pocket and he withdrew a small box. With just his fingers, he opened it and held it out to me.

  Oh my fucking god.

  “I love you, darling. You’re the mother of my child, the love of my life, and now I want to make you my wife. Marry me.”

  I gasped and felt the tears immediately pool in my eyes.

  Ward’s eyes watered when he saw the look on my face.

  “Ward…” I stared at the ring and saw a platinum band and a solitary diamond in the middle. “It’s beautiful.”

  He took it out of the box then slipped it on my ring finger. It was the perfect size. “Is that a yes?”

  I shook my head. “Of course it’s a yes.”

  Ward kissed my lips and tasted my tears. The salt was on my tongue as we kissed, and quietly we told each other how we felt without the use of words. Our son remained in my arms, sleeping through the moment we just had. But that was okay. As long as the three of us were together it didn’t matter.

  Ward rubbed his nose against mine. “You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wanted. I never thought this dream would come true. But you gave it to me.”

  “You’ve given me everything too.”

  “So, this is our happily ever after? Finally?”

  I smiled. “I think so.”

  Check out MONDAY, the free book found at the end of this story!

  I don’t believe in destiny.

  In fate.

  Or in soul mates.

  But I believe in Hawke.

  My life has never been whole since my parents left forever. I have my brother, someone I can barely tolerate most of the time, and I have my best friend, Marie.

  And I have myself.

  But when Hawke walks into my life, there’s an immediate connection. Our eyes lock and an unspoken conversation is exchanged. For the first time in my life, I actually feel something.

  But he doesn’t.

  He keeps me at arm’s length and pretends there’s nothing between us when there clearly is. I’m not the kind of girl to wait around for any guy, so I don’t.

  But that doesn’t mean he isn’t in the back of my mind.

  Our paths cross again in a way neither one of us expect and it changes everything. Was it destiny that made it happen? Was it fate?

  Or was it something else?

  Forever Is Not Enough

  Book Twenty-Nine of The Forever and Ever Series

  AVAILABLE NOW

  Click to Purchase on Amazon

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading All I Want Is You. I hope you enjoyed reading Skye and Cayson’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you could leave a short review on Amazon.com, iTunes, or BarnesandNoble.com, it would help me so much! Those reviews are the best kind of support you can give an author. Thank you!

  Wishing you love,

  E. L. Todd

  I know I’m lucky enough to have super fans, you know, the kind that would dive off a cliff for you. They have my back through and through. They love my books and they love spreading the word. Their biggest goal is to see me on the New York Times bestsellers list and they’ll stop at nothing to make it happen. While it’s a lot of work, it’s also a lot of fun. What better way to make friendships than to connect with people who love the same thing you do?

  Are you one of these super fans?

  If so, send a request to join the Facebook group. It’s closed so you’ll have a hard time finding it without the link. Here it is:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1192326920784373/

  Hope to see you there, ELITE!

  Another Day At The Office

  Francesca

  On my first day working at The Grind, a coffee shop in Myrtle Beach, the constant sound of the running blender gave me a headache. Just when it would stop spinning for a damn second, it started up again. Taking orders from customers was a hassle because I couldn’t hear a word they said. And just when I raised my voice so they could understand me, the blender shut off and I looked like a screaming lunatic.

  But now that blender reminded me of home.

  I’d been working at The Grind for nearly three years. It was a great college gig. It was flexible with my class schedule, and when I wanted to blow off work for a party, it was easy to change shifts with another worker.

  It wasn’t my dream job, but it was okay for now.

  The shop was dead that afternoon, so I opened my jar of homemade batter and beat it with a spoon until it was fluffy again. Then I poured it into a pan and shoved it into the oven.

  “What are you baking now?” Marie, my roommate and best friend, grabbed her apron and tied it around her waist. She reeked of smoke, so I knew she lit one up in the back alley. I tried getting her to quit a few times, but that just made her addiction worse.

  “Apple cherry muffins.”

  “Hmm…sounds good.”

  I was notorious for my love of baking. We had an oven at our house, but it wasn’t as nice as the one at The Grind. I took advantage of it whenever I could. “They’re not super sweet so at least they won’t give you diabetes.”

  Marie popped a few breath mints into her mouth to cover up the stench of smoke. “I’m not worried about diabetes.”

  “Just lung cancer?” It was a mean jab but I didn’t care.

  Marie rolled her eyes. “I smoke twice a day…sometimes only once.”

  “If it’s so seldom, why do it at all?” I put my hand on my hip and narrowed my eyes on her face. I wasn’t a judgmental person, but I wanted my best friend to be around as long as possible.

  “Shut up and keep baking.” She walked around me and headed to the front of the café.

  I rolled my eyes even though no one
was around to witness it. Then I set the timer on the oven.

  ***

  “Damn, these are good.” Marie picked at the muffin right at the counter. A few customers were sitting at tables in the lobby, but no one was in line. Fortunately, our manager was pretty lenient with all the crazy things we did. One time, a customer complained that Marie was on her phone, but our manager didn’t seem to care.

  “Thanks.”

  “Are they made with real apples and cherries?” She spoke with her mouth full.

  “Yep. Natural is the only way to go.” I tried not to eat everything I made otherwise I really would get diabetes.

  “We could probably sell these for two bucks a pop.” She finished the muffin then sucked the crumbs off her fingers.

  “Two bucks?” I asked. “Maybe ninety nine cents.”

  “Are you kidding me?” she asked. “Our chocolate croissant is $3.50.”

  “Still sounds like a rip off to me.” I noticed the crumbs around her mouth but I didn’t say anything because I knew she would get there eventually. Right now, she was focused on her fingers.

  The bell over the door rang as someone walked inside. That bell was a lifesaver when we were doing things we shouldn’t be—like right now. I set the tray of muffins on the counter then smoothed out my apron without checking who the customer was.

  “Oh my god.” Marie lowered her voice so only I could hear her. “That’s him.”

  “That’s who?”

  “That super hot guy that comes in here all the time. He works on homework or something. But he looks too old to be in college…” She immediately straightened her hair then checked her breath.

  I peeked over the counter and saw the guy she was talking about. She wasn’t exaggerating about his looks. He really was hot. He had dark brown hair that was a little messy, but he obviously did it on purpose. It was full and thick, and it was clear he ran his fingers through it when he was deep in thought. He wore slacks and a collared shirt with a dark blue tie down his chest. He had to be over six feet, and he filled out his clothes well. Even in a sleeved shirt, the muscles of his arms were obvious. His chest was wide and his stomach was tight. He stood at the end of the line and stared up at the menu as he tried to decide what he wanted.