I’m a man who sometimes, not very often but sometimes sheds a single tear of gratitude at how amazing his life has turned out.
Jackie is in the swimming pool, as she is every day. Our eight year old loves swimming more than anything else, and that fills me with so much pride I want to clap my hands together and roar and run crazy circles around the garden.
She loves water as much as any SEAL I ever met.
“You are not,” Henrietta says, pouting at me.
She’s got her mother’s hair but my eyes, glimmering with the same playfulness Tessa says sometimes fills my expression.
“Okay. Try now.”
I jiggle from side to side and she groans, but she’s giggling. She can’t stop herself from laughing when I act silly like this, even if sometimes she says she’s getting too old for my dad games.
Finally, I settle down, posing for her photograph, but then the twins come barreling over to me. They are two little terrors and I love wrestling with them, rolling around among the leaves and the grass as Henrietta snaps away.
I lift Russ over my head with one hand and tickle Jacob with the other, causing his infectious laughter to rise higher and higher in the air.
Blessed doesn’t come close to describing how I feel.
My wife won an award for photography last month and my daughter won an Oscar last year. My mother-in-law is happily married to Liam and they live on the west coast and visit often, and their visits always fill our lives with even more brightness.
My business is flourishing, with east and west coast offices.
But I’d trade everything we’ve worked for over the years for these moments, wrestling with my sons as my daughter makes laps around the pool and my other daughter snaps photographs and my other daughter lies content in my wife’s arms.
“Daddy, do the monster,” Russ giggles when I put him down.
I sit up, tapping my chin, pulling the silly face they all like. “What monster?”
“Mommy,” Russ calls. “Tell Daddy to do the monster.”
Tessa smiles, lighting me up inside, tapping her chin in the same way I just did. This is all part of the game, both of us pretending to have no clue what they’re talking about until I finally unleash the monster…
And then I spring to my feet and snap my arms together like a crocodile.
“Nom-nom-nom,” I roar, chasing them around the garden.
I catch Jacob and we fall to the ground in a fit of laughter, and then Russ walks to the edge of the pool. Little Jackie stops swimming, grinning up at us with her mother’s eyes and Angela’s smile.
“I bet you won’t follow me in here,” Russ yells, laughing as he leaps into the pool in his T-shirt and his shorts.
“Wanna bet?” I chuckle, sprinting to the water, not giving a damn that I’m still wearing my suit from work.
I dive in after him.
From the porch my wife laughs and then there’s another splash as Jacob joins us. Jackie giggles and leaps at me, getting involved in the fun, as Henrietta snaps photographs that will fill us with even more happiness in the years to come.
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A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS
Book 1: Baby Lust
Book 2: Veteran
Book 3: Built
Book 4: Bambino
Book 5: Rescued
Book 6: Leader
Book 7: Professor
Book 8: Burned
Book 9: Worldly
Book 10: Pistol
Book 11: Policed
Book 12: Driven
Book 13: Lucky 13
Book 14: Lumberjacked
Book 15: Protector
Book 16: Carpenter
Book 17: Italian Stallion
Book 18: Gardener
Book 19: Budapest Billionaire’s Virgin
Book 20: Billionaire’s Babysitter
Book 21: Cocky CFO
Book 22: Fireman’s Filthy 4th
Book 23: Mechanic
Book 24: SEAL’s Secret
Book 25: Police, Pooch, and Smooch
Book 26: Fireman’s Fake Fiancée
Book 27: Billionaire’s Virgin Ballerina
Book 28: Bitcoin Billionaire’s Babysitter
Book 29: Veterans Day Daddy
Book 30: Cowboy’s Christmas Carol
Book 31: Police Officer’s Princess
Book 32: Statham
Book 33: Bodyguard
Book 34: Greek God
Book 35: Billionaire Single Dad's Babysitter
Book 36: Mountain Man
Book 37: SEAL’s Justice
Book 38: Royal Romance
Book 39: Doctor Mountain Man’s Special Delivery
Book 40: Crocodile Dan D
Book 41: Mountain Man’s Secret Baby
Book 42: Doctor Bad Boy’s Secret Baby
Book 43: Cop’s Babysitter
Book 44: Nanny for the Cop Next Door
Book 45: Small Town SEAL’s Saving Grace
Book 46: Cop’s Fake Fiancée
Book 47: Billionaire’s Nanny
Book 48: Cowboy’s Babysitter
Book 49: Steamy
Book 50: Brother’s Best Friend
Book 51: Possessive Professor
Book 52: Firefighter’s Babysitter
Book 53: Soldier’s Secret Baby
Book 54: Ward’s Independence Day
Book 55: Doctor Next Door
Book 56: Possessive Policeman
Book 57: Coached by the MMA Fighter
Book 58: Boss’s Babysitter
Book 59: Virgin in New York
Book 60: Rock Star’s Baby
Book 61: Possessive Protector
Book 62: Possessive Australian
Book 63: Best Friend’s Brother
Book 64: Possessive Cowboy
Book 65: Summer Romanced
Book 66: Possessive Prince
Book 67: Lovers’s Enemy
Book 68: Cop’s Best Friend
Book 69: Possessive Firefighter
Book 70: Football Next Door
Book 71: Doctor December
Book 72: Possessive Canadian
Book 73: Blue Collar Billionaire
Book 74: Possessive K-9 Cop
Book 75: Possessive Brazilian
Book 76: Hockey Obsession
Book 77: Possessive Boston Irish American MMA Fighter
Book 78: Halloween Next Door
Book 79: Possessive Russian
Book 80: Baseball Mine
Book 81: Cop’s Caribbean Captive
Book 82: Instalove Island
Book 83: Dad’s Best Friend
Book 84: Thanksgiving with Dad’s Boss
Book 85: Possessive Italian Neighbor
Book 86: Possessive Portuguese
Book 87: Possessive Christmas Cop
Book 88: Russian’s Obsession
Book 89: Possessive Doctor’s Christmas
Book 90: Possessive Parisian Pilot
Book 91: U.K. Boxing Day
Book 92: Jealous Russian Stalker
Book 93: Italian Mountain Man
Book 94: Aggressive Russian
Book 95: Possessive Valentine
Book 96: Possessive Hunter
Book 97: Dad’s Russian Mafia Friend
Book 98: Russian Teacher
Book 99: Australian Obsession
Book 100: Russian Next Door
Book 101: Dad’s Irish Friend
Book 102: Nanny for the Russian Mafia
Book 103: Best Friend’s Dad
Book 104: Basketball Babymaker
Book 105: Possessive Veterinarian
Book 106: Brother’s Fireman Friend
Book 107: Brother’s Canadian Cowboy Friend
Book 108: Summer Vacation with Dad’s Best Friend
Book 109: Dad’s Italian Mafia Friend
Book 110: Dad’s Irish Mafia Friend
Book 111: Dad’s Football Friend
Book 112: Possessing His Dancing Queen
Book 113: Brother’s Cop Friend
Book 114: Halloween With Dad’s Best Friend
Book 115: Claimed By Her Boss
Book 116: Possessive Rider
Book 117: Dad’s Ex-Biker Buddy
Book 118: Possessive Undercover Cop
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