“That was a long, long road, you know,” I said. “And it’s only been, what, a month?”
“I love you,” he said.
And my jaw fell open. I blinked, stared at him, words jumbled in my throat like a choke, and I stood there for a moment, unable to think, completely shocked into nothingness—until I kissed him again, throwing myself into his arms.
“I love you too,” I said, grinning stupidly, and he laughed, hugging me close to his chest. I stayed there and thought about the world outside this room, and none of it mattered anymore—not the bar, not Rees’s enemies, not the company, nothing.
I’d take that test and I knew I’d pass it. And soon I’d have enough money to take care of Grandmom for as long as she lives, with so much more to spare.
And most important, I’d have my Rees, my man, the first person to give me a sense of myself, to make me feel confident instead of worn down, to make me glow.
He was my fire and my beacon.
24
Millie
Two Years Later
Grandmom looked at me over a newspaper and beamed. “You know how many men wake up early and cook breakfast for their wife?” she asked.
“I’m going to guess none,” I said.
“None,” Grandmom agrees, and tapped her finger on the table. “Rees is a keeper. I’ve been saying it since you brought him home.”
“I know,” I said, grinning at her.
“And I’ve known a lot of men in my day. He’s a keeper, all right. Mark my word.” She nodded and shook the paper, still smiling.
I leaned back in the small breakfast nook and glanced across the kitchen toward where Rees cleaned up from cooking. We did this most mornings, like clockwork: Grandmom was up by six, and we went over to her in-law suite, which was really most of the townhouse next door. Rees cooked her breakfast, and I did the crossword, while she read the news. And every morning, she’d gush about how good Rees was to her.
And I never got tired of it.
Rees came over and kissed my cheek. “You ladies done?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Grandmom said. “You’re a good boy, you know that?”
“I try,” Rees said, and cleared our plates. I got up and followed him to the sink where he rinsed them off and put them into the dishwasher.
“I appreciate you doing this, you know,” I said, leaning against the island. I spoke quietly, so Grandmom couldn’t hear—although I probably could’ve yelled. She only seemed to have ears for Rees these days.
“And I appreciate you,” he said. “Your grandmom’s had a tough go of it. If I can make her last years comfortable and pampered, then I’m going to.”
I kissed him, holding there for a little longer than I should’ve, but I couldn’t help myself. Two years together, and the fire hadn’t dimmed, not even a little bit.
After his SPAC went public, the price skyrocketed. It was the most successful launch in years, though not the best ever, but in the top ten. Alec ended up picking a biotech company that was working on special tools to help fix aneurysms, and it ended up going wild when they came out with a product that was cheap and twice as effective as anything else. Rees liked to brag that he got filthy rich—even though he already was—and saved lived in the process.
I passed my bar three months after the press conference, and went to work for a big firm. I lasted another three months there, before quitting, and opened up a private practice.
I couldn’t hack the crazy hours that a massive firm demanded, and frankly, I didn’t need the money—not when Rees proposed.
The day after he met my grandmother for the first time, he got down on one knee, and I cried like a stupid baby.
“What’s your plan for today?” he asked.
“I have client meetings,” I said, and rubbed his arm as he cleaned a glass. “What about you?”
“I was thinking I’d take Dottie to the movies,” he said, and looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Dottie, you want to see a movie?”
“If it’s a date, I’m amenable,” she said, nodding to herself.
He grinned at me. “She might steal me away.”
“Stop,” I said, and kissed his neck. I hesitated, lingering there for a second. “I need to tell you something.”
“What’s up?” he asked, washing a bowl. “Don’t tell me you’re going to miss dinner. You went private so you wouldn’t have these intense hours. You know I’m greedy and want you all to myself.”
“No, Rees, it’s not that.” I sucked in a breath, steadying myself.
I found out that morning. I’d suspected for a few days, and didn’t confirm until I had a chance to take a test. I felt lightheaded, like the world was floating around me, and I didn’t know why I waited so long to tell him. I should’ve woken up him, but instead I let it sit inside me—maybe I wanted to live with it for a little while first.
He stopped washing and frowned a little. “What’s up, Mills? You’re freaking me out.”
“I’m pregnant,” I said.
He dropped the bowl. It clattered into the sink. Grandmom jumped a little and squinted at us, then want back to her paper, shaking her head.
He didn’t move. I felt my throat tighten. We hadn’t talked about kids—I sort of assumed we would, at some point. But we weren’t exactly careful with birth control, and had sex a lot, like, a lot a lot, and it finally just—it finally happened. Unexpected, unplanned, and I was so afraid of how he’d react.
“You’re serious?” he asked.
I nodded. “I’m serious. I wouldn’t joke about that.”
He scooped me up into his arms and laughed. Pure joy poured out of him as he threw his head back and hollered. Grandmom flinched again and grumbled to herself, and he hugged me tight, swinging me around. “Can I tell the world?” he asked.
“No yet,” I said, hitting his chest, and
