Page 146 of Beautiful Revenge

Cole is in the water with the kids, Dad and Archer are in deep conversation while having lunch at a nearby table, and Harlow is lounging in the sun next to Mum and Bella. I barely get close when Mum calls me out, but she does it with a loving smile the way she has my whole life. “You’re my workaholic, darling. I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away the whole holiday. Harlow was right, living where you work is not healthy.”

Harlow pulls her shades from her face and narrows her eyes. “You broke your promise and went to the office? You said you were going to the bar to order another round.”

I ignore all of them but Harlow. I can’t take my eyes off her. She’s glowing and happy. Safe and healthy. She’s exactly the way I want her. As life has slowed, it’s all I can do not to push forward and demand more. I feel the need to utterwords she might not be ready for and move onto other contracts that are more binding and permanent.

Until death do us part.

What’s in this envelope won’t change any of that, but it will change the course we’re on.

One way or the other.

Because she’s made up her mind.

“Did something happen, love?” Mum asks.

“I know that look,” Bella says. “It’s not good. What’s wrong, Dev?”

Harlow’s frown deepens the closer I get. When my ass hits her lounge next to her hip, she’s the next one to question me. “Something happened? You haven’t been this broody in weeks.”

“A delivery for you.” When I hand her the envelope, I have a moment of déjà vu. This isn’t unlike the moment she found out Jett Parker Cross is her brother. Since then, he made one trip to Winslet for a long weekend. Harlow and Jett spent three days getting to know each other. The whole time, Harlow was selling the charm of Winslet as much as she was bonding with her new sibling.

Jett didn’t make any promises, but he didn’t hate it either. His sister even made him look at a few houses while he was here.

Harlow’s hopes are high.

I don’t know where my hopes fall on the scale of life when I hand her the envelope from the same lab that delivered the news that Harlow and Jett are siblings.

Harlow glances down at the envelope on her lap. Gone is the happy, on-holiday woman who’s enjoyed every moment with my family.

And since the Donnellys are a tight bunch, they know what this is. A rare quiet rushes over the group, and the world melts away. It’s just me and Harlow.

I urge her to take the next step, because I have to know. “Open it, baby. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with what’s next. I’ll be right here next to you.”

She purses her lips as emotion takes over. This is just like when we left Iowa during our first visit. “I’m scared. This isso much more than when I found out Jett is my brother. What if it’s?—”

“Baby.” I cup her cheek and force her to look at me. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. This is what you’ve been waiting for. Open the damn thing before you drive yourself, and me, mad.”

She nods slowly as she takes the envelope, turns it over, and rips it open. The weight of the world presses down on both of us for different reasons as she unearths the results. I’m reminded of words that were thrown around when we first came together.

Life and death.

She reads what’s on the paper.

Unlike last time, she doesn’t need to read it again and again to let it sink in. Her gaze jumps to me.

And she doesn’t have to say a word. I see it in every beautiful feature I’ve spent hours memorizing since the moment I saw her before she was supposed to marry the rat bastard.

She’s happy.

I want to implode.

I drag a hand down my face and force myself to pull in a steadying breath. “Fuck.”

I don’t know why or how, but I know.

And unlike so many other times since she crossed my path, it’s her turn to comfort me.

She doesn’t care that she’s in the tiniest bikini and we’re surrounded by my family. She pushes to her knees and wraps her arms around me. “It will be fine. I promise.”