Page 40

Sunsets are beautiful. Stunning, even. I’ve seen my fair share of them over the years, but nothing compares to a sunrise on our front porch. There’s nothing but land, trees, and mountains as far as the eye can see, and the orange and pink hues painting the horizon are almost enough to steal my breath.

It’s been ten years and he finally convinced me to wake up early enough to see one. “Okay,” I relent softly, tipping my coffee mug toward him. “You win. Sunrises might be superior.”

His body is facing me more than the view, and before he even opens his mouth, I know he’s about to say something cheesy. “Still doesn’t compare to your beauty.”

“Mmhm,” I hum, reaching over to take his hand. “How long have you been holding that one in?”

“Since I first sat out here and watched the sunrise while Jude ran around being crazy,” he says, watching him climb the same tree now. It’s crazy to think he’ll be seven this year. “Our favorite little accident.”

Ahh, yes. Three months after we decided we weren’t going to have kids, I got pregnant. He’s the best whoopsie I’ve ever had in my life, but the older he gets, the more I’m reminded why we didn’t want kids. He’s the spitting image of his father with startling blue eyes and messy dark hair, but his attitude is all Mama. It’s like arguing with a miniature version of myself, only this one can already beat me at arm wrestling.

It just worked out Violet got pregnant a few weeks after.

“Think they’re almost here?” I ask.

“Probably. Jude’s been dying to hang out with Nick even though it’s only been like three days.”

And he’s been dying to hang out with Greg, but I won’t tease him about his bromance. Not yet anyway.

“They act like it’s been a lifetime. Maybe for them, it has been. I don’t really remember what time was like back then, just that it never really seemed to move fast enough.”

“And now it won’t slow down,” he finishes. “I still can’t believe it’s been ten years since that verdict, and I still dream about it like it was yesterday.”

I squeeze his hand a little tighter. “I know. But that’s why we’re celebrating today. Ten years since you got away with murder.”

I’m utterly incapable of hiding a giddy, almost insane smile, just like every other time I make a joke like that. It really isn’t as funny as I think it is, yet he chuckles alongside me and leans in to kiss my cheek. “Killed the bad guy, got the girl. Man, I made out.”

“Luckiest bastard in the world.” Suddenly, my jaw goes slack. “Wait a minute, am I still your prisoner? You never actually formally set me free.”

“And I never fucking will.” He tugs my hand closer to him and squeezes it tighter. “I know what I got, and you’re not going anywhere, Roo. I’m just as obsessed with you as I was the day I laid eyes on you — actually more, because now I can’t live a day without you, so I’ll lock your ass up if I have to. You’re my captive for life.”

My stomach still flips when he says things like that, and I don’t think it’ll ever stop.

It also means it’s time for my favorite game.

As nonchalantly as I can, I wiggle my hand free and then take off at a run, down the porch steps and into the front yard.

The grass is cool under my bare feet, the wind even colder whipping through my hair, but I’m alive. I’m free and I’m alive, running from a man who I can’t wait to catch me.

When he does, he lays me softly on the ground, and the explosion of color above his head makes him look like art.

“Whoops,” I tease. “I guess you’re still faster than me.”

“Even if I wasn’t, I’d never stop chasing you,” he admits, leaning in to kiss my nose. “I don’t know how I got so lucky, Joey. Fuck... marry me.”

“Marry you?” I snort. “We’re already married, Killer.”

“I don’t care. Do it again.” His voice is deadly serious, but the playful expression on his face is priceless. “Every day I wake up wanting to marry you again because I still choose you. I told you I’d never get sick of this and I meant it.”

It took me a while to truly believe him. Longer than I’d like to admit, actually. But he’s still as obsessed with me as he was that first week in Windwinter, and I swear it’s only gotten stronger.

I guess it’s true what they say that when it’s right, the honeymoon phase never ends.

“Fine. Donna’s a judge these days and she’ll be here for our celebratory dinner, so we’ll ask if we can renew our vows. Good enough?”

“It’ll do for now,” he jokes, leaning in for a much slower kiss, and as we hear tires crunch along the gravel of our drive I know our sweet morning is about to become chaotic.

Greg honks his horn at us as my sister yells out how gross we are, echoed by our son yelling “Eww” as he streaks across the yard to greet his cousins.

Whatever. I’ll never be upset that Killian is showing Jude how real men treat women. Not today, not ever.

It’s one of the things that makes him such a good dad.

Getting up, I high-five Avery and ruffle Noah’s hair just to hear him complain. Nick is already chasing Jude into the house.

“Come on in, guys. Mom, Dad, and Donna aren’t coming until later.”

The second all the kids are out of earshot, Greg responds. “It’s only because they hope you two get the bathroom sexy time done and over with before they arrive.”

He brings up that first rendezvous when they met Killian every single time we’re all together as a family, and the fact that Killian has cornered me in the bathroom multiple times since then leaves me with absolutely no argument.

“Bold of them to assume we’re good off one of those a day. You guys know how it is, gotta get it whenever you can when you have kids.”

“Fuck off, you guys have one. Try hiding from three,” Vi hisses, shoving my husband gently to keep walking.

“We have Skunk too. That little shit pops up every time I try to touch some ass.”

“Your cat doesn’t count.”

Greg laughs at the way Vi and Killian argue like siblings, but I guess that’s what they are. Killian blends into my family so well, it was like he was always meant to be here.

“Oh!” I pipe up, spinning to stop them just outside the front door. “I have some other good news as well that probably shouldn’t be brought up in front of the kids. Ryan’s parole was denied.”

Killian’s smile is so wide I feel my face mirroring his. “Hell yeah. Another year before I may have to murder again,” he jokes, but as he pulls me in and gives me a strong hug, I know there’s truth behind his words. He’d do anything to protect me.

And I’d do anything to make sure he doesn’t have to. “So we have more than one thing to celebrate today.”

The oven dings to let me know our breakfast casserole is done, and miraculously all four kids stop chasing each other long enough to come eat. When we’re finished, we have a crazy family dance party around the living room for a while like we usually do, then make our way onto the back porch to let the kids run around some more.

“Another thing to celebrate.” Killian takes the White Claw my sister is handing him and holds up his can. “Joey said she’d marry me.”

Greg huffs, crossing his arms and rounding on his wife. “And you said that I was stupid for suggesting it.”

“I would never call you stupid,” Violet argues. “I said it would be stupid to get married again since we already were.”

“See what you did?” I tease, nudging Killian and melting against his side. “Troublemaker.”

“Can’t help it.” He winks at me and sits back with a genuinely happy expression on his beautiful face, and as I watch Violet and Greg argue themselves into fits of laughter, I think the last dredges of fear finally leave me.

This is it. This is happiness, this is love, eternal. No one can touch us, and nothing will ever change our minds. A life I never thought I’d have is mine forever... all because I fell in love with a killer.