Page 105 of Hearts and Hidden Secrets

CARSON

I’d be lying if I told you everything was happily ever after. It wasn’t. I went to counseling and opened up about what happened. The whole almost-being-killed thing had given me some trauma.

I was dealing now.

Eventually things got better.

I could sleep. The nightmares lessened, and when they did come, Jonah was there. That helped tremendously .

There was a lot of running. I excelled at the half marathon—but nothing longer than that. No thank you. I wasn’t nuts. I was good. Good to go!

Also, Jonah and I worked hard at our relationship.

It wasn’t easy to come together, but we loved each other.

He was getting to know himself more fully, meeting a whole different part of his family. Eventually his other family met that family, and I was there.

I was at Jonah’s side the entire way, like he had been for me.

I also laid everything out for my parents and sister. I told my family about Jonah and his family’s business. That wasn’t smooth sailing. My sister was happy that I was happy, but she was understandably hesitant about the mafia world.

My parents were not happy because of the mafia world.

There was no hesitancy on their end.

If I chose Jonah, I wouldn’t be choosing them. They were clear on that, but I had already tried not being with Jonah. I knew that didn’t work.

So I chose Jonah. I choose to be happy.

My parents decided to disengage from me.

My sister was angry with them, but I understood. They were worried about her, too, that Jonah’s family would be a danger to her. I really did get it.

It hurt, but it made sense. Either way, I couldn’t go forward without Jonah. I knew by now that wherever I went in the future, he’d be there. That was the best option for me.

I loved him.

I couldn’t stop, no matter the hardships.

We got married in the woods, with a woodland-fairytale theme.

I. Loved. It.

We had butterflies in the trees. Fireflies at night. I used moss for decoration. The trees had tiny, tiny doors on them to make it look like gnomes lived there. It was everything and more—my dream wedding.

I wore a wildflower crown on my head.

My bridesmaids were my sister, Brooke, and Angel.

Jonah had Tanner, Kai, and Ezekiel as his groomsmen.

The flower girls were all of Jonah’s nieces, because he had a lot by now.

Riley, Kai’s wife, was in the front bench.

She was amazing. There were a whole bunch of people next to her, but I didn’t know who they were.

Jonah told me they were hush-hush because of what they did.

I didn’t know what that meant, given that the Bennett family was also hush-hush, but by this point, I just went with it.

His father walked both of us down the aisle, and Jonah’s stepmom cried the whole time.

Tanner made an awkward speech, which I was expecting.

He talked about a lock room, about kidnapping people.

One of Jonah’s uncles on his dad’s side, who Jonah didn’t know that well, made the second speech.

It was way better than Tanner’s, but I’d never admit that to Tanner—who was, by the way, an awkward friend to me.

Yeah. I had no idea how that happened either.

Jonah was still a surgeon, and I had gone back to being a forensic technician. Though I knew I probably wouldn’t be content with that. I’d been considering going to school for the whole shebang next fall: a forensic scientist.

Oh yeah. I’d be calling the shots. I knew I could do it.

But I hadn’t done it yet. Because that took balls. All my balls had been taken up by marrying Jonah. Bad metaphor, but I loved him. I was almost obsessed with him. I worshipped him.

Just kidding.

I’m making it weird. It’s not actually like that.

I love my guy. He loves me.

We’ll figure it out, and we have time.

All I know is I’m hella fucking happy, and so is he.

Much later…

“Babe!”

From upstairs I heard Jonah’s yell, and then the doorbell rang right after. That likely meant Angel was here.

I finished wrapping our precious little Gabriella Brooke in a blanket.

When she was snug as a bug—and yes, I chanted this in my head as I did it—I lifted her to my shoulder.

She was tired, already nuzzling into me.

I could’ve laid her back down in the crib, turned on the sound machine and the monitor, and she’d go right to sleep.

She was perfect like that. I assumed those were Jonah’s genes, because no way did she get that from me.

But I didn’t. I couldn’t resist. I took her with me.

Because Jonah’s surgery had gone late, I’d thought we might not do our date, but he was firm. When he’d arrived, I was in sweats, with a pizza on the way and my show picked out on Netflix.

He’d taken one look at me and said, “ Nope .”

I should have expected it. He’d promised a date, and he wanted them more than I did. He’d read a manual during our premarital counseling that said always keep it fresh, always keep it new, always keep it fun.

Regular dates were his solution.

Planning for regular sex wasn’t needed. We were just fiiiine in that department. I was a little sore from the position he’d put me in last night. Jonah got fucking experimental at times, emphasis on the fucking part.

Moving down the stairs, cradling Gabby in my arms, I could hear Jonah and his sister talking.

Angel had moved to Minnesota. She got a job here, but I suspected she’d come at least partially because this was where her big brother was. Lord knows, I didn’t blame her. She idolized Jonah, and a weird sort of relationship had developed between her and Tanner.

I guess that was Tanner. I had a weird friendship with him too.

We’d grown to the point that I was his sister, but when the two parts of Jonah’s family started to merge more, Tanner and Angel had become each other’s shadows.

I thought it was sweet, in a fierce sort of way—the fierceness coming from Tanner.

I knew Jonah’s dad had his concerns, but Angel didn’t listen.

Well, she did, and then did what she wanted anyway.

She and Jonah were similar in that way.

They also both adored Gabby.

And as soon as I came into the living room, Angel headed for us, her hands out.

She gave me a brief smile in greeting but zoomed in on Gabby and soon had her cradled in her arms. She stepped back, giving me a softer smile before cooing at her little goddaughter who was just as obsessed with her aunt.

“Heya, Carson,” she said once the baby was situated.

“Hi, Angel.” I moved in to kiss her cheek.

Another soft smile was my reward. Jonah’s younger sister was a little shy at times too, at least with me.

“Babe!”

Jonah stood at the door, waving his phone around. “I gave her the update. It’s all good. We gotta go or we’re going to be late.”

I frowned. “Late for what? You made reservations or something?”

He flashed me a grin. “Or something.”

I sighed. That grin was the perfect mix of cocky and happy. My man was happy. And my heart did a little pitter patter in my chest because that made me happy too.

I know the saying is that you get a honeymoon phase—two years. Not me. Not us. I was in love with my man as much as the first day I met him, and it only grew deeper as the days went by.

Jonah was out the door now, moving toward where he’d parked in the driveway.

Angel gave me a gentle nudge. “Go on. He’s excited.”

I eyed her, smiling. “You know what it is, don’t you?”

Her eyes twinkled. “I know enough to know my brother cannot wait for this date tonight. Go. Have fun. I got this.”

I took a moment to really look at Angel.

She’d grown up since I first met her, and she was a stunningly beautiful woman.

All of Jonah’s family members on her side were great—his father, his stepmother, who would be so pissed I was adding the step - part.

As far as she was concerned, she was Jonah’s mother, and in a way, she’d adopted Tanner and Brooke as well.

Not Kai, but the rest most certainly. Jonah was lucky to have all facets of his family, but there was something special about Angel.

My throat filled with emotion suddenly. “I know Jonah loves you, and Tanner does, but so do I.” I wanted her to know that. It was important to me, and when I felt it extra, I shared it extra. Angel knew this already, and she moved in, giving me a hug.

I looked down. Gabby was watching us, a smile pushing up those cheeks of hers.

I was pretty sure she was filling her diaper.

“I love you, too,” Angel said. “Now…” She turned, her hip checking mine. “Get going. My brother’s going to lay on the horn in a second, and none of us wants that.”

Oh God . He would. “I have to go.”

Angel laughed as I hurried outside, grabbing my purse and phone on the way.

Jonah was antsy, his fingers drumming a beat on the steering wheel when I got in. “You good?” he asked with a nod.

I frowned as I shut the door and grabbed for my seatbelt. “I was good with Netflix and chilling tonight. Think I should be asking you that question.”

He froze, and then consciously relaxed himself. His head gave a little shake, and his shoulders loosened up. He dropped his hand from the top of the steering wheel and gave me a soft smile, similar to the one I’d gotten from his sister inside. “Hi.”

Gah . The melting. It was happening again.

I smiled back. “Hi.”

“I love you.” His eyes were shining with extra emotion.

I leaned over, cupping the side of his face. “I love you, too.” My thumb ran over his cheek. “You okay, though? For real?”

He nodded. “I am. Promise.”

“Good.”

As I let my hand fall, he leaned over, his lips finding mine. It was a soft graze at first, then a second, but my belly lit up by the third. That one was hot.

He cradled the side of my face as his mouth commanded entry.

I was happy to give it. I’d give him anything in that moment.

A second child? Here you go. I birthed it just now.

His hand slid to the back of my neck, and he angled his head for better access.

God, yes.

God, please.

Just, God . All day, God.

I could’ve kissed him for the rest of the night.

Jonah pulled back a few minutes later.

However, goals . I knew what I was aiming for after this date—that and more, but definitely kissing. So much kissing.

I liked all the kissing.

Jonah pulled out of the drive and drove to the local botanical garden, which was empty when we arrived. As we got out, there were no other vehicles in the lot. I was choosing to ignore the one that followed us with Jonah’s security guards.

But I wasn’t ignoring how Jonah held my hand, taking me down the sidewalk, lights above us and on the path lighting the way, to a table by the water fountain.

I realized he’d rented the whole place. This was all for us.

I was stunned, and melting, and my stomach was doing this flutter-flip thing.

“Jonah,” I whispered.

He squeezed my hand, because he was still holding my hand.

Seriously loved my husband.

We had our own chef, and no other staff. He dished up the plates for us and left us alone.

The stars above. The lights. The sound of the running water.

It was one of the most romantic dates I could’ve imagined, and it was just Jonah.

He did this for me.

I could say that I’d remember this night for the rest of my life, but that wasn’t true. I’d remember what he did.

The food was delicious.

The garden was a sanctuary.

But I wouldn’t remember those details.

I’d remember the look in his eyes when he’d pulled into the parking lot, how ecstatic he was to see my reaction.

I’d remember the way he held my hand the entire night.

I would remember how he looked up at the stars, his thumb rubbing over the inside of my hand.

I would remember falling even more in love with him that night.

I sat across from him, listening to him tell me a story about one of the hospital volunteers, and I soaked everything up.

I would never stop soaking in this man—these moments, every laugh, every look, every caress, every story. They were locked in my head, in a vault, and I’d never give anyone the code. They were mine.

Except, well, one day Gabby could learn all about how her mommy and daddy met, then fell in love.

But until then… I leaned over, stopping Jonah mid-story, and kissed him.

I would remember kissing him, too.

I would never stop kissing him.

JONAH

“I love you.” Carson sighed softly as I slid inside of her that night.

I was declaring this date a success. She never stopped smiling all evening.

I bent down, grazing a soft kiss over her shoulder, and decided I’d tell her in the morning that I wanted to start trying for a second baby.

THE END