Page 35 of The Last Thing (Baker Girls #4)

CHAPTER THIRTY

HALLIE

I’m happy.

Wholly and completely happy. Joyful.

Wilson loves to say I bring out his playfulness and joy. Well, he helped me find a piece of myself I didn’t know I’d been missing.

I always had fun. I always enjoyed life. But I wasn’t living fully because I was always hiding my heart. He’s shown me what it is to love in a way I was terrified to. Which seems ridiculous now because that love is healing.

A few months ago, I never would’ve predicted that I’d be in love and building my own little family, but I’m grateful I didn’t see it coming.

When it rains, it pours .

That downpour was necessary to help my life grow and blossom.

Ugh . I officially sound like a sappy card or a self-help book. I guess happiness will do that.

I’m still the same mouthy, sarcastic girl. Now I get to be her with the man I love.

Nothing is better than being the fullest version of myself.

Although this moment is pretty special.

Even though it’s November, the gardens at the inn Devon’s family owns are beautiful. There are late autumn wildflowers everywhere, and there are still colorful leaves clinging to the trees.

I’m standing beside Frannie at the altar, watching as Kennedy stands at the other end of the aisle with her dad.

I glance over at Devon, who is pinching the bridge of his nose, trying not to cry.

Kennedy looks stunning in an ethereal white and cream dress with her hair swept back in a low bun. Even from here, I can see her eyes sparkle with tears.

I’ll never forget the first time she mentioned Devon to us. I was still little and didn’t fully understand the idea of crushes, but I was getting there. Frannie, however, asked Kennedy if she loved Devon and was going to marry him one day.

Kennedy turned red and refused to say anything else, but even then, it was clear. There was something special between them.

My eyes drift to Wilson, who is wearing a brown suit—no tie. I remember how much he hated the tie the night we met. He winks at me, and my heart fills with the same giddiness of that night back in August.

I took him to that carnival to loosen him up and help him relax, but I took him there for me too. Because carnivals are always magic, and whether I wanted to admit it or not, I felt a spark of that same sort of magic with him.

As Kennedy walks down the aisle, I imagine myself doing the same thing one day, and for the first time in a long time, that thought doesn’t scare me. It sends a tingle of excitement up my spine.

“What’s going on?” Frannie asks, voice urgent as she walks through the bathroom door in the inn.

I’m standing next to Kennedy, waiting to find out why we’re in here.

“Nothing bad. I just needed a minute with my sisters. That’s what you two will always be for me.”

“Aw, Kend,” Frannie says.

We end up in a group hug before Kennedy steps back and waves her hands. “I don’t want to get too emotional right now. I know I’m going to be a mess saying goodbye to you tomorrow, but I couldn’t let you leave without telling you this in person…”

“What?” I ask, thoroughly confused at this point.

She rests her hand on my stomach and smiles. “This little one is going to have a cousin.”

My eyes fly wide. “You’re pregnant?”

“Oh my god!” Frannie squeaks. “When did you find out?”

“Just a few days ago, so it’s super early, but I had to tell you.”

We both throw our arms around her.

“I’m so excited we get to be moms together. Even if it’ll be from across the country.”

Kennedy laughs. “Think of all the late-night text conversations we can have.”

“Jeez, I guess I need to catch up with you two,” Frannie says.

“No. I’m sure Wilson and I will have a few more.” Then I slap my hand over my mouth. I can’t believe I said that. We haven’t talked about that. Not really.

“Look at you planning for the future,” Kennedy teases.

I shrug. “He’s worth it.”

“It’s pretty awesome when you find that,” Frannie says.

“Yeah. It is. Even better when you actually admit to it,” I say.

We all laugh at that, then share one more group hug before heading back to the reception. We stand on the edge of the dance floor for a few minutes and watch.

“Only two more people in our friend group for the love bug to bite,” Frannie says, eyes tracking Hardy and Brian at the bar.

“Think it’ll get them?” Kennedy asks.

“I think it already has. They just have to see it.”

I’ve always believed in love. I was always happy to see the people I love find it. After experiencing it like this, I want it for everyone in my life. But I especially want it for Brian and Hardy. They deserve to find that love… in each other. I hope they open their eyes and see it.

“I love this,” I whisper, swaying in Wilson’s arms to a version of Make You Feel My Love .

“This song?”

“Dancing with you.”

“I like dancing with you too, Hellion. And this song makes me think of you.”

“It does?”

“Mhm. These last couple of months, all I wanted was for you to know how I felt about you. To trust those feelings.”

“It would’ve been impossible not to.”

He pulls me tight to him, singing the words in my ear and making me fall even more in love with him.

The song ends with a jarring transition to a pop song.

“God,” Wilson laughs.

“Aw, look.” I point toward where Sophia is with a couple of other girls. She’s teaching them some of the dance routine she’s learned in class. “I love seeing her make friends so easily now.”

“It’s because of you.” He stands behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting them on my stomach. “She sees you being brave and bold, and she wants to be that way too. You’ve brought so much to our lives.”

I spin around and look up at him. “Funny, I was going to say the same thing about the two of you.”

“Wow, we’re really kind of gross and cheesy now, aren’t we?”

“Honestly, I’ll take that over drama any day of the week. You just have to promise me you’ll never stop having adventures with me.”

“Not for a second, Hellion. Think of all the Ferris wheels I haven’t made you come on yet.”

We both laugh, then I look around and sigh happily.

“I’m so glad I could be here for this, but I’m excited to go home.”

His eyes dance. “Me too.”

By some miracle, Sophia is asleep in the backseat of the car as we drive home from the airport.

She was up bright and early for our flight this morning and was wide awake for the whole plane ride. I passed out on Wilson’s shoulder because I might’ve stayed up a bit too late with Frannie and Kennedy, but I regret nothing. Right now, though, I’m excited to get home, unpack and settle into life.

I spent so much time resisting and holding back from Wilson. I want to jump in now and really build a life with him. Become the family we’re meant to be.

Beside me, Wilson drums his thumb on the steering wheel, which wouldn’t be weird, except there’s no music playing. I’m convinced Sophia could sleep through anything, but I wasn’t going to risk playing music once she fell asleep.

“Are you okay?”

Wilson quickly glances at me before looking back at the road. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah, that’s not convincing. What’s wrong?”

He swallows hard. “Nothing. Everything’s fine.” But he lets out a weird high-pitched laugh.

My stomach knots with worry. He’s acting weird.

Out of nowhere, he brakes, flicks on his turn signal and pulls into the driveway of a house a block and a half from home.

He shuts off the car, panting a little.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you having a heart attack? Should I call 911?”

He huffs out a laugh, then turns to me and cups my cheek. “I’m okay, Hellion. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. You’re stuck with me.” He looks at the house behind me. “Depending on how you feel about what I have to show you, you might be really stuck with me.”

The concern in my gut fades, curiosity taking over. Then I remember he was planning some surprise.

Slowly, I turn to look at the house, and I realize it’s the same one I thought was cute on Halloween. I remember the mischief that danced through his eyes when I said that.

Throwing my door open, I climb out of the car, eyes still glued to the house. “What did you do?”

He laughs as he walks around the car to me. “Let’s wake up our girl so I can show you both at the same time.”

My heart stutters at his words. Our girl . That’s what I want her to be one day. If she’s okay with it.

Wilson opens her door and leans in. “Soph, baby, wake up.”

“Hm?” She blinks a couple of times and looks around. “Where are we?”

“Hop out, and I’ll tell you.”

She blinks a few more times, then yawns before climbing out of the car. She looks around as we walk down the driveway toward the front porch. Finally realizing where we are, she squints as she looks up at Wilson.

“Wait, why are we here?”

“Trust me.”

He leads us to the front porch, then pulls out his key ring, where his half of the heart still sits, and unlocks the front door. Swinging it open, he steps aside to let us in. “Welcome home.”

I stop short as I take in the adorable living room in front of me, filled with a mix of mine and Wilson’s furniture. His rug, my couch, his oversized chair.

On the walls are some of his photos, some of mine, and photos of the three of us, including a framed one of our most recent ultrasound.

Then my eyes drift to the open kitchen and backyard beyond.

“This is our house?” Sophia asks, eyes comically big. “Oh my gosh!” She goes tearing through the living room and into the kitchen and dining area that opens up to it in the back of the house, then disappears around a corner.

I look back at Wilson, utterly shocked.

“Did you buy this?”

“No. Well, not yet. I got lucky and my bosses, Leo and Noah, flipped this house. I’m renting it on a trial basis. If we like it, we can buy it.”

“We?”

“If you’ll move in. I want us all under the same roof. We’re a family. We should be together.”

Sophia skitters around the staircase that sits in the center of the house and runs over to us. “Can I see my room?”

Wilson smiles. “Sure. There’s something Hallie needs to see up there too.”

Sophia dashes for the stairs.

“First door on the left,” he calls, leading me up the stairs behind her.

She lets out a squeak of delight, and I peek into her room, decorated similarly to her old one.

“Come here.” Wilson pulls me to the next room and swings the door open.

I walk in and see a beautiful wooden dresser and a matching crib. Sitting in the crib is Veranda, the big gray bunny he won me at the carnival.

He didn’t just rent this house. He made us a home, complete with a nursery for our baby. My hand drops to my stomach as I take it all in.

“I figured it was only right that the baby gets the bunny.”

I let out a laugh of disbelief. “It’s the perfect first decoration.”

“I was going to hang the heart necklace in here too, but I couldn’t find your half.”

Smiling, I tug on the chain tucked under my shirt and pull out the half heart. “I put it on a new chain so my skin wouldn’t turn green.”

“When did you start wearing it?”

“After you said you loved me. I couldn’t say it, but every time I thought it, I touched the word on the necklace.”

He steps up to me, wrapping his arm around me. “I love you.”

I brush my fingers over the word and smile up at him. “I love you too.” Taking a step back, I look around. “And I love this. Where did you get the furniture?”

“I made it. It was Sophia’s when she was little.

I’ve kept it at my mom’s ever since, hoping…

” He takes my hand and twines our fingers.

“I was hoping for this. Not always actively. Sometimes it seemed too farfetched to ever be a reality. But this is what I wanted. A home. A partner. A house filled with kids.”

I turn toward him and wrap my arms around him. “Filled with kids, huh? You already planning for our next one?”

“Mm, sometimes I imagine doing this on purpose. Saying filthy things to you while I fuck you full of my cum and get you pregnant again.”

My cheeks flush. “You can’t say that in the nursery.”

He chuckles. “The walls don’t have ears.”

“I want more kids too,” I whisper.

“Good thing there’s one more free bedroom up here. And there’s a beautiful attic, that with dormers and some work could be turned into a master suite.”

“You’ve got it all planned out.”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“If you’re moving in too.”

Oh, right. I didn’t answer him.

“Hm. I might need to see the backyard before I’m convinced.”

He laughs. “Of course. That’s the real selling point. Not your sexy man, a cute backyard.”

“Oh, can we go outside?” Sophia calls from the hallway.

“Go on,” Wilson says.

He holds my hand tightly as we walk back downstairs and out to the backyard.

It’s a decently long lot for downtown and wider than most of the ones around us.

“It’s one of the biggest yards on the block,” Wilson says.

Sophia runs along the edge of the fence, and I take it all in, imagining nights spent grilling and eating on the patio. Summer days of Sophia playing out here while I tend to the garden. Our baby sitting on a blanket in the shade of the large oak tree.

“When did you do this?”

Wilson wraps his arm around me, also taking in the view.

“I moved everything in on Wednesday.” Emotion fills his voice. “But if you’re asking when I decided… it was after the weekend visiting your parents. You lit up when we walked into the backyard. You deserve to have a yard of your own. A place that brings you joy.”

“You did all this for me?”

“I did it for us. I want this to be where we start our family.”

“I want that too.”

“You’re going to live here with us?” Sophia yells, dashing across the yard and throwing an arm around each of us.

“Yeah. I am. Is that okay with you?”

“It’s perfect!”

“I agree,” Wilson whispers. Then he gives me a soft kiss, filled with longing.

“Oh my gosh,” I laugh, leaning back a little.

“What?” Wilson asks.

“The baby must know all the important people are right here. Just kicking away in there.”

“I think she knows she’s home,” Sophia whispers.

Home.

When I left the city, I was lonely and running away, trying to find my happiness.

I ended up with everything I needed and didn’t know I wanted.

Maybe it was the twists and turns of life.

Maybe it was fate. All I know is I’m right where I’m supposed to be, and for the first time in my life, I’m settled, and my heart feels right at home.