Page 47 of When the Last One Falls

“Is that so?”

Faron turned around, and I peeked my head around him to see Brantley standing in the doorway of my office. True to Faron fashion, he said, “What’s not to love?”

Brantley chuckled as he walked further inside. “You got me there,” he drawled out.

“Hey, someone has to keep this monster fed,” Faron huffed. “She’s a danger to herself and others when she’s hungry.”

I stood up as Brantley kept walking towards my desk. “Oh, don’t I know it,” Brantley agreed.

Faron grinned. “I’ll just leave you two to do whatever it is that couples in love do. Just keep the moans down, would you? I still have to pretend that I’m running a legitimate business.” Before I could tell him that he didn’t have to leave, Faron was gone.

I chuckled as I walked around my desk to meet my husband halfway. “Hey, stranger,” I greeted as I stretched up to kiss him softly.

Like usual, his hand automatically went to my protruding stomach. “How are my babies?”

“We’re fine,” I assured him. “Just hungry.”

A lot changed after Brantley had laid down the law with his family and I’d done the same. Darius had retired like promised, and Brantley was now in charge of everything Kingston. Beau had completed rehab and still went to counseling voluntarily. While he and Brantley still weren’t close, Beau was a lot more tolerable than he had been. He had also apologized to me, though he’d had to do it through Brantley. While Beau didn’t bother me anymore, Brantley still wasn’t taking any chances.

As for my parents, after being told that my husband was never going to bail them out again, and after Darius being officially pushed out of Kingston Industries, they had finally gotten their heads out of their asses and lived according to what they could afford. Of course, that didn’t extend to Lindsay as Brantley paid for all her medical and living expenses.

To say that life had worked out for me and Brantley would sound like I was taking my life for granted, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I was very aware of how blessed we were, and a year later, I still didn’t take a single day for granted.

Stepping back, I looked up at my husband. “Ares Cormac just made a purchase,” I told him, eyeing him.

Brantley just sighed. “I really am going to have to kill that man one day.” Though Ares made it a point to stay away from me, he still managed to find ways to needle Brantley.

I wrapped my arms around his waist. “No, you’re not,” I said. “The same reason that he keeps you around is the same reason that you keep him around. You guys wouldn’t be the best without one of you always pushing the other.”

“That sounds a lot like our marriage,” he said sardonically.

I grinned. “I guess it does.”

Brantley kissed the top of my head. “I came to take you to lunch, but since Faron already took care of that, how about we see how sturdy your desk is?”

I choked out a laugh. “Faron was just kidding about that.”

“What’s he going to do? Fire you?” Brantley asked as his hand palmed my breast. “If he does, I’ll just buy the gallery and give it to you.”

Yeah, I was definitely blessed more than I was probably ever going to deserve.

The End.