His Secret Love by Ava Ryan

Epilogue

The Following September

Jake

“Quiet down, everybody,”Liam says, raising his glass of champagne. We reached cruising altitude about half an hour ago, so I can say with some confidence that this is not his first glass. “I’ve got a toast to make.”

“I apologize in advance for whatever’s about to come out of his mouth.” His fiancée, Mia, raises her own glass and shoot him a wary sidelong look from her seat next to his. “Actually, I retract that. Just because we’re getting married doesn’t mean I’m responsible for what he says or does while on vacation.”

“I think it does mean that,” Michael says with exaggerated delicacy and regret. “It is your fault for making such a tragic mistake by choosing this loser for a life partner.”

Mia grimaces.

“Oh, yeah, you’re right,” she says to a round of laughter.

“As I was saying,” Liam says loudly, nudging her in the ribs and making her yelp and laugh. “Cheers to Jake. The bastard finally let us on his precious plane.”

Everyone raises their glass. Some of the assemblage says, “Hear, hear!” Others say, “To Jake!” A round of clinking follows. I accept all the warm wishes coming my way with a nod and take a moment to appreciate this moment and to smile at my friends.

Except for my mother, and possibly Marlene, because of her role as the mother of my children, all the people I value most in the world are here on the plane with me. Not many people ever get to experience such a blessing or to fit a two-week vacation into their joint work and school schedules. Also, I’m glad I coughed up for a plane large enough to accommodate all of us on a long flight.

Anyway, here we all are.

Liam and Mia. Michael and Ally. Charlie and Becca.

And Skye, beside me. With her fancy new camera, ready for the trip, beside her.

“Have you been selfish with your jet?” she asks, grinning.

“Having a jet is like having a swimming pool.” I take care to infuse liberal doses of pomposity and arrogance into my tone because I know it’ll outrage the guys. “Suddenly, everyone’s your best friend.”

“Here we go,” Michael mutters, exchanging a scowl with Liam.

“I made a simple rule that only nice people are allowed on my plane.” I pause. “Obviously, I had to waive it for the Dipshit Duo.”

More laughter, including from the kids. The two of them are strapped onto a bench seat directly across from me and Skye, where they’ve got their stuffed wallaby and koala strapped in between them. They’ve also got fine crystal flutes like the rest of us, but they’re drinking sparkling apple cider rather than champagne. And they’ve already ordered their hot chocolate for later.

“Daddy said dipshit!” Charlie tells Becca with scandalized delight. “Now we can say it!”

“You most certainly may not,” says Grumpy Nanny, Mrs. Roy, shooting them what I think is a more repressive look than usual from her end of their bench. It’s hard to know with her since her resting facial expression is a glower. Still, she does a great job keeping the hooligans on track, for which she has my eternal gratitude.

“I don’t understand it,” Liam says. “We’re theoretically supposed to be nice to you, but you get to call us names at will?”

“Works for me,” I say, shrugging. “But if you can’t work with that simple guideline, I can ask the pilot to divert. We should be approaching somewhere over West Virginia by now. Want me to drop you off in Charleston?”

“That’s the capitol,” Becca adds. “It’s got a pretty gold dome.”

“Noted, Becks,” Liam tells her while covertly shooting me the finger. “Thanks.”

“It’s going to be a long twenty hours to Sydney,” Ally says, brows up.

“I’m fine as long as the champagne holds out,” Skye says cheerily, sipping again.

“I want to know what everyone’s looking forward to the most about the trip,” Mia says, giving me a significant look that makes my heartbeat kick into overdrive. “Charlie and Becca, why don’t you guys start?”

“The zoo!”

This synchronized shout from the kids is accompanied by the little shimmy of delight they do every time the topic comes up.

“We want to see the koalas!” Becca says.

“And the kangaroos!” Charlie adds.

“Personally, I can’t wait to see the cassowary,” Ally says.

“The whatty-who?” I ask.

“The cassowary,” Grumpy Nanny says, frowning at me. “Australia’s heaviest bird. Flightless. Strong legs. Beautiful blue neck. I’m surprised you don’t know that. You should study more for a trip like this. We’re covering a lot of ground. It pays to be informed.”

“Good suggestion,” I say, a little intimidated. “I will try to do that.”

“What about you, Skye?” Mia says quickly.

“I can’t wait to see Uluru at sunset. And to climb the Harbor Bridge,” Skye says, not bothering to hide her excitement. “Jake’s dating profile said his greatest ambition was to climb Mount Everest in his greatest fear was heights. So I can’t wait to see his climbing skills on the bridge.”

“You swiped right on that crap?” Liam asks, looking revolted.

“I did,” Skye says, laughing as she runs her hand through my hair. “Hard to believe, isn’t it?”

“When are we climbing the bridge, Skye?” Mia asks, dogged in her determination to keep things on track for me. She’s the best. Swear to God.

“Wednesday,” Skye says. “And don’t forget that we’re having dinner at a seafood restaurant on the harbor after. It’s got great reviews on all the travel sites.”

“Oh, right, your birthday dinner,” Mia says.

“Did somebody say birthday?” Becca says, right on cue.

“Because we have a special present for the birthday girl!” Charlie says.

Then the two of them giggle and high-five each other, clearly proud of a job well done.

So far.

“You guys have a gift? For me?” Skye says, looking startled and delighted.

I loudly clear my throat.

“And where is the special gift, guys?” I ask the kids.

“Whoops! It’s right here,” Becca says sheepishly as she reaches into the hidden compartment on her arm rest and produces a flat black jeweler’s box. “Here you go, Skye!”

“Open it!” Charlie shouts.

“You guys are so sneaky,” Skye says, unbuckling and heading over to accept the box before quickly returning to her seat and opening it. Everyone else watches with avid interest. “What could it be — oh, my God.”

Skye presses a hand to her heart and stares down at the large round pendant on a gold chain.

“Know what it is, Skye?” Becca asks breathlessly, her hands clasped under her chin.

“It’s a black opal from Australia!” Charlie again. “But it’s not black!”

The kids burst into another round of giggles at the absurdity.

“It’s not,” Skye says with open wonder. “It looks like the earth when you see it from space. All blue and green. It’s gorgeous. Thank you, guys!”

“It’s because we’re going to have big and little adventures!” Becca says.

“And see the world together!” Charlie says.

“You guys are the best,” Skye says, looking teary as she returns for a big group squeeze with the kids while Grumpy Nanny leans back out of the way and regards the proceedings with a disapproving sniff. “I love you.”

“Love you, Skye!” the kids say.

“Oh, my goodness,” Skye says, staring down at the pendant again as she gets resettled in her seat next to me. “I just can’t believe —”

I feel a wave of nerves as I watch her. And a bigger wave of joy.

“I have a birthday present for you, too,” I tell her, trying to focus on the task at hand and ignore the ripple of excitement that runs through our otherwise hushed audience.

Skye looks up, eyes wide.

“I kind of figured this whole amazing trip to Australia covered my birthday. And Christmas. And all the holidays for the next year at least,” she says.

“Not quite,” I say, palming the black velvet cube I just stealthily retrieved from my own arm rest and dropping to one knee in front of her.

I gotta tell you, my heart is threatening to explode out of my chest by this point.

“Oh, my God!” she says, clapping both hands to her mouth and dissolving into instant tears. “What are you doing, Jake?”

I shrug and pray my courage and voice hold out a little longer because this crowd will never let me forget it if they don’t.

“I don’t think it’s fair that the other guys get to come on the trip with their fiancées, but I don’t,” I say. “So I thought I’d rectify that situation.”

I open the box and hold it up so she can see the ring.

She gasps.

“It’s an emerald.”

“Not quite as beautiful as your eyes, but that’s impossible anyway. I did the best I could.” I take a deep breath. “Marry me.”

Her gaze flicks back to mine and I see everything I’m feeling reflected right back at me. Joy. Excitement. Gratitude.

“Yes,” she says, hastily wiping away her tears and breaking into the most glorious smile I’ve ever seen. “Yes.”

Somehow my shaky hands manage to get the ring on her shaky finger and we both surge to our feet to hug and kiss it out. A round of enthusiastic applause and cheers breaks out all around us with Michael’s voice rising above the fray.

“Thank God,” he says. “First deal Jake’s ever closed in his life.”

Everyone laughs. Even Grumpy Nanny, I notice over Skye’s shoulder, manages to crack a smile.

“Hang on,” Skye says with a sudden futile attempt at a frown as she pulls away from me and looks at everyone in turn. “I’m beginning to think I was set up! Was everyone in on this?”

“Absolutely,” I say, reeling her back in and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“I can’t believe you did this in front of this whole group,” she says. “Weren’t you nervous?”

“With this crowd? Hell, yeah, I was nervous,” I say, and everyone laughs. “But this is my family, Skye. Such as it is. Now it’s your family too. And they all wanted to be here to welcome you to it.”

At this final cue, they all surge forward to offer her hugs, kisses and congratulations.

“Welcome to the family, Skye.”

Keep reading for an excerpt from Liam & Mia’s story,

His Lost Love!