Bound By Her Shocking Secret by Abby Green

EPILOGUE

Costa Rica

MIAWALKEDDOWNthrough the trees to the beach and sat down on the seat that Daniel had had made, set in the shade. She sat there and adjusted the baby, so that she could feed him under the strategically placed muslin cloth. Not that there was anyone to see her breastfeed. It was off-season, and the beach was practically empty.

They’d exchanged their vows again here, about three years ago, in a beautiful dawn ceremony, with Lexi bearing the ring that Mia now wore on her right hand. A simple band of gold on one side, and inlaid with diamonds on the other. An eternity ring.

She was slowly but surely accruing more jewellery—which was only befitting the wife of one of the world’s most renowned jewellers.

She smiled as she took in the scene before her. Daniel was standing in the sea, with five-year-old Lexi in his arms. She was squealing with delight every time he dunked her under the water and lifted her up again.

‘Again, Papa, again!’

He obliged. Indefatigable when it came to his beloved daughter, catering to her every whim without ever spoiling her. They were as thick as thieves, and it gave Mia such bittersweet joy to see their bond, because now she had an even truer sense of what she’d missed out on.

And now their little family was growing, with Dominic—Dom for short. They’d waited a while to have another baby, giving Lexi time to get used to Daniel, and time for them all to get used to being in a family. A real family.

The baby suckled contentedly at Mia’s breast. The birth had been incredibly emotional, because seeing Daniel’s joy had compounded her guilt that he’d missed Lexi’s birth. But that night after the birth, as he’d held Dom and sat by Mia’s bed, Daniel had taken her hand and kissed it, and then he had shaken his head, intuiting her distress.

‘Stop it, mon amour. I’m as responsible as you for what happened and how it happened. More so. We have so much to be grateful for. I love you, and you’ve made me the happiest man in the world. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you and our children. No going back—only forward. I love you.’

Mia had cried, exhausted and emotional and full of love, and Daniel had kissed her tears away, healing the past, anointing the future.

As if sensing her presence, Daniel looked over and saw her. He pointed over to them and Lexi squealed.

‘Mama and Dommy!’

Daniel strode out of the water, Lexi held high in his arms, her dark hair slicked back with water, exposing her pretty face.

In the past few years Daniel had not only overcome his demons about his sister’s death and his fear of the water, he had gone a step further by learning how to scuba dive. Now he was never out of the water, and it made Mia stupidly emotional every time she saw it or swam with him. Although admittedly, if they were in the water together, inevitably not much swimming happened...

‘Thinking lusty thoughts again?’ he asked when they came close, with a familiar gleam in his eye.

‘What’s lusty, Papa?’ Lexi piped up as she scrambled down from Daniel’s arms to go and sit beside Mia and check up on her beloved baby brother.

Mia’s cheeks burned betrayingly and she scowled at Daniel, who of course knew exactly what she was thinking. He sat down on the bench beside her, moving Lexi to his lap.

Lexi asked, ‘Can I hold Dommy, Mama?’

Dom was already pulling away from her breast, hearing his sister’s voice. Mia gave up for now. Plenty of time to feed later. She adjusted her clothes, winded Dom briefly, and then handed him carefully to Lexi, who took him into her arms with a deeply furrowed brow, handling him as if he was a fragile piece of glass.

‘That’s it, cherie, very good,’ Daniel said encouragingly, careful to support Lexi in holding the baby without making it too obvious.

At that moment an older couple who had been walking down the beach passed by, hand in hand. They looked at Daniel and Mia and their family and smiled indulgently, saying, ‘Pura vida.’ The Costa Rican saying that encapsulated everything from Hello! To Life is good! To its most simple translation Pure life! or Simple life!

Good life.

Mia smiled and looked at Daniel. Understanding passed between them.

What they had was so much more than a pure or simple life. They had the perfect life. And a family full of love. And a deep and intense understanding that love was always deserved. For ever.

And, yes, they’d sold the dark and scary chateau and bought a pink one...covered in ivy and filled it full of happiness and love.