Everett Holden had sworn to live the rest of his life a single man, but his plans are disrupted when he finds himself sharing an apartment with his best friend's ex - the one woman he detests with every fiber of his being yet simultaneously desires...
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Five Years Later
The annual Holden family vacation is always hectic, but I've grown accustomed to it by now.
Every year, Cameron makes sure to rent a private jet, but we can't ever seem to show up together on time. The plane is bound to leave thirty minutes later than it's supposed to, which is only fueling the pilot's pockets further. Like Maddie, I'm a very timely person, so we're already in the cabin seated and ready for take-off.
"Sorry, Sorry!" Izzy bounds up the steps with three bags filled with more than likely clothes and shoes. She's always claimed that some of her items are too fragile to be in the luggage hold. "We're here."
"Babe, give me some bags. You shouldn't--" Mason is close on her heels with guilt flickering across his face. Odds are, the reason they're late is that they became distracted. A common occurrence between the two.
Maddie waves her hand, getting more irritated by the second. "You aren't the last ones here. We're still waiting for Connor."
Izzy quirks a brow. "Are you surprised?"
Cameron shakes his head. "Not at all."
The destination for the vacation this year is a European cruise, which was my pick. Each year, we all put our destination choice into a hat and the youngest always pick. Connor was highly aggravated it wasn't his choice, freaking Iceland. I had no desire to get frostbite and freeze my ass off for seven days, so I was thrilled mine was picked.
"Daddy, put me down!" A shrill giggle comes from the back of the plane. I turn my head to see Everett with our three-year-old daughter slung over his shoulder and one-year-old son on his hip. The smile on my husband's face is one of pure, unfiltered joy, and my heart swells to twice the size.
Things happened quickly for us, but in a way, they didn't. We've known since we were teenagers that we had a special connection, and after Izzy and Mason's wedding, Everett didn't make it six months before he proposed. We had an intimate ceremony in a chapel with just the two of us two months later, and a month after that, we got pregnant with Janie. We both wanted a big family, and, needless to say, have been successful at starting.
"There's my favorite granddaughter!" Maddie opens her arms when Everett sets Janie on her feet, and Janie runs over on her tiny legs to throw herself into Nana's embrace. She's a spitting image of Everett with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes, and I wouldn't have it any other way. However, our son, Marco, named after my father, has my same tan complexion and honey-brown eyes, taking after me.
"She's your only granddaughter," I clarify.
Izzy plops down into the aisle across from me with a tiny grin on her face. "For now."
All eyes shoot to her. Mason's eyes dance with delight as he stares at his wife, and Maddie's eyes begin to well up with tears. It's not that nobody thought she'd get pregnant, but she's a career-driven woman with a lot on her shoulders. I've worked my way up in her company and now am a co-designer on her newest collection, but I see how much she deals with on a daily basis. If I'm overwhelmed? I can't even imagine how she feels.
