“What are you hoping for? Two boys? Two girls? One of each again?”
“Healthy. That’s my only requirement. How’d it go this morning?”
“I told them thanks, but no thanks.”
Since Roger Ashland was behind bars, the hierarchy in the FBI was changing. The assistant director had been promoted to interim director, which left his position available. Everyone knew Waverly would be a top candidate for the job, so it came as no surprise when she received a request for a meeting. Selfishly I’d hoped she’d turn it down.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“My life is here, Duncan. My family is here.”
“Thank fuck.”
“Tell me how you really feel.” She smiled, bumping my shoulder with hers. “I have other news for you.”
“What is it?”
“Maeve’s lawyer called the district attorney yesterday. She wants to discuss a plea deal.”
“I was hoping that would be their play when she was deemed mentally fit to stand trial. The sooner this is over, the better. Sloane needs closure.”
“Agreed. One more thing to brighten your day.” Shelooked around before she leaned in. “Erik Murray was arrested this morning in Dublin by the Irish police.”
We’d come full circle.
“Daddy. Aunt Way!” Reagan hollered, slip-sliding across the floor in her stocking feet with Ralph lumbering beside her. “Mommy said it’s time.”
Sloane
Dang hormones.
It was taking everything I had not to cry. When I was pregnant with Rogan and Reagan, we didn’t have a gender reveal party. Who would I have been revealing it to? Finn was with me when I found out, and other than my mom and dad, there was no one else. Our lives couldn’t be more different this time around. Finn had Waverly and we had Duncan. Even more, our house was filled to the brim with people who loved us. By blood or by choice, they were our family. Circumstances may have brought us all together, but the bond we shared was unbreakable.
“You okay, Sunshine?” Duncan wrapped his arms around me from behind, placing his hands on either side of my ever-expanding belly.
“I’m perfect.”
“Yes, you are.” He kissed the juncture where my neck met my shoulder. “Are you ready?”
“In a minute. I have something for you first. Come with me.”
We slipped away from the crowd, going into the office he’d set up for the days when I worked from home. Sitting on my desk was a manila folder with his name written across the front. I picked it up and handed it to him.
“What’s this?”
“Something that’s long overdue.”
His pale blue eyes held mine as he undid the metal clasp and pulled out a stack of papers. I’d asked Finn’s lawyers to draw everything up for me weeks ago, then I filed them with the court. I received the official documents in the mail two days ago, I was just waiting for the right time to give them to him. It didn’t get any more perfect than minutes before we found out the sex of our babies. When I heard Duncan’s sharp inhale, I knew he saw what he was holding.
“Like I said, it was long overdue.”
“Sunshine.” His voice broke, reflecting the emotion I saw written on his beautiful face.
“We’re all Palmers now.”
Rogan James Palmer and Reagan Leigh Palmer.
“I don’t know what to say.”