It was a new dawn, a new era to their lives. Leaning over the railing, Taylor smiled as the warm summer breeze lifted her hair and made the leaves rustle on the trees. Bright splashes of color lined the flowerbeds, adding festivity and cheer. She breathed deep pulling the smell of charring meat into her lungs and the crisp scent of mountain pine. A delighted squeal drew her attention and she glanced down just in time to see Sebastian tossing their son into the air.

 

Xander was nine months old now and a spitting image of his father, right down the cutest set of dimples she had ever seen. His rich golden curls shimmered in the late summer sun, and his big green eyes sparkled as he laughed and squealed in Sebastian’s grasp.

 

Sensing her attention, he turned and pointed up at the deck while murmuring something in their son’s ear. A few seconds later, they both smiled up at her and waved, the sight of them making her heart melt.

 

A shill screech drew her attention away and she laughed watching Mia dart across the yard, her long blonde curls and frilly blue dress bouncing behind her. Aiden gave chase, feeding into her play-induced panic until Josh snatched the little girl up and swung her onto the wide perch of his shoulder. Shaking her head at the three of them, Monique fought a smile and stroked a hand over the swell of her belly, her wedding ring glinting beneath the sun. In three more months, the Reevers family would grow and they would have another little boy to dote on and love. 

 

It had been a long road to recovery for all of them. It hadn’t been easy, but they’d made it and it was worth every single bit of the fight to survive and rebuild their fractured relationships. They were a family now. All of them.

 

Scanning the yard, she searched the sea of faces gathered below until she found her mother and father. The newly reunited pair were seated together beneath the shade of the patio umbrella their heads close together as they laughed and shared a drink. Vincent and Jackson hurled a football back and forth, trying to be mindful of the little ones that kept darting underfoot. Standing over the grill, Rupert manned the thick slabs of steak, laughing and tossing back a beer as he chatted up some of the other men.

 

Much like Sebastian and Josh’s friendship, SKALS had been rebuilt from the ground up. Brick by brick, one painstaking layer at a time, they had pieced back together and strengthened the organization and partnership they had once loved. No one person called the shots. They worked together, side-by-side, as a team. It was a process filled with trial and error, but they were learning as they went and the rest of the men seemed happier for it. As long as they did their job and didn’t falter, they were free to live their lives as they pleased.

 

Smiling, she remembered the private, but intimate affair she’d had with her husband. It hadn’t been Hawaii, but as soon as she was well enough to travel, they’d made the trip to the California coast and exchanged their vows surrounded by tiki torches and the basking, golden glow of the sun. He father had been there to escort her and Sebastian had gotten his wish. They were married before their son was born and Xander carried his name.

 

She turned at the sudden rush of warm breath caressing her ear. Groaning softly, Sebastian wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed his way up the side of her neck as he swayed her against him.

 

“Are you enjoying yourself, Mrs. Baas?”

 

“Very much so. It’s a beautiful day, Sebastian. A beautiful life. We’re so lucky.”

 

“That we are darling.” He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply. “Speaking of, Xander told me something that would make our lives even more beautiful today.”

 

“Oh?” she asked, turning in his arms.

 

He smiled down at her, his sage eyes dancing with mischief and desire. “Mmmhmm. He said it’s high time we started working on giving him a little brother or sister to play with.”

 

Laughing, she leaned up and scrunched her nose before settling her forehead against his. “I find that strange, considering our son barely says more than Mama and DaDa.”

 

“We have a special way of communicating,” Sebastian insisted, his voice a husky murmur. Turning her head, he kissed the line of her jaw before nibbling her earlobe. “I want an answer, Taylor. Quit making me wait.”

 

His menacing growl filled her with a delighted shiver. Swinging her gaze up to his, she traced the indents on his cheeks. “Whatever makes you happy, Sebby.”

 

“Mmm. Good answer, darling. You just wait until everyone leaves. I’m going to make you come so hard your legs shake.”

 

He trailed his hands over the gentle curve of her hips, tugging her closer so she could feel the effect their conversation was having. There was no denying the hard bulge grinding against her, or the intensity brewing in his pale green eyes. They assured her he intended to keep every word of his promise and then some. 

 

She shook her head with a rueful smile. 

 

He was sexy, dangerous and full of surprises, but he loved hard. That much was constant. When it came to love, Sebastian was an all-consuming inferno that devoured everything in his wake. He was a powerful flame that never faltered and never died.

 

Life was an unpredictable journey, but some things never changed.