Their biggest hurdle, the fact that Evan didn’t want biological children, had been resolved. They agreed on adoption if he didn’t feel comfortable having children of his own within a few years. He’d touched her heart when he said that any kid they had didn’t need his DNA for him to love them. Randi didn’t mind if they adopted because she felt the same way, but she was pretty certain that Evan was starting to understand that any offspring he had with dyslexia would be just fine. They’d both help the child learn from an early age, and she had no doubt Evan would be a fantastic father.
“I still don’t know what to say. This is incredible.” Randi felt so at peace as she gazed at the collection of lilies.
Lily flopped down at Evan’s feet, happy to be with him whenever she could. Lily had bonded with him the same way she had with Randi. In return, Evan seemed to adore her, and he still snuck her occasional sneaky pieces of steak. Luckily, not enough to stink up the house.
“Say you love me,” Evan suggested.
“I love you,” she obediently replied. He never got tired of hearing the words, and neither did she. “Are you going to keep putting flowers on Dennis and Joan’s graves?” Evan still went to the cemetery every day. There was no snow to clear at this time of year, but Evan made it a point to keep the gravesite tidy and place fresh flowers there every day.
He shrugged. “Whenever possible. So far that’s been every day.”
Reaching for her hand, Evan entwined their fingers as they walked slowly away from the stream together.
“Beatrice was right, you know,” Randi mentioned casually.
“I know,” Evan grumbled. “I find that kind of frightening, since she gave Micah a crystal when he was here for Hope’s party.”
“You don’t want him to be happy?” Randi asked curiously.
“I can’t see him settling down. He’s into extreme sports, and there aren’t many women who can manage to be with a guy who does the crazy shit he does,” Evan replied. “But yes, I would like to see him happy. Xander is going off the deep end again, and Julian is busy on his latest movie. A lot falls on Micah’s shoulders.”
“I wonder who has the other stone. Does he know?”
“Nope. He didn’t mention it,” Evan answered. “She’d have to be an amazing woman to put up with him.”
Randi laughed, amused by Evan’s assumption that he was any less arrogant or demanding than Micah. He didn’t travel much anymore, sending out some of his higher-level employees to check out possible new deals. He might still have to go away sometimes, but they were learning to compromise. Honestly, Evan didn’t seem the least bit eager to leave Amesport. He seemed quite happy to run his business from his home office and hang out with his family, although he still hadn’t quite learned how not to try to tell them what to do. However, it was pretty funny to hear him refer to his eldest cousin as being less likely than him to settle down.
“I’m sure she will be. Beatrice has been one hundred percent right regarding her predictions for the Sinclairs.” She’d even been correct that Randi would be closing one part of her life when Joan died and starting another. She was at peace now with her foster mother’s death, even though she missed her every single day.
Stokes was waiting for them, standing beside the Rolls as they rounded the corner of the house. The man wore a smile most of the time now, and he’d become more like part of the family instead of just an employee. Still, he refused to retire, claiming he still had a few years of driving left in him.
“Are you okay?” Evan asked Randi quietly as he pulled her to a stop before they reached the car.
“I’m fine.” She smiled at him. “Thank you for doing this. I hope whoever owns the home next time will keep up the tradition.” If they didn’t, that was okay, too. It would be someone else’s home, someone else’s preferences. Randi’s place now was with the man she loved, and she was beyond happy just to be marrying someone she knew would cherish her for a lifetime.
“I hope they do, too, sweetheart,” Evan said, dropping a kiss on her temple. “Let’s go home.”
“I’m cooking spaghetti,” she warned him.
“Good. I’ll need a workout tonight.” He smirked.
Evan ate anything and everything she cooked, and he enjoyed every meal. Surprisingly, he’d started to help her in the kitchen, and cooking dinner had become one of their favorite times of the day because they did it together. “Let’s go home,” she finally repeated, taking a look back at the house as they strolled to the car. Her life had changed irrevocably since Evan, but she’d never forget the two people who’d saved her from a horrible life on the streets. They would both live on through her memories forever.
“Ready?” Evan questioned.
“I’m ready.” She nodded emphatically. Not only was she ready, but she was excited to start a new chapter in her life, her life with Evan.
They walked hand in hand to the car, both of them ecstatically happy that their whole new life together was about to begin.
THE END