“They really love it.” Lyra, Savvy, and Tracy stood shoulder to shoulder in the backyard of Lyra’s new home. She was renting it, but they were out of their apartment and into a home with a backyard. Someday, she’d buy.

“They really do.” She watched Luke push the girls on the swing set as Tracy’s and Savvy’s kids climbed to the top of the slide. Naomi stood by, talking to her uncle. She’d come home for a long weekend.

“And they love him,” Savvy said, her elbow nudging Lyra playfully.

Lyra sighed. “They really do.”

“So do you,” Tracy said.

“Can’t argue with you there.” The women laughed and sipped their lemonade. Lyra had known she was in love with Luke for a long time. It was something that thrilled her and filled her days with wonder. Between Luke and her girls, her life was full.

In a little bit, there would be more friends coming over and burgers and hotdogs would go on the grill.

She saw Luke stop the girls’ swings and lean down to whisper something to the twins, his gaze falling on her as he did. She didn’t know what it was, but Alyssa and Prentiss slid from their swings and ran to her, smiles and laughter filling the yard.

“Luke says he has a question for us, Mommy,” Alyssa said, taking one of Lyra’s hands, as Prentiss took the other.

“An important question.” Prentiss stressed.

“Does he?” She looked up to see Luke coming toward her, his eyes locked with hers as he reached into the side pocket of his BDUs. Naomi stood by his side, and he kissed the top of her head before she came to stand near Lyra and the girls, a broad smile on her face.

Lyra’s breath caught and she heard her friends still beside her as he dropped to a knee. He held out a jewelry box that held a diamond ring in the center. The ring was flanked on either side by two smaller versions of the ring in just the right size for her girls.

“Lyra, Alyssa, and Prentiss,” he said as Lyra’s eyes filled with tears and her heart overflowed with love. “Will you marry me, girls? Be my girls forever? Be all in with me, as I am with you?”

Lyra pressed her lips together and nodded as the girls squealed and climbed into his lap. “Yes,” she said, as he lifted the twins, one resting on either forearm, and came toward her. She pulled him in to kiss him.

“I love you,” she whispered. “All in.”

“All in,” he replied. “I love you, Lyra. So damned much.”

* * *

Later that night they lay together, moving slowly as he entered her and made love to her. It was different than the times he caught her in the middle of the day and held her against a counter or tabletop to make love to her. It was different than the times they’d lay in bed while she rode astride him, taking her pleasure as his hands dug into her hips and he roared his release.

This time was slow and sweet, it was love and honor and the knowledge that they would share a lifetime of this together.

As Lyra lay in Luke’s arms afterward, her heart feeling like it might overflow, she looked at the ring Luke had placed on her finger. It was perfect.

“Please tell me the rings you gave the girls aren’t real,” she said.

The deep rumble of laughter that came told her he understood her girls. “No. But I did have real ones made. They’re in a safe deposit box for them for when they’re older. Along with three backup fake ones for when they lose these ones.”

She laughed. He knew her girls.

“Hey, Lyra,” he said, his mouth going to her neck as he shifted and came over the top of her.

She looked into his eyes. “Yes?”

He trailed a kiss along her shoulder before nuzzling her neck in the spot just under her ear. The spot that always made her moan.

“You’ve given me two girls.”

“Mm hmm,” she half murmured, half moaned.

“But I was thinking, I don’t have any boys.”

The laughter was lost on her lips as he brought her back to that place where words didn’t matter. All that mattered were the feelings and emotions and sensations of her and Luke coming together. Again.