As Kat put the finishing touches on her makeup, she heard a thud in the living room, followed by Marco’s curses. She chuckled as she capped her mascara.

Marco had moved in with her since his honorable discharge from the army, but his stuff had just arrived yesterday. The apartment had been too small for the two of them to begin with and now it was bursting at the seams. They were tripping over everything. They planned to move to a bigger place when her lease was up at the end of next month, but so far they hadn’t settled on a location.

Kat wanted to be closer to Ryan, but his situation was still up in the air. She’d helped him pick out a ring for Susan, but that was two weeks ago and so far he hadn’t popped the question. He’d better do it soon, though, because keeping the secret was killing Kat. She and Susan had lunch together once a week and Kat had nearly let it slip more than a few times. She’d always considered herself a good secret keeper, but she was just too darn excited.

She had it on good authority that tonight was probably the night because Marco’s mom was babysitting Riley. The little girl would get spoiled rotten by “Grammie Theresa” and Nonna, and her brother would finally get betrothed.

He’d better. Or Kat was going pop the question to Susan herself.

Marco leaned against the door frame, watching her. Kat deliberately leaned over slowly to zip up her boot. Behind her, Marco groaned.

“You’re doing that on purpose.”

She looked over her shoulder at him and grinned before turning her attention to the other boot.

Marco quickly crossed over to her and lightly caressed her ass. She stood upright with a squeal and he nuzzled her neck.

“You’re going to make us late,” she murmured, only half serious. Because that thing that Marco did with his tongue on that tender spot behind her ear? It got her every single freaking time. Liquid pooled in her core and she considered unzipping the boots she’d just put on.

Marco stopped with his magic tongue and rested his forehead on her shoulder. “We can’t be late. We have to pick up Riley or Ryan will lose his reservation.”

Kat pushed away from Marco, glaring at him with an accusatory look. “You know where they’re going?”

Marco smirked. “Yeah, of course. Don’t you?”

She scowled. He knew damn well she didn’t. Ryan had purposefully kept it from her, afraid she’d be like the damn paparazzi and hide in the bushes to take pictures of their special moment. She might have suggested trying to film the event, but only that once. Geez. Ryan wouldn’t let it go.

Kat drove so that Marco would be free to indulge in a beer or two with Tony. The brothers deserved it. The news had broken this week that their father was going to accept a plea bargain, so the media had been relentless. Luckily, it seemed to be slowing down. Hopefully the ordeal would come to a permanent end soon.

She waited in the car while Marco ran up to fetch Riley. She had a feeling that was so her presence wouldn’t make Ryan nervous, but whatever. She didn’t care. As long as he popped the question tonight.

Once Riley was strapped into the car seat that was permanently installed in the back of Kat’s car, they were off. Kat had finally ditched the old one, buying her first ever brand-new car that boasted front and rear airbags. That was important to her if she was going to be carting Riley around. Kat had stashed away money from her paycheck every month for the down payment, despite Marco’s offer to put down money for her.

Not that it ended up mattering—when she’d finally gotten around to meeting with Gram’s lawyer, she’d learned Gram had left her a significant inheritance. Twelve and a half million dollars to be exact. So she’d been able to buy the car outright.

She had mixed emotions about the inheritance. In some ways, she felt like it was blood money. She’d determined that X had put the money in his mother’s name to hide it, so it was the money he owed Roy, who’d been true to his word—she hadn’t had any communication from him. In the end, Kat shrugged off her guilt over the money and deposited it. She’d put it to good use—she’d already upgraded Ryan’s wheelchair and she planned to pay for his wedding. He’d probably fight her on that, but she’d win. She’d fight dirty if she had to.

Even after that, she still had way more money than she needed, so she’d turned to Natalie for advice on how to use the money to help victims of domestic abuse. Right now, she was still deciding whether to start her own foundation or contribute to an existing one. There were so many factors to consider it made her head spin, but it was a nice problem to have.

“Can you turn on some music?” Riley asked.

Marco obliged, hitting play on a CD made specifically for kids—the kind that took popular music and made the lyrics kid friendly. Kat nearly laughed out loud when she caught a glimpse of Riley in the rearview performing a dance routine. That kid probably had better moves than she did. And she was a trip. Kat had never imagined herself having children, but having spent a lot of time with Riley in the last few months, she was beginning to picture it.

Someday, though. Not anytime soon.

After they parked at Marco’s mother’s house, Riley bounded up the walkway. Marco’s mother immediately swept her off to the guest room, which had unofficially become her room. No doubt she and Nonna had filled it with even more toys since the last time she’d visited. Most of it they’d ordered online, but they’d actually ventured out to a toy store once, so they were making progress. Tonight was going to be Riley’s first sleepover here, something the little girl had apparently been talking about nonstop for the past week.

When dinner was ready, they all sat around the table, Riley wearing a rhinestone tiara and holding a bedazzled scepter while sitting in her booster seat at the head of the table. She was back to being a princess and she had everyone wrapped around her little finger.

Before the salads could even be dished out, Ginny burst out, “We were going to wait until after dinner, but I can’t wait.” She looked at Tony, radiating pure joy. “We’re moving the wedding date up to next month. It’ll be a small ceremony in our backyard.”

Marco’s mother looked confused for a moment. “Congratulations . . . I think?”

“Congratulations are definitely in order,” Tony said. A mixture of bashfulness and pride filled his face.

“We’re expecting!” Ginny’s grin stretched from ear to ear.

Nonna’s and Theresa’s mouths fell open and then they both clapped excitedly, hugging one another before getting up to hug Ginny and Tony.

“Expecting what?” Riley asked. “You didn’t finish the sentence.”

Marco chuckled, leaning close to Riley. “A baby, sweetheart. They’re going to have a baby.”

“How? Where are they going to get one?”

The table went silent for a moment as everyone looked at one another.

“You’ll have to ask Ryan about that,” Marco said, earning a playful slap on the shoulder from Kat.

Riley shrugged. “Okay.”

“We want children but weren’t planning on having them so soon,” Ginny said, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Nonna patted her arm. “Sometimes you can’t plan these things, dear.”

“I hope you two will help me decorate the nursery,” she said, looking at Nonna and Theresa.

“Of course we will,” Theresa said. “I know the cutest little boutique we can go to.”

Marco and Tony exchanged a look and Kat knew exactly what they were thinking—the two women were healing and the impending arrival of a baby would only speed up the process.

Kat was sad when it was time for them to leave. Tony and Ginny’s announcement had set the tone and the rest of the evening had been joyous. She couldn’t wait to bring Ryan and Susan into the mix.

Marco held her hand as they walked to her car. She pushed the button to unlock the doors. It was silly, but that small act gave her a thrill each time and she couldn’t help but grin. It was the little things in life.

She looked over at Marco, also thankful for the big ones.

He pressed her up against the side of the car. “Happy?” he asked, then proceeded to trail kisses down her neck, picking up where he’d left off earlier.

She closed her eyes and gave in to the sensation, running her hands along the muscles of his back, sighing contently. Her phone buzzed and she ignored it for a moment before her eyes sprang open. She’d been waiting for this text all night.

She pushed Marco away and dug in her purse for her phone.

“I see where I rank,” Marco joked.

“Sorry,” she said with a half-smile. Then she read the text.

She said YES!!!!

“Yes!” she shrieked. “It’s about freaking time!”

Marco laughed. “Thank God. Now will you stop talking about it?”

She gave him a look and punched him lightly on his chest. He gripped her hand and used it to pull her toward him, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his forehead to hers.

“Is that something you want one day? A fancy dinner and a ring?”

His tone was teasing, but there was seriousness behind it. They’d never really talked about what came next for them.

Because they didn’t have to. Kat had never felt more content or secure in her relationship with Marco. Ring or no ring, she knew they belonged to one another.

“Maybe,” she said coyly. “Sometimes a girl likes to play hard to get.”

Marco chuckled. “From you, I’d expect nothing less.” Then he pressed his lips to hers.

And Kat fell in love with him all over again.