“I want you more than anything.” He sucked a trail of fire across her neck.
Her voice softened, because even though she knew he loved her, she was so used to being afraid of this. “You have to be sure, because I couldn’t take it if …” She couldn’t even say, “If you left me because I couldn’t give you cubs,” let alone bear it happening again.
“Oh, Juliette. I’m surer of this than anything I’ve ever done in my life.” He turned her in his arms, and she could see the truth of it in his eyes. “I’m sure I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Even though I can never give you babies?” She hated how her voice wavered, but she had to say it.
He stroked her cheek and smiled softly at her, water running down the sides of his face and dripping off his chin. “We have babies, Juliette.”
She sobbed, and the last shreds of doubt and feelings of inadequacy melted away in his kiss.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Juliette carried Thomas through the door of the shop where she’d apprenticed when she was much younger. The chef who’d taught her was no longer there, but the shop was still just off the Champs-Elysées. Wilhelm carried Leah, walking behind her. The babies wiggled their fingers at each other and seemed to seek each other out all the time, laughing and cooing almost no matter what was going on around them.
Wilhelm bought a box of macarons, his wedding band glinting in the light as he paid. It had only been a week since they’d been married, but seeing his ring that matched her own still thrilled Juliette.
It had been a simple ceremony. Noelle, Andy, Gunther, and Sven had been witnesses, and Gunther and Noelle had been happy to hold the babies. In fact, Juliette suspected that Gunther and Noelle hit it off. She’d rarely seen two relative strangers smile at each other that much, in quite the way they did.
She was tickled when Wilhelm asked if she minded a honeymoon in Paris—with the babies. Juliette had been dreading being away from them, even though she could hardly wait for her honeymoon with Wilhelm. They’d both decided that it could be just as romantic if they took the twins with them.
She followed Wilhelm to a bistro table along the sidewalk, and plucked a light green macaron from the box. She sniffed and took a taste, then let Thomas take a bite. He didn’t hate it, but he didn’t seem to love it either. Maybe green tea wasn’t his flavor.
Wilhelm chose a dark pink one, tasted it, then leaned across the table while Leah nibbled on it. “A little dry. Yours are much better,” he said with a wink.
Leah seemed to think so, too. She wiped at her mouth, frowning.
Ralph Marcoby had been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. He could have gotten the death penalty, but despite having capital punishment as an option, Colorado never executed prisoners. Still, the thought of him never able to walk free again had given them both a little comfort. The trial had been just before they got married, and Juliette considered it a kind of wedding gift that allowed them to put that whole ugly chapter behind them as far as possible.
Wilhelm lifted Juliette’s hand and kissed it. “Where to now, my tigress?”
“I think the Arc de Triomphe.” They weren’t far from it, and the sun was starting to set. “The view from the top at night is stunning, have you seen it?”
“No. When I’ve been in Paris, it’s been for business. I never did much sightseeing.”
“Oh, you’ll love it.” They stood and strolled along the avenue in that direction. “It’s a shame the babies won’t remember this.”
Wilhelm put his arm around her and pulled her close. “We’ll just have to bring them back every year to be sure they don’t miss anything.”
She beamed at him, and stopped walking when he leaned down to kiss her. “I lik
e the way you think,” she said with a soft laugh.
“Good, because I think you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
She leaned against Wilhelm as they started walking again, and thought even the beauty of Paris at night couldn’t compare to the beautiful dream her life had become.
End