The Beautiful Widow

Toni smiled. ‘I warn you now, the girls will want pink dresses.’

EPILOGUE

TEN YEARS HAD PASSED since the snowy February day when Steel had carried his bride over the threshold of the house in Magpie Lane. Ten years of love and laughter and happiness, along with the odd hiccup, which was only to be expected in family life.

Amelia and Daisy were now beautiful young girls on the verge of womanhood, confident and secure as only greatly beloved children could be.

Steel and Toni’s son had been born a year after the marriage, and another son had followed within eighteen months. Katie Jane had been born on their fifth wedding anniversary and managed to twist everyone in the household round her little finger from day one. Except perhaps her mother.

Toni watched her youngest daughter now as she played with her brothers in the tree house Steel had constructed at the end of the garden. Even from the patio where they were sitting enjoying the last of the afternoon sunshine, she could hear Katie ordering her long-suffering brothers about.

‘She’s dreadfully bossy.’ Toni turned to Steel beside her. ‘You all spoil her outrageously, you know.’

Steel grinned. It still had the power to make her knees weak. She wouldn’t have thought he could have grown more handsome, but family life suited him. The slightly stern edge to his good looks had mellowed and the result was more devastating than before. The two boys, Harry and John, were every bit as handsome as their father, but Katie Jane took after her. Steel declared she was beautiful.

She reached out now and took his hand, the desire that never seemed to wane however much she had of him strong. ‘I love you so much,’ she murmured.

‘And I you.’ He leant across and kissed her and her blood fizzed. ‘For ever and a day.’

She knew that was true now. She had known it for a long time. Nights spent in their big bed when he spent hours worshipping her with his hands and mouth and tongue before taking her to oblivion and back had begun the process, and his longing to be with her every minute he could, his adoration of the children—and he regarded Amelia and Daisy as his—and his pleasure in their home and life together had finally enabled her to become the woman she was meant to be.

Shortly after their marriage Steel had drastically reduced the amount of time he was at the office, employing a chief executive to run the business for him much of the time. He wanted to be a hands-on father, he’d explained to Toni, and it was important

Amelia and Daisy bonded with him. They had bonded with him so well that the twins had become proper little Daddy’s girls, but Toni hadn’t minded being ousted into second place now and again. She was just so grateful Steel genuinely loved the twins as his own and that they regarded him as their father.

Along with the children the house had been filled with pets. At present three dogs, two cats, six hamsters and a house bunny called Fraser—who ruled the roost—added to the mayhem. But every day was precious and Toni wouldn’t change a thing. Steel had even had a bungalow built in the grounds for her parents two years ago when the stairs at their terrace had become too much for her father. It meant the elderly couple could still have their independence but be part of family life when they chose to be, and both of them—but especially her mother—thought Steel was the best thing since sliced bread.

Toni agreed with them. To be able to go to sleep wrapped in Steel’s arms and wake up in the morning and have him make slow, sweet love to her was more precious than gold. She had a beautiful home filled with the sound of children’s laughter, five happy, healthy children, but most of all she had Steel. He was hers, all hers, and she knew she was the most important person in the world to him because he told her so every day.

And because he thought she was beautiful, she was beautiful, she thought now as he kissed her again. The gremlins of the past had gone. She was whole. She was loved.