The Last Hard Boy (The Hard Boys 3)

Their hands may not have been holding, but her gaze was on his.

This time, Jane moved them along, helping them into the car that would lead them toward his parents’ house.

“Do you think we’d get away with sneaking off?” Rome asked. “I want to get you alone.”

Andy chuckled. “I wish, but your parents have worked so hard. They want this to be perfect. You know that.”

“You know, fifty years isn’t going to be long enough with you.”

She burst out laughing. “How about we try one year and we take it year by year?”

He pressed his head to hers. “You know we’re going to be that married couple people are going to want to be?”

“I hope so.”

“There’s no hoping about it. I see us, Andy, together, surrounded by our kids, fifty years from now.”

The vision he presented was what she wanted too.

“I love you, Rome Hard.”

“And I love you, Andy Hard.”

They arrived at his parents’ place and much to her surprise the guests and his family were already there. She’d been so distracted by Rome that she hadn’t seen them take a longer route.

“A couple of hours, and then you are all mine.”

She couldn’t wait.

Epilogue One

One year later

“I hate you. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. I want a divorce.” Andy lifted her leg, clenching her hands into fists, feeling the perspiration all over her body.

No one ever told a woman just how painful this was.

“I’m here, baby. I’m here. Let me feel the pain.”

She grabbed Rome’s hand and squeezed tightly as another contraction rushed through her entire body. This was their first baby, a little boy, and so far, he was proving to be a very painful experience.

Slowly, the contraction eased, and Andy sobbed. “I’m so sorry. I don’t hate you. I don’t want a divorce.”

This was their one-year anniversary. Rome had organized a date in an Italian restaurant. Just as her pasta had arrived, so had her broken water. Her baby wanted to come out today.

“Do you think I’d ever give you a divorce?” Rome chuckled. “You and me, the rest of our lives, remember?”

She did.

Their wedding and honeymoon had just been the start. They weren’t the best days. Every single day, waking up with Rome Hard in her arms, was the best day.

They had survived one year, and she wanted to get to their second year. The announcement of her pregnancy had come as a big surprise to both of them.

Now, exactly a year married, the baby was coming out, and he wasn’t being quick about it.

Another contraction flooded her body, taking her breath away from the pain. Rome was there, holding her hands and kissing her head.

Sweat covered her whole body. Her stomach hurt. She was swollen all over, and he still made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. She didn’t know how he did that, but she hoped he never stopped.

The midwife came into the room. “Right, let me see,” she said.

The contraction had eased.

“Okay, we’re going to need to start pushing. Do not panic, Andy. We will have your little boy out in no time. Now on the count of three, push. One … two … three … push!”

Andy screamed as she pushed, feeling so much pain.

She had to do this three more times. Each one even worse than the last time. On the final push, she heard the scream. The sound of her little boy.

Seconds passed, and she held Rome’s hand.

The nurse came toward her. She couldn’t hear anything as her head pounded.

Her son was placed in her arms and love followed.

“Oh, my God, look, Rome, look what we did.” She glanced up and saw Rome crying. She let go of his other hand to cup his cheek. “Look what we did.”

“He’s so beautiful.”

“So beautiful,” she said in agreement.

“What should we call him?” he asked.

“Theodore Junior Hard,” she said. “After your dad.”

“Perfect,” Rome said.

Epilogue Two

Ten years later

“Theodore, Jane, Alice, and Cooper, get your butts down here now. Do you think I’m going to clean up this mess?” Rome said, calling up to his kids.

He stood in the sitting room. The television was still on. The movie they’d been watching paused. Chips and dips were on the coffee table. Empty soda cans on the floor. He wasn’t happy.

James was bringing his wife back from the hospital, and Rome was pissed. He had no choice but to stay home because Cooper was feeling sick, and rather than leave him alone, Andy had insisted he stay.

He’d brought her home from the hospital every other time. This was no different, but Cooper didn’t like change. He didn’t like going for a sleepover at his grandparents’. He liked everything to be a routine. Of course, his brother and sisters were helping him to realize that routines were made to be broken.

“Daddy, is the new baby here yet?” Cooper asked.