The Billionaire Wins the Game (21 page)

“It makes more sense to me that you’d
want a woman like her. I’m not sophisticated, or gorgeous. You got
trapped into being with me because of the baby. It just makes more
sense than you actually being able to love me,” she broke off on a
sob and could say nothing further.

Lucas lifted her chin and placed his
lips on hers, cherishing the feel of their soft touch. She
immediately responded, as she always did, to even his lightest
touch. He pulled back before things could get out of hand, which
was so easy with her.

“Amy, I admit we didn’t start out the
best way, but none of that matters anymore. All that matters now is
how we feel about each other and how we feel about our child,” he
said while running his hand over her stomach.

“I love you so much. I’m sorry I’ve
been a fool. I was afraid to give you my heart because you already
own me in every other way. I’d walk through fire for you. I’d hunt
you down to the edges of the universe. I can’t, and won’t, live
without you. You and our child are my reason for survival. Without
you both, there is no joy or passion in my life. There is no
meaning,” he said.

She believed him. He loved
her.

He loved her!

She’d never, in her life, felt such
tremendous joy as at that moment, sitting on her husband’s lap,
with his arms wrapped tightly around her. She could see the love on
his face and feel it in his body. She knew everything would be all
right. She knew they were going to be the couple that beat the
odds.

“I love you so much, Lucas. I think
I’ve loved you from the very first time we met. I tried to fight
it, but there is no fighting a man like you. You’re who I want to
be with the rest of my life,” she said with passion.

Amy threw her arms around her husband’s
neck and kissed him with a hunger that would keep them up for a
very long time that night, or at least until they were interrupted
with their dinner.

Epilogue

“Push, baby, push. You’re doing so
great. I see her head,” Lucas mumbled in a terrified
whisper.

“Arrrgggggg...” Amy grunted as she used
her last remaining strength and gave a final push. She collapsed
back against the bed as she heard the sweetest sound
imaginable.

The first cry of her beautiful baby
girl.

Suddenly the doctor was placing their
newborn on top of her chest and she was looking into the scrunched
up face of her daughter throwing her very first temper
tantrum.

“She definitely has her daddy’s
temperament,” Lucas laughed as he rubbed their daughter from head
to toe, making sure for himself she was okay in every way. “I think
she’s hungry and letting us all know,” he chuckled.

Even exhausted, Amy looked from her
husband to her baby girl and felt pride and happiness as her family
grew. She could see the love and pride shining in Lucas’s eyes and
it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

“Jasmine would like to have her father
hold her now,” Amy said to Lucas. He gently picked her up and held
her closely against his chest. The tiny movement of her breathing
was the most amazing feeling in the world. The night before, he’d
been feeling her kick from inside the safety of Amy’s womb. Now, he
was holding her in his arms.

The doctors quickly cleaned Amy and
Jasmine and then the three of them transferred rooms. They were
there no more than a few minutes when there was a knock at the
door.

“Can we come in?” said the subdued
voice of her normally booming father-in-law.

“Come in, come in, Dad. Meet your very
first granddaughter, Jasmine Katherine Anderson,” Lucas said
proudly.

Joseph gently took his granddaughter
from his son and a tear spilled down his cheek. Things hadn’t
turned out badly at all, he thought to himself. He was in a
hospital, holding his brand new baby granddaughter and his son was
happily married.

His son should be thanking his father,
but Joseph knew better than to ask for any praise for all he’d done
to get those kids together. His beautiful granddaughter was all the
thanks he needed.

“You two have done really well, here,”
Joseph said as he smiled from Amy to Lucas. “She’s the most
beautiful baby I’ve ever seen in my life,” he continued.

He reluctantly handed the baby girl to
his Katherine and watched a glow come over her face as she sat in
the rocker and held the precious gift to her chest while humming a
lullaby. “We almost got a Christmas baby,” Joseph laughed. It was
December twenty third. They all agreed Jasmine was the perfect gift
for the entire family.

“Guess we’ll have to work on giving
Jasmine a little brother born on Christmas next year,” Lucas said
as he looked at his wife hungrily. She was still the most beautiful
thing in the world, even after the hard labor she’d
endured.

“Now, son, I sure want a ton of grand
babies running around that empty old mansion, but you may not want
to scare your wife off. It never is a good idea to talk about child
number two, when she is still feeling the pain from the first one,”
he winked at Amy.

“The pain’s already forgotten, Dad. I
love this baby girl more than anything in the world, and want to
give her many siblings. I love Lucas so much, and that love needs
to be shared with the wonderful children I know we’ll
make.”

Joseph’s heart enlarged a bit more at
how much he loved his new daughter. He’d asked her to call him dad
because he knew she didn’t have one. He truly loved her like she
was one of his own kids. Since she was married to his son, she was
his family now. He still loved to hear her say it, though. He bent
down and kissed her cheek.

There was another knock on the door and
then Amy’s smile broke out into a huge smile as Tom stepped through
the doorway, carrying a huge teddy bear, balloons, and a large bag
of chocolates.

“Tom, I’m so glad you finally got
here,” Amy said to her best friend.

“There was an accident on the freeway
or I would’ve been here an hour ago,” Tom said as he bent down and
kissed her on the cheek.

“Come and meet your God Daughter,” Amy
said. Tom’s eyes instantly filled with tears as he took the
precious bundle into his arms.

“She’s perfect, Amy, just like her
mom,” he told her, while trying to get his emotions under control.
They all visited for about an hour and Amy’s heart was nearly
bursting with how much love she had for the people in the room with
her.

“You did so good, Amy. I’m so very
proud of you. We’ll leave you kids alone, now,” Joseph said as he
helped his wife to her feet.

Katherine walked over to the bed and
passed her granddaughter to her mother, where she immediately
started to root for food. That gave them all a laugh.

“I love you too, Mom. I’m so glad you
were here,” Amy choked up. Katherine brushed a kiss across her
cheeks and then hand in hand walked out of the room with her
husband.

The two of them turned the corner and
Joseph’s eyes twinkled. “Well, Katherine, one son down, two to go.
I like being a grandpa and I’m getting greedy now. I want new
babies every year for the next ten years or so,” he stated as if he
would indeed get his wish.

“Now, Joseph, I admit this turned out
well, but you will not be doing any more meddling in your sons’
lives. They can find their own mates and find their own way,” she
said sternly to her husband, even though she knew it was a futile
battle.

Joseph just wrapped his arm around his
wife and whistled a tune as they headed for their car. He already
had the perfect bride picked out for his middle child,
Alex…