Duncan’s Honor (The Aegis Network: Jacksonville Division #7)

Epilogue

SEVEN MONTHS LATER…

D uncan stood over the bassinet, staring at his little girl, all swaddled up in a pink bunny blanket. He twisted his wedding ring, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky. He glanced over his shoulder. Chastity lay blissfully asleep in the hospital bed after eighteen hours of grueling labor. He wasn’t sure who suffered more, his wife, or him having to watch the woman he loved more than anything go through such agonizing pain.

Only seconds after their daughter had been born, Chastity said it was worth it and she’d do it again.

He certainly wanted more, but he could be a patient man, even if he wasn’t getting any younger.

The baby sighed. He reached in and rested his palm on her pudgy stomach. Poor thing was exhausted too.

“Hey, you,” Chastity’s sweet voice filled his ears. “She sleeping?”

He nodded. “You should be, too.”

She stretched. “I’ve been sleeping for two hours. I’m sure she’ll be up screaming to be fed.” Chastity adjusted herself, and little baby girl Booker cried out as if on cue. “Bring her to me.”

Duncan reached in and lifted her into his arms. He kissed her head and inhaled that fresh baby scent. “I can’t believe how much I love this precious little thing. But we really need to find a name for her.”

“I know,” Chastity said.

Chastity’s natural mothering ability amazed him. It wasn’t much different than watching her at work. She did both as if that was what she was born to do. He, on the other hand, felt like a blubbering idiot when it came to taking care of his daughter.

He kissed the baby one more time before handing her to Chastity. The baby immediately turned her head and started looking for something to suck.

“I have never in my life seen a kid take to breastfeeding like this one,” Chastity said. “She’s not even a day old yet.”

“If she were a boy, I’d say something so inappropriate right now.” He sat on the edge of the bed, humbled by his wife.

His wife.

It had only been a month since they got married. They hadn’t wanted to rush, but the closer they got to the baby being born, the more he felt the need to make her his bride. Thankfully, she’d said yes and didn’t mind a quick wedding at a local church with both their parents in attendance. It was a small wedding and they had yet to go on a honeymoon, but he didn’t care. He had his family, and that’s all that mattered now.

“So, what does she look like to you?” he asked. They’d tossed out a dozen or so girl names, but nothing felt right.

“If she were a boy, we would have named her after both our dads, so why not name her after both our moms?” Chastity asked.

“Laurie Ann,” he whispered.

“Yeah. That sounds nice, don’t you think?” Chastity glanced up at him, her ocean eyes tinged with happy tears.

He couldn’t love anyone as much as he loved her. She was the sun and the moon and everything in between.

“I like it,” he said. “Laurie Ann Booker. It’s a good name. An honorable one.” He bent over, kissing first his wife, then his daughter. “I love both my girls.”

“We love you more,” Chastity said.

Thank you so much for reading DUNCAN’S HONOR. Please feel free to leave an honest review. Next up in the series is GARTH’S HONOR.