"Don't tell me you're going to help?" She looked astonished and walked over to give me a kiss. "Good morning sleepyhead." She played with my hair and then stepped back and looked at my face.

"What's so funny?" I grumbled, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her towards me.

"I think you need the chia now." She mussed with my hair again and giggled.

"Are you telling me I look a mess?" I squeezed her a.s.s and was about to lean down and kiss her when I heard someone clearing their throat.

"Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds, but I was wondering if one of you would let me know where the coffee is?" Noah grinned at us as he stood in the doorway and my heart thudded as I stared at my little brother. Though he wasn't so little now, he was buffer than me.

"Always preventing me from doing something, aren't you Noah?" I walked towards him and slapped him on the shoulder. "Next time knock, yeah?"

"I didn't think I had anything to worry about." He stared at Lucky. "She's been singing for the last 30 minutes at least, and I know you may be good in bed bro, but you're not that good."

"Noah." I chastised him and looked at Lucky. "You're in the presence of a lady."

"My bad, Lucky." He grinned at her. "You look beautiful by the way, I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"Thank you, Noah." She walked over to join us and I stared at her legs. She looked s.e.xy as h.e.l.l, but I hadn't realized before just how short her shorts were. They seemed to be showing an awful lot of leg, more leg than I thought any other guy should be seeing, not even my own brother.

"Do you want to change, Lucky?" I looked at her pointedly and she stared at me with a blank expression.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Zane. You just watched me get dressed." She shook her head and linked her arm through Noah's. "Now let's go and get you some breakfast." She smiled up at him as they walked to the stairs.

"So what am I then?" I called out to them. "Chopped liver? Doesn't anyone want to make sure I get some breakfast?"

"Stop being a crybaby." They both uttered at the same time and then they started laughing. I stood in my doorway, watching them walk down the stairs arm in arm and I wondered at how lucky I was to be witnessing my brother bonding with my fiance. It was a sight I'd never thought I would see happen. I had never planned on getting engaged. I hadn't believed in love and I certainly hadn't planned to give my heart to some lady to trample all over. But then Lucky had wormed her way in and drilled a hole so deep that even I couldn't ignore the way she made me feel. I smiled to myself at the feeling of complete and utter joy that I was experiencing. I don't think I could remember ever feeling this happy before in my life.

"Yo bro, you coming?" I heard Noah call up the stairs and I hurried down to join them before he ate all of Lucky's special home fries.

"You still mad?" Noah's voice was cautious as he helped me put away the dishes from the dishwasher.

"What do you think?" I shook my head and placed the last gla.s.ses in the cupboard before turning around to face him. "I thought you were dead, Noah, and you weren't. You didn't even call me." I glared at him and kept my voice low. "The only reason I'm not shouting right now is because Lucky's upstairs in bed and not feeling well. I don't want her to see how mad I am at you, but trust me bro, I'm still really mad."

"I know you don't understand why I did what I did. And I'm sure you feel like-" he started and I held a hand up.

"You have no idea how I feel. I feel overwhelmed with happiness and love. I feel like I've been given my whole heart back. You're my best friend, Noah. All our life, it's just been you and me. I thought you respected and loved me enough to let me know what's up."

"I couldn't tell you." He looked into my eyes and I was reminded of the little boy who followed me around everywhere. "You know I would have told you man if I thought it would be okay." His eyes pleaded for my understanding.

"I don't understand why you told Sidney Johnson." The words sounded childish coming out of my mouth and I glared at him for making me sound like a jealous pansy.

"Sidney was the only person I told." Noah sighed. "I can't tell you why, but I trusted him."

"More secrets, Noah?" I shook my head. "Whatever."

"Trust me, Zane." He grabbed a hold of my arm. "Please just trust me."

"I missed you, man." I turned my face embarra.s.sed at how my voice had broken. "You know I trust you, but I missed you."

"I missed you too, bro. Every day." He looked at me and made a face. "But I knew you'd get them, Zane. I knew it wouldn't be forever. You've always been there for me. I didn't doubt you'd come through for me this time as well."

"I was f.u.c.king going to get Braydon if it cost me my life." I croaked out a laugh. "I wasn't going to stop until his sorry a.s.s was in jail."

"I knew you would do whatever it took. Even when we were children, you thought about me first." He looked up at me with admiration. "You were like a mom, and a dad, and a big brother to me, dude. You were always the one I went to, the one I could rely on, the one I pestered when I was bored."

"You were a pest all right."

"I knew you'd come through for me, Zane. I knew that it wasn't forever. I knew that I'd see you again."

"Just don't ever do that s.h.i.t to me again." My voice was gruff and I turned away from him quickly. "This last year has been h.e.l.l for me."

"But at least you got to meet Lucky." Noah's voice was soft. "If you hadn't been working the case you never would have met her."

"Yeah." I nodded and thought about everything for a moment. "I love her you know."

"She's good for you." There was a wistful look in his eyes. "You should be thanking me, man. If I hadn't gone away, you never would have met her. And right now, it would just be you and me here. You wouldn't have a beautiful girl upstairs in your bed, waiting for you."

"She's not exactly waiting for my loving, Noah, she's taking a nap." I laughed.

"Hey, she's in your bed right? If I hadn't gone away and if you didn't think I was dead, you would never have met her. In fact, you should be thanking me." Noah grinned at me.

"That's some twisted thinking, bro, but thank you." I laughed. "I'm thankful every day for meeting Lucky."

"She loves you bad, man." Noah laughed. "I've never seen a girl so kooky over you, not even those girls in high school. What did you do to her? Drug her?"

"Very funny." I punched him in the shoulder, but I was pleased at his words. I knew that Lucky loved me, but it felt great to see that other people could tell as well. "I asked her to marry me."

"Well, I should hope so." Noah laughed.

"Oh?"

"She's the love of your life. She's gorgeous. She's kind. She's nice. She sings like an angel. You don't let a girl like that go." Noah smiled at me weakly. "When you meet a girl like that, you don't let her go."

"I won't ever let her go." I knew that I had never spoken any truer words. Lucky was my life, and as long as she was in it, I knew that everything was going to be okay. We may have gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, but I knew that I was going to be the best husband and father that I could be.

"I'm glad I'm home, bro." Noah reached his hand out to me. "I missed you like h.e.l.l." I knew that was his way of apologizing to me. I knew that an awful lot must have gone on while he was away and I could tell that there were things he wasn't telling me, but I was patient. When Noah was ready to talk, I'd be here for him. No matter what. Because that was what family was really about: being patient, being loving, and being understanding.

"Me too, bro." I gave him a hug. "You, me, and Lucky. We're one big family now. And I'm not going to let either of you go again."

Epilogue.

Lucky.

"So I guess we're going to be parents then?" I was dumbfounded as we walked out of the doctor's office.

"Looks like it." Zane's voice was nonchalant and I turned to him to make sure he wasn't overwhelmed. I looked at his face and tried to look into his eyes, but he was too busy fumbling around in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" I frowned.

"I'm getting my phone out." He grinned at me and his eyes were jumping for joy. "I'm calling Noah to tell him we're having twins."

"Zane," I shook my head and laughed at his excitement. "So, you're not mad?"

"Mad that I have super virile sperm?" He winked at me and I punched his arm. "Of course not, I'm probably more excited than a guy my age should be." He put his phone to his ear and almost shouted into the phone. "Bro, guess what? We're pregnant. We don't know the s.e.x yet. But guess what? There were two heartbeats. We're having twins. I know, bro." Zane laughed and pa.s.sed the phone to me. "Noah wants to talk to you."

"Hey Noah," I smiled into the phone, wondering what he was up to.

"Hey sis," his voice is warm. "So Zane tells me I'm about to become an uncle."

"Well, you know." I giggled. "I hope you're ready."

"I guess that means that there is no chance that we will ever be together now." He teased me and I giggled. I had only known Noah for a week, but I already loved him like a brother.

"Sorry about that." I laughed.

"You should be." He growled. "But fair is fair, Zane found you first. I guess I'll just be the bachelor uncle, babysitting every Friday night while you and Zane go out and party."

"You got it, I'm glad you'll be our on-call babysitter."

"Try and get rid of me." He laughed, but I knew that he was finding it hard being back in this world. He had hardly talked about where he had been while in the witness protection program and Zane and I were a little worried about him.

"We don't want you to leave ever." My voice was soft and earnest, I wanted him to know that he would never be an unwelcome guest in the house. I saw Zane staring down at me with tender eyes and I reached over and grabbed his hand.

"You'll make a great mom, Lucky." Noah's tone was serious. "I'm so glad you came into our lives."

"Thank you. I'm so glad I am in it as well."

"I gotta go, but I'll see you both soon." Noah's voice caught, and I hung up the phone and handed it back over to Zane as we walked to the car. "I can't believe we are having two babies, we have so much to do."

"Like getting married?" Zane raised an eyebrow at me. "I a.s.sume we're going to do that before the babies come."

"Well, yes." I laughed at the eagerness in his voice. "But that wasn't what I was talking about. I had an idea!"

"Oh?" Zane looked worried. "Please don't say you want to get all experimental in the bedroom now, I'm not sure I'm ready for that until the babies come."

"Zane." I shook my head at him in exasperation.

"Okay, okay." He laughed. "If you insist, I suppose I can show you some new moves."

"Zane, listen to me." I pulled at his shirtsleeve. "I want us to hook Noah up."

"What?" His eyes looked at me in amazement. "We just found out we're having twins and we have a wedding to plan, and now you want to hook Noah up?"

"It'll be good for him. I think he needs to get out there. I know he hasn't been back long, but I don't want him to get stuck in a rut and well, he never really talks about where he was. I think this would be good for him."

"Oh Lucky, I hope you know what you're doing." He groaned.

"I do." I leaned up and kissed him as he opened the door for me. "I just want him to be as happy as we are, because I love you, Zane."

"I love you more, Lucky."

"I love you to Timbuktu and back."

"I love you to Mars and back."

"I love you to Neptune and back."

"I love you to the s.e.x shop and back." Zane burst out laughing at his joke and placed his hand on my belly. "In all seriousness Lucky, you've made me the happiest man alive, and if you think you can help Noah find what we have, I'm all for it."

I smiled up at him gratefully and got into the car. I had gotten my fairytale ending and I wanted to make sure that Noah got his as well.

Noah's story and Lucky's pregnancy and marriage to Zane will be continued in Noah's book t.i.tled, The Other Side of Love. The Other Side of Love will be released in September 2013. The prequel Before Lucky will be released in July 2013 and one more book about Leo, Guarding His Heart will be released in December 2013. Join my mailing list so that you will be informed when I have new releases.

OTHER BOOKS.

Are you interested in reading other books by J. S. Cooper? Then go here.

Scarred.

Healed.

The Last Boyfriend.

end.