“I love you,” she whispered.
“Let's never stop saying it, sweetheart.”
Epilogue
“How the mighty have fallen.” Noah Whittaker shook his head at the sight of Quentin pacing back and forth in the living room of his house, three-week-old Nicholas Patrick Whittaker snuggled on his shoulder, emitting periodic burps as if on cue from his father's gentle pats on the back.
Quentin troubled him with one quirked eyebrow and a sardonic smile. “You don't know what you're missing.”
Noah grinned and nodded when the baby burped. “Right. Fortunately, I don't.”
Quentin was getting used to his brother's teasing. These days nothing could puncture his sense of blissful contentment. Opening his heart to Elizabeth had been the best thing he'd ever done. And the birth of Nicholas had just cemented that happiness.
“Fortunately you don't what?” Allison asked as she entered the room followed by Elizabeth.
Noah lounged back on the sofa and pasted a beatific look on his face. “Er—fortunately I don't have a thing to do besides watch Quentin burp my fantastic brand-new nephew.”
Allison looked skeptical, causing Quentin to hide a grin. He turned as Elizabeth reached for the baby, and they exchanged loving looks. Motherhood had left her glowing from within—helped along by a healthy dose of love from him, he liked to think. He gave her a quick kiss as he handed the baby over.
“Ugh,” Noah grunted in good-natured disgust. “The resident love bunnies at it again. Don't you guys ever give it a rest? You'll be giving Junior here a brother or sister before he's crawl—”
Allison interrupted, “Watch it, pal. You never know when you'll be next.”
Noah pretended to look offended. “You'd wish that—” he jerked a thumb at the picture of connubial bliss created by his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew “—on me?”
“I have the most da-arling friend,” Allison said sweetly. “You'll love her, really you will.”
Noah raked fingers through his hair. “I should have never become an accomplice to your plotting,” he grumbled. “I should have known once you knocked off ol' Quent here, it would be just a matter of time before you got around to me.”
Liz turned to her friend. “Well, I guess I do have to thank you for originally suggesting Quentin as a sperm donor, as crazy as the idea sounded at the time.”
Noah guffawed. “That was the tip of the iceberg.”
Liz saw Allison's guilty look even as the suspicions started to creep in from the edges of her mind. “What does Noah mean, Ally? Tip of the iceberg?”
Noah smirked from his position on the sofa, and started counting off on his fingers. “Well, let's see. First, there was the plot to lure Quentin to the French bistro and make it seem like you and I were on a date.”
Allison glared at her brother, and Liz's jaw dropped open. “You planned that?” she asked Ally.
“Then there was the plan to throw you and Quentin together with weak excuses like having Quentin pick up cocktail party decorations for Allison from you,” Noah went on with equanimity, obviously enjoying himself.
“Noah, you know you're going to pay for this, don't you?” Ally asked in a voice coated with artificial sugar.
Liz swung to her husband. “Did you know about all this?”
Quentin shrugged. “I suspected some of it.” Then added dryly, “But I'm sure there are details of the master plan that I'll be finding out years from now.”
“Yeah,” Noah agreed, “and then there are details that not even Allison could have foreseen. I mean, who knew that Elizabeth's father and Celine would hit it off? Patrick's moving back to Carlyle and I doubt it's only to be closer to the baby. Those two will probably be heading off to the land of wedded bliss soon, and, Ally wasn't even trying to get them married!”
Allison finally threw up her hands. “Okay, okay. I'm guilty as sin. I admit it.” She shrugged. “What are you going to do? Sue me?” With a sly glance from Liz to her brother, she added, “As far as I can tell there would be no damages awarded anyway.” She glanced at little Nicholas dozing in Liz's arms. “Unless you think my darling pint-sized nephew is a bad outcome?”
Liz looked down at her now sleeping son and her heart swelled. She and Quentin had created this miracle together, a product of their love for each other, which continued to grow every day. She glanced up as Quentin slid his arm around her and knew he could read her answer—identical to his own—in the love in her eyes.
“No, Allison, this isn't a bad outcome at all. Thanks for helping us along a little,” she said before raising her face for her husband's kiss.