One year later…
Theirs had been a whirlwind romance written for the ages. Sabrina didn’t know how she’d come to be so lucky. Seeing her guys running and jumping and playing in the sand, their skin made bronze by the tropical sunlight, she thought back to how she’d come to be here.
It all tracked back to that fateful day, when she’d taken a risk—with her heart and her pride.
William had taken her hand, buoyed her when she might have folded to fear and indecision, and guided her through. When she’d appeared in Oliver’s doorway with her tail between her legs, she hadn’t expected to be so warmly received, but he had taken one look at her and his brother, put the pieces together, and swept her into his arms in a crushing hug that had stolen her breath.
The trio had then visited Conner’s doorstep, and as she’d expected, it’d been a little harder to sway him. But he’d eventually come around, at his brothers’ urging, and given her another chance.
They’d never looked back.
As a group, they were unstoppable. Conner took the natural leadership role that he was born for, paving the way for the rest of them to follow. He had a head for business that even Sabrina couldn’t match, but he never tried to overrun her authority or step on her toes. In the office, he was the perfect complement, always at her side ready to hand out valuable advice. She leaned on him more than she ever thought could be possible, as someone who prided herself on her independence.
William brought levity to the table. He knew when she was stressed, and he knew all the right solutions to relieve it. There was a never a dull moment when he was around.
Oliver…well, he was her anchor. Just as much a leader as his brothers, he did so with a quiet authority that she respected above all others. He pushed and pulled at all the right times, reading a room in a heartbeat and helping to adjust the climate to maximize results.
They were a powerhouse together, bringing the company to new heights, and they’d done it all without the interference of either of their fathers. Sabrina’s father had made good on his promise to hand the business over to her completely, and he’d returned to paradise and was now enjoying a full and true retirement. Charles Hargreaves had quietly returned to his hometown in the UK, and after a few shaky months, bowed out of the corporate world entirely, turning over all US holdings to his sons and selling off the rest to support his own retirement.
They hadn’t heard much from him since.
Sabrina couldn’t say she was sorry, but she did regret that it had come down to this, where Conner, William, and Oliver had to experience the loss of a parent in order to claim their future.
But there was nothing she could do about that. They’d assured her every time she expressed concern that they were fine and wouldn’t have it any other way. That they didn’t feel it was much of a loss, after what their father had done. Charles’ actions had been just as much a betrayal to them as it had been to her, and they couldn’t and wouldn’t stand for it in their lives. The trust had been not just broken, but shattered, and they didn’t foresee reconciliation in the near future.
She’d let it drop after that, deciding that she would follow their lead. Her only concern now was to live her best life, and that was beside her three gorgeous men.
It was a year to the day today that they’d first met in a boardroom and entered into a deal that would seal their fates to one another, and they were celebrating. A week-long vacation in the French Riviera overlooking aqua waters and a never-ending horizon that epitomized the definition of paradise had been the perfect getaway.
They were on their last day there now, and Sabrina was already mourning the idea of getting back to work and the routine of daily life. It made her wonder what it might take to secure holdings here, and she vowed to raise the question with the guys later. Surely, there had to be a way to live, work, and play in the most beautiful place she’d ever seen, but even if they couldn’t, she had this week and many more in the future to look back on and forward to, because she wasn’t going anywhere ever again. And neither were they.
Sabrina gazed at the ring finger on her left hand. More specifically, at the glittering five-carat cushion-cut diamond ring set in a simple mount and surrounded by platinum.
As one, they’d proposed to her last night in their bedroom getaway overlooking the vast Mediterranean Sea. The wall of windows that separated the indoors from out had been pushed back, allowing the warm breeze to come in off the water and the glow from the flickering tiki torches to set the mood.
Sabrina had been expecting a late romantic dinner. Instead, she had been faced with three men taking a knee at her feet, with William on the left, Oliver on the right, and Conner dead center. Conner produced the ring, holding the perfect rock nestled into a black silk cushion up to her. Their naturally stormy matching eyes asked the same question, even though only one of them spoke.
“Sabrina,” Conner said, his voice dark and husky and filled with hope, “a year ago, we entered a business deal that we knew was going to be a good move for our family and our name. We had no idea at the time just how lucrative it would be.
“We’ve had our ups and downs along the way, but through it all, we were able to find us, and that’s hands-down the best deal we could have entered into. You were unexpected but wholly welcome in our lives. Thank you for making this our best year yet, but now we have to ask you…”
In unison, they said, “Will you make every year to come even better? Will you marry us?”
Of course, she’d cried, and then she’d shot her hand out and screamed, “Yes!”
It was the only word she could say, and after they slipped that band on her finger, they’d made sure it was the only word she would continue to say the rest of the night.
This morning she was lounging while watching them play volleyball on the beach because they’d used her body hard and well, rendering her incapable of participating, but that was fine by her. It was a joy just watching them have fun, while she busied herself with thoughts of their future.
She couldn’t have foreseen any of this, but she was so glad she’d decided to take a chance on a path less traveled and accepted an indecent proposal, because it’d led her to the loves of her life. And now she was looking at forever with them.
Thankfully, she could say that her parents, namely her father, had eventually come around to a tentative acceptance of their relationship, understanding that it was her choice and her life to live—on the promise that she wouldn’t let it ruin what he’d spent his life building. She suspected they didn’t think it would last, and that may be the only reason they didn’t say more on the subject. Now, she would have to break the news to them that they were about to gain not one but three sons-in-law, and she wasn’t entirely sure how they would take the news.
She also knew that she wasn’t going to concern herself with it either way. This was the path she’d chosen, and she would choose it a million times more. It wasn’t about what everyone else thought, but what made sense for her, and together, the four of them just worked.
Smiling to herself, she felt the inner glow of true happiness pouring out of her, and she imagined she must be as radiant now as the sun shining down on them.
Taking her cell phone from the beach tote, she pulled up the number for her other favorite person and dialed out, accepting the exorbitant international charges. When she heard the bubbly voice on the other end pick up, she grinned and squealed, “Janet, girl, you won’t believe what happened.”
Somehow, sharing the news of her engagement made everything real, and as she glued her gaze on her Conner, William, and Oliver, and filled her best friend in on the details, Sabrina finally felt full.
This life wasn’t guaranteed, and her choices may not be popular, but she had found her happy place, and that was all that mattered because love didn’t always fit into a mold. Sometimes, that mold had to be broken in order to find it, and she finally had. Out of all the business deals she’d made, this was the most valuable one she’d ever entered into, and she had only one thing to say about that:
Vivir tu verdad
(Live your life)