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  Jeannie turned around, pivoting on the new heels she’d just bought when she’d shopped with Nina for strollers.

  He hadn’t. She strained her eyes along the dark hallway that led to the stairs.

  Her breathing came to a halt. “Mom?” she squeaked, peering closer, her legs wobbling.

  Her mother closed the distance between them, hurling herself at Jeannie and wrapping her arms around her daughter. “I can’t believe it’s you, Charlie. After all these years, I just can’t believe you’re alive. Thank God, you’re alive,” she sobbed, squeezing Jeannie tight.

  Tears streamed down Jeannie’s face, falling to her mother’s shoulders. She inhaled her mother’s familiar scent of lilacs and smiled up at Sloan.

  And she was home at last.

  Pulling from her mother, she took her by the hand and led her to where Sloan stood, smiling. “Mom, this is my fiancé, Sloan Flaherty.” She introduced him with so much pride, her heart throbbed. “Sloan, this is my mother, Nancy Gorman.”

  “I know all about this handsome devil,” she chirped, clutching Jeannie’s hand to her cheek. “We’ve been having lunch together all week long. I know everything, Charlie. Everything. Oh, God. I never thought I’d see you again. It’s a miracle.” She pulled Jeannie back into her embrace again, caressing her face. “It’s all going to be fine now, honey. I’ve missed you so much.”

  Sloan handed Jeannie’s mother a tissue just as Nina howled another squealing contraction.

  “Is that the lady in there having the baby?” Nancy asked.

  “And screaming like the end of the world is near? Yep,” Sloan said. “That’s Nina.”

  “Why don’t I go see if I can help?”

  “Wait, Mom. That might not be such a good idea.” She cast Sloan an are-you-kidding look.

  “It’s okay, sugarplum. She knows everything—everything there is to know about us—and I gotta give it up to Moms, she’s pretty tough. But she also has a nursing degree. So why don’t we let her go do her thing?”

  Nancy gave Jeannie one more quick hug before scooting into Nina’s bedroom.

  Jeannie’s head fell to her chest, tears streaming down her new silk blouse. “You are the best man in manlandia. Ever.”

  Sloan didn’t say anything, but he pulled her close, letting her burrow her face in his shirt.

  When her wave of tears passed, she asked, “I thought the FBI said I had to wait to contact her? Until they were sure none of Victor’s enemies might come looking for him.”

  He let his head rest on top of hers. “They lifted it just last week, and it’s all clear—everyone’s either dead or in prison. Sam contacted Fullbright on the sly. I knew it would be hard to find a way to just pick up the phone and call, or show up on her doorstep after so long. So I figured I’d break the ice for you.”

  She had no words to express the kind of gratitude she felt for this man—for this new life that had been given to her—for her new friends—for a future.

  “So this is the part where I tell you I’m nuts about you, right? Because you’re such a great guy and an even better fiancé?”

  He tipped her chin up and smiled, running his finger over her lower lip. “Yep. And it better be good, all hearts and flowers. If I don’t feel a tear spring to my eye? It’s off, lady.”

  Lifting her lips to his, Jeannie whispered against his mouth with a chuckle, “I love you more than I love Top Chef. No, no. Don’t say it. I’m amazingly gifted in word.”

  Nina’s scream, and the shout of “You’re almost there!” had Sloan and Jeannie rushing into the room just as Nina grunted her final push with a sharp yelp.

  “It’s a girl!” Wanda cried. “Oh look, honey—she’s beautiful!” The loud wails of the newborn, music to everyone’s ears, echoed through Nina and Greg’s bedroom.

  Jeannie smiled to herself. A girl. Of all the things for Nina to have, she’d gone and had a girl. Oh, the shit that would fly when Marty and Wanda tried to put bows in her hair.

  The dark thatch of hair on top of the baby’s head stood out against the white T-shirt Nina wore. Nina’s hands instantly curled around the baby possessively before Jeannie’s mother took her and wiped her clean, then wrapped her tightly in a blanket.

  Nancy handed the baby back to Nina, patting the bed so an even-paler-than-usual Greg would sit next to his wife. “Would you just look at you?” Nina cooed while Greg let his head rest on top of his wife’s and closed his eyes.

  Though Nina was unable to shed tears, her eyes were glassy when they met Jeannie’s. She mouthed a “thank you” to her, for which Jeannie threw her hand up to her forehead in an aye-aye-captain gesture.

  Sloan pulled her back to his chest, curving his arms around her waist, and she settled back against him—content to watch Nina and the baby.

  “So did you two ever come up with a name for the newest Statleon?” Wanda asked, reaching out for her husband Heath’s hand and squeezing it. He brought it to his lips and kissed it.

  Nina’s nod was curt, but her words were oddly thick and heavy with emotion. So un-Nina-like. “Janine, after my mother. Janine Charlotte Statleon. Charlie for short,” she said, gazing directly at Jeannie.

  Jeannie’s throat became tight. So Charlie would live on. She’d decided to keep her new name. It was easier for her catering business and the people she dealt with. But in her heart, she’d always be Charlotte Gorman from Nowhere, South Dakota, who’d made a horrible decision, but had fought her way back.

  “Thank you,” she mouthed back at Nina, and Nina in turn gave her the aye-aye-captain response with a watery grin.

  Little Charlie yawned then, wide and with a long grunt. “Holy fangs,” Marty muttered when they all got a good glimpse of the inside of Charlie’s mouth. Two tiny incisors, or fangs as Nina had titled them, poked from Charlie’s gums.

  Keegan slapped Greg on the back with a hearty smile, wrapping his other arm around Marty. “So we’ve got a little vampire—booyah, buddy.”

  Darnell leaned down and chucked the baby under the chin. “Ol’ Uncle Darnell sho gonna have his work cut out fo him, ain’t he, half-pint?”

  The men all took turns giving Greg a clap on the back before Wanda was shooing them out. “Baby and Mommy need quiet time now and lots of rest. Take your man-child thumps on the back downstairs. Arch made a feast for you bunch of Neanderthals.”

  Heath dropped a kiss on his wife’s lips before taking his leave, followed by Keegan, Darnell, Sam, Phoebe’s mate, and Clay, Casey’s mate.

  Jeannie left Sloan’s embrace to drop a kiss on Nina’s forehead. She held out her fist to the woman who’d shown her what survival and strength were all about. “Nice job, MWA. Or is it Mom now?”

  “My cootchie-la-la’s gonna need an overhaul thanks to you, midget,” Nina said, though it was playful and light. She nuzzled the dark head at her chest, and the baby snuggled deeper.

  “I am the head wishmaster,” Jeannie teased, running a tender hand over the baby’s hair before standing upright. “We’re going to go now and take advantage of all that free food, but make sure you call me if you need anything at all. ’Kay?”

  Marty was back at Nina’s head, wiping her with a cool cloth and, in general, fussing. “Jesus, Marty!” Nina flapped a hand at her. “Knock it off already. Stop flippin’ treating me like an invalid. I had a kid—not a freakin’ lobotomy.”

  Marty made a face at her. She rubbed a finger along Charlie’s cheek before planting her hands on her hips and giving Nina the look. “You know, Mistress of the Dark, you’re the most ungrateful person alive. All you’ve done is complain for nine solid months. Honestly, you could make a living doing it. So guess what, Elvira? I wish you’d knock it off with the complaining already! Whaddya think about that?”

  The room trembled ever so slightly and a tiny tendril of pink smoke wafted above
Charlie’s head before disappearing altogether.

  Oh.

  Oh. No way.

  Jeannie’s eyes flew to Nina.

  Nina, whose mouth was moving in typical payback-Marty-style, yet wasn’t omitting any sound.

  Oh, hell’s bells.

  Jeannie jammed a knuckle into her mouth to keep from laughing too loudly and frightening the baby. Clearly, her help was going to be in order. She rushed to the bed, scooping the baby from Nina’s arms and cuddling her close while Nina reached a hand out and dove for Marty’s hair, silently, mind you, but still with the intent of assault.

  Jeannie pressed her lips to the baby’s forehead, so soft and warm, and waited. She gasped when she felt the vibration, drawing Sloan’s attention.

  She’d learned much from Nekaar and Najim, and she knew the sign of the djinn. It was distant, and it was as yet fully developed, but if everyone thought Nina was a handful—wait till they got a load of Charlie.

  Sloan leaned over her shoulder, stroking the baby’s cheek with a knuckle. “Noooo,” he drawled.

  Jeannie nodded in wonder. “Yes.” Oh, yes.

  “So there’s work to be done, sensei?”

  Jeannie giggled, her heart so full. She snuggled closer to Charlie as Nina went for Marty’s throat and Wanda jumped between them. “Ladies!” she called, snapping her fingers so that each woman was frozen in place.

  The Insta-Freeze magic spell was high on her list of favorites. High. “We have some work ahead of us. Look, girls.” She held up the baby with a warm grin. “We have our first ever vampini!”

  She pulled the baby back to her chest, cradling her tight while Sloan pulled her to his side, right where she belonged.

  Her sense of belonging, her newfound confidence, and her love for Sloan were all the magic she’d ever need.

  Ever.

  * * *

  Click here for more titles from this author.

  Berkley Sensation titles by Dakota Cassidy

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  BURNING DOWN THE SPOUSE

  WALTZ THIS WAY

  KISS & HELL

  MY WAY TO HELL

  THE ACCIDENTAL WEREWOLF

  ACCIDENTALLY DEAD

  THE ACCIDENTAL HUMAN

  ACCIDENTALLY DEMONIC

  ACCIDENTALLY CATTY

  ACCIDENTALLY DEAD, AGAIN

  THE ACCIDENTAL GENIE