Mended Hearts (New Beginnings Series) (30 page)

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Ready to start our new life, angel?”

“More than ready,” her brown eyes sparkling.

They turned to follow their friends out of the building, and dove headfirst into that new life.

EPILOGUE

Several years later, Sonny sat in his seat at Bayside Christian Church surrounded by little bodies—all with dark hair, and huge amber-brown eyes—listening to Gracie sing her Easter solo,
Revelation Song
. The twins—a boy and a girl—were almost five, and his younger daughter was two-and-a-half. Gracie would be giving birth to their baby boy in a couple of months. Life, and his heart, were full.

After the babies started coming, Gracie had given up singing at Savannah’s. Colby had opened a recording studio and used her as a studio musician part-time. She also taught a few private vocal students and sang with the praise team and the choir at their church. She’d never been without music in her life and she never would be.

Sonny’s knee injury did, in fact, keep him from going back to his team as an active member. He moved into BUD/S training, which was still physically demanding, but at least he wouldn’t be putting his teammates at risk out in the field. It turned out that he was as fulfilled as he’d ever been, even with the changes in his life. He gave Gracie credit for that.

After he left the Navy, he opened a security consultation firm with Trace and Charley. They worked with private companies, but also had several military contracts.

Gracie finished her solo, and he was filled with pride—as he always was when he heard her sing. He turned to shush the twins, who’d decided this was a good time to visit with the McKenna kids seated in front of them. Trace leaned over to warn his kids that the Easter bunny could still take those baskets away, and all of the kids—McKennas and Ionescus—settled right down. It was another blessed Easter.