EPILOGUE
AJAX
“Ratched, if you don’t calm down, you’re gonna wear a hole in the floor,” I said as I reached for Sandi and tried to pull her close to me.
“I can’t sit down right now. They’ll be here any minute!”
“All the more reason for you to sit down and relax because I’m sure that you’ll be too busy to do anything of the sort after they get here.”
“Let me check the rolls one more time. They should have risen a little more by now and . . .” Sandi let out a loud ‘oof’ sound when I yanked her toward me and settled her between my splayed knees. “You know I want to throat punch you when you do that?”
“I know you do, but you know how much I like to kiss the mad away. That’s why I keep doing it.” I gave her a kiss so hot that it melted her against me, and when I finally lifted my head and gazed down at her dreamy expression, I couldn’t help but smile. “What are you so nervous about?”
“I’m not nervous!” Sandi argued with a frown, her dreamy look gone in an instant.
“Are you worried about me meeting your boys?”
Sandi sighed before she admitted, “A little bit.”
“No reason to be. If anyone should be nervous, it’s me.”
“Are you worried about meeting them? Once you talk to them, you’ll realize that they’re awesome guys.”
“I know they’re awesome guys because they’re part of you and you’re fucking awesome.”
“You say sweet things, but I know you’re probably nervous.”
“The only thing I’m nervous about is how in the hell I’m going to wrangle one guy who is finally home for a visit after a shit ton of time overseas and can’t wait to relax and have a few beers while he holds fifteen pounds of beads that he plans to distribute to any woman with more than a C-cup in a place where no one knows him so he doesn’t have to behave. Then there’s another guy and his girl who haven’t ever experienced all that is New Orleans and can’t wait to walk on Bourbon Street and take cemetery tours at night. They’re here with his mama who has discovered a fondness for Sazeracs and thinks she’s ten feet tall and bulletproof after two drinks. And I’m gonna have to do all of that wrangling in the middle of fucking Mardi Gras, which is the absolute worst time to be living here.”
Sandi leaned her head back and studied my face for a few seconds before she asked, “How did you know that Mia wants to take a cemetery tour?”
I gave her a shrug, and Sandi glared at me. Then she asked, “And how do you know that Wyatt is excited about tossing out beads for boob shots?”
“Educated guess?” I hedged.
“You’ve been talking to my boys behind my back!”
“Maybe.”
“How long?”
“Well, I’d like to say it’s at least nine inches, but we both know that’s not the truth.”
“Ajax,” Sandi hissed.
“Since the first week you started living with me, Ratched.”
“You called them?”
“No. Garrett figured out how to get in touch with me, and after we talked, he gave my number to Wyatt and he called me.”
“What the hell for?”
“To make sure their mama wasn’t shacked up with an asshole.”
“What did they say when they found out that I was?” Sandi snapped.
“They each told me in their own way that if I fucked up, you’d be the least of my worries, even though they knew that you could take care of yourself if the need arose.”
“In a way, that’s sort of sweet, but I’m still not happy that you didn’t tell me about it.”
“How would they check up on you on the down low if you knew they were talking to me?”
“I’m not happy about this, but I’m going to let it go because I want to have a nice, calm, relaxing visit with them while they’re here.”
“Honey, they grew up in your orbit and know that none of those words ever go together when you’re around, but they love you anyway and want you to be happy.”
“It’s a good thing I love them right back.”
“And it’s a good thing you love me too,” I said with a smile before I leaned in to give her another kiss.
Sandi hummed before she said, “That’s the only reason I haven’t poisoned you yet.”
“Okay,” I said before I slapped her on the ass and then pushed her away so I could stand up. “Let’s get this show on the road. We’ve gotta be at the airport in an hour, and God knows we’re already cutting it close with the traffic around here.”
Sandi looked around the apartment that she had spent hours rearranging, cleaning, and then rearranging again in preparation for her boys’ visit before she finally looked back up at me.
“I love you, Ajax, and I’m glad you got shot.”
I laughed before I said, “And even though it pains me to say this, I’m glad I got shot too.”
“And you’re lucky I love you so much because the urge to put a few bullets in you myself is pretty overwhelming the majority of the time.”
“I’m sure it is.” I pulled her back into my arms and smiled at her before I said, “Just like the urge to put something in your mouth to get you to shut the hell up is almost overwhelming for me on occasion.”
“Go ahead and try it, and you’ll be pissing in a bag for the rest of your life.”
“It’s a good thing I’ve got a nurse on staff settled here permanently then, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. I’m permanent even though that was the last thing I thought I wanted as recently as a year ago.”
“Honey, a year ago, I thought the woman for me was someone I only knew from letters I received years ago. I’m glad that I found the real thing, and I wouldn’t trade you for all the gold in the world.”
“Good. Now take me to pick up my spawn and then bring us back so I can mother them until they confess every bad thing they’ve done since the last time I saw them and then beg me for mercy.”
“That begging for mercy thing seems to happen a lot when you’re involved.”
“Lucky for you, I’m a reasonable woman.”
“Yeah. You’re always reasonable. That is why I love you.”
THE END