Her Silver Fox Mountain Men (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems)

Epilogue II

Elise

They say time flies when you’re having fun.

“Order up for table four!” Hayley calls out from the kitchen as she brings two plates out. One of our waitresses immediately picks them up and takes them over to table four. The food smells amazing.

Kara and Michael sit in the booth with me, making sure Jonas and Leo eat all their veggies. They are here visiting for the holidays.

“It’s going great, isn’t it?” Michael asks, looking around.

I laugh lightly. “I didn’t think it would do this well, to be honest.”

“You did a wonderful job with the renovations,” Kara says, one eye always on her nephews. “Dudes, the broccoli, too.”

Jonas and Leo are now feisty and opinionated four-year-olds, and they give her a tough guy look. “I hate broccoli,” they say in unison.

“You love broccoli,” I reply with an eye roll. “You’re just being fussy, misters.”

“I want a burger and fries,” my lovely, blonde-haired, blue-eyed angel Jonas sighs. “Me too,” his equally towheaded twin agrees. We’re pretty sure Oliver contributed the genetic material for these two, but we agreed not to do any DNA testing unless it’s medically required. “And pecan pie.”

“You’ll get the pecan pie if you finish all your veggies,” I insist, letting them fiddle around with the rest of their food while I shift my focus back to Kara and Michael. “Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without you two.”

Kara shakes her head. “All we did was send you money.”

“A lot of money,” I reply. “Way too much money.”

“Shush. Good interior decorators are hard to find,” Kara says. “Besides, the family owed you much more than that.”

The diner now resembles one of those sleek and fancy places from the late fifties, with black-and-white floor tiles and lacquered-red accent walls. Everything else is white, except the comfy furniture, which is done in a plush palette of soft greys.

It carries that Rockabilly vibe I love, and the jukebox that Michael sent from Chicago has become my favorite piece.

The best part—it’s packed.

Every day, we are filled and busy, and it’s going to get even busier as Christmas approaches. There’s a number of holiday fairs in the district that tend to draw a lot of people from the city, especially Boulder.

“I still can’t believe James and the guys actually bought the place for me,” I say with a big smile. “When Janice mentioned it was for sale, I figured it was nothing more than a pipe dream. I never imagined they’d just—”

“Go ahead and buy it?” Kara cuts in with a smirk. “Provide for the woman of their dreams? Frankly, I am not surprised at all. I’m just glad they proved themselves worthy of a Konstantinova princess.”

I laugh and shake my head.

“Oh, by the way, you should know Papa changed his will and added Jonas and Leo to his list of heirs.”

My heart practically stops for a hot second. “What?”

“Well, with Igor gone, Papa said he wanted to split his share between the rest of us, and that Jonas and Leo are as much Konstantinov as any of the others,” Kara replies with a casual shrug.

“Are you for real?”

Michael nods slowly. “I was there when he signed the new will.”

It’s heartwarming and comforting to know that Jonas and Leo have that kind of security waiting for them. Lev is well aware that my sons will never be a part of the Bratva business, but Papa made sure that Jonas and Leo will have a safety net regardless. He’s such a good grandpa. Truth be told, he has more than made up for his past mistakes.

“Where are your hubbies, by the way?” Kara asks me.

“They’re on their way,” I reply. “They dropped the girls off with Janice for the weekend. Jonas and Leo will be joining them later tonight. I wanted you two to be able to spend some time with them first.”

“You’re going away, huh?” Mike says.

“Just a weekend getaway before the Christmas frenzy begins. We’ve got the holiday specials coming up, they’ve got contracts to close before the new year, and we’re all just… tired.”

James, Oliver, and Roman have proven to be the most amazing husbands and fathers. The girls are happy and well taken care of, Jonas and Leo are close to being spoiled rotten but they are learning to balance their emotions. We’re never without. Always happy. And if we’re not happy, we’re strong enough together to overcome anything that comes our way.

I’m living the dream every damn day.

I pinch myself sometimes, worried that I might wake up staring down the barrel of Igor’s gun again.

But this life is real. It’s all so real and beautiful.

“How’s everything in Chicago?” I ask my brother.

“Good, actually. I’m about to apply for a PhD in political science,” he says. “Papa got me an internship with Senator Barnes for the summer. It’ll be a great way to get my foot in the door.”

“Oh, that’s amazing!” I say, somewhat surprised. “But what about, you know, the family business. I thought you were hands-on.”

“I’m slowly stepping out, letting Kara and Andrei handle most of it.”

“We decided Michael would be of better use to the family if he nabs some form of political office,” Kara grins. “He’s good at it, too. We’re not letting him waste his talent in the Bratva. Besides, Papa still has his strength and Andrei and I have gotten most of the partners in line. There were bloody examples set after Igor, so we’re not having much trouble on that front. It’ll be okay.”

“Any word on Igor?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

Kara lowers her gaze. “We haven’t heard anything but it’s probably not good. It’s better for everyone if we just pretend he no longer exists.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

She cuts me off. “Relax and get this boy his pie. Look at that plate. Not a bit of broccoli left!”

I can’t help but laugh. “Well done, Jonas!”

“Pie, please,” my son replies with his father’s signature smirk.

As soon as the waitress brings his pie over, the boys dig in with hilarious enthusiasm while Kara and Michael tell me more about their business and political developments. Everyone seems to be moving forward. It feels like a victory at the end of the day.

“There they are,” Michael says as the bell above the front door chimes. I turn around just in time to see my gorgeous mountain men walking in.

“How are the girls?” I ask them.

“Eager to get their brothers back. I think they have plans for them,” James replies with a chuckle.

“They’re going to tell scary stories under the bedsheets again,” Oliver sighs. “Janice saw Tricia run upstairs with a flashlight.”

“Those two,” I giggle, shaking my head in fake dismay. “Imagine what it’s going to be like with another brother or sister.”

Roman laughs lightly. “They’re still enjoying the heck out of Jonas and Leo.”

“Wait,” James picks up on my micro-expression. I’ve been waiting all day to see them, to tell them. The fact that Kara and Michael also happen to be present for my news just adds to my happiness. “What’s going on here? You’ve got that look about you.”

“What look?” I innocently ask. “The look of happiness perhaps?”

“I’d say it’s more than that,” he replies, suspiciously eyeing me.

Oliver picks up on it, too. I hear Michael grunting as Kara nudges him under the table.

“Boy, that’s gotta hurt,” Jonas quips, making me laugh.

“Elise,” Roman says, coming closer. “James is right. You’ve got that look about you.”

“You’re glowing,” Oliver says.

“Is that your way of saying I’m getting fat?” I reply with a raised eyebrow. “I’m only three months along. Hold your horses, will ya?”

Three chiseled jaws drop at the same time.

“Holy smokes,” Kara says. “You’re really looking to put together a whole football team, huh, sis?”

“Nothing wrong with that,” I reply, then glance up at my husbands. “Isn’t that right, fellas?”

“You’re pregnant,” James concludes.

“What’s pregnant mean?” Jonas asks.

“It means Mommy’s gonna have a baby,” Michael tells him.

“Yep, looks like you’re getting a little brother or sister,” Kara tells her nephews.

“Well, I figured it was a good time,” I say. “Business is booming. We’re all in great health. All the kids are in school and doing well, and Jonas and Leo are old enough to welcome a younger sibling now, too. Am I getting anything wrong?”

“Lord, no, you’re getting everything right,” James says and comes in for a kiss. Our lips meet, joining in a taste of love and pure bliss, a promise of even more challenging yet beautiful days ahead. “We’re going to have another kid, huh?”

“How do you feel about those mountain lions kicking me out of my cabin, now, Roman?” I ask, holding back a laugh.

He gives me a soft, warm smile. “I still want to find them and shake their paws.”

What began as a terrifying escape from a controlling and dangerous man turned into a love story beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of.

I hope you loved Her Silver Fox Mountain Men.