Epilogue
Haddy
Gigi
I’m lonely.
Haddy
I’m right across the street!
Gigi
It’s not the same.
Haddy
We have dinner together almost every night.
Gigi
Almost is a long time. It’s so echoey upstairs all alone. Come see me
Haddy
I’m lying on my couch with a bowl of tater tots on my stomach and Patsy on my head.
Gigi
Why is she on your head???
Haddy
She’s on the back of the couch, which puts her on top of my head.
Gigi
Walking is good for you, isn’t it? It’s how mom went into labor with me.
Haddy
You came out for a dog… which explains a lot!!!
Gigi
Haddy
Fine.
Heaving myself off the couch, I scoop Patsy under my arm and carry my bowl with me out into the twilight.
I’m in the last weeks of pregnancy, and I literally waddle like a duck when I walk now. I’m not overdue like Aunt Liv was, but I wouldn’t complain if Lucy decided to come out now.
“You are too cute barefoot and pregnant.” Gigi meets me at the door, taking Patsy from my hands.
“You could’ve walked over to see me.” I grumble, eating another tot as I plop onto the couch and put my feet on the coffee table.
“I don’t know.” Gigi scoots in beside me. “It’s sort of your little love nest. I don’t think Gav would want me there when he gets home tonight.”
“He’ll be glad to be home. Mav’s the one who’s going to be sulky.”
The two of us watched the championship game together last night on television, and sadly, the Champions lost.
The game was held in Edmonton, Canada, and I’m too far along in my pregnancy to fly. Otherwise, we’d have been in the arena in our Gav and Mav sweaters cheering for them.
It’s been hard to watch Gav play since his injury. The last time he went in for a steal and got checked against the boards I had to cover my eyes. Then a fight broke out, and I had to leave the room.
I’m turning into Aunt Dylan, hiding behind columns while trying to watch our family football games.
At least he replaced his helmet with one that has a full plastic face guard and not just a strip around his eyes like before. That shot was one in a million, but I’m glad he’s not taking any more chances.
“Where are they?” Gigi leans to look at my phone screen while she steals a tot.
“Almost home.” I show her my tracking app, and the little car icon is bouncing along getting closer to our street.
“I gave Gavin a hard time for stalking you after Christmas.” She pushes my arm. “You two are too cute.”
Noises outside the house signals their arrival, but I’m too big to get up. It doesn’t matter. Mav bustles through the door before Gigi even has a chance to get up.
The minute he sees me, he yells over his shoulder. “Haddy’s at our place!”
Then he crosses the space to drop his bag in the laundry room, leaving the door open behind him. I can tell by his expression, he’s still unhappy about the loss.
Chewing my lip, I decide against trying to make him feel better. I know my cousin, and he’ll have to get through his emotions on his own.
Gavin, by contrast, smiles as soon as he sees me. “Hey, were you lonely?”
He walks over to the back of the couch, leaning down to kiss the top of my head. “I was pretty freaked the whole trip thinking you might go into labor.”
Reaching up, I hold his face, dropping my head back for a real kiss. “Lulu knows better than to try and come out without her daddy here. Now, however, all bets are off.”
Gigi hops onto her knees to face him. “Sorry y’all lost the championship. That Edmonton team was killer.”
“We played well.” Gav shrugs. “Just wasn’t our year.”
“Is it because you don’t have a lucky charm?” I scoot to the side so I can see him.
“I think you’re my lucky charm.”
Warmth squeezes my chest just looking at him there, so tall and handsome in his suit, smiling that straight white smile, that bit of scruff on his square jaw. It was only a few days, but I miss him when he’s gone.
“A person can’t be your lucky charm.” Mav stalks back into the room. “It has to be a thing, or a ritual. Hads is right. You need to get one.”
Gavin’s blue eyes slide to mine, and he just shakes his head, mouthing it’s you. I duck forward, covering my laugh with my hand.
Just then, the doorbell rings, and Mav skips back into the living room, eyes wide. “Uh, Gigi, I have someone for you to meet.”
My cousin’s back straightens quickly. “What have you done?”
“You’ve been complaining about it being too quiet upstairs, so I found us a temporary roommate!”
“Maverick Murphy!” Gigi is on her knees on the couch facing the door as she argues. “We’ve talked about this…”
“Look how well it worked out last time,” he argues, slapping Gav’s shoulder. “You’re going to like this guy.”
“It’s a guy?” My cousin is about to argue when Mav opens the door.
Standing on the steps is a handsome man the same height as Mav.
He’s got longish brown hair, and he’s wearing a light blue suit that makes his blue eyes seem to glow.
His shoulders are broad, and he has nice hands, one of which is holding a large bag and the other is holding the leash of a bloodhound dog.
I don’t think it’s pregnancy hormones when I say, he’s pretty damn hot.
“Gigi, Haddy, I’d like you to meet Owen Stone.” Mav holds a hand to him. “And Ladybird.”
My eyes go to Gigi, and her green eyes are wide. Her lips part, and she sits down on her feet.
I decide I’d better jump in and save her. “Hi, Owen, it’s so nice to meet you.” I nod at the big dog. “I love Ladybird. She’s a beauty.”
“Nice to meet you.” He ducks as he steps into the living room.
“That’s an unusual name for a bloodhound. Is there a story?”
“Oh…” He exhales a light chuckle, and dimples appear in both of his cheeks.
My eyes widen as I look over at my cousin, who still hasn’t said anything.
“She likes to sing along with Shania Twain,” he continues. “It’s actually howling. Loud, long howling.”
“I can’t wait to hear it.” I laugh, putting my hand on the couch beside me to stand.
Only I can’t seem to get up. I rock back and forth until Gavin reaches down to give me a push. Gigi snaps out of her trance, hopping in front of me to hold my hands and pull.
“You’re turning into a team effort, Hads!” Mav laughs watching the three of us.
“Don’t make me hurt you, Maverick.” I cut my eyes at him when I’m finally able to stand.
He runs over to take my hands from Gigi. “Here, I’ll walk you home. Where’s Peepee?”
“I’ve got her.” Gigi hands the little dog to me. “You’re not going anywhere. You have a guest to situate.”
“Gav can walk me home. I’m tired.” Leaning forward, I kiss Gigi, hug Mav, then I wave to Owen. “I’ll see all of you tomorrow.”
“I’ll whip up something spicy. See if we can’t coax Lucy out of there.”
“Maybe she likes cats?” Gigi skips over to me, holding my hand.
I lean to her ear. “Maybe you like bloodhounds.”
She gives my arm a pinch, and I glance up to see Owen rubbing the back of his neck. “When my little girl was born, my late wife went into labor getting a foot massage.”
Gigi and I freeze, clutching each other. A little girl? A handsome widower? We give each other the curious side-eye.
“You’ll have to tell me all about your little girl tomorrow.” I hold out my hand to shake his.
“Night, Owen.” Gav puts his hand on my shoulder, and we head for the door.
Once outside, he chuckles, pulling me close. “You two are as obvious as… something really obvious.”
“Well, he’s got his work cut out for him.” I hold Gav’s arm, leaning on him as we walk across the street. “Gigi swore off men after her last love-bomber.”
“What’s a love-bomber?”
“A guy who acts like he’s sooo in love with you, takes you on all these elaborate dates, treats you like a queen, then ghosts the minute you sleep with him.”
“Oh, you just mean a dick.”
“That…” I point up at him, grinning. “That right there is why I should’ve known Karen lied to me. You’re true blue Gavin Knight.”
“I really love you, Princess.”
“I love you.”
Gavin
Warm water swirls around us, and the scent of lavender floats in the air. Haddy is in my arms, her back against my chest, and we’re in our big, jetted garden tub.
“I don’t know how much you paid for this house,” she sighs, “But this tub makes whatever it was worth it.”
Chuckling, I kiss her temple. “Anything for my queen.”
“You know, if you said that in front of anyone, they would gag over how corny it sounds…” She tilts her head to the side, kissing my jaw. “But I love it.”
“I know.”
She snorts a laugh at my Han-Solo-ism. Her long hair is bunched on top of her head, and I reach down to put my hands on her hips, circling my thumbs over her lower back. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I don’t care how awful it is, I’m ready to get her out of me.”
“You’re doing so good, babe.” I kiss her again, thinking about the push present I’ve got waiting for whenever our baby girl finally makes her appearance.
“I’m sorry you lost the championship.” Her voice is quiet, and she tilts her head to check my expression.
I kiss the tip of her nose. “Thanks, but I tell ya, I think that injury played a role.” Shaking my head, I slide my hands up and down her arms. “It was so late in the season, I never had the chance to get back to my fighting speed. And I was worried about you here, thinking of you going into labor with me in fucking Canada… my head just wasn’t in the game. ”
“To be fair, Canada is a nice place.” She’s teasing, and I exhale a low chuckle. “And that Edmonton team… I mean, it’s Gretzky-town.”
She knows my idol… hell, every hockey player’s idol. I put baby powder on my stick for the first five years I played.
“Try telling your cousin that.”
“Mav’s just hates losing… Oh…” She shifts abruptly in my arms. “I think I’d better get out of the tub.”
“Okay.” I reach down, lifting the drain and holding her arms to help her stand. “Hang on… I’ve got you.”
Reaching for a towel, I’m holding her hand when I hear her gasp. My eyes snap back to her wide blue ones, and my stomach drops. Her chin dips, and we both look down to where a gush of water rushes from between her legs.
“I think my water just broke!”