Epilogue Seraphina #2
She came up behind me a minute later. “I’m glad Reed and Alex could join us.”
I turned away from the blast from the past to face her.
“Yeah, I usually drag Reed to most holiday things since he hates being under the same roof with his family. Alex usually spends his time with his parents, but they’re on a world cruise until January.
” I wanted to keep an eye on him anyway, so I was relieved to have him there.
She slung her arms over my shoulders, and I brought my hands to her hips. “I can’t believe next week I’m selling my parents’ house. Kind of surreal,” she said a few quiet moments later.
“You having second thoughts?” I didn’t blame her if she was.
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s time to say goodbye.
Time to live my own life, too.” She’d told me last week that as much as she loved math, she was pretty sure she’d only become an accountant for her parents.
“I’m looking forward to this next chapter.
Once we move to Charleston, I’ll figure out what I want to do. ”
“Take all the time you want. And if you don’t want to work, that’s fine by me, too.” I kissed her, then gently set my mouth to her forehead. “Whatever makes you happy makes me happy.”
“Buying a house with you in Charleston makes me extremely happy.” She smiled. “Who’d have thought the pilot who’d scared the hell out of me would convince us to move to where he lives?” She held up a finger between us. “As long as he understands I’m not up for any rides in toy planes.”
“Only real ones, I swear.”
Honestly, I didn’t care where we lived as long as we were together.
But it made me feel better that when I was off operating, Owen’s wife was in town to keep Seraphina company.
They’d immediately bonded, which was probably why we were really moving there.
She needed to find new friends, ones who wouldn’t replace her like her old ones had.
She deserved ride-or-die friends like I now had with Alex and Reed.
“Well, I ...” My words trailed off when the doorbell rang. “Mom didn’t say she was inviting guests.”
We untangled ourselves, did a quick check to ensure we didn’t look like we’d just had sex, then went downstairs. The door was already open, with my mom standing there, blocking my view of the front porch.
“I think I’m at the right place. I couldn’t find a current address for Ryder Lawson, but with the holidays, I was thinking maybe he’d be here.” The woman’s words had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.
Who’s that?
Seraphina shot me a nervous look from over her shoulder before my mother stepped to the side, giving me a clear view of the blonde on the front porch.
The woman’s blue-green eyes narrowed on me, but I didn’t recognize her. So why was she looking at me like she knew me?
I kept hold of Seraphina’s hand, walking her with me to the door. I barely registered the fact that Alex and Reed were now hovering behind us in the foyer.
“Do I know you?” I asked her.
She fidgeted with the zipper of her white puffy jacket. “I’m so sorry to drop in on you like this, especially the night before Christmas, but we ... Well, this is a long shot, but I just thought ...”
The woman was damn nervous. Why? Who the hell was she?
“I went to see him first. I thought he’d want to know he has a grandson. Showed him proof I was his daughter. Turns out, that wasn’t the best idea. He thought I was after his money. Sent us both on our way. I only just found out about him last month. You too.”
I took a step back, my skin heating up despite the cold air smacking me in the face.
“I’m sorry, but what are you saying?” My throat constricted, and when a little boy came up behind her wearing a fuzzy blue hat that matched his eyes and jacket, and he pointed those big blues at me, my heart jumped from my chest.
“This is your nephew, Chase.” With his back to her, she rested her gloved hands on his shoulders. “I’m your sister, Audrey.”
I stared at her in shock. I wasn’t sure for how long, but long enough that my mother had to intervene and offer for her and her son to come inside.
“What?” I mumbled. As far as I knew, my father had never had another family. Well, I never checked after that day at Princeton, but this woman was too old to be his daughter if he’d had her after I left for the military.
“How old are you?” Mom asked her as I glanced at Seraphina, finding her shocked brown eyes intensely pointed at my sister.
I have a sister? Holy fuck.
“I’m thirty-three. Chase is eight.”
I didn’t need to be great at math like Seraphina to figure that one out. She was five years younger than me. The math didn’t fucking math.
Was I really shocked my father had cheated? And, from the sounds of it, abandoned Audrey’s mother, too? How many other siblings did we have out there?
“Maybe I shouldn’t have come here, either.” Shit, there were tears in her eyes. The same color eyes as mine. As Dad’s eyes.
Fuck that man, though. Fuck him all the way to hell. How could he look at his grandson and send him away?
“No, honey, we’re glad you’re here.” Mom reached for her arm, stopping her from leaving. “Why don’t you stay with us for dinner? Unless you have other plans?”
“No, no other plans.” Well, that was almost painful to hear. Where was Chase’s dad? Audrey’s other family? “You’re sure we’re not imposing?” She smoothed a gloved hand across her cheek, catching a tear.
“You’re family. No imposition.” Mom didn’t even question her story. She believed her, just like I did. I felt it in my gut. We shared not only blood but also the pain of being left behind.
I let go of a deep breath and dropped before her son, taking a knee. “What grade are you in?”
“Third. I’ll be nine next week.” He smiled, showing two crooked adult teeth that had come in.
“Wow.” My heart squeezed. “And what do you like to do for fun?”
His eyes lit up, and his answer did me in. “I love to skate and play hockey.”
“I—I had no idea about ...” Audrey’s words trailed off as I looked up at her in surprise. “I probably wouldn’t have wanted him to, had I known.”
I focused back on my nephew, seeing myself in the kid. Do not cry. Fucking A. Don’t. “I bet I have some of my old skates in the garage. Maybe you can show me your skills while you’re in town? That is, if your mom plans on staying around for Christmas.”
“We would love to,” Audrey rushed out. “If that’s really okay with you?”
All it took was a gentle nod of reassurance from Seraphina to help me make up my mind. I could leave my old man in the past where he belonged, and for this kid, I could pick up a hockey stick again. I could do that for Chase. Maybe I owed it to myself, too.
“I’d like you to stay,” I finally said, pushing upright to stand tall. “This is my fiancée, Seraphina.”
Audrey removed her gloves and extended her hand, but Seraphina went in for a hug instead, and then my mom did the same.
I startled at the feel of Chase wrapping his arms around my legs to hug me. A chill roped around my spine, and that same bolt of energy continued a path through the rest of my body.
Reed stepped in, offering his hand as he introduced himself. “I’m Jason Reed.”
“Wait, how am I just learning Reed isn’t your first name?” Seraphina folded her arms, shooting Reed an adorable look.
“Well, you never asked,” Reed said casually, letting go of my sister’s hand, and Alex stepped forward to meet Audrey next.
“Alejandro Rodriguez.” I didn’t miss the fact he checked her hand for a wedding ring as he greeted her—and nope, there wasn’t one there.
“I’m his brother from another mother.” He closed one eye, shaking his head.
“Shit, sorry. Bad joke.” But Audrey laughed, and I’d swear the man’s whole fucking face lit up at the sound.
“Nice to meet everyone.” Audrey unzipped her jacket, and Reed morphed into a gentleman to help her out of it. “Are you sure this is okay? Chase is pretty active, and—”
“It’s more than okay.” Mom hooked their arms. I was relieved she was so welcoming of a child that’d been from my father’s infidelity. “Come on in. You like wine?”
“Absolutely.” Audrey smiled, and Mom took hold of Chase’s hand with her other, guiding them away from us and into the kitchen.
I remained nailed to the floor in the foyer, not yet ready to move.
“You good, boss?” Alex with the boss shit, so help me.
But when I looked around at Seraphina, him, then Reed while hearing my mother chatting away with my sister and nephew, I gulped, realizing I’d never been better.
Seraphina wrapped her arms around me, and I held her back, resting my chin on top of her head.
“Amazing, in fact,” I finally answered.
“Well, then”—Alex clapped—“on that note, why don’t we give you a moment alone.”
I nodded my thanks, and once it was only the two of us, Seraphina pulled back to locate my eyes.
I palmed her cheeks as she stared at me with a mischievous look. “What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing.” She smirked.
“Liar,” I teased.
Her gaze flicked toward the kitchen. “Just wondering if maybe ...”
Alex and my sister? Yeah, I knew exactly what she was cooking up in that gorgeous mind of hers. “Not happening,” I grunted.
“Look at you, stepping into the big-brother role so fast.”
I blinked. Processed. Recalibrated. Waited to truly absorb the fact I had a sister and a nephew.
At the sound of laughter coming from Chase in the kitchen, emotion choked me up all over again.
“I’m not sure what Audrey’s story is, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a novel-length one,” she mused.
I held on to her even tighter. “I may have missed out on her whole life, but I’m not like my father, I’ll step in and be there for her however I can be.”
“Well, she’s lucky to have a brother like you.” She kissed me.
I swallowed. “I just can’t believe my dad sent her and Chase away. I hate him for that, more than I hate him for what he did to me.” I hung my head as she rubbed my arm. “I need to close that chapter of my life for good.” I was done letting him and what had happened get in my head.
“I’m here for you, for whatever you want to do. And I’m proud of how you’re handling the hockey thing with Chase.”
Hockey, right. “Been a long time.” I sighed. “In a strange way, I’m looking forward to putting on a pair of skates, seeing if I still have it.”
“Oh, I have no doubt you do, and you have to promise to do that erotic hip-thrust warm-up thing, too.”
I lifted my head, cracking a smile. The woman was beaming. Or, hell, maybe that was me, and she was mirroring my feelings? “If that’ll make you happy, I’ll do it on top of you, too.”
“Maybe if you’re good, I’ll let you be bad and sneak into my room after everyone’s asleep.”
Oh, you can count on that happening.
She licked her lips. “A little late-night storm.”
I shifted her hair away from her face, hope and a sense of peace dwelling inside me as I murmured, “You are my lightning, beautiful. Por siempre y para siempre. ”
“ Forever and always. ”