Epilogue Two
Storm
Ten Years Later
I watch as my wife of our three children runs and cannonballs into our pool. I can't hold back the laugh that escapes me. I spot a quick flash of the tattoo she got with the girls the first year they were open. Each one of them got a little tattoo of something sweet on their shoulder. My Candy's is of two candy canes crossed over each other. One is blue and one is purple. She said she got it for me as much as she got it for the business because of my nickname for her.
Every time I take her from behind and see it, I have to smile. It warms my heart to know she wants me to be part of her world, a part of everything she does. I love her so much that some days it hurts to watch her walk away from me, even if it's only for a few hours. And I might have gone a little overboard when she was pregnant with our babies. It was hard for me to let her out of the house so there was no chance I was going to let her out of my sight for very long. I converted the apartment over the store into an office and worked there. Hell, I still work there. I'm close enough to her that if she needs me all she has to do is yell.
Some people might think that’s nuts or that we are crazy for wanting to be this close to one another all the time, but we don't give a fuck what other people think or say. We're happy and that is all that matters. I look around at our friends and family and realize how thankful I am that my sweet Candy came into my life.
She swims over to Bonny and Lilly and starts playing around with them. Bonny has another baby bump growing. I swear Grayson keeps that girl pregnant. We had our two boys and our little girl. After that, we sat down and had a talk about how lucky we were to have three healthy babies. Being pregnant was hard on her and I worried constantly about her health. We both decided that it was best to stop where we were. It was especially hard for Candy I think. She would have had a whole house full. Hopefully, over time I was able to ease whatever hurt that caused away.
I watch her laugh and smile as our little girl leaps in right after her mother. She has a head full of dark curls just like her mom, but she has my eyes. I've already put in a request to my accountant to buy stock in gun ammunition. I don't care what kind; I just know that I'm going to need them the older our little angel gets. Thank God, I have a whole slew of protectors ready and willing to step in and help. Her brothers being the first to jump in whenever they think someone is upsetting their sister. But also, I've noticed that one of Lilly's kids is right behind them. He is going to be just as big as his daddy and seems to have taken a liking to our Breeze.
In fact, he’s right behind her jumping in and swimming over to her. I listen just a little to what he is saying and it sounds like he is telling her to be careful - something my baby girl isn't going to take very well if she is anything like her mother...and she is. Sure enough, Candy has to break up an argument between the two of them in a matter of seconds.
"It's a damn good thing we all like each other because it looks like we are headed towards being in-laws in the future."
Lilly's husband says right next to me. I clap him on the back and watch as my woman does her thing and works it out so Lilly's boy can watch as Breeze plays close by with the other girls. Her breaking up a fight with kids turns me on. Everything she does turns me on. I keep watching her until I find a good time and then I'm leaning close to her and whispering, "We have twenty minutes until Grayson has the burgers done and there is only one thing I can think of that I want to do in those twenty minutes baby. Why don't you tell Bonny and Lilly to watch the kids for a little while and come with me?"
She nods and gives me a small grin that lets me know those twenty minutes are going to be some of the best I've had since...well, lunch today. Is there any wonder I walk around with a smile on my face and a jaunt in my step when I have her to come back to time and time again? Even after ten years of marriage and babies and life, I find her the sexiest thing in the world. She's my Hard Candy and I do have quite the sweet tooth.