BONUS EPILOGUE
Challenged by the Single Dad
Three months after the epilogue …
“Okay, so call us if you need anything,” Chloe said to her mother Brenda for probably the twelfth time in the last ten minutes. Brenda cradled a three-month-old May against her chest and gently rocked back and forth. May was milk-drunk and fast asleep.
“Yes, dear. We know, dear,” Brenda said with amusement.
Dom slid into his Blundstones and grabbed his zip-up hoodie off the coat hook. He smirked at his mother-in-law who simply rolled her eyes and smiled.
Chloe ignored them both and stepped over to Silas, sweeping his hair off his forehead, pressing a kiss to rosy skin. “Are you going to be okay?”
Silas glanced up at her from where he sat with Chloe’s dad, Mike, on the couch, watching the hurricane over Florida on the tablet. “I’ll be fine. Grandpa Mike and I are just trying to guess where the hurricane is going to move next. I say it’s moving west, he thinks it’s moving north.”
Mike caught his daughter’s eye. “Go, honey. We’ve got this.”
“Come on,” Dom said, holding out his hand.
Chloe’s gaze bounced between her daughter and Silas. Dom knew this was hard for her. It was the first time they were leaving both kids with her parents for more than an hour, and beyond the distance of just the beach down below the pub.
May was three-months-old now, taking a bottle of breastmilk like a champ, and was used to her grandparents. She would be fine. More than anything, though, Dom and Chloe needed this time away for the evening together.
When Chloe told her parents that she was pregnant, they almost immediately started looking at buying a house on San Camanez and moving to the west coast from North Dakota. Chloe was their only child, and Elliott had been their only grandchild, so they couldn’t bear the thought of being away from another grandchild for even a minute.
But when real estate on the island proved near impossible to find, they grew defeated.
Cue, Abe Jeffries.
The old goat felt absolutely terrible about what happened to Chloe with Joey and constantly asked what he could do to make it up to her. So when her parents decided to move to the island, Abe was quick to offer up a chunk of his land for Brenda and Mike to build a tiny home on.
They didn’t even need to build, though. They bought a pre-fab tiny home and had it shipped to the island and had been living in it since the beginning of August.
Thankfully, Dom got along well with his new in-laws and they absolutely adored Silas, treating him like another grandchild immediately. And Silas was so happy to have more people in his life who loved May and Chloe as much as he did—his words. Grandpa Mike fell hard for Silas and quickly became a weather enthusiast too. They were constantly watching storms, staring at the clouds and naming the different kinds, and they were even discussing going storm chasing when Silas was older.
This would be the first date night for Dom and Chloe since May was born though, and while their relationship was as solid as ever, they still needed some time alone.
“We have done this,” Brenda said, patting May’s butt and swaying as she gently shepherded her daughter toward the door and Dom. “We’ve been parents and grandparents before.”
Chloe’s face fell a little and Brenda’s softened. “I know, Mom,” Chloe finally said. “I know.”
Dom held out Chloe’s windbreaker for her and she slipped her arms into it, then slid her feet into Blundstones. “Ready?” he asked.
She hesitated, but then eventually nodded. He opened the door and held it for her to step out first.
“Bye!” Silas called from the couch, not bothering to look up at them.
Dom chuckled. “Bye. Listen to your grandparents.”
“I will.”
He closed the door and rushed forward to open the door to his truck for Chloe, then offered her his hand so she could climb up. The uneasy look on her face would hopefully disappear once they were away from the house and enjoying themselves. He had a whole evening planned.
First, a picnic dinner at Humpback Beach, followed by drinks at the Thatch Pub and finally just some adult time at Heaven’s Leap Lookout. They’d only had sex a few times since May was born, and although Chloe didn’t complain of there being any pain or discomfort, she also had a very low sex-drive and serious fatigue. Dom was patient of course, but he also missed his wife. He missed the little noises of pleasure she made when he was deep inside her. He missed the way she squirmed and her hip lifts grew more erratic the closer she got to orgasm.
Running around the front of his truck, he climbed behind the steering wheel and hit the starter button for the engine. It roared to life and he backed out of the driveway he shared with his brothers and their families.
They were just pulling onto the main road when Chloe yelled, “Stop!”
Dom slammed on the breaks hard enough to make them both jerk forward against their seatbelts. “What’s wrong.”
“I didn’t put out the spare pacifier for May. What if she loses the one she has?”
Dom rolled his eyes. “She’ll be fine. Do you know where the spare one is?”
“On my nightstand.”
“Then text your mother.”
“Right.” She pulled out her phone and shot off a text. “Sorry.”
“All good. Can we go?”
She nodded. “Yes, we can go.”
He pushed his foot into the accelerator and they headed off toward Humpback Beach, his carefully prepared picnic in the backseat of the truck.
It was a warm fall, so they were able to make the most of the evening, and just don light jackets as they set up a gingham picnic blanket on the sand and lit a few candles. The beach was mostly deserted, save for a few people down at the other end tossing sticks for their dogs. They wouldn’t have light for much longer, but Dom didn’t care. He was with the woman he loved and that was all that mattered.
“Now that you can handle the smell and taste of fried food again, I had Burke whip up some fish and chips for you,” he said, pulling all their dinner dishes out of the picnic cooler bag. “He made it with fresh snapper, though.”
Chloe hummed in delight. “I love Burke’s batter. It’s so light. And not too greasy.” She picked up a fry and popped it into her mouth. “Oh, yum. It’s still warm.”
He spread out the two different salads, the veggies, olives, cheeses and fruits as well, then poured them each a glass of prosecco from the small bottle he brought.
“To our first date night in … a very long time,” he said, holding up his champagne flute.
She smirked. “You wined and dined me plenty before May was born.” She clinked her glass against his.
“Of course I did. I couldn’t have a baby with you without having taken you on at least one date.” He took a sip and delighted at the way the cool bubbles popped on his tongue.
“Do you think everyone is doing okay?” she asked, her eyes fixed on him making her up a plate.
“I do,” he said solemnly, handing her the plate loaded with all her favorite things. “I think they’re all very capable. May will take the bottle from your Mom, and Silas loves both your parents. He’s comfortable with them, which is huge.”
Not bothering with a fork, she picked up the piece of battered snapper and took a bite. “You’re still okay that they moved to the island?”
“I am. I mean, if they’d been unbearable people, I would have had a problem. But your parents are great. It’s also been easier having them over at Abe Jeffries and not in our back pocket up on the hillside or in a cabin or something. They have some autonomy and privacy and so do we. Besides, they’re already making friends and doing their own thing.”
“They make friends wherever they go.”
“All the kids love having them around.”
That made her smile.
It was true, though. Not only did Silas call Chloe’s parents Grandma Brenda and Grandpa Mike, but all the kids did. And Brenda and Mike loved having so many grandkids to dote on. It was also just great having another set of adults nearby to keep and eye on the children if something came up.
The first star in the sky twinkled overhead and a chilly wind off the water made the candles flicker and a few of them went out. Neither of them moved, though. They just continued to eat, chat and simply be together, despite how dark the sky grew or how chilly the wind became.
Eventually, though, their bellies were full and the number of stars in the sky rivaled the grains of sand on the beach, so they packed up and he reached for her hand. Together, they clambered across the sand, rocks and driftwood to his truck parked just beyond the beach grass.
“Where to next?” she asked, her eyes bright and just a little watery from the wind.
“I thought we’d go grab a drink at the Thatch,” he said. “Unless you’d rather go somewhere else?”
She shook her head. “No, that sounds good. Always good to check out the competition.”
That made him snort. He pushed the start button and reversed back onto the road. It was a Thursday evening, so the Thatch Pub on the opposite end of the island from his own restaurant, wasn’t too busy. Hopefully, his own pub was busier.
Jerking his chin at a few people he recognized, he and Chloe made their way to the two-top table near the window in the far corner. A server was already greeting them before their butts even hit the seats.
“I’m Viv,” she said, all chipper. “Can I get you two anything to drink?”
“Pecker Rye,” Dom said. “No ice.”
“I’ll have a Moscow Mule,” Chloe said after having spied it on the specials board on their way in.
Viv smiled and nodded, then headed to the bar to go place their order. During the day, they’d have a great view of the dock from where they sat, but since it was dark out, they could only see the boats bobbing sleepily in the inky black water, illuminated by the overhead lights.
Dom reached for her hand where it rested on the table, stroking his thumb overtop of her knuckles. “You’re thinking about them, aren’t you?”
“No,” she said sheepishly.
“You’re allowed to think about your children,” he said with a smirk.
“I feel bad. You put a lot of thought and work into tonight. I know you’ve been looking forward to it for a while too.”
“I have been, yes. But it’s okay for you to still think about your children when you’re with me.”
Her blue-green gaze turned serious and she shook her head. “No. No more thinking about the kids. We’re here together, on a much-needed date. Let’s talk about something besides the kids.”
He chuckled, knowing she wouldn’t be able to keep her promise. “If you say so.”
“I do. How’s the pub going? I miss it down there. I’m loving being off, but I also can’t wait to get back to work.”
“And why are you off work?” he asked, his tone teasing.
She opened her mouth, but then realized what he was playing at and caught herself, pointing at him. “Nice try. I told you I’m not going to talk about them, and I intend to keep my promise.”
Dom tossed his head back and chuckled just as Viv arrived with their drinks. “Are we just here for drinks or can I get you guys something to eat?”
“Just drinks tonight, thanks,” Dom said, taking a sip of his rye.
“Sounds good.” Viv made herself scarce and Dom squeezed Chloe’s hand, running his thumb over her bare left ring finger.
“Vica said Wyatt’s pushing to make this year’s Christmas party even bigger than last year’s considering how big of a success it was,” she said, sipping from her copper Moscow Mule mug.
Dom nodded, still rubbing her ring finger with his thumb. “I mean it was a huge success. We gathered a lot of donations for charity and islanders loved it. People have been asking all year if we’re doing it again.”
“Jagger sure had fun,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes.
That made Dom snort at the memory of Jagger and Raina at the Christmas party last year. “He sure did.”
Their conversation continued to flow free and easy, but he could tell her mind was back at home and she was aching to talk about the kids. She kept her promise though and didn’t bring them up.
They paid for their drinks and left the pub, huddling together as they ran to his truck in the pub parking lot.
“Home?” she asked, giving a little shiver as they buckled themselves into their seats and he turned on the truck and heat.
“Not quite,” he said, earning a curious look from her.
He drove to their final stop for the night, Heaven’s Leap Lookout, and parked. It was a beautiful view during the day, but at night, they couldn’t see jack shit. Didn’t matter though. What mattered was the view inside the truck—at least to Dom.
“Mr. McEvoy, did you bring me here to take advantage of me … or kill me?” she asked, humor in her voice.
“Take advantage of you, obviously,” he said, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Somebody already tried to kill Brooke here. I’m no copycat.”
Her eyes bugged out for a sec, then she smirked and shook her head. “Your sense of humor is dark.”
“You love it.”
She unbuckled her belt and he hauled her up and into his lap so she was straddling him. Brushing her dark red hair off her face, he rested his pinkies on her neck and stared into her beautiful eyes. “I love you, Chloe Voss.”
She melted and her expression softened. “I love you too.”
“Marry me.”
Her brows spiked nearly to her hairline.
“Why are you surprised that I’d ask the mother of my child, the woman that I love to marry me?”
“I … I don’t know.”
Opening up the center console of the truck, he pulled out a velvet box and tried to open it with one hand, but failed, so he had to use both hands. “Chloe Elizabeth Voss, be my wife. You’re already the mother of my children, and the woman who has my heart. Be my wife too.”
“Don’t forget I’m also technically your boss.”
That made him laugh. “You are, yes. So, even though you’re sleeping with a subordinate, can you put that aside and be my equal in life and love, even if you boss me around at work?”
They were in the dark cab of the truck so she reached up and hit the light overhead so she could see the ring and his face better. Her blue-green eyes went wide when they landed on the rose gold circle-cut diamond on the satin bed. “Don’t expect any special favors. You’re still a grunt and I’m still the boss—at work.”
“But I’m the boss in the bedroom, right?”
Her eyes glittered. “Right.”
“So will you marry me or what?” They’d been bantering back and forth, but she’d yet to answer him.
“I was just making sure of a few things before I said yes.”
“But you’re saying yes?”
She paused for dramatic affect.
He growled.
That made her beautiful face erupt into a smile. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”
“Woman,” he warned with another growl, grabbing her by the back of the neck and hauling her mouth to his. She ground down against him as their kiss intensified and his dick thickened in his jeans. They were dry-humping very quickly and her breathing was ragged.
Peeling his lips away from hers for a moment, he blinked and let his heartrate settle a bit. “Need this on before we can go any further.” Then he picked the ring up out of the box and she held out her finger so he could slide it on. He measured her finger ages ago while she was sleeping, using a string to get the size just right. Luckily, her fingers didn’t really swell much during her pregnancy or after.
“It’s perfect,” she said, the words coming out a little choked.
With another growl, he took both side of her face this time and kissed her like she wasn’t just the mother of his children and woman he planned to spend his life with, but like she was his fiancée, his future wife. The future Mrs. Voss-McEvoy.
She rocked against him again, and he pushed two fingers beneath the waistband of her stretchy pants where he found her sopping wet, swollen and ready for him. Two fingers tunneled inside and his thumb rested against her clit as she continued to ride him.
She wedged her tongue into his mouth and he sucked before spinning his tongue around hers. Fresh arousal flooded out of her and across his fingers and palm. Her rocking grew less rhythmic and her breathing was sharp and short. She was close.
“Dom …” she mewled, breaking their kiss and tilting her head so he could drop his mouth to jaw, then trail it down her neck. “Oh god.”
“That’s right, baby,” he said with a grunt, curling his fingers slightly inside of her.
“Oh god …” She stilled, opened her mouth but only a squeak came out as her clit swelled against his fingers and pulsed like it had its own heartbeat, and her pussy squeezed his fingers. She rode his fingers and her breathing escaped her lungs in shallow pants. He knew she needed this.
They both did.
Eventually, she spiraled back to earth and he met her there with soft kisses up her neck and across her cheeks and jaw. She dissolved against him, whimpering slightly and barely able to open her eyes as the last echoes of her release shook through her.
Smiling up at him, with goofy, hooded eyes, she murmured a soft, sweet little, “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” he said with chuckle as she slid off his lap and made to reach for the zipper of his jeans. “Your turn.”
He stopped her hands. “Not right now.”
She glanced up at him with confusion and maybe even a little bit of hurt. “Why not?”
“Maybe later. But that was for you. If you’re up for it, then we can have some grownup fun tonight. But honestly, I just wanted to ask you to be my wife and give you a release.”
Her gaze softened. “You’re wonderful.”
Heat filled his cheeks and he shrugged. “I try.” He pushed the light overhead and it turned off, then he pressed the start button. “Should we head home? Your boobs hurt yet?”
She winced a little. “I didn’t want to say anything.”
“I could feel that they were rock-hard against my chest.”
“They really hurt. I’m sorry.”
Dom reversed out of the parking stall and they lumbered down the dark road from the lookout toward the main road. “Don’t apologize. You have a three-month-old. You’re nursing. Sore boobs is a thing.”
She cupped them over her jacket. “They’re so sore.” Her eyes were sad, though. “I feel like I’m ending our night too soon though.”
He shook his head. “Nope. This was the last stop before home. I just wanted to get away with you for a few hours, get you off, and pop the question. My to-do list is complete. We can head home.”
“We’re definitely having sex tonight though.”
He shrugged again. “No pressure.”
“No, Dom. We are. I miss you. I miss you being inside me. I miss … I miss your hand around my throat and your finger in my ass. I miss it all. Please fuck your fiancée. Please.”
His cock twitched against his jeans. “I mean, if you say so.”
She lifted her eyebrows at him. “Do I need to beg?”
“Might help.”
She snorted and shook her head. “You’re lucky I already agreed to marry you.”
He reached for her hand across the bench seat and brought her fingers to his lips. “Yes, I fucking am.”