Epilogue
One year later…
“TJ…” A soft murmur of breath came across the back of his neck and TJ felt Cody move over him. Spreading his legs, he raised his hand behind his head and threaded his fingers through Cody’s hair as Cody kissed his neck.
“I’m ready.”
Cody slid inside and TJ moaned at the fullness he felt. Cody kissed him along his shoulders and neck, then gasped as he pulled out and pushed back inside. “I love you.”
TJ shivered at the emotion in Cody’s voice. “I love you too.”
This time of the morning, before either of them started the day, when they were both still sleepy, sex was soft and slow, a gradual rise in arousal until TJ came, emotions swamping him.
He felt Cody shiver above him, then change the angle until TJ gasped.
It wouldn’t be long until they both came, and when he did, he groaned and shuddered.
Cody eased out and rolled away, and lay panting next to him. “Morning.”
TJ chuckled and leaned up on his elbows, kissing him, ignoring his wet ass. They’d ditched condoms months earlier, and it had made everything between them more intense and messier. “Morning.”
“Toni and Carter’s today. Are you ready for the mayhem?”
“I have no idea how they cope with all five of the kids.”
“We did offer to have Cassie live with us.”
TJ cuddled into Cody’s side. “She spends a lot of time with us.”
“They all do. Five kids every other weekend and during the week when work allows is enough for me.” Cody ran his hand down TJ’s back, his fingers dancing over TJ’s damp skin. “Do you want more kids?”
“I’m already a parent, so the question is, do you want kids?”
“I’ve been thinking about adoption, but not yet. I want to finish college first, but at some point, in the future, yeah.”
Hmm. Him and Cody one day in the future. He could see it. “Maybe once Arthur and Lincoln are in college themselves. Macy and Christian will be older, too.”
“Have I told you how much I love how close we all are? I never had this with Cass and Emily. I feel like I finally have a family.”
“Boys! Are you up? You need to eat before you drive home.” TJ smiled when Cody shouted back that they were now awake. “Then get down here!”
Chuckling, he kissed Cody. “Let’s go and have something to eat.
” It didn’t take long before TJ was sitting at the table with Cody, laughing at Mama as she threatened to spank Cody over Freya putting weight on even though they’d only been there for a long weekend, and then she threatened Cody for losing weight even though Cody hadn’t lost a pound.
Jed caught TJ’s eye and winked, an easy smile on his face. “Mama. Let the boy finish eating.”
“I need to make sure he’ll take care of himself,” Mama fussed some more, and TJ hid his grin from Cody when he glanced his way. When it was time to leave, TJ hugged everyone and got in his truck to drive them home.
“See you all next month!” Cody shouted as TJ pulled away. He loved coming here and it was nice to get away from Robinson and his job and the fallout from Cass and Angelo’s arrests.
The trial wasn’t for another few months, but Cass and Emily had all their assets frozen and didn’t live in Robinson.
From what TJ knew, they’d separated as well.
Cassie had nothing to do with them and wanted it to remain that way.
As far as she was concerned, TJ and Cody, Toni and Carter were her only family.
Life with Cody was easy. Easier than TJ had expected. Some residents of Robinson did make comments about their relationship, but for the most part, people were happy Cody was back alive and well. That was all that mattered to TJ.
When Cody had finally told him he’d changed his name to Redding, TJ had stared at him in stunned silence before pulling him close and kissing him.
Later that day, TJ watched Cody swing Macy around, smiling as she laughed gleefully.
Cassie followed Christian around as he crawled at supersonic speed.
At nine months, he was trying to stand but wasn’t quite there yet, something Toni was grateful for.
She grumbled about having to move things around, so Christian and Macy didn’t break anything.
Things had been tense between TJ and Carter, but over time had eased.
Carter knew he’d had no choice but to arrest Cass, but it had hurt because Cass was his brother.
TJ knew from Toni some of the anger toward TJ was because Carter had missed all the signs and needed someone to blame.
His own brother lying to his face for years had cut deep and TJ had been the one to face the brunt of it.
Cody dropped Macy off with Lincoln, then collapsed next to TJ. “Remember when I said I wanted kids in the future? I’ve changed my mind. They’re too tiring and I’m getting old.”
TJ burst out laughing. “Imagine how I feel!”
“You’re way fitter than me.” Cody’s eyes roamed over TJ’s body and TJ reacted. One look from Cody and he was ready to go. So different from their beginning.
“I have to keep up with you.” There wasn’t a single part of Cody’s body that TJ didn’t know and as for his back, he made sure Cody knew it didn’t bother him at all. The scars were badges of what he’d survived, and TJ always paid attention to them.
“When we leave here, I think we’ll need time to recover, so we should go to bed.”
“Cody, half the time we don’t even make it to the bedroom.”
“And your point?” Cody ran his hand up TJ’s leg, causing him to shiver.
“Cody,” TJ warned softly. “Children.”
“Those children are at our house every other weekend. They know we have sex.”
“That’s because you can be loud.”
Shrugging, Cody grinned. “What can I say? You squeeze me just right.”
TJ closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Not here.”
“I love you.” Cody kissed his cheek. “I love how easy it is to wind you up.”
“I could put you in timeout.”
“Or the naughty step. You could join me, and we’ll really make it a naughty step.”
“Okay.” TJ stood and ignored Cody, who laughed. “Toni. Anything I can do?”
“Pay for Carter’s vasectomy?”
TJ winced. “That’s a no then.”
Toni sighed, then leaned her head on TJ’s shoulder. “Life is good, isn’t it?”
“It really is. We have made a great family.”
“And a member of that family is trying to kill his brother by hitting him over the head with his controller. Arthur!” Toni shot off and TJ followed, a smile on his face. He glanced back at Cody and waved, feeling the love he had for him swell inside.
Life was good. Life was really good.
The End