Epilogue
ELLIS
Six months later
I turned in my two weeks’ notice on a Thursday.
Anita hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. "I'm gonna miss you so much, but I'm so happy for you."
"I'll miss you too." I meant it. Working at the Westfield Quik-Fuel had been good for me. It brought me back to a sense of normalcy that I truly needed. But it was time to move on to something better.
Something I actually loved. With the man I loved.
Over the past few months, I'd been helping Ellis with the business side of Deep Roots Landscaping. At first, it was just small things, like checking his messages and scheduling appointments.
But then I started doing more important tasks like managing his books and updating his website with new project photos. It was super fun, and I was good at it.
Then one day, Ellis gave me the best news. "I wanna expand the company. Take on bigger projects and maybe hire a couple people to help me out. But I can't do it alone."
"You're not alone." I didn’t want to overstep, but I already felt fully integrated into every part of his life. "You have me."
"And I’m so damn lucky for that." He'd pulled me closer and kissed me. "That's why I think we should do it together. If you handle the office work, I can focus on the actual landscaping. We'd make a good team."
We already were a good team, in every way that mattered. But working together sounded fun too. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
When I got home that Thursday, Ellis was in the backyard working in the garden. "Hey, baby." He looked up and smiled when he saw me. "How was work?"
"I quit." I couldn't keep the grin off my face as I shared my big news. "Well, technically, I gave my notice. Two more weeks and then I'm all yours."
"Really?" Ellis dropped his trowel and crossed the yard in three long steps. He picked me up and spun me around. “That’s amazing.”
"Really." I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm officially gonna be the office manager for Deep Roots Landscaping."
"Best decision I ever made was hiring you." He winked and put me down on my feet.
"You haven't hired me yet.” I put my hands on my hips and feigned sass. “We haven't even talked about salary."
He tapped his chin as if thinking about it. "How about I pay you in kisses and dino nuggies."
The man knew the way to my heart. "Yeah, that works."
It was fun to joke around with him. We actually had discussed a salary when Ellis initially offered me the job.
He said we’d be 50/50 partners and I’d take the same salary he took.
That didn’t sound fair at all since it was his business and he did all the hard work, but he reminded me that we were now one family and it all went into the same pot, so I stopped arguing about it.
He put me down but kept his arms around me. "I'm so proud of you, Adam. I know leaving the security of a steady paycheck isn't easy, but you did it."
"It's not scary when I know I’ll be working with you." I looked up at him. "You’re way more steady than a paycheck."
“I love you, sweetheart.” He kissed me again, more insistent this time. “Forever.”
“Me too, Ellis. Daddy.” I rested my head on his shoulder and breathed in his musky scent. “You’re all the things I ever need. Right here in my arms.”
Next in the series…
Trace has lived with epilepsy his whole life. His seizures are quiet, familiar things that most people in his life have learned to ignore. They aren’t violent and don’t last long so it’s just something he’s learned to live with.
He keeps his circle of trusted people small and doesn't venture far from home very often. But one wrong turn onto an unfamiliar street, and suddenly, Trace is waking up on the pavement with a stranger's jacket folded under his head and a large, warm hand wrapped around his.
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As an introvert, he doesn’t put himself in situations to meet people, but when he’s out for a walk and comes across a sweet young man who needs someone to look over him, he can’t leave him alone.
He’s the kind of man who takes charge without being asked and Trace is no exception.
Trace has spent years learning how to exist in a world where he’s fully self-sufficient. But after just a few minutes with Everett, he’s actually able to picture a life with someone he wants to be vulnerable with.