Epilogue
HARPER - TWO YEARS LATER
“ G irls, no more snacks until lunch, okay?”
“Really, Mom?” Sam groans. “But I’m hungry.”
I shake my head at her. The minute she turned nine last year, the sass came. “Uncle Bode is finishing up the hot dogs soon, sweetheart, okay? Drink some water and go play with Jamie.”
“Fine.”
She stomps away, before spotting her friends and running into the melee.
“You know she’ll be back up here in a few minutes, right?” Marcus tells me, pulling me down onto his lap.
The backyard is filled to the brim with people to celebrate a successful season for the Knights. They made it all the way to the conference finals, and they were one win away from going to the Stanley Cup finals. And that’s reason enough to celebrate—how far this team has come.
“I can at least try to hold the girls off. They’ve been eating nothing but chips and candy all afternoon. I do not want to deal with sick kiddos tonight. ”
“You know they’ll be monsters after they crash from all this sugar.” Marcus presses a kiss to my neck.
“Maybe that means they’ll go to bed early.” I waggle my eyebrows at my husband, pushing my sunglasses onto the top of my head.
“Don’t go giving me any ideas that you can’t make good on right now, Harper.”
“Oh, I plan to make good on every one of them.”
Marcus groans. “Now you’re just teasing.”
I press a warm kiss to his lips. “You make it easy, oh sexy husband of mine.”
“You’re so mean.”
I smile down at him. “You love it.”
“I don’t know why I do.”
“You can’t think of one reason?” I wiggle my hips on top of his lap.
“Right now? Not a one.” Marcus nips at my ear. “Not one single reason why I love you comes to mind.”
“Hmm, well. I can’t wait to show you all the reasons I love you later.”
Marcus groans as I hear the sounds of a happy baby.
“Do I need to separate you two?” Noah drops into the chair across from us, Jamie in his arms.
“No.” I hold my arms out for my son and he reaches for me immediately. “How’s my baby boy?”
Not long after we got married, well, renewed our vows, I got pregnant. We weren’t expecting it that soon, but Jamie might be the most doted-on member of our family.
The girls adore him. Marcus loves showing him off to every person he meets. Gigi spoils him. Me? I take pride in the fact that I’m my son’s favorite person.
Mama’s boy through and through.
“I don’t know how Jamie has so much energy. I’m exhausted,” Noah says. “I gave him a freezie pop and after running around, I’m ready for a nap.”
“Aww. Uncle Noah can’t hang,” Marcus says, rubbing a finger over Jamie’s chubby cheek.
A bright smile lights up his face. Two front teeth are jutting out from his bottom gum with another one popping down from the top. It’s the cutest smile in the world.
“I’ll put him down for a nap before lunch.”
“I set his pack and play up in Bode’s office,” Marcus tells me.
“Thanks.” I kiss his lips.
Bode’s house is an ode to modern architecture. It fits him to a T. Stark white walls with black fixtures and furniture that doesn’t look welcoming. His office is about the only room in the entire house that looks lived in.
Photos of him playing decorate the walls as well as old jerseys from his college days. By the time I’m laying him down, Jamie is sucking on his thumb, falling right to sleep.
With Bode having a pool and a sprawling backyard, he hosts get-togethers for the team often. Everyone loves it—especially the kids.
Turning on the baby monitor, I head back outside where all of the guys are hanging around the food table. The girls already have hot dogs on their plates and are scarfing them down.
“Slowly, please. No choking.”
“Uncle Bode said we can play with his giant chess set when we’re done.” Sadie is bouncing with excitement.
“Are you sure, Bode?” I ask, grabbing my own hot dog.
“Eh. Who else is going to use it? I don’t play chess.”
“That’s because I beat him,” Sadie gloats.
“That’s mean, tiny Evans.” Bode feigns hurt. “I’ll take you on after lunch.”
“Twenty bucks says I win,” Sadie bets .
“Don’t take that bet, Bode,” Marcus tells him. “You’re going to lose.”
“Oh no. I’ll take you on.” Bode walks over and shakes Sadie’s hand.
“My sister is going to beat you,” Sam tells him, matter-of-factly.
Sadie never holds back, and Bode never lets her win. None of us do. Sadie has taken on every one of these guys and beat them all. I’m so proud of my girl.
“I always love watching Sadie kick your ass, Bode,” Marcus says.
“You guys are mean, especially considering I invited everyone here.”
“We like your pool,” Noah deadpans.
“See if I invite you over again.” Bode pulls his sunglasses down and grabs Noah’s drink before heading back to the pool. But before he gets far, a woman with a car seat carrier rounds the house into the yard.
“Excuse me. Is there a Bode Adams here?”
“That’s me.” Bode holds out his hand.
“I’m Miss Mitchell from the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.”
“Why are you here?” Bode looks confused. “I don’t have any kids.”
“Oh shit,” Marcus whispers next to me, looking down into the car seat.
“I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for a few weeks now and was told you’d be here,” the older woman says. She holds out a stack of papers to Bode, who doesn’t take them. “This is your son.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Your son.”
“What the fuck? ”