Epilogue #3
The retired baseball player stood next to my glowing best friend, her belly finally starting to show a little bit.
She wore black jeans and a purple shirt that showed off little Connors 2.
0. I moved to her and wrapped her up in a gentle hug.
We held on for a long time, forgetting the world around us.
“How you feeling?” I asked, dropping my hands to her bump. Her ocean eyes sparkled as she looked to Dean, who had moved to the food, holding Aiden in one arm and a plate filled with BBQ in the other.
“I’m on top of the world, Kay,” she answered.
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out,” my husband said, his voice kind as he looked at her. She stared at him for a moment, her eyes warm. “Thank you, Collin.”
“Dad! There’s Batman!”
Col’s face broke into a smile at the sound of Aiden’s voice, and Dean approached us with a mouthful of food. He pressed a kiss on G's forehead and gave me the “sup” nod. I shook my head with a laugh. “Is that your second or third plate, Dean?”
He swallowed. “Don’t worry about it. A guy’s gotta eat.”
“Did you take the Batmobile?" Aiden asked Collin as he stared up at him in awe.
“Not this time, kid.”
“When can I see your Batcave?”
“Uh, ask your parents.”
“Momma, can I go see his Batcave?” The sweet little boy asked, hope in his voice.
She blinked and opened her mouth to speak, but Haley came rushing up to us, her auburn hair a mess around her shoulders. “Sorry, we're late. Traffic was terrible.”
“You live a mile away,” Dean deadpanned, handing his son a piece of cornbread.
“Shut up, Dean” she hissed, trying to tame her hair. Her agent came up behind her with a smug look on his face. “Evening, everyone.”
Now that everyone was here, the rest of us made our plates and headed upstairs.
To the loft.
The door swung open, and we all filed inside, gathering around the island.
Jer hopped up on the opposite counter and pulled Casey in between his legs.
James took a seat on one of the barstools, and Haley sat on his lap.
Gwen sat on a barstool at the end with Dean looming over her.
Aiden was playing with his toys on the couch, cartoons playing in the background.
Collin pulled me into his lap on the last stool and set our plates on the island. We all ate in silence for a moment, enjoying each other’s company and the delicious food.
Haley cleared her throat and said, “I have some news.” The girls and I shared a look before we all screamed when she stuck out her hand and wiggled her ring finger to reveal a stunning emerald ring.
“Oh my God!”
“Hals! Yes!”
“Congratulations, boss man!”
James smiled and pressed a kiss to Haley’s temple. Dean beamed at them both and pointed his fork at James. “Glad you got your head out of your fucking ass.”
Jer threw his head back in laughter when James glared at Dean. “I bought that ring four years ago,” he stated plainly. Haley twisted her neck to look at him.
“Really?” she breathed.
“Yes, princess. Really.”
“What about you, Collin?” my brother asked, setting down his empty plate. Casey shook her head and mouthed an apology as I bit the inside of my cheek to hide my smirk.
“What about me?”
Jer wrapped his arms around Casey’s shoulders. “What are your intentions with my sister?”
“You don’t need to worry about that, Jeremy,” he said, placing his left hand on the table casually. His eyes held Jer’s. His hands were covered in tattoos, but there, on his ring finger was a white, tattooed band. Gwen was the first to notice.
“Kay? Did you—” Her eyes filled with tears, and she wiped them away. “Sorry, these hormones are going to be the death of me."
“Holy shit, Collin! Kay! Are you two married?” Haley asked, leaning over and grabbing my hand. I winced and nodded. “I didn’t mean to steal your thunder,” I said.
She laughed. “You know I don’t care about that. But I am mad I didn’t get to plan your wedding.”
I smiled and looked at my husband, still in a staring contest with my brother. Casey turned and smacked him in the chest, hissing at him in Spanish.
He snatched her hand and held it against him. “I’ll put a ring on that finger right now, honey. Test me.”
Dean raised a brow and nodded in approval.
James ran a hand through his hair. At one point in time, he forbade Casey from being with Jeremy, but clearly, that backfired.
You couldn’t stop love.
“We wanted it to be private. Just us,” I explained, leaning into Col.
“Well, I’m happy for you—both of you,” Gwen said with a warm smile. “And you two as well,” she said to Haley and James.
We passed around our congratulations, swapping stories.
“First of all, Dean Connors drives like a fucking asshole,” my brother said, causing the room to erupt in laughter.
Dean pointed at him. “I won, didn’t I?”
“He has to drive like an asshole with that old car,” Haley teased, knowing damn well that Dean’s Mustang was a classic.
He put his hand on his chest. “That hurt, Red.”
Collin shook his head and took a sip of his beer as Casey looked at him. “What about you, mafia man?”
He coughed and set his drink down, his cold eyes landing on the tech genius. “Mafia man?”
“If you're asking if I can drive, yes, Casey, I can drive,” my demon said, his voice low. His hands squeezed my thighs behind the counter.
“Yeah, Batman drives fast in his car,” Aiden added from the living room.
Gwen turned and glared at Collin. “How fast were you going with my son in the car?”
Collin shrugged. “He had his seatbelt on.”
That caused James to laugh and soon everyone else joined in. The loft where it all started was filled with laughter, warmth. and love.
Love would find a way.
No matter how bad it got, love would come out on top.
Jeremy’s phone began to ring, and the laughter died down. His brow furrowed as he looked at the screen.
“It’s Dontell.”
“I thought he was in Houston,” Col noted, and Dean and James nodded.
“What’s up, man?” Jer answered. He gently urged Casey out of the way and landed on his feet.
His jaw tightened as he looked at Collin. “Get your ass back home. Tell Leon to bring his sister; she can stay in the loft. Oasis. Tomorrow.” He hung up, and the room was silent.
“Jer?” Casey came around him, her hand on his bicep as she looked up at him. “What is it?” He looked down at her and then back to Collin.
“The Russians are here.”
A cold shadow seeped into the loft, hovering over us.
If there was darkness in your life, then your story wasn’t over…