Bonus Epilog - Cameron
Chapter forty-two
About a year or so later…
We were moving into a new house together, and even though it hadn’t been a requirement when we were house hunting, we managed to get one closer to the brewery. It made Everett happy, and that made me happy.
Jackie helped me move a lot of my stuff in, but unable to agree on which to keep, we bought new bedroom furniture and sold the other two sets.
We used his living room furniture because it was in better shape than mine, and he loved his recliner.
It was coming together, and the best part was that since Everett’s menace, Mitchel, sold his brewery, we got a nice payback.
It didn’t cover everything, but it helped enough to allow me to do all the renovations before moving in, so it was perfect.
Every bit of our house was exactly what we wanted.
“Thanks for helping with this.” I shoved the couch into place.
Jackie wiped his brow. “No problem, dude. Need help with the TV?” It was currently on the floor leaning against the wall, but we were going to hang it over the fireplace.
“That would actually be cool.”
“Get it up there before it gets broken.”
“No lie.” I gave Jackie a fist bump and we got busy. It wasn’t easy, either. We had to hang the mount, then attach the TV, which was probably bigger than we should have gotten, but it fit, and after a little struggle, we got it hooked up without breaking anything.
“That job calls for a beer, dude.”
“No lie. I have some of Everett’s IPA in the fridge. Or…” We’d also installed a beer tap that held a full-sized keg. “We have the Cerveza Clara on tap right now.”
“Oh, is that the Mexican one?”
“Yep.” They actually used corn in that one along with the barley and hops, and it was one of my favorites.
“Dude! I’m down for that.”
I poured us each a beer, and we went out on the back porch, sitting under the umbrellas by the pool. The place came with a rough in-ground, but we resurfaced it and added a hot tub. It was now a gorgeous little paradise.
“This is nice, Cameron. I’m super proud of you.” He tapped his cup against mine.
“Thanks. Never thought I’d have this.”
“What this are you referring to? The house? The business? Or…” He wiggled his eyebrows, leering at me like a goof. “Everett?”
I smacked him in the chest. “Stop. Seriously, though. Everett first. Never thought I’d ever have any kind of relationship unless I moved away.” The rest of it fell in line after him.
“Who knew your future would move here instead? Just like mine did.”
“Maybe not just like yours but still.” Alfred had moved here kicking and screaming, and ultimately only went through with it because Eddy wanted him to and they not only worked together but were best friends.
Jackie and him falling in love was like a side quest. “Well, maybe not too different.” Because Operation Get Everett to Relax had been an ongoing thing, which I conquered, of course. It was time for a new mission.
Operation Get Everett to marry me.
And it started with setting up this place before he got back from Sacramento, and I was running out of time.
“Come on, lazy ass, let’s get the rest of this knocked out.”
“Lazy? Holy shit. Can’t believe you called me lazy.”
“You do nothing but sit around the bookstore all day. It’s starting to show, man.” I couldn’t help teasing him. It was what we did, and he always punched back. This time with him flipping me the bird.
After we finally finished up, Jackie took off, and I stripped down to my boxers to jump in the pool.
It was cool and refreshing, exactly what I needed as I stretched out on a floaty, closing my eyes.
For once, relaxing was actually relaxing with no thoughts of unattainable futures.
I didn’t think I'd dozed off, but maybe I drifted off some, only becoming alert at the sound of the slider opening.
“What’re you doing, Cam?” Everett stood there wearing khaki shorts, tank top, and flip-flops—like a summertime dream.
“Needed to cool off after all that hard work.” Truly, having the pool was going to be incredible.
We’d be able to relax after running around all day, him in the brewery, me at any one or two of my job sites.
I was currently running three. One finishing up, one mid-way through the process, and one just starting. It kept a nice flow of business.
“Hear of swim trunks?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t want to go find ‘em.” My clothes were still a bit of a mess. “Privacy fence means I don’t have to worry about it.” I wasn’t naked, after all.
“Hm…well, I brought dinner home, but I’ll stick it in the oven. I could use that hot tub right about now.” That was exactly how I pictured a lot of our life together going from here on out, including the takeout dinner, since neither of us cooked much.
“Sounds good. I can grill steaks tomorrow night. How’s that?”
“Perfect.” He waved and went back into the house.
While I waited for him to return, I got in the hot tub and turned on the heat and bubbles. Our yard wasn’t huge, but we had exactly what we needed. And in a few minutes, Everett joined me in the tub.
“This is so nice. I’m glad you talked me into it.” Everett slid his foot along mine.
“I think it was Alfred who talked you into it.”
“Maybe. Still glad.”
I grabbed him and pulled him into my lap. “I’m glad too. Of so many things. Especially you. I love you, Ever.”
He leaned against my chest and sighed. “I love you too, Gremlin.”
I snorted, kind of amused by the nickname. Unlike the first time he used it, it had somehow become an affectionate designation over the past year.
After a little more relaxing, we ate dinner and went to bed, both exhausted. It would have been nice to finish our first night in the house with some sexy time, but neither of us was up to it—literally.
Everett crawled into bed and cuddled up to me. “You did great getting everything going today.”
“Still need to sort out some stuff in the garage. And my clothes.”
“That’s normal. It took me a month to get situated when we first moved in together.
” He wasn’t kidding either. Heck, I still had things boxed up from when I lived in Fish Springs, but we were going to be here for a long time, so those things would finally find a home here, too. Just like I did with Everett.
The next day, Everett took off work to help finish the house, and by mid-afternoon, we were both stripping off to jump in the pool.
When we got out, I started dinner. I might not cook much, but I could grill a mean steak.
I fired up the new propane barbeque and slapped those ribeye steaks on.
“Yeah, baby.” I had something planned for later, and it would go over a whole lot better with good food.
Everett opened the slider and brought out a bowl of salad, plates, and a bottle of wine, tucked under his arm. “Help me with this, please?” I jumped to grab the salad, while he set the table. “Be right back with glasses.”
The wine was a nice pinot noir that he drank a lot. I wasn’t the biggest fan, but it would pair well with the steak…and the proposal.
When the food was done, I set it to the side under a cloche—look at me learning new words for things—and went inside to get the little box I had hidden in my sock drawer, underneath all the unpaired socks that Everett said I should just toss, but didn’t feel right with doing.
The ring was white gold with a single black, emerald-cut onyx stone in the center.
Simple. Elegant. I hoped he would like it because to me, it screamed Everett.
I stuffed it in my pocket and joined him in the back.
I waited until after we ate. As we were finishing up, I refilled our glasses and raised mine. “To us.”
“Great toast. To us, and this house, and our future.”
We clinked the glasses and sipped. “I have something to add to your toast, well, just more specifically along the future lines.”
“What’re you talking about?” He looked confused, so I needed to end that.
I wasn’t going to kneel on the concrete, so I just sat in front of him, grabbing his knees. “I love you, Ever. I’ve never had a love like this, and I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy.” I pulled out the box. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes! Of course. Oh my…” He muttered a few more things before he actually took the box and opened it. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Here. Let me.” I pulled it out of the foam holder and slid it on his finger. “Almost as gorgeous as you.”
“You say all the sweetest things, Cameron.” He lunged forward, catching me off guard, and we both tumbled to the ground. And with a hot Everett on top of me, I didn’t care one damn bit. I hoped this would be our life…forever and Ever!