Epilogue
CY
Standing on a stage in front of tens of thousands of fans is exhilarating.
Inviting my stalker into my living room was terrifying.
But neither of those experiences compare to this moment.
Standing on a very nondescript front porch in Pasadena, I clutch Sydney’s hand.
She gives me a quick look, then opens the door.
This is it. It’s too late to turn back now.
“Hello?” she calls down the hall.
There’s a small thud, then the furious clicking of nails. A heartbeat later, a little floofball comes around the corner, growling. When he recognizes Sydney, the growls turn into happy yips, and the dog launches himself at her.
She took on Scarlett last week. She can handle the fluffy little monster.
She drops my hand and kneels, intercepting him.
“Mork! Hi, boy. Hi.” She scoops him up and stands, giggling as the wriggling little creature happily licks every inch of her skin he can reach.
A man in a green polo, khaki shorts, and sandals rounds the corner next. He breaks into a smile instantly, eyes the same color as Sydney’s brightening, and he rushes forward, pulling her—and Mork—into a hug.
“It’s about time you paid your old man a visit, bug,” he tells her.
“Dad, can’t breathe.”
Mork wiggles in her arms, only now noticing me.
He barks once, launching himself from the cozy family nest and at me.
I catch him. Barely. My reward is a wet tongue up my nose. He only lets me hold him for a heartbeat before he’s squirming out of my arms.
Fuck, he’s cute. For an older dog, he’s a little ball of energy.
“Why don’t you introduce me to your friend, Sydney?”
Her eyes meet mine. They’re bright too, despite the eye roll she gives me. She follows it with a wink that makes me want to kiss her, but her dad’s serious expression keeps me from moving closer to her.
Jesus. The man terrifies me.
“Dad, this is Cyrus Darby. My”—she hesitates even though we decided on the label two days after Scarlett was arrested—“boyfriend.”
A pretty pink blush colors her cheeks.
Dammit, I’m back to wanting to kiss her.
But her dad is looking at me, still wearing that stony look.
“Cy, this is my dad, Greg Turner.”
“Sir.” I reach out, defaulting to the manners my parents drilled into me growing up.
Greg Turner hasn’t smiled at me once since we walked in—although Sydney swears he’s a total sweetheart.
Yeah, maybe for her.
I guess I’m the same way, so I can’t blame him. Whatever she wants, if it’s within my power, I’ll give it to her.
Spoiled?
Maybe.
Do I give a shit?
Nope.
“You guys hungry? I made your favorite,” Greg tells Sydney.
Sydney squeals. “Street tacos?” She takes off down the hall, leaving her dad and me behind.
“What else would I make?” Chuckling, he trails her around the corner.
Mork follows behind, little cotton ball of a tail wagging.
“Cy?” Sydney calls.
“Coming.”
I move down the hall, taking in all the pictures that line the walls. Sydney and Greg at various stages of Sydney’s adolescence. Sydney by herself in school pictures. And several of Sydney with another girl scattered throughout their childhood.
Katie.
I follow their photo journey until I reach the gourmet kitchen where all the ingredients for street tacos have been laid out on the counter. We load up our plates and head to the back patio, and once we’re settled in, Greg straightens and levels a serious stare at Sydney.
“Okay, bug, consider this your bribe. What the hell is going on and why didn’t I know you were on some sort of assignment for Sawyer?”
She expected this question. Even so, she stiffens, holding a taco a couple of inches in front of her mouth.
With a sigh, she sets her food down. “They needed me, Dad. Cy had a stalker—”
“So this is your doing?” he asks, turning to me.
My chest constricts. Shit.
Before I can answer, Sydney steps in to rescue me yet again.
“No, this isn’t his doing. SAFE Haven’s contract with Featherlight is under negotiation and they asked us to help on this case. They needed someone to blend in to find her. So that was me.”
“Were you in danger?” Greg’s hand tightens on his cup, his jaw tensing as he waits for an answer.
“Not a ton,” Sydney says casually.
Greg doesn’t let her get away with the minimization. Frowning, he leans forward. “Sydney Katherine Turner.”
Katherine.
Cute.
She shoots me a look, as if sensing the direction of my thoughts.
I hold up my hands and gesture to her dad.
With a long breath out, she picks up her taco again, going for nonchalant. “Sometimes,” she admits. “I didn’t want you to worry and—”
“It’s my job to worry about you, bug. You’ll be one hundred and five and I’ll worry about you.”
She smiles, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’m okay, Dad. I promise.”
“But there was a chance you wouldn’t be.
I respect your independence, but I can still worry about you.
You may not be able to tell me everything, but in the future, I’d appreciate a heads-up before you take on an assignment that puts you out in the field.
And maybe make sure that Sawyer and Cole know to give me updates on your safety. ”
She nods, contrite. “I promise.”
“Good, now let’s eat.” Greg picks up his own taco, head bowed over his plate.
Sydney, on the other hand, stares at him, her body tensing.
“I have something else to tell you,” she says.
Greg side-eyes the two of us. Shit.
It hits me then that he’s interpreting that statement so, so incorrectly. Sweat breaks out at my hairline as I look back and forth between them. I really need her to stop taking these awkward pauses.
“You know how I’ve talked about getting my own cyber arm at SAFE Haven?” she asks.
He dips his chin. “You’ve talked about it since before you started working for Sawyer.”
Fuck. My chest swells with pride for my girl.
I’m so lucky we got our second chance. Or third.
Whatever it is, I’ll take it.
“I-I did it. The cyber security arm is happening. For Katie. And others like her. I’m already working on recruiting cyber analysts for my team.”
She comes back to my place every night excited and planning hacking tests.
Her passion is contagious.
“I’m so proud of you, bug. And Katie would be too,” Greg says.
A tear spills down Sydney’s cheek. Then another. Sniffling, she wipes at them with her free hand.
I lean her way and weave my fingers with hers, squeezing.
I’m here if she needs me.
Always.
She sends me a tremulous smile. One I return.
Fuck, I love her.
A dog in the yard next door barks, and Mork bounces up from the patio, woofing in response.
As we eat, I watch Sydney and Greg talk about his newest semester of students.
He’s a professor of business marketing. He also relays stories of Mork’s antics at the dog park, making us laugh and making the dog stare at us like we’ve lost our minds.
The visit isn’t all easy, though. As the light dims and twilight takes over the sky, Greg shifts the conversation and grills me with question after question. It’s not quite an interrogation but not quite a gentle chat either.
He’s not super impressed about the rock star thing.
Or the acting thing.
But he has met Asher since the two of them connected. They’ve spent some time planning the adoption event, and Greg seems impressed by him. So since Asher likes me, Greg seems content to at least reserve judgment.
The sky is completely dark and Mork is snoozing in Sydney’s arms when she’s finally ready to head home.
“Go ahead, bug,” Greg says. “I’d like to talk to Cy alone for a minute.”
She opens her mouth to argue, but I shake my head.
If she can take on Scarlett for me, I can take on her dad.
So I sit, affecting a calm demeanor, even though internally, I’m freaking out in a way I didn’t think possible. It’s something new. Something I’ve only ever experienced because of Sydney.
She’s worth it.
Greg waits until Sydney and Mork are in the house before sharpening his gaze on me.
But before he can ask, I jump in. “Sir, if I may, I’d like to say something to you first.”
He tilts his head, examining me, then nods.
Keep it simple, stupid. And honest.
“Mr. Turner, I love your daughter,” I confess.
“This might seem like it happened fast because we haven’t known each other that long, but already I feel like I’ve known her forever.
Like my heart was searching for her, waiting for the kind of connection I didn’t even know existed.
I fucking—freaking—hate it when she cries.
Unless they’re happy tears. And I only tolerate those because she swears she’s so happy that her body can’t contain all the emotion, and so the tears leak out.
” The memory of her explanation makes me smile.
“She’s one of the best people I’ve ever met.
Loyal and fierce. I’m a better person for knowing her.
And I’m beyond lucky that she loves me in return.
I will never, ever take her for granted.
If it’s within my power, I’ll make it happen.
I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure she is.
Someday, with your blessing, I’d like to ask her to marry me.
But not yet. While I’d do it today without hesitation, if I ask her now, not only will she throw the ring in my face, but she’ll probably punch me. ”
Greg chuckles, nodding in agreement.
And it wouldn’t necessarily be my face.
“My daughter is a grown woman, and if she knew we were talking about this, she would turn into huffy, independent Sydney,” he says.
“I don’t really want to open that can of worms. And I don’t think you do either.
Thank you for telling me what your intentions are.
And just so we’re clear, if you hurt her, she’ll be the least of your problems.” He points his finger at me.
I snort a laugh. “No kidding. My grandpa is halfway in love with her himself. If I hurt her”—I don’t mention the again because Sydney and I decided we wouldn’t share all the details—“he’d kick my ass all over Texas.”
“Good. Glad to hear it. She’s been through a lot between her mom and…” His eyes widen and his jaw snaps shut.
“Katie. She told me,” I murmur.
He breathes out a surprised breath.
“She doesn’t talk about Katie with anyone. That…it nearly broke her. All that guilt,” he says, swallowing visibly.
I nod. “It’s still there. But it’s gentler than it was before, I think. And I’m here for her. For everything. The good and the bad. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”
It’s a vow I’ve made to the universe. To myself. And to her.
“Glad to hear it.” He dips his chin. “When you think she won’t knock you out for asking her a question—the question—you don’t really need my blessing. She’s her own person. She should make that decision without any assistance from me. But for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t mind if she said yes.”
A wave of relief hits me with enough force to make my head spin.
I wasn’t sure what kind of reception I’d get tonight.
I’ve still got another conversation to have. The biggest yet.
But we have time.
“What did you and my dad talk about after I went into the house?” Sydney asks from the passenger seat.
“You.” As I drive away from her dad’s house, I side-eye her, fighting a smile because I know how crazy that response is going to make her.
She’s quiet for a long moment. Long enough for the song on the radio to end and another to begin. Eventually, she shifts, angling her body my way, and says, “You’re not going to tell me anything else?”
While we wait at a stoplight, I turn and home in on her.
“I’ll tell you this. We both love you. To distraction.” The light turns green, so I look away.
“To distraction, huh?” she asks, resting her hand on my thigh.
My heart stumbles. Definitely not a safe idea.
But I don’t push her away. Instead I lace my fingers with hers and lift our joined hands to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
“To absolute distraction.”
Silence falls between us, the songs shifting again as I merge onto the highway and head for my place.
“Do you really have to leave next week?” she asks.
My stomach drops. Fuck. Neither of us is looking forward to this separation. The hardest part will be the time away from her, but a close second is that I’ll be spending far too much time with Soren. But there is no other choice. If we have to do this tour, then we’re going to do it right.
Though I may have found a reprieve—at least until the tour officially starts.
“Actually I wanted to talk about that. I talked the label into moving the concert planning part of this ordeal here instead of Seattle. I’ll have to go into the label offices, but I’ll be home every night. Think you can fit me into your busy schedule?” I tease her.
She squeals, her hand squeezing mine. “You’re staying? You’re sure?”
Damn. Is it possible to be happier than I am right now?
I doubt it.
Because I love making my girl happy.
“At least until the tour starts, BB. And even then, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure we have breaks often so I can come home. I’ve gotten way too used to sleeping next to you.”
She snorts. “Yeah, because that’s what you like having me in the bed for,” she teases.
Waking up to the reality of Sydney in my bed? Yeah, I can’t resist reaching for her. And she’s one to talk. Often, I find myself waking up to her mouth on me in some way.
“I haven’t heard any complaints from you,” I remind her.
“I’m still not complaining. Just pointing out a fact.”
Huffing a laugh, I give her a quick look. “Thank you for pointing out those facts. Here’s another one for you. I love you.” I brush my thumb along the pulse point in her wrist, loving the way it jumps when I say those words.
“I love you too,” she says, leaning her head against my shoulder. She only stays like that for a heartbeat before straightening again. “Do you want another fact from me?”
“What’s that?” I ask, glancing down at her.
“You’re going to get lucky tonight.”
She says it like I’m not already the luckiest man on earth.
Lucky that she found me.
Lucky that she gave me another chance. And then another. That she gave us that shot.
Lucky that she loves me as deeply as I love her.
Yeah, I’m going to marry her someday.
I was lucky enough to find her. And I’m never, ever going to let her go.
The End
Thank you so much for reading!