Epilogue
Charlotte – Years later…
“You ready to go, Princess?”
I look up from my desk to find Callan standing in the doorway to my office, a navy-blue suit hugging every muscle in his body. His hair is longer than it was when he was playing, but I love the way he’s let it grow out since he retired a few years ago.
“Need to get this contract to legal. Mind waiting a moment?”
“And miss getting to watch you boss bitch? Never.” As if proving his point, he folds his arms and leans against the doorframe, his gaze never leaving mine.
I roll my eyes but quickly look away. That exact pose was how we ended up with Naya.
And with my dad finally retiring, now is not the time for a third child.
I also probably shouldn’t be late to my dad’s retirement party, but I’ve learned over the years that Callan can be very, very efficient at making me come… when he wants to.
Forcing my attention back to the document on the screen, I read the final page, adding my comments for legal before sending the email to the team to review.
Since becoming CEO of Langford Entertainment, I’ve made a number of important changes to the way we’re structured, including bringing our legal team in-house.
It’s a major expense, but having the best legal minds in entertainment on staff has saved us millions.
“Sorry for making you wait.” I press onto my toes to kiss Callan when I meet him in the doorway.
“Watching you work has been the best part of my day so far.” Callan laces his fingers through mine, walking with me down the stairs on the backside of the arena.
Even though people keep trying to convince me to move my office into the same building as my dad’s and the rest of the holding company, I continue to refuse. I love being here, where the action is.
“That can’t be true. Didn’t you meet up with Beckett and Larsen for a workout today?”
The old athletes crew has become the retired athletes crew, and, somehow, they’re still friends.
Not that it’s surprising when Callan is fully committed to being the glue that holds them all together.
Even if Larsen thinks he is, or he’s trying to be, so they’ll finally give him the coveted poker invite when he retires in the next year or two.
Callan lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses the back of it. “Still the best part.”
I believe him. Even after he retired, Callan has never once gotten upset about how much time my job takes.
Sure, sometimes I feel guilty for sending a meal to daycare with Naya and Drew that our chef made, instead of packing a lunchbox with love like the other moms, but Callan is there to remind me that he—gasp—ate school lunches his entire life—and turned out okay.
We’ve also gotten our family dinner schedule homed in to where we eat at a time I thought was limited to people over the age of one hundred and five, so we can all have dinner together before I attend some of our biggest shows.
Childcare is a glorious thing. When it works.
And when the nanny gets a stomach bug for the fourth time this year because children are petri dishes, Callan stays home and sends me pictures of him feeding Naya Nerds Clusters like they won’t keep her five-year-old body up way past her bedtime.
Twenty minutes later, we pull up to the familiar sight of my parents’ front entry, though this time it’s not only Chris’ Mercedes SUV out front. Cars line the drive, a couple of men dressed in black, running cars back and forth as they handle parking in the limited space.
People show up when Steve Langford retires, it seems.
Callan holds my door open. “You ready?”
“I’ve been waiting for this day since I was in my twenties. Of course, I’m ready.” I stand, tugging the edge of my hot-pink dress. While it’s a true enough statement, my brother, father, and I have reached a sort of equilibrium these days.
“I will… miss him, though,” I confess as I loop my arm through Callan’s.
He leans over as we walk, pressing a kiss into my temple. “I know, love.”
We walk into the crush in my parents’ entryway, finding them posted up close to the entry. “Dad, congratulations. You finally made it.”
“He sure took his time getting here, though, didn’t he?” Mom asks from his side, looking smart in a black dress with a white stripe around her waist. “And now it’s time for us to travel.”
We chat for a few more minutes before another of my father’s longtime friends and business associates joins our group, and Callan and I move on to find the kids.
Finally, we spot them in the kids’ play area, their Jack-and-Jill attire completely at odds with the way they’re currently hanging from Marlee like barnacles.
“Mom!” they both cry when they finally see me. I catch my son as he barrels at my legs headfirst, swooping him into my arms before leaning in to hug my daughter.
“Hello, my dears.” I kiss both heads. “Are you giving your cousin Marlee any trouble?”
“No!” they both chime.
We catch up about their day before I’m pulled into the foyer to talk to some of the new arrivals. Callan stays with me all night, easily talking with my father’s friends, past and potential partners of Langford, and others who have been part of my dad’s circles for years.
After the drinks have been flowing for long enough to put people in a good mood, Dad makes his way halfway up the steps before clinking his glass.
“Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate my retirement.”
There’s a large cheer from the group, and Chris uses the distraction to sneak his way next to me. “His worst nightmare and his greatest love, combined into one,” he whispers. “Everyone is here for him, but it’s because he’s stepping down.” My twin fakes a shudder. “How will he bear it?”
When my father’s speech ends, the heat of the crowd starts to weigh on me, and I sneak out the back door, finding a moonlit spot to take a deep breath.
My father has ensured his retirement, and the subsequent months galivanting around the globe with my mother will have no impact on the state of the company.
Whether that will be true of me or not, we shall see. I’ve grown a lot in the last few years, but that uncertain woman who never quite knew whether her success was due to her father or herself, she’s never quite gone.
Callan finds me outside a few minutes later and hands me a fresh glass of champagne. He raises it in a toast. “To finally having everything you could ever dream of.”
I clink my flute against his. “Turns out, all you need is an excellent game plan.”
He laughs, a sound that still makes my chest feel like it’s taking flight. “And a fake boyfriend to pull the whole thing together.”
Wrinkling my nose, I shrug. “Meh, I prefer my very real husband.”
He pulls me into a deep kiss, the taste of champagne strong as our tongues tangle there, on the porch.
My phone vibrates on the ledge next to me, and Callan breaks the kiss, pulling his own phone out of his pocket.
“Did you see this?” He lifts the phone to me. “I told you so!”
I snatch my phone and open the message from Addie, a wide smile blooming across my face at my friend’s good news. “You’re going to be insufferable about this, aren’t you?”
He nods enthusiastically. “Without a doubt.”
I shake my head. “Do you remember when they first got together? Truly crazy.”
“Pretty judgmental, considering your role in the whole Etsy witch saga,” Callan says, throwing his arm over my shoulder.
“You cannot blame me for that!” I argue as we walk back into the party.
Naya meets us by the door, Nan walking slowly behind her, a very excited Drew holding on to her walker as he talks her ear off.
Callan scoops our daughter into his arms, grabbing Drew in his other arm as he stops next to his grandmother.
It’s a feat of strength and love that makes my ovaries ache for another child, another chance to tie my life more inextricably to the man I love.
And as I watch Callan and our two children talk to the woman who raised the man I love, I think about how far we’ve come since the fateful day I announced I was dating a man I could barely stand to be around and laugh.
All part of my game plan, indeed.
It's not over for Charlotte and Callan!
You NEED the "Boss Bxtch Anthems" playlist. And possibly "Fix Your Face." Honestly, Callan's playlists are the perfect flashback moments for a Millennial. Luckily for you, you can get them HERE.
Plus, don't miss out on the spicy night between Charlotte and Callan that may or may not lead to Maya! Get it free HERE.
P.S. you'll be signed up for my super-fun newsletter that gets access to other VIP goodies.
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Awkward author ask: If you loved Charlotte and Callan's story (or even just liked it), would you take 60 seconds and leave a review?
It doesn't have to be long. "YOU SHOULD READ THIS!
" totally counts. Hit up or Goodreads (or whatever platforms the cool kids are leaving reviews on these days) and tell the people what you thought!
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Think you loved Charlotte and Callan? You're going to fall hard for Addie and Nate.
One night. No strings. No real names.
Adeline Keaton thought that was the end of it… until she walked onto a basketball court and found her one-night stand staring back at her from the paint. Nate Riley is the Colorado Mountaineers' leading scorer and the man she can’t stop thinking about.
She's the referee who cursed him with a $20 Etsy witch.
He says the hex is ruining his game, so she says she'll pay the witch to break it. The Etsy witch says try this and sends them a list of tasks that look remarkably similar to dates.
Her career can't survive this. Her heart might not either.
Start reading it HERE.