Epilogue
I strolled through Central Park with Monty and Kassie, who was now several months pregnant. I swear, my brother’s face turned to mush every time he looked at his wife’s round belly.
It was a Saturday, and the sun beamed high in the sky, the leaves casting dappled shadows on the ground.
“How’s the new job going, Cruz?” Kassie asked.
“It’s good, actually. I work pretty much nine to five now and only get called to the building at night or weekends in case of an emergency, which is rare.”
“I’m glad you took the job, Chief,” Monty added, referring to my new position as Chief of Security for Bouvier, Inc.
“I am too. I miss the excitement of the response team, but I’m going to be a married man soon, and I don’t want to work seven days a week anymore.”
“That’s right. You need to spend time with your bride.” Kass bumped me with her elbow. “And your kids when you two decide it’s time.”
“Yeah, SWAT work is difficult on a family life. Most—though not all—of my former teammates are bachelors or divorced. Lehra and I talked about it, and she said she’d support me in whatever I chose to do. That only made my decision easier. I chose spending time with her.”
Monty smirked. “And it’s not like you have to work two jobs for financial reasons now.”
I shot him a glare. He’d been witness to the only real fight between Auburn and me. My oldest brother wanted me to take a share of Bouvier ’s annual profits, and I not-so-politely declined. In my mind, it wasn’t my company.
Our grandfather Bouvier had built it into the fashion empire it was today, but I’d never even met the man. Monty and Auburn had grown up in the industry with our dad at the helm, so I didn’t feel like I had any right to the company’s profits.
Auburn wanted me to be an equal recipient since I was a Bouvier brother, and while I appreciated the sentiment, I didn’t feel comfortable doing so. There was a lot of yelling, stomping, pouting, and table banging, but we’d finally reached a compromise with Monty serving as referee.
I accepted the position as Chief, along with an absolutely ridiculous salary that I had no idea what to do with. I’d thought my pay from being Auburn’s driver and personal security guard was exorbitant, but the money I was making now as an “executive” member of the staff was mind-boggling.
Once my hot-headed brother accepted that I was just as stubborn as he was and calmed down, he hooked me up with his financial advisor and also some worthy charities he thought I might like to help manage my newfound wealth.
“When are your mom and Eli moving here?” Monty asked, changing the subject.
“Next month. Mama is wrapping up things with the security business and handing over the reins to Phil. He was Papa’s right-hand man for years, so he’s the right choice. They’re planning a buyout plan, so the lawyers are hammering that out.”
Kassie smiled sympathetically. “Is it hard seeing your father’s business change hands?”
I rubbed at my forehead. “It is, but I can’t expect Mama to run it forever. She’s worked her ass off for years, and I’m glad she’s finally taking time for herself. The important thing is that she and Eli are moving to New York, so we’ll all be together.”
“I know she wants to be close to you and Quinnie, but I think a certain blue-eyed silver fox may have had a little bit to do with her decision to move here,” Kass said, her brown eyes sparkling.
It was hard to contain my smile. Paul Bouvier and Stella Estrada were officially dating. He flew down to Texas to see her every weekend, and I hadn’t seen my mother smile so much since before Papa died. Any weirdness at seeing her with another man—albeit my biological father—went up in a cloud of smoke each time I witnessed them together. They were like moony-eyed teenagers, and to be honest, it was pretty fucking beautiful. I was happy that they were happy.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something, Mont. Mama told me that Eli has been taking art and design classes at the local community college. We thought he was just wasting his life away with video games and shit, but apparently, he applied for a scholarship, got it, and has been studying in secret for the past year.”
Monty nodded. “Dad told me. He said Eli showed him his sketches from his fashion design class, and he was impressed. Said the kid’s got some talent. I’ll check them out when he gets here and take him under my wing. If he’s as good as Dad says, we can find him a job at Bouvier whenever he gets his degree.”
“Thanks, man. I was hoping you’d say that.”
“No prob. Any brother of my brother is a brother of mine. Or something like that.” We shared a laugh before he turned his attention to his wife. “Need to sit for a few minutes, baby?”
“Can we? Carrying your daughter is hard work. How about over there in the shade of that tree? It’s hot as Hades out here.”
“Sounds good.”
“Are you guys more excited to meet Snoopy or Garfield?” Kassie asked as Monty held her hands while she sat on a colorful wooden bench. We were meeting the stars of our favorite Instagram page today, as well as their owner.
“Garfield,” Monty answered instantly. He sat on one side of his wife while I took the other. “He seems like such a chill dog.”
“Same,” I agreed. “I’m thinking of getting Lehra a puppy. She had dogs growing up in Missouri, and I think she misses having a pet.”
“You should,” Kass agreed. “I’m looking forward to meeting Snoopy the cat. She reminds me of my husband, grumpy and cute.”
Monty rolled his eyes and grumbled, “I’ll give you grumpy when we get home tonight.”
“How about you get me a bottle of water for now,” she suggested, batting her eyelashes at him.
Of course, he hopped off the bench like his pants were on fire. “There’s a cart right over there. You stay here with Cruz.” Then he kissed her lips, followed by a sweet kiss to her protruding belly over her pink maternity shirt.
“He’s such a sucker for you,” I commented with a huge grin on my face.
“I know,” she said without shame, her eyes following her husband’s huge frame across the grass. “But you have no room to talk. Lehra could crook her finger, and you’d come running. And I guarantee you’ll be ten times worse once you knock her up.”
“No lies detected,” I confirmed. I’d seriously burn down the world for my woman. “How is Sully handling the situation of being a big brother?”
“Oh, he’s so excited. We know that can change as soon as this little one is born because babies need so much time and attention. Monty has ordered twelve books on helping kids cope with a new baby in the house.” She laughed. “He’s studying those books like a college student during finals week.”
“That’s pretty damn awesome. I mean, completely over the top, but I love how he treats Sully as his own.”
She bit her bottom lip, eyes still trained on her husband. “Sully and I hit the jackpot for sure. I tried to be both mother and father for years, but Monty stepped in like it was second nature to him. He takes Sul to ball games, teaches him how to be a little man, everything a boy needs from a daddy. I seriously can’t touch a door handle anymore or my son berates me because Monty taught him that he should always open doors for ladies.”
“You did a wonderful job with Sully, Kass. He’s a great kid, so don’t sell yourself short. But I know what you mean. My papa stepped up and raised me like his own as well. I never even suspected that he wasn’t my biological father.”
“You were lucky to have him, and you’re lucky to have Paul as well.” Her eyes flashed to the side and widened. “Oh, look! There’re Snoopy and Garfield.” Kass pushed to her feet and shimmied her shoulders with excitement.
I stood too and shielded my eyes with one hand, training my gaze in the direction she was pointing to find the fluffy blond lab on a leash being held by a woman with a dark pixie haircut. A black-and-white cat was being pushed in a baby stroller by a man with raven hair. They were just beyond where Monty was standing in a long line for refreshments.
“I think Mont spotted them too,” I said, watching as he got out of line and walked slowly in their direction. The woman handed off the leash to the man and crossed a patch of grass, hands clasped in front of her waist. She looks nervous , I thought vaguely.
My brother’s steps faltered, and all of a sudden, he took off at a dead run toward the woman. “What the hell is he doing?” I muttered, seeing the pets’ owner running toward him as well. As soon as they neared each other, she jumped, and Monty caught her. The woman’s legs wrapped around his waist, and my hackles instantly rose.
“Oh my god,” Kassie whispered beside me.
“What the fuck?” I barked, anger spiking inside me as Monty spun the woman around and embraced her. Had he been having some kind of online affair with this woman or something? No, surely not. He adored his wife.
But this shit was difficult to watch, especially when Kassie sank to her knees in the grass, wailing like someone had just died. I fell onto the cool grass beside her, wrapping myself around her and pressing her face against my shoulder so she didn’t have to witness… whatever this bullshit was.
But she fought me, yanking her head back to stare at the spectacle across the way as tears streamed down her face and landed with wet plops against her pink top. It broke my heart to see.
“Kass, sweetheart, just don’t look. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m about to kick my brother’s ass all over this park for treating you like this.”
“No,” she croaked. “No.”
“Shhh,” I soothed, trying to keep my fury at bay for the time. Who is that woman? Some old girlfriend or something? “Let me get you home. I’ll call Lehra to come sit with you, and then I’ll take care of it.”
I had no idea what I was going to do besides punch Monty Bouvier right in the mouth. How fucking dare he do this in front of his pregnant wife?
“No,” Kass said again, her voice stronger this time. “You don’t understand.”
Well, that’s the fucking understatement of the century.
“Explain it to me. Do you… do you know that woman?”
She nodded, focusing her gaze on the hugging duo. Then Kassie bowed forward, her body curling over her pregnant belly as she wept.
“That’s his…”
I couldn’t understand the last part of that through her heart-rending sobs.
At a loss, I rubbed a hand up and down her back, attempting to soothe her. “Who, Kassie? I’m sorry, I can’t hear you.”
She lifted her reddened eyes to mine, tears streaming down her face as her lips curved into the hint of a sad smile.
“That’s his sister.” As I attempted to process her words, she turned her attention back to the pair and lifted a shaky hand to point. Her next words were clear as day and shook me to my core.
“Evie Bouvier is alive.”
NOT QUITE THE END