Epilogue #2
EPILOGUE #2
AVA
Two Years Later...
I ’m nervous.
Excited.
Scared out of my mind in the best possible way. The room around me is abuzz with people talking and eating, enjoying the fruits of my labor, and still, I can’t focus on the task at hand.
I’ve been standing at this counter for twenty minutes now, watching the door and waiting. Sure, I give an occasional smile or make small talk with those perusing the display case, but I’m on autopilot, just repeating what flavors are new, the weather, and the latest trends in tourism.
Tourism—something that when you live near water changes with each season. You go from snowbirds to internationals to convention season in the blink of an eye. We get them all, and I’ve come to love each one.
It’s made my eight months in business a challenge, yet fun. My menu changes with the seasons, too, and I’m known for the eclectic yet posh little tastes of heaven my shelves sell out of each day.
“I need three servings of you with extra sugar,” a voice I’m all too familiar with whispers against my neck before placing a kiss there. His strong arms encircle my waist and pick me up, turning me toward his handsome face. “Hi.”
My smile matches his. Cheesy and goofy. “Hello, handsome. Long day?” And like every day Elijah comes in, I find myself lost in those beautiful eyes and the way his broad shoulders feel beneath my fingertips as I smooth his dress shirt.
He’s my hot detective. Mine.
And now I’m going to gladly share him with someone else for the rest of our lives. Someone that will grow and learn and know that they’re loved unconditionally by us.
“Any time away from you is hard.” He punctuates this by subtly pressing his hard length against my stomach. No one pays us any mind, especially not my staff or the regulars who know I completely belong to this wonderful man. “How are you feeling today? Have you eaten?”
“She hasn’t had lunch yet,” Margot, one of my baristas, calls over her shoulder as she walks toward the coffee machine.
“Is that right?” There’s mirth in his eyes mixed with a hint of reproach.
“Waiting on you,” I say, looking up at him from beneath my long lashes.
“Hmmm.” He gives a mock sigh, and then I’m airborne, being carried toward my office. “Let’s get you fed.”
“Aren’t we heading in the wrong direction for that?” Looking behind us, I lock eyes with his mother and smile. Outside of Elijah, she’s been my rock in the aftermath of Lyle and his obsession. Has become a second mother to me and a confidant—understands without judgment.
She held my hand during the trial and sentencing of my ex-best friend and their accomplice. They got a life sentence, and to me, that still isn’t enough. Not after how many lives were destroyed due to their sickness.
She hugged me as I fell apart due to the stress and then celebrated when it was all over.
It’s because of her that I was able to process internally what happened. She’s the reason I wrote that tragedy out in the form of a book that I’ll never publish, but the process was cathartic. I was able to get my emotions and thoughts down on paper. Admit and deal with the survivor’s guilt that still lingers, but I know and accept now that the blame isn’t on me.
I’m a victim. I’m a survivor. I’m alive.
Nodding, she does an excited jump/shake while giving me two thumbs up.
“We’ll order something and get it delivered,” Eli grumbles, a little bit of impatience coloring his tone. “Need my woman alone for a bit.”
It’s hard not to roll my eyes or smile at his mom when he says that, but I do, and it’s a good thing because, within seconds, we’re inside my office with the door closed. The last thing I want to do is ruin this surprise. I want him completely caught off guard.
Elijah walks around my desk and sits down with me in his lap. He also doesn’t say anything about the two plates with dome lids atop them. Or the fact that the one closest to us has a balloon attached.
I knew we’d end up here at some point. Had a bet going with his mom about it, too.
She thought he’d sneak me away for a romantic lunch.
And I said he’d want the privacy of my office with a solid steel door, the latter of which he insisted on.
“Well,” I hedge, looking at him with a mock impatient look. “Aren’t you going to feed me?”
“Food first, or my cock?”
“So scandalous.” I laugh, slapping his chest while seriously considering the latter. Having some fun first wouldn’t be a bad idea. “But?—”
“I will after.” Elijah winks at me and then proceeds to lift the ballooned dome. “Something you want to tell me, Wife?”
There’s a small cake inside. It’s his favorite: a triple-layer dessert all in chocolate. There’s no fancy decorating or anything that would give away the purpose unless you open the small note sitting in front of it.
Something he does without prompting. He tears it open, and when he reads the line written in my chicken scratch, happy eyes meet mine.
Happy Baby Day!
“Are you saying...are we?”
“You’re going to be a daddy,” I whisper, the tears I’ve been fighting spilling down my cheeks as his own get watery. This is something we’ve wanted. Talked about.
And to finally have this blessing... No words.
“I love you so much, Ava.” Strong hands cup my face and pull me toward a hungry mouth. His kiss is full of love and devotion. Of need and our shared happiness. “Thank you for giving me your heart. For starting a family with me.” Another peck, this one lingers and nibbles before he pulls back. “You’ve made me the luckiest son of a bitch to walk this earth.”
“I’m so thankful for you. For us.” My bottom lip trembles as I take one of his hands in mine, pulling it down to my still-flat stomach. “You and this baby are my everything.”
“And you’re mine ,” he says, the emphasis and possessiveness aren’t lost on me, but before I can give him a snarky rebuttal, Elijah’s kissing me again. Loving me. Showing me with tender touches and whispered words just how much I mean to him.
Filling every inch of my soul with his beautiful essence.
His mark.
He always says he’s keeping me for life, but the truth is…
I’m the one never letting go.
Not of him or the beautiful little girl we had seven months later. Chloe Heather Ford came into the world kicking her tiny legs and screaming. She wrapped her father around her little fingers and filled my heart with so much joy while those closest to us celebrated the newest member of our family.
We built something incredible. Loved hard and beyond all comprehension.
And as my husband lovingly spoke to our daughter hours after her birth; I vowed to help her navigate his fatherly craziness. “You, sweet angel, will never be allowed to date. Not ever. Daddy has a lot of guns to make this happen, too.”
Over protective. Always present.
My hero.
God, I love him.
The End.