Epilogue
CALEB
Iwatch as Killian expertly flips a steak, manning his large BBQ like he once manned turrets on armored vehicles.
“I can’t believe you moved out of the city,” Ethan whines for the fifth time today.
“Yeah?” Cross returns, jabbing the BBQ fork in his direction. “Say that again when you’re enjoying the fireworks from my porch tonight.”
Ethan crosses his arms defiantly. I swear half of the time he’s just stirring up shit. “Like renting a place for the Fourth of July is hard?”
Damien throws a kitchen towel at Ethan’s head as he walks past, bringing a glass of lemonade to his now very pregnant woman. Morgan’s tawny skin glows like copper in the sun—or maybe it’s pregnancy hormones or happiness or some shit.
I don’t hear what Killian’s retort is, too busy looking at Basia laughing at whatever dumb thing Barbara just said—she and Ethan are a match made in the punchline of a joke.
Emily’s gazing at Killian like he hung the moon. Hell, maybe he did. I feel like the man’s capable of anything just to please that tiny kindergarten teacher.
Damien returns to my side and clinks his beer bottle against mine.
“It’s odd, isn’t it?” he asks absentmindedly.
“What’s that?”
“We were a family on the battlefield. Now we’re a different kind of family. And it’s thanks to these women.”
I snort to cover up the sudden tightening in my chest. “Yeah. They’re special, alright. To put up with all the baggage we carry.”
“That’s for sure,” Damien agrees, raising his beer in their direction in a salute. Barbara sticks out her tongue, making rock on signs with both hands.
“Put that away or I’m putting it to good use!” Ethan yells over.
“Eww, not again,” Emily protests. “I know what you two did at my wedding.”
Ethan and Killian burst into laughter at the same time as Barbara’s face turns bright red. With her platinum blonde hair, shades lighter than Basia’s, it’s hilarious to see.
“Guys. Guys,” Morgan interjects, waving to get our attention. “Your niece is kicking. Who wants to feel?”
“Nephew,” Damien grumbles under his breath. “I’m not ready to be a girl dad.”
“Don’t think any of us are,” Killian mutters as the girls—and Ethan—swarm Morgan.
“Trying to tell us something?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
Killian laughs, shaking his head fondly. “Not yet. Though not for lack of trying. What about you guys?”
“Might go childfree, I don’t know. We’re undecided.”
“Fair enough.”
“Hey, did you hear Coleman went and joined the FBI?” Damien asks after a moment of comfortable silence broken only by the girls cooing at Morgan’s belly.
“Yeah,” I grunt. “He really has it out for this cult now. No doubt the governor will pull some strings to get him on the case once he’s done at Quantico.”
“Anything new with these prophet guys?” Killian asks as he plates the meat.
“It’s unconfirmed,” Ethan butts in, returning to our side at the grill, “but now that I know what to look for, I’ve found a few deaths over the years that make me think someone’s already picking these guys off.”
“Good riddance,” I growl, still pissed at everything Basia, her family, and these now-adult children went through.
I get the urge to be alone with Basia, and I don’t fight it. I leave my half-empty beer bottle at the table and walk to her side, leaning down to whisper in her ear.
“Hey, gorgeous. Take a little walk with me before we eat?”
Basia blinks up at me languidly with a small smile that makes me feel happy to be alive.
“Sure thing, handsome.”
Arm-in-arm, we stroll to the creek on the edge of Killian’s yard.
“Hey, don’t be fucking now!” Ethan yells after us. “I’m hungry!”
“Fuck’s sake,” I mutter as Basia laughs awkwardly. “What a douchebag.”
“But you love him,” she reminds me.
“Unfortunately. Or I’d have let him get shot years ago.”
I pull her into my arms as her warm laughter rings out, startling some birds in the nearby bushes.
“What did you want to talk about?” she asks, throwing her arms around my neck.
“Nothing,” I murmur. “I just wanted to feel you. Smell you. Know you’re alright. And happy. Are you? Happy?”
She steps on her tiptoes and kisses my lips. “With you? Always.”
I lose myself in the kiss, finally thinking about nothing but her again. She’s my drug. I should have known that the moment I realized I can’t resist her.
“I love you, Basia,” I say against her plush lips. “I love you more every day. I’ll keep loving you more until we’re old and gray.” I peck her lips and smile. “Then I’ll love you some more. It will be highly inappropriate.”
She buries her head in my chest, muffling her giggles. Blasphemy, if you ask me.
“I love you too, Caleb,” she finally says, peering up at me. “I can’t wait to be inappropriate with you in the old folks’ home.”
I grin at her. “Pensioners everywhere beware.”
“How about we go spend time with our friends, eat way too much food, watch fireworks while getting drunk, then fuck in the forest?” she suggests with a straight face.
I look at my watch. “Is it night yet?”
Laughing, walking side-by-side, we return to our friends. Our family.
I hope you enjoyed The Beautiful Stalkers, my debut series.