Epilogue
TOMMY
“I told you, Tommy, I don’t know when she’s going to be in,” Abby says with a sigh. Pam, the shop owner, eyes me from the back of the shop while the male stylist, Zayne, periodically glances back at me.
“You’re her best friend, you have to know something,” I press.
It’s been nearly a month since that night.
The night Brett showed up and stole Nora from us.
Though I know whatever happened between them, they are most certainly over.
In fact, Brett told the entire family he was done and moving to Canada and never wanted to see any of us again.
Mom was pretty upset, but Dad said maybe it was for the best. That perhaps one day, Brett would figure out what family really means.
And Brett retaliated by saying some rather unsavory things about us.
Things I would rather my mother not know about me, but I guess we deserved that.
Freddie says we didn’t, but…
Then again, Freddie doesn’t say much these days. Not to Rush or to me. He takes his anger out on the ice.
Rush too.
When he isn’t drinking most nights because he feels like he’s to blame.
They may have given up on Nora, but I haven’t.
I have to believe that somewhere deep inside, she knows I haven’t given up. I’ll come to the shop as much as I have to. Beg Abby as long as I need to, if it will get me five minutes with the woman I love.
I need her to know I don’t blame her.
That I love her. I still love her, and I’m not going anywhere. Brett or no Brett.
And I know if I could just get her to talk to me…if I could get her to listen…the guys would too. We could figure this out.
Because for better or for worse, there’s nothing to hide now.
We can be together, if she just gives us the chance…and I know Rush and Freddie would welcome her back with open arms.
They’re miserable without her. Hell, we all are.
Which is why I have to do this. Not just for me, but for them.
I always thought Freddie was the strongest of us. Turns out, we don’t know our strength until we’re pushed.
“It’s not my place to say,” Abby says, and her eyes plead with me to stop.
The only reason I haven’t texted Nora already is because Abby said she needed time to process what happened, and that pushing the issue would only push her further away. But I’m done waiting.
I need to see her. Need to talk to her. Tell her how bad I fucking miss her and how I need her in my life. In all of our lives…
She heads for the door and waves for me to go.
“I need to talk to her,” I say. “Abby, you don’t understand, I—”
“I do understand, Tommy,” she says. She bites her lip as she adds, “Maybe…just…wait a day or two.”
“For what? You to tell me to fuck off again?”
She shakes her head. “She wants to talk to you,” she says, and my heart lifts. “But she has to do it when she’s ready.”
What could she be waiting for?
Abbe holds up her hand. “That doesn’t mean you should text her, but…” She flashes her gaze at me. “If you did…it might not be a bad idea.”
I can’t believe this. She’s telling me to reach out.
“Okay,” I say.
I head for my car, pulling out my phone. I stare at it, trying to figure out the words to say, when I get a text.
From Nora.
Nora: Hey
One word. One single word that instantly makes my heart leap with hope.
Me: Hey
Nora: Can we talk?
I feel the tears sting my eyes as I shakily tap out yes, while she texts me again.
Nora: All of us?
All of us. She wants to talk to me and my brothers. I don’t think twice, I just say yes. I’ll work on getting them on board.
Maybe I’ll tell them we’re going to get some laps in at the track at the park. It’s what we’ve been doing almost every night. I’ll just…have Nora meet us there, instead.
I text her to meet us at the park track at five—our usual time. She agrees. I should leave it at that. After all, Abby said not to push too hard, but I can’t help myself. I need her to know.
Me: I miss you.
I hold my breath, thinking she might not even respond, but she does. And when I read her text, my heart skips a beat.
Nora: I miss you too.
For now, it’ll have to be enough. Until five o’clock, that is. When I make Nora Brighton mine—ours—once and for all.
Rush looks a little worse for wear when I get home, but at least he’s not drinking today. Only on game and practice nights.
Freddie’s as grumbly as always, but when I tell them it’s time to head to the park, neither of them argue.
These past few weeks, I’ve almost become the wrangler.
I don’t do as good a job as Freddie, but he’s not complaining.
I’m starting to wonder if he’s ever let anyone take care of him in his life.
I miss seeing him in the morning, manning the kitchen and running everything like a tight ship.
But most of all, I miss seeing him happy. Rush too.
And I know, with Nora, we’re all happier.
I pull up to our spot, though I don’t see Nora’s car in the parking lot, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t here. There’s a whole other lot on the side that we can’t see, and we’re early. Five minutes, but still.
I get out and my brothers follow, starting their stretches, when I see her.
“Nora,” I say, my heart stopping in my chest.
She stands on the other side of the track, dressed in her black leggings and a baggy pink sweater. Our eyes meet, and everything stops. I feel Freddie and Rush beside me, tensing.
“What the hell,” Rush says as Freddie goes stiff.
“What’s she doing here?” he asks.
Nora takes two steps toward me, but I don’t let her take anymore. I sprint to her and sweep her up in my arms.
I half expect her to push me away, but she doesn’t. She wraps her arms around me and starts crying. I slide her down my body and embrace her tight. So tight, I don’t think I’ll ever let her go again.
She cries into my shoulder, and for a moment we just stand there. Holding one another and crying tears of what I hope is happiness.
At least for me, it is.
I hold her out to look at her, her tear-stained cheeks. I wipe them away without a second thought.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I say.
She looks to Freddie and Rush, who both look like they’ve seen a ghost.
“I’ve missed you too,” she says. “All of you.”
Freddie lets out a choked sound as Rush says, “Forgive me, but that’s a little hard to believe since you haven’t spoken to us in nearly a month.”
I loosen my grip on her waist, but don’t let go completely as she nods.
“I know, and I know I should have said something, but—”
“We know about Brett,” Freddie says. “He told us all off. Mom and Dad too. Said some shitty things, but…we know you two…called it quits. For good.”
She nods. “I did. He said if I stayed with him, moved with him to Canada, I could have everything I want,” she says through choked sobs. “But I told him he has nothing that I want.”
I pull her close, and she sinks into my hold like she’s always been here. Like nothing’s changed.
It hasn’t for me.
I still feel for her the same as I did that night. The night she left.
I knew then that she didn’t do it because she wanted him. She did it because he was being a dick, and she wanted to protect us. Because she loves us.
But Freddie and Rush wouldn’t hear it. It took everything in me to keep them from chasing her and Brett down, that night. But I knew it wouldn’t have helped matters.
Nora needed to come back to us. And I knew she would. I had faith.
“Which is what I wanted to talk to you about,” she says as she heads toward my brothers. I keep my arms on her, guiding her steps. She walks so delicately, it’s like she’s worried she’ll break.
I will never let anyone break her. She’s mine, I don’t care what anyone else says.
“I should have called. Texted, but I needed time to…process everything. Then I spent the week with my parents after everything, and it just…I needed some time on my own to think about things. About what I really want.”
She looks between us, her eyes cloudy with tears. “And then I got sick, and—”
“Sick? Are you okay?” Freddie asks, and his words are genuine.
He moves a step closer to her, and I note the way she looks up at him. Like he’s the sun, the moon, and the stars. Like no time has passed, and we’re right back where we belong.
“I am,” she says breathlessly “But I mean, I’ll feel better,” she says, sucking in a breath. “In about…eight months.”
It takes a moment for her words to resonate. The silence between us is palpable.
“You’re…” Rush’s voice sounds winded.
“Pregnant?” I ask, needing to be sure I heard her correctly.
“Yes,” she says, looking up at Freddie. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but…I wasn’t sure, given everything that happened if…if you would want anything to do with me, let alone a….baby.”
“You’re pregnant?” I ask again, tears flooding my eyes once more. I knew this was a possibility, when we…
I hoped it would be happen, but now…now that the truth is here and Nora is pregnant.
But then the truth sets in. Because I know it’s not just me that could be responsible.
That night, the night she left…we’d all been with her, and I suspect before that too.
We’d agreed to be open with dating her, but none of us had ever considered this a possibility or discussed it.
She nods. “I am. I just…I’m not here to try and force you into anything, I just…needed you to know. I’m having this baby, whether you want me to or not—”
“Of course I want you to,” I say, and Freddie and Rush stiffen.
She looks at me with tear-stained cheeks, and I reach for her face.
“I told you I was prepared for this. I wasn’t lying,” I say solidly. “I know this baby might not be mine, but—” I look at my brothers, then back at Nora. “This baby is yours, so that’s enough for me.”
“Tommy…” she breathes.
Freddie steps forth, and for a moment I think he’s going to freak out, but instead he runs his hand along her jaw, gently pulling her face to meet his.
“I would never tell you no, you know that right? I told you once that whatever my princess wants, she gets.” His eyes cloud with tears.
“And I meant that. I told you I wanted to take care of you, and that doesn’t stop if this baby isn’t mine.
All I want is to be a part of your life.
Because without you, mine doesn’t feel the same. ”
Nora lets out a choked sob as Rush looks between us all, tears streaming down his face.
“Russell,” she says, reaching for him next.
Russ says, “I’ve spent these few last weeks blaming myself for what happened. I thought—” He wipes his eyes. “I thought you hated us.”
“No, Russ. I could never hate you. Any of you,” she says. “I love you. I never stopped loving any of you…”
Russ steps forward and grabs her face, kissing her hard. She stumbles a bit, but she’s still in my arms, so I steady her.
When he lets go, he looks her in the eyes and says, “I love you, Nora. And I will love you and this baby as long as you let me.”
Tears fill my eyes once more as I lean in and kiss her, my grin widening.
“You’re going to have a baby,” I whisper.
“I am,” she says as Freddie wraps us all in his arms, Rush’s coming to meet behind my back as well.
And as we stand there, huddled together in warmth and love, I know the best is yet to come.
The End
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