Epilogue #2
We rented a house, and the first week we were there, Sean and I discovered the local bar.
It was run-down and failing but housed a treasure trove of nautical items. The owner told us how a newer bar not far outside of town had pushed him to the brink of bankruptcy with its modern décor and large selection of imported beers, which appealed to the tourists.
Sean fell in love, regardless of its state, and once he found out the owner was planning to close it, we bought it.
We spent months renovating it, all while keeping the theme intact but adding some modern touches, as well as a top-notch kitchen.
The day the doors reopened,The Tideswas a huge success with tourists and locals.
In the offseason, it became the local watering hole.
We spent our days there and in the small, private office over it, hiring locals to run it in the evening.
To this day, Sean and I monitored our past. The small town of Ocean Tide had no idea how well screened every person who walked through the front doors of the bar was, as the computers upstairs worked tirelessly with facial recognition and other programs that we ran—Sean used his computer and hacking expertise constantly.
We were both relentless in making sure our family was safe.
And in doing so, we ensured the safety of the people in the town as well.
We found a house one day, not far from town, that had been used as a bed-and-breakfast. Right on the ocean, it was perfect for us.
Two large halves linked by a common area, which the owners used to use for the customers to relax in.
We lived in one half, Sean and Julia in the other, and the middle area was now our family room.
Most nights and weekends, we were all in there.
The view was spectacular, no matter the season, and it was filled with adults and kids, toys, games, books, and movies—and laughter.
Our lives contained so much laughter now.
Skylar’s watercolors hung in every room of our home and in the bar.
The scenes and stories she told in her art sometimes only meant something to us, but everyone who saw her work loved it.
We had a small gift shop in the bar that featured her work, and it sold well.
They signed by Mac Gyver and labeled as work by a local artist who wished to remain private, and people ate that up.
Sklyar preferred the anonymity, and we agreed it was for the best. Still, she loved it every time a painting would sell.
Julia’s sea glass creations and shell jewelry were also big hits, with tourists and locals alike.
Although Julia ran the kitchen in the bar, Skylar helped out when needed in the busier times. Her soups were a local favorite, often making Sean and me chuckle with memories. She and Julia also worked on the foundation, which aided countless people monthly—and all done anonymously.
Life was simple here. We worked hard in the summer and fall when the area was busy with tourists, and the rest of the year, we enjoyed the quiet beauty of the region. It was a good life, pretty much perfect, in fact, mostly because of who I shared it with.
Skylar came around the corner, holding our daughter, Raymie.
Both of them smiled widely at me, and Raymie reached out her chubby arms so I could swing her into mine and nuzzle her curls.
At two years old, she bore a striking resemblance to me, including the red curls and her stubbornness.
She was a quiet child, letting her brother talk most of the time.
But when she wanted to, she could yak your ear off, and she always made me laugh. I adored her.
Leaning over, I kissed Skylar’s mouth. “Hey, Kitten.”
“Hey. How was your day?”
“Busy.” I grinned. “I had to rough up a customer.”
“Really?”
“Yep. He got lippy. I cuffed him—made a citizen’s arrest.”
“Oh, busy indeed. Some things never change, do they…” She lifted up on her toes, close to my ear. “…fuckwit?”
Turning my head, I brushed my mouth over her ear. “Careful, Kitten, I still have those cuffs. I’ll use them later if you’re lippy.”
“You like it when I’m lippy.”
I smiled against her skin, feeling her slight shiver.
“I do.”
Laying my hand on her slightly rounded stomach, I smiled down at her. “How’s my little one doing today?”
Sklyar smiled. “Good. Making Mommy tired, but good.”
“Ultrasound next week?”
“Yes.”
“And we’ll find out…” I let the words trail off.
“Yes.”
I fist-pumped the air. We hadn’t found out the sex of the first two, but I wanted to know this time.
Be prepared. Only paint once. Skylar had been so convinced that Raymie was another boy, she had me paint the walls in the nursery blue, then wanted them yellow when our daughter was born, insisting the color was too bright now.
I promised her a new piece of furniture if she let us find out the sex early.
I had taken up woodworking as a hobby and loved losing myself in the craft.
The harvest table she asked for was slowly being planned, and I would start building it soon.
I pressed a kiss to her head. “I’ll handle grilling the burgers and bathtime. You can rest.”
She smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Daddy!”
I looked down the driveway to see my son running toward me, grasping something in his hand. Sean and Julia followed behind him, holding hands. They had picked him up from school today, always enjoying spending extra time with him.
I handed Raymie back to Skylar with a wink. “We’ll finish this conversation later.”
“I look forward to it.”
I kissed her hard and fast, then stepped forward, dropping to my knees as Colton flung himself into my arms.
“Hey, bud! How was school?”
“Good! I made you this!”
I looked over the picture, grinning. I was pretty sure the figures in it were our family, but I wasn’t sure what we were doing. There was a lot of blue in the drawing. “Are we, ah, on the boat?”
“Yeah!” he exclaimed gleefully. He tapped the little blob to the right. “That’s the baby! I made sure he has a vest on!”
I squinted at the picture, understanding the orange splotch better now.
He was excited about being a big brother again and included pictures of the “baby” all the time in his drawings.
He was actually pretty good at it, inheriting the talent from his mother.
He also had her smart mouth, dark hair, and engaging smile. He was irresistible.
We exchanged high fives, and I was glad I had guessed right. “Good job!”
“Will you hang it in the bar?”
“I will. I’ll show it to everyone.” Colton was a favorite at the bar and in town. His bright, sunny disposition made everyone around him smile.
“Okay.”
He squirmed out of my arms to run over to Skylar. She lowered herself so he could kiss his sister’s head and get some love from his favorite person in the world. His mother.
I watched my family, a warm glow in my chest. Skylar was smiling as she listened to him chatter about his day.
Raymie nestled against her chest, while Colton’s hand rested on Skylar’s cheek, making sure he had her undivided attention.
They were my world, the reason for my existence.
We had built a life here—a safe, quiet life we both loved—far from the violence of my past and the loneliness of hers.
Skylar looked up, and our gazes locked. The same thrill went through me now as it did years ago. She was my beacon and light. My children were my anchor. And with another one on the way, I couldn’t be happier.
Feeling that tug, I walked over to join my family, scooping up my son and wrapping my arm around my wife and daughter.
“Come on, family. Let’s go inside.”
“ D addy,” Colton asked around a mouthful of burger.
“Chew first, buddy.”
He giggled, chewing fast. He was just like Skylar. When he had a question, he couldn’t wait. He wanted an answer.
“I hafta tell a story at school.”
“Oh yeah? What kind of story?”
“How I was born.”
I looked at Skylar, confused.
She smirked. “Not like that, Cian. We’re supposed to tell him how we met.”
“Oh.”
She arched one eyebrow at me. “Remember, he’s barely six. It needs to be short—the edited, modified version.”
I took a huge bite of my burger to cover my smirk. Telling him I was an undercover hit man for hire and his mother was homeless and watched me kill someone would certainly cause a few people to talk. I chewed thoughtfully for a few minutes then grinned as I spoke.
“Well, bud, one day while Daddy was at work…”
“In the bar?” he interrupted.
I winked at my wife. “Not this bar. Another place. It was called, ah, the warehouse.”
Skylar snorted, and Colton looked at her. She smiled and smoothed his hair off his forehead. “Daddy’s funny.”
I ignored her teasing.
“So,” I drawled. “I was at work …and Mommy came in. She was hungry, so Daddy made her some sandwiches.” I leaned forward. “And you know what? Mommy didn’t even say thank you.”
His eyes widened. Skylar was very firm on manners. “She didn’t?”
“Nope.”
“Did you give her a time-out?”
“I did. She was really grumpy that day.”
“How come?”
“She hadn’t gone to bed early enough the night before.”
“Oh…” He nodded in understanding. Our Colton liked his sleep.
Skylar rolled her eyes and stood, lifting Raymie out of her high chair. “Daddy was a little grumpy that day too. He yelled at Mommy,” she pointed out.
Colton looked confused. I rarely ever yelled. “You did?” he asked, his eyes wide.
“Only because I wanted her to eat.”
“Did she?”
“Yep, bud. She did. She realized Daddy was a smart man and she’d feel better if she ate.”
“Did she say thank you after? When she wasn’t so grumpy?”
I snickered as I met Skylar’s eyes. Memories of that day and the years that had passed drifted through my mind. Our history was rich with love and laughter—and lots of thank-yous.
“She did. And she thought Daddy was so handsome and smart, she married him.” I held up my hands in triumph.
“Oh.”
His face showed his disappointment at the end of my short story.
Laughing, I pulled him to my lap. He immediately dug into my pocket, pulling out the pocket watch I carried with me every day.
It meant as much to me today as it did when I was young.
I hoped one day it would mean as much to my son.
I smiled at him, ruffling his hair. “Mommy helped me find Grandpa’s watch too. She is very smart.”
“How?”
“Daddy, ah, thought he lost it and was very sad. Mommy found out who had it and got it back for me.”
“Someone took it?” he asked, his eyes wide again.
“Yes. And Mommy scolded them. They were very, very sorry.”
“Did they get a time-out too?”
“The longest one ever,” I replied with a smirk. Hell probably had their own version and I hoped Orson was in a permanent time-out.
“Mommy is scary when she’s mad,” he muttered, rubbing his little finger over the dull gold. He was fascinated with the piece, and I let him hold it whenever he wanted to.
“Yep,” I agreed, winking at Skylar. “Very scary.”
Skylar kissed Colton’s head. “Which will happen if you don’t finish your supper. Your sister is out, and I’ll go tuck her in. Daddy can finish telling you his story.” She shook her head. “His fairy tale, more like it.”.
After putting Colton back in his seat, I wrapped my arm around her waist. I kissed Raymie’s head, then pulled Skylar’s face close to mine. I would forever be grateful for her. For her MacGyver ways, which thankfully, were no longer necessary.
“It is a fairy tale, Kitten. Our fairy tale.”
She cupped my face, smiling down at me. “I know. My hero. You were my hero, Cian.”
Colton clapped his hands. “Daddy is your hero, Mommy?”
Her eyes were warm as she gazed at me. “He is, baby. Daddy is a hero to all of us.”
I smirked at her.
She leaned close and brushed her lips over my ear. “I love you.”
“I love you,” I murmured.
Her teeth nipped sharply, making me yelp.
“My hero…but you’re still a fuckwit.”
I grinned as I watched her leave the room.
I always would be both.
And I was good with that.