Extended Epilogue
Archer
Twenty years later
“I can’t believe we’re finally breaking ground,” Cutler said as he glanced around at the expansive land, surrounded by the most beautiful mountains. Water splashed against the shore in the distance, and I breathed in the cool air.
“It’s one of the best things he ever talked us into,” Bridger said after ending his phone call and walking over to us.
Twenty years ago, a gorgeous plot of land had become available in Blue Sky Bay, and I’d called everyone in my family immediately.
It wasn’t something I could afford on my own, and Bridger had offered to buy it for everyone, but we all wanted to invest in it together.
So, my brother and Wren, and all my cousins and their significant others, chipped in, and we purchased the land together.
All with the idea of building on it someday.
But then we got busy having babies, and watching our kids grow, and sending them off to college.
The land appreciated, of course, and Emerson had come out here to help Cutler move into his new home two years ago. She’d planted the seed about us finally building on this land.
My nephew had expanded on his father’s construction company and opened his own ROD Construction in this quaint little town that sat between Rosewood River and Magnolia Falls, right on the bay.
It had always been a secret little place that not many people knew about, but now this town was booming.
It was the place to be. Cutler went to college not too far from here, and he’d gone on to architecture school, and now here we were.
He’d gone on to get both his contracting license and his architecture license.
He’d designed the family home that we were about to break ground on, and now he’d be building it as well.
Emilia had offered to provide some guidance on the interior, but she was busy running her own business back home, so we’d need to find someone local.
The exciting thing was that we’d all share this place, which would become a generational home that we’d pass down for years to come to our children and then to their kids.
It was time.
“You don’t think we’re going too big on this?” I asked as I scratched the back of my neck.
It was going to be a mammoth home, with twelve bedrooms and just as many bathrooms, not to mention the gym and the game room and the movie theater.
“We want to be able to all use it together, too, so I think the size works.” Bridger shrugged.
“You know what they say, size matters.” Cutler laughed. “Go big or go home, boys.”
“Of course that’s what you’d say, hotshot.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Those plans you drew are something else.”
He was a talented kid, no doubt about it. He’d always been the coolest kid I’d ever met, and to say he’d grown into an even more amazing man would be an understatement.
Cutler Heart was as good as they came.
“Thanks, Uncle A,” he said. “We’re ready to get started. It’s going to take some time, because it’s an enormous home, but it’ll be worth the wait.”
“All good things are,” I said.
“I disagree,” Bridger grumped. “I like microwave popcorn, and that’s fast. I prefer a short movie to a long movie. I am always a fan of short conversations versus long ones. And I can make money in minutes. So, there you go.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know Emilia is going to be as involved as she can be from a distance, but do you think we should find a local designer? We’ll have a lot of decisions to make, and if we don’t want this to take years to build, then it might be wise to have someone who’s here.”
“No chance you can get Gracie to take this on?” Bridger asked.
Gracie Reynolds was Cutler’s best friend. Hell, she’d become family over the years, and they were very close. She’d even spent two summers living in Rosewood River and interning for Emilia’s company, as she’d gone to school for interior design.
“That’s doubtful. She’s still in Paris and dating that pompous douchebag, Gabriel.” Cutler’s jaw clenched, and I didn’t miss the way his shoulders tensed.
“Yeah, Emilia and I took them to dinner when we were in Paris a few months ago, and I didn’t like the dude at all,” Bridger added.
“Well, you do hate most people,” I chuckled.
“True. But Emilia didn’t like him, either, and that’s saying a lot, because she loves everyone.
The guy was a piece of work. He talked about himself the whole time, and I’m fairly certain he hit on our server right in front of Gracie.
She tried to play it off, but I could tell she was upset. ” He shrugged.
I glanced down to see Cutler’s hand fist at his sides. “I’d like to knock that fucker out. I don’t know what she’s doing with him.”
“You should have dated that girl years ago.” I gave him a look, because we always gave him time about it.
“Nah, we decided we were too good of friends back when we were in high school. We didn’t want to risk messing that up, not when we’re so connected through our families.” He blew out a breath. “But she’s my girl. Always will be.”
“I get that. And you’ve always been a bit of a heartbreaker, so you don’t want to go there.” I winked at him.
Cutler smirked as he shook his head. “Now you sound like Gracie.”
Bridger clapped him on the shoulder. “Well, if you can’t get her back here, you need to find someone to take on this job, because I don’t want Emilia to feel like she has to do it.”
“I got it. Let me see who I can find,” Cutler said, but now he looked a million miles away. As if talking about Gracie Reynolds had taken him far away.
Hell, she was in Paris, and he was here in Blue Sky Bay.
I knew he missed her, and the look on his face told me it was worse than I’d thought.
He hadn’t been the same since she’d left.
His phone vibrated in his back pocket, and he reached for it.
His entire demeanor changed when he looked down at his screen.
“Speak of the devil.” A wide grin spread across his face. “It’s my girl and she’s in Paris, so I need to take this. I’ll be back.”
He walked off, and I looked up at Bridger, who was staring out at the water. “You ready to build our family a home that we can all enjoy?”
“I am. I think we’re all ready.” I moved beside him as we walked along the property.
“Every bathroom is getting a badass toilet in this home,” he said. “I want to warm my ass in every bathroom in this house.”
“A palace filled with golden shitters sounds about right for the Chadwick family,” I said with a laugh.
“Now you’re speaking my language.”
“It’s a good life we’ve all built, isn’t it?” I asked as I turned to look at him. I was a lucky bastard. I had a wife I loved more than life itself, and a daughter and a son I was incredibly proud of.
“It is a good life. Minus the fact that my teenage daughter wants to spend a summer abroad with her girlfriends, and I’m not Liam fucking Neeson and I’m terrified of letting her go.”
Laughter bellowed from me. Bridger was an over-the-top father when it came to his three daughters. He was ridiculously protective, and we all made fun of him.
“You worry too much. I’ll have Melody talk to her.” I sighed as we both stared out at the waves crashing against the shore.
Some moments felt like life was moving too fast, and others felt like life was just beginning again.
And Blue Sky Bay was going to be a place we could all come to relax and be together.
As a family.
Just the way we liked it.
THE END
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