Epilogue
PEARCE
EIGHT YEARS LATER
“Don’t you dare do it.”
Whether Lottie was talking to me or her dad, I had no idea. Probably both of us.
The boxes had been unloaded, the minifridge filled, bed made, yet we were still hanging around.
We’d reached the point that there were no more ridiculous excuses for us to be here, and I expected she’d have thrown us out of her dorm room at least an hour ago if she’d been physically able to move us on.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Eddie glanced away, staring pointedly out the window. Without a doubt, I knew tears would be threatening. The urge to tease fell flat, my own emotion sitting high in my throat.
“Geez. I mean it. I’m going to be known as that girl with two blubbering dads. It’s hardly like you’re doing a great job of blending in.” The exasperation in her voice was strong, but since I hadn’t looked away, her struggle wasn’t as invisible as she hoped.
That was my cue to step up, wrangle her dad, and let her start living her college life.
Without tears.
At least until we were three blocks away.
“Right.” I clapped my hands. “It looks like you’re all settled. You know how to organize your app for campus meals, right?”
Rather than rolling her eyes at me, Lottie’s gaze softened.
“I’m all set, Pop-Tart.” Before I could ask the next question on my mental list, she stepped into my space and wrapped her arms around me.
“I’ve got this. I know what to do in an emergency.
I have a campus map. I have my schedule.
I’ve got the credit card in my Apple Wallet. ”
“Emergency credit card,” I said with a smile, hugging her hard.
“I promise I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about you.”
I dotted a kiss on her head and pulled away chuckling, aware since I’d indicated it was time to leave, Eddie had faced us. “Me? Why?”
“You’re going to have to put up with the old man. You know he’s going to pine, right?”
“Pining. Pfft…”
I smiled at Eddie’s attempt to deny her words. “Yeah, there’ll be pining, but I have ways to distract your father.”
“Ew.” She stepped out of my hold, wrinkling her nose. “And that’s something I am so not going to miss.”
I gasped, keeping up with the levity. Anything was better than tears at this point. “We’re adorable.”
“Uh-huh. You guys keep telling yourselves that. You know how much I’m looking forward to not having to wear my headphones at night?” Lottie arched her brow high, looking scarily like her mom when she did so.
“Uhm…,” I said with a laugh, trying to cover up the mortification of even thinking about our daughter hearing me and her dad going at it. “Now that’s our definite cue to leave.” I shot a glance at Eddie. The poor guy looked miserable as hell.
Lottie wasn’t wrong about the pining. Eddie was going to be a nightmare. But I really did have all the best plans to distract him.
“Go say goodbye to your dad, and then I’ll get him out of here.”
She sent me a grateful smile and hugged me hard. And fuck if a new wave of emotion didn’t sweep over me. Who knew letting go could be so damn hard?
When I’d left the Eagles seven years ago, it had been an emotional, bittersweet goodbye, but being able to spend more nights at home than not with my family, once I’d joined the Jetts, had been worth it.
And the Championship I’d won with the Jetts five years ago had been even better.
Even then, with my emotions high, they’d been nothing like this. Add in my retirement three years ago, which had taken Eddie some work to convince me didn’t mean I was past my due date, and each of those moments had been a breeze.
A black hole of fear sat in my chest that Lottie would be at college eight long hours away. Fuck, I was going to miss her so damn much.
“Dad.”
Lottie’s strangled voice caught my attention. I pursed my lips, understanding Eddie’s inability to release her, while trying to hold on to my amusement at Lottie’s panicked plea for help as she stared my way.
“Come on, Ed. Time to let her go.” I reached out and rubbed his back, my palm landing on the nape of his neck where I gave a reassuring squeeze. “We need to leave. Lottie will be fine. She’s got this. You know that.”
His panicked gaze met mine, and I smiled softly. “Come on, baby. It’s really time.”
With a shuddery sigh and a bob of his head, he released Lottie and cleared his throat.
“Jesus. I think you broke a rib.” Lottie rubbed at her side and rolled her eyes. “Butts out of here.” Her bottom lip trembled, and I swallowed hard.
“We love you,” I said quickly, snagging Eddie’s hand and tugging. Lottie’s struggle to keep herself together was crystal clear. I didn’t want her tears. I wanted to leave her happy and smiling, excited to be here.
“Love you, Lottie girl.” Eddie’s words were soft, but he followed my lead and allowed me to tug him toward the door.
A glance at Lottie showed me her brave smile. “Love you both. Text when you get… home,” she said after a moment of hesitation, her gaze flashing to mine. The smile eased into something more genuine.
I’d already told her we were taking a short break. Just five days in a luxury resort to try to distract Eddie. I hadn’t told him, sure he would have balked at travelling even farther away from Lottie’s college. Fully expecting this, I deliberately kept our trip in the States.
“Will do.” I winked and squeezed Eddie’s hand, finally hauling him out of her room and down the corridor.
He remained silent the whole way as I smiled at the wide eyes and gaping mouths of students and some of the other families still setting up their kids. Poor Lottie was right about our giant forms not being the best at blending in.
Once we made it to the car, I pulled Eddie’s keys out of his pocket and ushered him into the passenger seat. A couple of minutes later, I pulled out of the campus grounds, shooting worried glances at my husband.
It was at least ten minutes before he spoke, the sound of his voice making me jump. “Shit, we left?”
I snorted. “Yep.”
He sighed, glancing around the small town we were heading through. “This isn’t the way to the 90.”
Smiling, I side-eyed him before returning my attention to the road. “Nope.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“But Lottie mig—”
“Lottie will be fine, but if she needs us, she’ll call, and we’ll make sure she’s okay,” I reassured.
A huff of breath escaped him. “I can’t believe she’s in college. The house is going to be so quiet.”
A pang hit my chest, and I reached out for him.
He took my hand immediately, and I rested our joined hands on my thigh.
“I know, but I don’t think she was joking about the headphones.
” I chuckled and glimpsed his face turning red.
“That means we don’t even have to attempt to keep it down. A win, right?”
His lips twitched, and my shoulders relaxed.
“Tonight I’m going to fuck you so hard into the mattress, you won’t be worrying about a thing other than when you can come again,” I promised.
When he shifted in his seat, I grinned, happy to distract him.
“Yeah? Is that after you eat me out?”
“Fuck,” I groaned, hand contracting on the wheel as blood rushed to my cock. “Yeah. I can definitely do that.” Tightening my hand on his, I cleared my throat. “It’s actually a bit of a drive, so maybe you should look on your phone and see if there’s a motel close by.”
He snorted out a laugh. “Can’t wait, huh?”
“Fuck no. Not when you say you want to ride my tongue.”
A quick glance his way and our gazes connected. “We’re going to be okay, huh?”
My heart clenched, smile tender when I nodded, lifting his hand to my mouth to kiss the back of his hand. “We really are. Just a first for us.” And hell if I wasn’t excited about the idea.
Lottie was starting a whole new adventure, becoming independent and beginning her college life.
For me and Eddie, we’d be living by ourselves for the first time ever, working out new routines.
From the heat in his eyes, all wrapped in the love he was quick to tell me he felt every day, this next journey together would only get better.
And that would start in the next fifteen minutes if he hurried up and found us a motel.