Bonus Epilogue
Chase carried Haley into the hospital. They walked down a hallway painted in soothing pastels, heading for the room number Ruby had texted earlier. He knocked on the door, which was already cracked open.
A chorus of voices responded. “Come in.”
Chase pushed on the door, and Haley clapped her hands. “There’s Mama.”
Ruby walked over, holding out her arms to take her daughter. “Hey, bug. Are you ready to meet your baby cousin?”
Aurora lay in the hospital bed, all smiles. Her hair was in a French braid. Clearly, Ruby had been at work here.
Aurora had given birth at five AM that morning, the baby weighing in at nine pounds. Aurora had been in labor for 36 hours before an emergency C-section. Ruby had arrived earlier with breakfast for the new parents, along with Megan, who was snoozing on the couch right now in the hospital room.
The past few days, Chase had thought Ruby was almost as anxious about the birth as Aurora or Devon were. Of course, she’d been outwardly calm and put together, but Chase could always tell what she was really feeling underneath.
Now, as his wife and daughter gazed at the tiny baby sleeping against Aurora’s chest, he felt Ruby’s joy and relief.
“Congratulations, dad,” Chase said to his best friend. Devon stood up and gave Chase a crushing hug. “Feels good, huh?”
“Like nothing else.”
Aurora handed Devon the tiny bundle, and Devon beamed as he showed off his son.
“Does he have a name yet?” Chase asked.
Devon and Aurora had been tight-lipped throughout the pregnancy about their list of names. They hadn’t even revealed the gender before now, but the blue blanket gave it away.
“We decided on a name, yeah.” Devon looked to Aurora, who nodded at him. "Meet Kellen Max Whitestone.”
“Max? Hoping to butter up your boss?” Chase muttered to him.
Devon shrugged. “It can’t hurt.”
Chase knew that Max and Lana had already been by the hospital room earlier. He’d waited for them to leave so the room wouldn’t be so crowded.
“Do you want to hold him?” Aurora asked.
Chase thought maybe she was talking to Ruby. But everyone in the room was looking at him.
“Oh. Yeah. Of course I do.”
Then Haley spoke up. She’d been surprisingly quiet so far. “Me! I want to!”
Ruby’s brow wrinkled. “I don’t know, bug. We might have to wait on that.”
But Aurora smiled. “It’s okay. Haley, you can hold baby Kellen if your dad helps you.”
Devon handed Chase the tiny bundle. He didn’t think he’d ever held a baby that was so new. His main experience was with Haley, and he’d only known her since she was about six months old.
Chase sat on the couch, where Megan was just beginning to wake from her nap.
He held up baby Kellen so that Haley could crawl in beneath Chase’s arms and snuggle into his lap.
Then he carefully lowered Kellen until the baby was in front of Haley.
She put her little arms around Kellen and kissed his head.
“Gentle,” Chase said.
It was incredible to think that Haley would hold a little brother or sister of her own in the future.
Hopefully not too long in the future, Chase thought.
Sometimes he didn’t see how he could ever be happier than he already was, but this moment right here—it gave him a clue. There was no end to the love he felt for Ruby or Haley, and that love would only multiply as their family grew.
The past year with Ruby had been an adventure.
The best time of his life so far. But when it came to Ruby, he was greedy.
He wanted more with her and Haley. Every moment he could get, every laugh, every smile.
And he had made clear to Ruby that he wanted to add to their family when and if she was ready.
He knew they had time. He could be patient. He’d waited a year for Ruby to return his feelings, waited for so long to have someone like her in his life. To truly be whole and happy. But seeing the way that Devon adored his son, Chase knew exactly what he wanted his future to look like.
Kellen opened his eyes and peered at Haley. “Look!”
“Yep, baby Kellen is looking at you,” Chase said softly. “He likes you. Are you going to teach him some things? Read him stories?”
Haley nodded.
“Do you want a baby brother or sister someday?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Just last week, Chase had been picking up Haley from her new day care when she’d grabbed his hand, announcing to the class, My daddy. He hadn’t pushed her about calling him “dad” before that, though of course he’d hoped.
He figured she must’ve heard the older kids talking about their fathers. It hadn’t really mattered to him what she called him, so long as she knew how much he loved her. Which he told her as often as he could.
But hearing Haley call him “daddy” had been an entirely new kind of feeling. The deepest pride he’d ever experienced. When he’d told Ruby afterward, she’d cried and held him and a confused Haley in a group hug for a solid five minutes.
It wasn’t the word that mattered so much.
The love had always been there. From the moment that Chase had realized he was in love with Ruby, he’d also known that he loved Haley.
The two of them were a package deal. But those titles and rituals mattered.
They made love tangible and showed it to the world.
Everyone else in the room was quiet, watching the interaction between Haley and Kellen. Ruby got out her phone and took pictures, while Megan brushed tears from her eyes.
But the peace didn't last long. Kellen’s tiny face twisted up, and then he let out a wail. The kid had a decent set of lungs on him for being less than a day old.
Haley turned to Chase and said, “No. Don’t want one.”
They all laughed, especially Ruby when Chase caught her eye.
That night, Ruby watched Chase put Haley to bed.
Haley had gotten far too skilled at escaping her crib, so she had a toddler set-up now.
Haley loved climbing in and out of the low-slung bed frame.
Thankfully, the two-year-old hadn’t figured out a way around the child-proof cover on her door knob yet.
Haley was growing so fast. The days with Chase had built, one against the other, into a beautiful blur of happy memories. But Ruby wanted so many more.
Chase had hinted that he hoped to expand their family, and before, Ruby had been hesitant.
She still had mixed feelings about her pregnancy and her struggles as a single mom.
Even though she had Chase now, she was worried about changing the dynamic between the three of them.
Why disrupt something that was already perfect?
But seeing Devon and Aurora at the hospital today with Kellen, and watching Chase hold the new baby in his arms, Ruby had felt a certainty deep within her soul. It went beyond her rational mind, beyond any fears or doubts.
“Goodnight, Daddy.”
“Night.” Chase gave Haley one more kiss, one more sip from her water bottle. He finally backed out of the room as the little girl’s eyes were beginning to droop.
Ruby took her husband’s hand and went out to the living room.
“Want to watch TV?” Chase asked.
“Not tonight. I was thinking we’d do something else.”
Their new place was just down the street from Megan’s townhouse, and it had more room than Ruby’s old apartment.
It was still two bedrooms, but Ruby liked the idea of Haley sharing a room with a younger sibling.
She wanted Haley to have it all—the fights and laughter and the forever friendship, just like Ruby had with Devon.
And like she’d had with Kellen before he was gone.
They settled onto the couch, which was oversized and had plenty of space for the two of them. Ruby looked into Chase’s eyes.
“I want to have another baby with you.” She’d said another because Haley was theirs, together, even if Chase wasn’t her biological father.
The lights were dim in the living room. Chase’s eyes danced over her face and her body as he squeezed her hands. “Really? You’re sure?”
“So sure. I want to start tonight. Right now.”
“No way I’m arguing with that. But you’re still on the pill.”
“I forgot to take my dose yesterday. And I didn’t take it today.
It’ll probably be longer before I’m fertile again, but who knows?
Maybe we’ll get lucky.” Ruby wondered if she’d subconsciously been planning this.
If she had known, even before meeting her new nephew today, that it was time to take this step.
Chase pulled her closer into a long, slow kiss. “I’m definitely feeling lucky.”
They undressed. Ruby straddled him. There was no rush, but she felt an ache between her legs, inside her heart. The urge to be filled up with Chase. As close as she could get. She always wanted him closer. It was hard to imagine there was ever a time that she hadn’t wanted him, hadn’t loved him.
His hands dug into the flesh of her hips as he guided her onto his cock.
Ruby gasped as her body opened up to him, made room.
Chase’s pale blue eyes didn’t leave hers.
They ran their palms over each other, kissing, taking turns gently biting collarbones and shoulders and tasting each other’s skin.
Even though she was on top of him, she felt like Chase was in charge.
She loved that about him. That when they made love she could relax into him and know everything would be all right.
They rocked against one another. Moaning and savoring the moment.
They orgasmed together, moving as one. Ruby felt his heat inside her. Imagined his seed planting and growing.
“I want you again,” she whispered, even though he was still catching his breath.
Chase smiled, kissing her neck. “Demanding, aren’t you?”
They cuddled and dozed on the couch until Chase was hard again, and he rolled her over to her stomach.
Spread her legs. Pushed inside and held her arms down on the couch.
Ruby closed her eyes and relished the feeling of him on top of her.
Chase knew how much she enjoyed being taken like this.
Being dominated, fucked, but also cherished.
Chase growled against her ear as he came.
Then he shifted so he was on his side. Pulled her to him, her back to his chest.
Chase curled himself around Ruby like he wanted to surround her with his love. Like it would never end.
She took his hand and kissed his knuckles. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Forever.”
The world of West Oaks continues in
The Six Night Truce!
He’s cocky. Infuriating. And irresistible… Jane Simon & Sean Holt go from enemies to lovers in this action-packed romance. Grab your copy here.