Epilogue
DARREN
“Do we really have to do this today? There are a million other things I’d prefer instead.”
Delaney touches my thigh, her fingers creeping closer to my dick as I bark a laugh. Taking her hand, I pull it away and ignore the pout she gives me.
“It’s time, Elle. We’ve already organized the storage locker, and now we need to fill it. You can’t keep living in this house. Not with it in this shape.”
“Are you sure this just isn’t your way of making more room for your things?”
I smirk, pulling her toward the tower of boxes in front of us. “It’s a bit of both. I know we’re waiting a bit longer, so at least give me this. If we’re both going to stay here once the house closes, it needs to be more liveable.”
“You’re right. Just don’t let it get to your head.”
“Too late.”
She sits on the ground and pats the ground in front of her. “Let’s start, then.”
“I promise to reward you, baby,” I tease.
“Oh? How?”
“Let’s get through a few boxes first. ”
“Jerk,” she grumbles, watching as I lower the first box in front of her.
Looking over the stack, I can’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. It’s a miracle that Delaney’s been able to stand living in this house for so long without tossing everything out on the lawn. There’s no room for her things, and I know that’s started to take its toll.
It wasn’t until Abbie came over with me for the first time and had her favourite beads roll behind the boxes and get lost that she decided enough was enough. Delaney ordered her multiples of those same beads that night, but it was the experience itself that shoved this into motion.
Moving another box to the ground, I open the flaps and start pulling all of the old CDs out. I snicker when I find the first-ever Brody Steele one tucked between a few I don’t recognize.
Delaney looks at my hands. “Oh! Brody would have a hell of a time with that. Should we put it on? There’s a stereo in the guest room.”
“He hates this album cover.”
“Why? He looks adorable.”
I snort. “He looks like a grumpy teenager. Garrison still teases him about how pissy he was during the photoshoot.”
“I still can’t believe Garrison’s his boss. Or that they didn’t get along at first. They seem pretty close to me.”
“It’s also been like four years since Brody came back home. Time changes everything.”
She hums, leaning her cheek against my knee for a second before getting back to work.
It’s only been a month since I brought her to our new plot of land, but it’s like we’ve hit fast-forward on life.
One minute, I was listing my house for sale, and the next, it was selling, and we were breaking ground on a forever home. The place we’ll grow old together.
Abbie’s probably the most excited out of everyone.
She’s already demanded exactly what she wants in her new room, from the size of the closet to the colours of paint on the walls.
If there was any doubt that she would be happy about my decision to sell our old house and build a new one for us, she proved them all wrong.
Her love for Delaney was instant, and I’ve watched it grow tenfold. As if I had any worries about that.
“Should we just start a pile of donation things?” Elle asks.
“That’s probably the easiest way to do this. I’m sure Poppy can take it all with her to Calgary and drop everything where you want her to.”
“I’ll call her tonight?—”
The doorbell rings four times, and Delaney starts pushing herself off the ground before I drop a hand to her cheek and say, “I’ll get it.”
She nods, settling again.
The first face I see when I open the door is Johnny’s. He’s flashing me that shit-eating grin he always wears as he shakes a brown takeout bag in front of him.
“The cavalry has arrived,” he announces, strolling inside as if he’s been here a million times before. “And we have food.”
Rory rolls her eyes at him and pats my arm. “Hi, Darren. I hope we aren’t interrupting.”
“As if. Not unless they were plannin’ on getting busy on dusty boxes,” Brody says.
He steps inside and immediately takes his boots off, leaving them beside Johnny’s before passing me with a slap on the back.
Anna follows, her hand tucked into his. Then, my sister comes in carrying a tray of drinks. Garrison’s glued to her back, holding another.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, looking between everyone who passes and the Rustic Ridge haul they’ve brought with them.
Poppy grins at me as she steps over the collection of shoes beside the door. “We figured you guys could use some help.”
Shutting the door, I watch as my closest friends greet my girl, immediately setting their things down and grabbing boxes and getting to work .
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Well, the faster you get this place organized and cleaned out, the faster I can have Delaney’s attention while we get the details sorted for my wedding. We’re only six months away now.”
“Don’t you have a wedding planner?”
Poppy huffs at me. “It’s not the same thing.”
“Right.”
“When you get married, you’ll understand what I mean.”
“I had a wedding before, Poppy,” I say, wincing at the reminder.
She scowls. “That didn’t count. A quick trip to the courthouse is not the same.”
I let it go, knowing I won’t win here. With a glance at everyone piled in the cramped living room, I ask, “Where are Bryce and Daisy?”
“Ice had something to do before she came. They’ll be here soon.”
“Alright. Come on, I’ll show you what I found in one of the boxes.”
“Oooh, I do love hidden treasures.”
Anna’s sitting on Brody’s lap on the armchair as they sort through one of the smaller boxes. I smirk when I pass, my hand running over the back of Delaney’s head.
She looks up at me, her eyes so full of light they’re almost blinding. “Did you call them over?”
Crouching beside her, I grab the CD album and shake my head. “No, baby. They came all on their own.”
The immediate warmth that spreads across her face . . . Yeah, I’m pretty lucky. Lucky to have her in my life but also all of these people here in this room.
“What do you have there?” Johnny asks, leaning over my shoulder.
With a smirk, I lift the CD into the air and wave it around. It’s Garrison who recognizes it first, his deep laugh drawing Brody’s attention.
“Risky move, Darren,” Garrison says.
I shrug. “It’s such a beautiful photo, it would be a waste not to show it off again. Remind everyone about it.”
Brody finally catches on to what I’ve got and pounces. With his wife on his lap, he can’t get close enough to grab it from me, especially not when Johnny takes it and cracks into a fit of rumbled laughter.
“How come I don’t think I’ve ever seen this?”
“We changed it after the first run sold out,” Garrison says.
“Oh, precious Brody,” Poppy coos.
Anna pats Brody’s chest and tries to soothe him. “You look handsome.”
“It’s a collector’s piece. Elle’s grandma was holding on to it for us,” I tease.
Delaney runs a hand down my arm, grinning. “She probably knew we would do this.”
“It’s no wonder she and Eliza got along so well,” Poppy says while pulling all of the Styrofoam cups from the holders she and Garrison hauled in.
She hands Delaney hers, and Rory reads the flavour scribbled on the side of it.
“Banana pudding?”
“Careful there, Rory. Delaney takes her milkshake flavour very seriously,” I warn teasingly.
Johnny rolls his lips while Brody chuckles. Delaney looks at them both, growing suspicious.
“Why do you look like that?” she asks.
Garrison stops looking through the box he grabbed. “I’ve never seen that on the flavour list before.”
Poppy smirks, glancing at me as if to warn me before saying, “That’s because they stopped offering that kind, what? Seven years ago now, Darren? ”
“So, how come I’ve been ordering it for twice that long, then?” Delaney asks, assuming they’re lying to her.
I take a seat on the floor beside her and watch every slight twitch in her expression as everyone continues talking.
“Darren told them to keep sellin’ it to you. Wouldn’t let them get rid of it completely,” Brody explains.
First, there’s confusion and then a flush of pink.
Delaney’s lips curl at the corners in a delicate smile that I want to feel against my skin.
She sighs, the sound light and easy, before her hand is on my cheek, holding me steady.
Our kiss is full of everything she won’t say in front of everyone, and I soak it all in.
“You’re a tattletale,” I hear Anna scold Brody.
His twanged voice filters through the room, but I ignore it. When Delaney pulls back, I immediately want her close again. I’m positive that’s how it will always be.
The sound of the front door opening and closing draws her attention from me. There’s a slight stiffening of her muscles that urges me to follow her gaze.
“Sorry we’re late. I made a couple stops along the way,” Bryce says, releasing Daisy’s hand.
Her fiancée joins us in the living room with a soft smile and a cheery hello while she stays in place. Abbie beams from beside her, a box of donuts in her arms. And behind her?—
“Sasha,” Delaney mutters.
My immediate reaction is to be angry with Bryce for bringing her here. But as my ex-wife shuffles in place, clearly uncomfortable, it slips to frustration.
“I’m not staying,” she clarifies, letting go of Abbie’s shoulder. The way she’s staring right at Delaney seems odd. I’ve never seen her look at her like that. “Can I talk to you?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
Delaney pushes onto her feet and chews on her lip before leaving my side. She stops in front of my daughter before anything, giving her a genuine smile and a rub on the arm.
“Hi, Abbie. Are those donuts? ”
“Yep! Yellow sprinkles only, like the ones you get for me on Sundays.”
My throat clogs. Suddenly, all of our friends are looking at me, and I glare at every single one of them until they get back to work.
“That was really thoughtful,” Elle says.
“How about you hand them to your dad so everyone can have one?” Sasha suggests.
“Okay!”
Abbie rushes toward me, and I reluctantly let the two women out of my sight. Once they step outside, I lose the ability to hear them too.
Poppy pinches the back of my arm when I stay silent for a moment too long, and I quickly snap into motion. Delaney can take care of herself . . . even if having to do so with my ex-wife won’t ever sit right with me.
*** Delaney ***
“You didn’t have to bring her here,” I blurt out the moment I step outside with Sasha. “I know it’s your week.”
Sasha tongues her cheek, antsy gaze far away. “I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. For what happened back then. I was cruel to you.”
I pause, running that back in my head. It still sounds as unbelievable the fourth time as it did the first.
“Did Bryce force you to say that? Because I didn’t tell her to get involved here.”
“No. Bryce can’t force me to do anything. All she did was remind me that I was a bitch to you and that Abbie doesn’t need to pick up on that energy. Not now.”
“Did something happen?”
She fidgets, still avoiding my gaze. “I’m pregnant.”
“Oh. Well, congratulations,” I offer, beyond awkward. “Does Darren know?”
“Not yet. I didn’t come to share that, anyway. I’d just like to not bring another baby into an environment so hostile. Abbie’s old enough to pick up on these things now, and with a new sibling, I worry she’ll already be upset with all of the changes coming.”
“So, you want a truce or something?”
Her laugh is short, almost disbelieving. “A truce would work, yeah. You’re not a threat to me, Delaney. What Darren and I had, or didn’t have, I guess, doesn’t matter anymore. I’m assuming you’re not going anywhere. That’s why he sold the house.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Okay. Well, I just wanted to clear the air.”
I can’t say that I’d consider it cleared entirely, but at least I’m not choking on her pollution anymore.
This has to be better than before. We’ll never be friends, and that’s perfectly okay with me.
All I need is some room to try and be a part of her daughter’s life without feeling like I’m being judged for everything I do.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Abbie wanted to stay for a while. If you’re okay with that, I’ll come back in a few hours to get her.”
My brows jump, a fleck of hope floating in my chest. “Of course that’s okay. She’s always welcome.”
“She chose those donuts especially for you.”
“You’ve done a great job with her, Sasha. Both of you have,” I say.
The small smile on her lips is genuine. “Thanks.”
“I’ll let Darren know the plan.”
She nods and starts down the sidewalk, heading for the SUV that’s still running. I watch her get inside before going back inside.
The moment I shut the door behind me, everyone turns to me, their curiosity obvious. Bryce sits on the arm of the couch, staring as if she’s trying to speak mind to mind. I know her well enough by now not to need to hear the question she’s asking.
The appreciation in my gaze answers her.
Darren snares my eyes once I join him and Abbie on the floor. He takes my hand, stroking my fingers and the ring I never take off.
I nod at him and lean into his body. His arms bracket me, and Abbie hands me a donut. Our friends start to chatter again, seeing that I’m okay, and I swallow the emotions trying to escape.
This moment is perfect. A sneak peek into the rest of forever.