Epilogue
EPILOGUE
Everly
One Year Later…
“It’s here! It’s here!” Rhett yelled, running through the house with an innocent-looking white package clutched in his hand.
“Whoa, slow down, buddy,” Nico said as he swung Rhett up into his arms. “What’s here?”
“What do you think?” I asked, arriving in the kitchen a few seconds after Rhett. Damn, that boy moved fast. Sometimes I didn’t think he needed a race car.
Nico’s eyes widened. “But the lawyer said we shouldn’t expect it until next week.”
“Oh well,” I said. “Maybe I should ask the courier to take it back.”
“Don’t you dare,” Nico said. He pulled out a chair and sat at the table, settling Rhett on his lap. “Shall we open it together, buddy?”
“Yes!” Rhett exclaimed.
I took the seat across from them, my heart filled with more joy than I would ever have thought possible. The last year spent with Nico had been a dream come true. I mean, sure, we had our disagreements, like most couples, but the make-up sex made the arguments worth it. I had been known to start one just so I could coax Nico’s mad side to come out and play. I adored it when he lost his cool. It didn’t happen often, but I was learning which buttons to press. Angry sex was kind of fun.
Nico slid his nail underneath the seal and reached inside. He pulled out a sheaf of papers and unfolded them, then laid them on the table.
“What does it say?” Rhett asked.
“Well,” Nico said, a huge smile breaking across his face. “It says that I’m now officially your dad.”
“For reals?”
Nico kissed the top of his head and ruffled his hair. “For reals.”
“Excellent.” He climbed down off Nico’s knee. “Mommy, can I call my friends and tell them I’ve got a dad?”
Nico’s gaze lifted to mine, so much emotion swirling in the striking green eyes that had captivated me on that first meeting almost fifteen months ago.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think you should ask your dad if you can go call them.”
“Can I, Dad? Please,” Rhett begged.
“Buddy,” Nico said, his throat clogged with pride. “I’d like nothing better.”
Rhett grinned, then sped off. Seconds later, his loud footsteps thundered up the stairs.
“I swear that boy makes more noise than an elephant would,” I said, rising to my feet. I walked around the table, nestled in Nico’s lap, and looped my arms around his neck.
“No regrets?”
“Adopting Rhett? Nope. Not a one.”
I kissed him, his lips soft and warm and inviting. “I had another letter this morning.” I nibbled my lip. “From Paul.”
Nico’s face darkened and he worked his jaw. “What the fuck did he want? And how did he get this address?”
“Calm down. The letter came via his lawyer. The prison had redacted a couple of lines. No idea why. All he said was that he’d heard the adoption was about to be finalized and he wanted to tell me sorry and that he hoped one day I could forgive him.”
Nico snorted. “And the answer to that is a big fat ‘Fuck off.’?”
I shook my head. “I’m not going to hold on to hate, Nico. Paul is paying the price for what he did. Fifteen years in the state penitentiary and the loss of his parental rights is punishment enough, don’t you think?”
“No. I don’t, actually. He could have fucking killed you, and even though he didn’t hurt Rhett that night, I will never forget the terror I saw in your face when I walked into the principal’s office. And that, love, is why I’ll never forgive him.”
I stroked his face. “We have so much to look forward to. Honestly, he barely crosses my mind. He’s not worth the time or the emotion to hate him. I’d rather move on. Besides,” I added, running my thumb over his bottom lip, “we’re going to be busy enough bringing up two kids. There’s no time for hate.”
It took a few seconds for the news to sink in, and then Nico’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Two kids?” He lowered his gaze to my midsection. “You mean you’re… pregnant?”
I grinned, nodding. “Yep.”
“But… I thought you were on the pill.”
“I am, or I was. No point in taking it now. Looks like you’ve got some super sperm going on there, Palmer.”
Nico stood. He gripped my ass, and I hooked my legs over his hips as he swung me around the kitchen. “Oh my God. A father twice in one day. I don’t think my heart can take it.” He set me on my feet and curved his hands around my face.
“How long do you think Rhett will take to tell his friends?”
I ran my tongue along the underside of my top teeth and popped the button on his jeans.
“Long enough.”
Thank you so much for reading Nico & Everly’s amazing journey to their HEA. They had a tough ride and many obstacles to overcome, but they rocked it in the end. And truly, Everly deserves a happy ending after what Paul put her through.
That’s all for the Full Velocity series, but if sports romance is your jam, then you might want to check out Winning Ace, the first book in my Winning Ace trilogy.
Cash Gallagher, playboy, tennis champion, darling of center court is about to have his life rocked by a tenacious journalist determined to uncover his secrets.