Epilogue
NEXT SUMMER
Dom
“Riley, hija, come eat el asopao before it gets cold,” my mom tells Riley, who’s actively chasing all the kids my brothers brought.
Lucas and his stepkids, Oliver and Stella.
They’ve been playing for hours, from the toddler all the way to Jade, the teenager.
It’s the Riley effect—everyone cheers and brightens up when she’s there.
My family came to visit a week or so ago, staying in the main house where, once upon a time, they used to host families.
The Banks were gracious enough to open their house to them, and it’s been a dream come true.
I miss them, all of them, but I love my life here.
Being able to show them around has been what my heart needed.
“I’m coming as soon as I catch this gremlin!”
She’s still running, trying to catch Birdie, Lucas’ middle child. Seeing them all with Riley, though? Beyond what I could have expected. They took her in as one of their own, and Riley fell into place, just like I knew she would—like she belongs.
“I knew you’d end up with a woman who would give you a run for your money,” Summer, Lucas’s fiancée, says.
“Oh, because you’re the tamed one in your relationship?” Lilly, Oliver’s girlfriend, says. Two Lillys in this place, even if for a short time, have been a lot, but it is what it is.
“I didn’t say that. I just knew that one needed a wild one too. All these Diaz boys do, don’t you, baby?” She taps Lucas’ cheek with an open hand.
“I am not wild,” Lilly says, making Oliver hold in a laugh. “Do not say anything inappropriate in front of your parents.”
“No, díganlo todo in front of us. We made you three, no?”
“Ma!” we shout in unison.
“Okay,” Riley breathes out. “What did I miss?” Her hands rest on her thighs as she struggles to catch her breath.
“Nothing, mi hija. Come eat. You need to nourish your body if you’re giving me grandbabies one day.”
“Ma,” I say, nothing else needs to be said. She knows my biggest boundary with her is the bad habit she has of mentioning babies or food in front of anyone, but especially to Riley.
“Ay, lo siento, lo siento. Bad habits die hard, or whatever you say.”
“It’s okay. I’ll take all the Mama Diaz food, baby or no baby.” She takes her plate and sits on my lap. “Hi.” She kisses my cheek.
I wrap her hair around my fist, twisting it and dropping it over her shoulder. “You’re sweaty. You want water?”
Asopao is not a middle-of-the-summer meal, but that’s what Riley requested, and of course, Mom delivered. No matter how many times I tell this woman she doesn’t have to cook, she still does it. Give Lainey the day off, she told Lilly, who actually took the day off too.
The camp will be back in session in a few days, so everyone is trying to enjoy the calm before the storm.
“Nope, I’ll be good for now.” She looks at me, her eyes full of playfulness as a smirk paints her face. “What about you? Are you eating all your food so you can be ready to give me a baby, daddy?”
I choke on my spit, coughing, clearing my throat, and fighting hard not to grow hard under her.
To no avail. It happens immediately.
“See? He wants to give me a baby too,” she whispers, rolling her ass on my now very hard dick.
She’s been dropping hints here and there, and I thought it was just in reaction to my dirty talk, but every time she calls me daddy, I get a pull in my heart I’ve never felt before. An urge to get her to give me that title for different reasons.
I bring my lips to the shell of her ear, tucking back a strand of her silky blonde hair.
“Riley, if you keep calling me daddy, I won’t be taking it as you’ve been naughty and want me to spank this tight little ass.
” I squeeze her cheek, making her squirm, but I keep her in place with my other arm.
“I’m gonna start taking it as you actually want me to put a baby in you. ”
She turns to face me, not an ounce of fear in her eyes. “Would that be terrible, Dominic? Making me your baby mama?”
“I don’t want you to just be my baby mama. I want you to be mine. My wife. The mother of my children. My partner in crime. Forever.”
Her eyes open wide. “I thought you said you didn’t believe in marriage anymore. I’m fine with that.”
I caress her cheek with my thumb. “You make me believe in miracles, Firefly. I realized it wasn’t marriage I didn’t believe in, just a marriage with anyone but you.”
Her blue gems dance this time as she’s trying to make it sense of what I’m saying. “What are you saying?”
“Is this something you want? Because I do, and if you want it too, I’ll ask for real.”
“You just asked,” she says, dropping a peck to my lips.
“No, you deserve the whole thing. The thought-out proposal, the dropping to one knee, the romance book-worthy proposal. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.”
“I’ve been ready, but Dom, I don’t need a ring or a piece of paper to tell you what I already know.”
“And what is that?” I ask, confused and a little scared.
“That you already have me. You’re mine, and I’m yours, as it was always supposed to be. Yesterday, today, and all our tomorrows, ring or no ring. Now…a baby? A baby, I can get on board with.”
“Noted.” He tucks me into his arms where I remember, once again, that with him, I’ll always be home.