Epilogue
Hazel
“Parker and Calliope, I pronounce you not just husband and wife, but partners for life and parents of the world’s cutest baby. You’re invited to seal your union with a kiss.” Callie’s aunt smiles and lowers her Bible.
She’s a Lutheran pastor, so I give her a pass on her baby fib.
Luke’s not so willing. “To be clear,” he whispers as he leans close with Laurel in his arms. “She hasn’t seen all the babies in the world.”
“Obviously,” I whisper back.
“Our kids are the cutest, right?”
“Duh.”
“Thought so.” Luke smiles as Parker swoops Calliope into his arms.
Rosemary stirs in mine, so I rock her gently. With a sweet baby smile, she stretches out one chubby hand to reach for her daddy.
“I think they’re ready to trade again,” I murmur.
“You’re right.” He jiggles Laurel against his chest. “She wants the parent with lunch in her bra.”
As I stifle a giggle, we seamlessly swap who’s holding which baby. Luke holds up Rose, covertly sniffing her backside. “I’m sensing a diaper change in the very near future.”
“Again?” Our little girl lets out a flatulent burst that cues up the recessional march.
Our daughters might look identical, but in the six months since their birth, we’ve realized these twins are polar opposites. When Rosemary wants sleep, Laurel’s ready to eat. When she wants to be rocked, Rose would prefer to be still.
But the girls love each other, and sleep nestled on opposite ends of the same crib. We tried starting them out in their own beds but discovered they wail like sirens when separated.
“It’s safe for them to share at this stage,” Molly assured me when I asked. She checked to make sure their crib mattresses were sufficiently firm and their bedding arranged to eliminate smothering risk. “Some babies just feel happier knowing someone they love is close by.”
Now, as I glance at my husband, I get it.
That’s right—husband.
We staged our wedding the same day Luke proposed, not wanting to wait to make it official. While we legally couldn’t tie the knot until we went to the courthouse and filed for the license, I’ll always think of that sweet little hospital chapel as the spot we officially got married.
We’re not very graceful as we get to our feet and start making our exit.
Juggling blankets and babies and burp cloths, we watch the wedding party file to the front of the church.
The beaming bride and groom sail past, with their own baby snug in an antique buggy decked out in sea green and salmon pink streamers.
We trade smiles with Parker and Callie, then with Jake and Cassidy two rows behind us.
Their little girl rests snug in a baby Bjorn strapped to her proud daddy’s chest.
And there’s Peter and Lucy beside them. She’s not showing yet, but the first round of IVF worked in their favor. Peter beams proudly, resting a hand at the small of her back as Harper applauds by his side. “Way to go, Uncle Parker,” she shouts as the bride and groom pass. “Hi, Aunt Callie!”
Laughing, Calliope high fives her niece as they march down the aisle with Cal on their heels.
He’s Parker’s best man, and he’s beaming at Zoe, who stands at the end of an aisle.
Her medical issues meant biological babies weren’t in the cards for them, but they’ve just been approved to foster a three-year-old boy.
Kaleb and Brooke—parked at the edge of the next row—have decided to hold off on starting a family for now. And there’s Mason and Erika, smiling and happy and not even sure if they want kids at all. Maybe just the four-legged kind.
There’s room for all sorts of families in our orbit.
“Need any help, Hazel?” Newly fifteen, Harper hustles over with the hope of a kid saving to buy her first car. “I can change diapers if you want.”
“That’d be great.” Luke hands over Rosemary. “Hang on—might as well check both of them.”
As my husband unfolds our portable stroller, Harper coos at her sweet little cousin. “Hi, baby. I’m not sure which one you are, but I’ll know in a second when I see if you have a little pink birthmark on your butt.”
Laughing, I load Laurel into the stroller. “Thanks, Harper. Please add this to our tally.”
“Obviously.” Blowing a kiss, she wheels our twin girls toward the room that’s been set up for all manner of baby needs.
Harper’s been given a generous stipend for serving as a parental helper on this long wedding weekend. With help from her ex-lawyer stepdad, she negotiated terms that secured her a bonus for each diaper she changes.
“Smart kid,” Luke murmurs as she wheels them away. “They probably don’t even need changing. She’ll just do it for the extra cash.”
“Money well spent.” Looping my arm through his, I let Luke lead us toward the reception hall. “Before I forget, Dad wants to switch your next chess game to Thursday. I told him I’d ask you.”
“That should work.” Luke checks his watch. “It’s too late to call and request a visitation change. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“No rush.” I just love that my father and husband have become prison pals. It took some grudging concessions from both men at first. Luke’s still not a fan of the crimes my father committed to land behind bars. My father may never believe any man’s good enough for his little girl.
But one thing they agree on is the merit of second chances.
“If you had to get married,” Dad grumbled when I told him, “I’m glad you didn’t end up with some pansy-ass pretty boy who’s never done an honest day’s work.”
“Me too,” I murmured, hugging my dad at the end of our visit. By then, Luke had already taken our twins to the car. “And I’m glad you got to meet your granddaughters.”
“Same.” Tears shone in my father’s blue eyes. “You did good, kid.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“That’s Numr Ne Ad to you.” My father gave me a wobbly smile. “I’ll never stop working to live up to that label. And I’ll always be proud to be your father.”
“Hey.” Luke squeezes my hand, pulling me back to the moment. “Are you okay being away from Squash this long?”
“She’s in good hands, right?”
“The best.” Our veterinarian pal Annabelle Hanlon agreed to step in as our cat sitter. Not just for this trip, but also next month when Luke and I travel for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Alina Pappas Family Foster Center in Brostini, Romania.
It’s been running for three weeks already, so the ceremony is mostly a formality. Mom’s been instrumental in getting it running, and not just on the business side.
“Did I tell you my mother signed on to snuggle babies three days a week at the center?”
“No kidding?” Luke smiles. “She’ll do great.”
“She’s been learning Romanian lullabies and even got an apartment close by so she can keep volunteering at the center.”
“Good for her.” Luke knows how much this means to my mother and me. Mom’s getting a chance to do motherly things she never experienced herself.
We’ve grown closer these past several months, bonding over our love for Laurel and Rosemary. And each other, too.
“I’m so glad we got a second chance,” she said the last time we said goodbye at the airport. “You’re the best daughter I could have asked for.”
“I love you, Mom.” I squeezed her tightly as she grunted in protest.
“That’s my line,” she insisted. “I like saying ‘I love you’ first.”
“Next time,” I promised.
If we’re lucky, there’s always a next time.
Shaking myself back to Parker’s wedding reception, I link arms with Luke and survey the banquet hall. “Do they have place cards?”
“I think we just sit where we want.”
My gaze lands on Noah, who’s standing alone by the bar. “Wonder where he’s sitting.”
“I’m surprised he came all the way to Alaska.”
“Didn’t I tell you? He’s officially moving to Joyner. Bought a house and everything.”
“No kidding.” Luke shakes his head. “Never thought the day would come.”
“You and everyone else.” To be honest, I’m not sure what drew my black-sheep cousin to the tiny town not far from the prison. But I have my guesses.
My thoughts get interrupted by Erika waving from a table nearby. “Over here,” she calls. “We saved you a spot.”
Mason’s beside her, joking with Kaleb, while Brooke cradles Cassidy’s baby. Jake smiles at his wife, popping small salmon crudité into her mouth.
Luke’s lips graze my ear, and I swear I can feel him smelling my hair. “Want to sit there or someplace alone?”
“Let’s join them,” I say, taking his hand as love fills my heart. “Happy times call for family.”
Luke grins as we start toward the table. “I couldn’t agree more.”
***
Aw, hell. I’m sitting here sniffling like a big author baby at the thought of the Cherry Blossom Lake series coming to an end.
But as you might’ve guessed, it’s also the start of something new and exciting!
Noah Spencer-King has a lot on his plate, like staying out of jail. And blending inconspicuously into small-town life. He’s operating a top-secret inmate rehabilitation and redistribution program, so the last thing he needs is a girlfriend.
Or maybe that’s exactly what Noah needs—a cover to help him get settled in this sleepy town where everyone talks.
His cousin’s hot doctor friend, Molly, might be up for the task.
But the sexy single mom has problems of her own, and once Noah knows about them, he’ll stop at nothing to protect Molly and her daughter.
The Jailbirds series is a trio of novels mixing romantic suspense and romantic comedy. The books will roll out in 2026, and if you’re new to my rom-com/suspense storytelling, may I introduce you to my Assassins in Love series?
It’s similar to The Jailbirds in tone and content, so read on for a peek at Assassins in Love book 1, Killer Instincts . . .