Epilogue
ABBY
“Come here, girl,” I say, patting the open spot next to me on the inner tube. Zara hops up, snuggling into my side with her head resting on my lap.
She’s been a part of our family for almost a year now, and I don’t know what any of us would do without her.
We all came sledding today, but I’m electing to lounge down here at the bottom of the hill. The thought of trekking up the hill repeatedly doesn’t sound appealing in the least.
I am creating a human right now, so I should get a little leeway.
There’s also the fact that my three overbearing husbands would lose their minds if I tried to fly down the hill on an inflated plastic tube.
They have always been protective, all of them in their own way. But ever since they found out I was pregnant, the security status escalated to the maximum.
It’s as endearing as it is annoying.
The boys barrel past us, clinging to each other while screaming their heads off. They hit a patch of fresh powder, causing them to go rolling across the snow.
I’m ready to hop up when their laughter hits me.
“Mom, did you see that?” Mav asks, wiping the snow from his face.
“I sure did. Are you guys okay?” I ask.
They both nod.
Oliver crouches in front of me, petting the fur on Zara’s head. The bond these two have is hard to put into words. It’s like they get each other on a level that few others would understand.
She loves all of us, but Oliver is her favorite. She sleeps in his bed nearly every night. As much as she has been an emotional support for him, I think he has been the same for her.
He leans in, pressing a kiss between her ears. “The baby okay?” he asks, looking up at me.
My hand moves over my bump that’s now getting so big I couldn’t zip up my ski pants this morning. The bump is popping much quicker this time than it did with Mav. “The baby is perfect.”
Both of the boys were happy when we told them they were going to have another little brother or sister.
Mav shows that happiness with constant chatter and stories filled with palpable excitement. Oliver, much like his personality, is showing it in a quieter kind of softness, stemming from love and joy.
These two boys are polar opposites, yet everything the other needed without even realizing it. They really are brothers, and seeing that bond develop has been so special.
Zara nuzzles into my hand but gets up to follow after Oliver. He slows his pace so she can keep up with him as they climb the hill.
“Angel,” Linc says, surprising me.
“Oh, hey,” I say. “Where the hell did you come from?”
“And why would I give away my secrets?” he says with a shrug.
Ever my mysterious man.
My arms wrap around his neck, and I pull him in for a kiss. “Do you want me to drive the truck over here?”
“No, I’m fine here,” I say.
He trails a finger over my chilly cheek. “You could sit in the warm cab and still watch everyone.”
Yes, I might be a little cold, but it’s January in Colorado. It’s par for the course. I am perfectly bundled up. The baby is safe and sound.
“Linc,” I say in warning.
“Don’t ‘Linc’ me,” he says, narrowing his eyes. “I just don’t want either of you cold out here.”
I let out a breath, my features softening. Out of all my guys, Linc has worried the most during the pregnancy.
He thrives on being in control. This is one thing he can’t control at all, so he has put that energy into protecting me at all costs—even when it’s wholly unnecessary.
“Love,” I say, cupping the side of his face. I wait until his eyes meet mine. “I’m fine.” I grab his hand, bringing it over my bump. “We’re fine.”
I have told him the same thing a million times already, but I’ll continue to do so until this little one is in his arms if that’s what he needs to make him feel a little more settled.
“I just love you both so much. I don’t know how I can love someone I haven’t even met yet, but…” he says in a rare moment of total vulnerability.
“But it’s real,” I finish for him.
“Yeah.”
“I love you, too,” I tell him, kissing his cheek.
“You better,” he says, his regular demeanor settling back into place. He gently grips my chin. “Stay out of trouble down here.”
“I’ll do my best.”
With one more kiss, he’s stomping his way up the mountain toward where the boys are tackling each other in the snow.
Wyatt and Kane whiz by on separate tubes. They’re acting like they’re in a gold-medal race at the Olympics and not a fun family day on a random hill in the mountains.
My phone vibrates in my coat pocket. I twist to the side to pull it out. Seeing Leah’s name on the screen, I tap the green button to answer as quickly as I can.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey,” she says, and I already know she has good news. My shoulders relax a little. “He got six months.”
I let out a relieved breath. That isn’t nearly enough time for her horrible ex to serve for what he did to her, but it’s more than we thought he would get.
Have I mentioned that our justice system is majorly flawed?
“How are you feeling about it?” I ask, not really giving a shit about anything else.
“Relieved,” she says. “But also, kind of mad that it took so long.”
Leah is so sweet. She sounds guilty for feeling mad, even after that monster beat her so badly she wound up in the hospital.
“I’m mad, too,” I tell her. “But you aren’t alone.”
“I know I’m not,” she says. There’s a rustle on her side of the line.
“He will never lay a hand on you again, baby,” a male voice filters through the phone.
A grin spreads over my face. “Oh… is mister hottie cop man there with you?”
“Yes, he is.” I can’t see her, but I would bet good money that she’s blushing right about now.
She started seeing Nick about six months ago, and he isn’t going anywhere. She might not see it yet, but that man is head over heels in love with her.
“I’d better get off the phone, or I’m bound to hear some stuff I absolutely don’t want to hear,” I say, laughing.
“Shut up,” she groans. “It was one time, Abby. One time.”
“It’s still ingrained in my brain, girl… like a tattoo.”
I might have walked in on the two of them getting hot and heavy in the supply closet at the bar. I guess that closet is good for all kinds of things… secret hookups and love confessions.
“Well, get a removal,” she snaps.
I laugh even louder. She might not be my neighbor anymore, but I actually think we’re closer now. She is fully part of the friend group, and I see her all the time.
The guys have adopted her, kind of like a younger sister. I decided to rent out my old house instead of selling it, so the guys are always using the excuse to go over there and “check on something.”
Leah is usually what they want to check on, not anything at the house that the tenants might need fixed.
It’s adorable how much they care about her, and it speaks to who they all are. They might be rough and tough bikers, but they are three of the best men I have ever met. I love them more than life itself.
“I’ll get right on that and send you the bill,” I tell her.
“I’m so glad I called you,” she says sarcastically.
“I’m glad you did,” I say, serious this time. “Go live your life and be happy.”
We say our goodbyes and hang up.
“Who was that?” Wyatt asks as he and Kane walk over. Their tubes are tucked under their arms.
“Leah.” Their expressions narrow in with worry. “Six months.”
Wyatt cringes. “I guess it’s better than nothing.”
“It’s not enough,” Kane growls.
“No, it’s not,” I say.
“Nick won’t let anyone near her, though,” Wyatt says with a smirk.
“He told her that while I was talking to her,” I say.
“When is she going to realize how gone for her he is?” Wyatt asks.
“When the time’s right,” I say with a shrug. “It worked for us.”
“Fuck yeah, it did,” Wyatt says, bending down to smack a kiss on my lips.
“I still worry about her,” Kane says, looking out over the snowy field beside us.
Wyatt grabs my hand, helping me stand. I step in front of Kane, sliding my hands to either side of his face. “I know you do, but she’s in good hands.”
He lets out a breath, wrapping his arms around me. “It’s probably good I didn’t have a younger sister. I would have been overbearing as fuck.”
I want to say something about him being the same way with me, but I keep my mouth shut.
“What are you going to do if little nugget is a girl?” Wyatt asks, and Kane’s forehead falls to the tops of my head with a groan. “You’re going to be insufferable.”
I bite my lip to keep from spilling the beans. I got the results earlier today about the gender. I accidentally opened the email at work, thinking it was lab results for a patient.
Pregnancy brain at its finest.
I want to tell all my guys at the same time. I want to see all their faces when I tell them they’re going to be girl dads.
This little girl is going to be more protected than a mafia princess between her three daddies and two older brothers.
She’s going to be one little badass with an army of men around her who would burn down the world for her. She’s a lucky girl, and she isn’t even here yet.
I’m pretty lucky, too. I found the three men that complete my heart and soul in a way I never dreamed would be possible.
The love I have for them is almost too much for my heart to contain—and I guess it didn’t because it’s that very love that created this new little one.
It’s that love that brought us together and is continually growing this family we have.
Tears well in my eyes as I shift to stand between Wyatt and Kane, both of their arms wrapped around me.
We watch Linc and Mav fly down the hill on one tube. Oliver and Zara are snuggled in another, going at a much more reasonable pace.
I close my eyes, wanting to engrain this memory in my brain forever because when I’m old and gray, this is one of those days I want to have flashing through my mind.
Happiness. Love. Family.
The end.