Epilogue #2
Much Therapy Later
They had a birds-eye view.
From the patio he’d built with the intent of pool parties and happy moments, both he and Ridge stood there as the demolition was wrapping up.
Over the last four months, they’d made up their minds.
And got out of there.
Okay, it was the next day when Bishop demanded they burn that the whole place to the ground.
Her words.
Not his.
The bottom line was that Ridge needed therapy and to see the last remaining ties to his old life coming down.
The therapist—and not the one who had been sleeping with his wife—suggested they move.
So, they did.
Across town, one of the historic mansions came up for sale, and they didn’t care if it was haunted or way overpriced.
They jumped on it.
The mediation shed was moved, and now, the house that reminded Ridge of what happened was almost down.
In fact, as they stood there, the last part was about to be ripped apart.
Contents and all.
There went his past and his first marriage. All the pain went with it, too.
As they stood there, Ridge was watching the bulldozer as his back was to Lucian’s chest.
The man’s chin was on his shoulder, as they took it all in.
“You good?”
After contemplation, he nodded.
“I’ll always love her and feel horrible that I drove her to cheating, but I didn’t kill her. I believe that now. I’m not responsible for Wynter’s choices. Only my own.”
That had been a very expensive declaration, too.
It had taken a while for him to believe that.
“But I want to live.”
Oh, well, that was good to know.
Because Lucian wanted him to live.
He and Sophia were thriving, their business was growing, and no one was any the wiser that the Littlemoons had been part of the still unsolved death that happened at the Vanderbilt mansion.
In fact, the Vanderbilt family had hired them to work the investigation, and they purposely didn’t find anything.
It was a cold case, and no one would ever find out what happened to their cousin that one stormy, fateful night. Let the police think it was some hit.
They knew the truth.
“I’m glad. I’m happy that you’re back,” Lucian admitted. “I’ve missed you.”
Yeah, he missed him, too, and it was time to start living again. Sophia needed to see her daddy be happy, so he could make sure she was happy too. Her birthday was coming, and he’d made a promise to himself that he’d be present for it.
As the last wall came down, that last tie to this location was cut.
“Tomorrow, we’ll put the house up for sale,” Lucian said. “Whoever buys it can have it all.”
Ridge was good with that.
Good.
Riddance.
As he stood there, he was quiet.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked Ridge.
At first, Lucian wasn’t sure what he’d say, but then, he felt that energy start to hum around them.
Oh, and it was something that he hadn’t felt in four months, too.
Ridge went there.
“Want to go back to the house and into the meditation shed?” Ridge asked.
Yeah, he hadn’t expected that.
Was it welcome?
Yes.
Lucian could feel his energy, and he was drained. That morning, he had some really hot sex with his wife in the shower, and she’d been wobbly and ready to give birth.
“Sure. We can go into the static,” he offered. “It’s been a while,” he admitted, knowing the last time was when Ridge came in to try to save him.
That Ridge was back and he wanted to do that made him grateful. Without Ridge, he hadn’t been able to use his gift to help the Littlemoons.
“No.”
Ridge turned around.
“We can go into the static after. Right now, I think I’d like to have sex with you, so I can experience it in real time.”
Lucian’s heart skipped.
He and Bishop had talked about this, and she was good with it. What happened in the mediation shed was fine by her. As a family, they were going to work through it, and figure it out.
“Really?” he asked.
Pulling his mouth down, he kissed the man who had gone to every therapy session with him, and who let him sleep beside him and Bishop to make sure he was safe.
Lucian had held him up, and he’d not pressured him.
That was love.
And he’d found it again.
As their tongues tangled and hands wandered, Lucian’s body came alive for the second time today.
First with his Bishop, and now with his Ridge.
Slowly, the kiss was broken, and Ridge had his lower lip between his teeth.
“I want to live again. I want to feel alive with you, Lucian, my love.”
Well, holy shit.
“Ridge.”
He stared into his eye.
“I’m ready. You told me you’d be here. Now, catch me so I don’t fall.”
ABSOLUTELY.
There was nothing he wanted to do but be part of this man’s healing and life. They were building something amazing.
The three of them.
“I can’t wait.”
Then, Ridge remembered.
“We’ll have to make it fast, though. I don’t have a lot of time,” Ridge admitted.
Lucian lifted a brow.
What was this?
“Uh, you got a date you need to be at?” he asked, only joking.
Ridge grinned.
“Actually, I do. I have to go pick up flowers. I’m taking a very pretty lady out for dinner. She asked me out last week, and I wasn’t ready. Tonight, I will be.”
Lucian’s heart skipped.
“A pretty lady?”
He’d only been kidding about the man going on a date. That was the LAST thing he wanted to see. His possessiveness was at an all-time high.
For two particular people.
Ridge shared.
“It’s with Bishop. I’m taking a very pregnant, pretty lady out for Mexican. She said the spicier the better. I think she’s using me for food, like she was using you for sex to induce labor, but I’m looking forward to it.”
That made him laugh.
That sounded like Bishop.
Lucian had bad news for the man.
“Well, it looks like you’re going to be late. I’m not rushing the first time I’m aware of us having sex. I want all the memories of that moment. The pretty pregnant lady will understand if you’re late. If we’re having sex outside the static for the first time, on this plane, she’ll understand.”
That made Ridge’s heart skip.
That he was wanted that much, and for the last four months the man had been gently wooing him…
It made him feel so loved.
“Twist my arm, already,” he joked.
As they began walking back to the car, Lucian’s phone started ringing.
On the screen, he saw his wife’s face.
“Yep. She knows everything in the universe, despite me being the one who knows everything in the universe,” he joked. “She heard my dick get hard. I swear she has wife radar, and as soon as I said she had to wait, the universe pointed her at me.”
Ridge laughed.
Instead of saying more, he answered the call.
“Yes, baby?” he asked, answering. “You rang?”
Bishop went there.
“Lucian, my water just broke. Can you come get me? We’re going to have a baby!”
Well, holy shit!
“Are you serious?” he asked, running the rest of the way to the car, as Ridge did the same.
Together, they jumped in.
“Lucian Monroe. Do you think I’m going to prank call you and pretend my water broke? Are you kidding me? Your daughter wants to be here! Jo is going to handle the kids. COME. PICK. ME. UP! Oh, and tell your boyfriend he’s coming in the delivery room to hold my goddamn leg! He’s not escaping this!”
Well, that said it all.
Lucian gunned it down the driveway, screaming that sports car around the corner, and across town.
Yeah, he hauled ass out of there.
“Give me ten!” he said.
Then, he hung up.
Ridge just laughed.
“You know she did that on purpose so we can’t have sex,” he joked. “She’s more powerful than both of us put together.”
Lucian snorted.
“She did it, so when you take her on a date, she can have a margarita. Who the hell are we kidding? Bishop has a two-track mind,” he said.
They both laughed.
Because he was right. The lady liked a stiff drink, and an even stiffer drink on their new patio.
And she deserved it.
As Lucian raced to get to his wife, he knew that they were all going to be okay.
They were back, and the Littlemoon family was stronger than ever.
They survived Oracle, and that clusterfuck.
So, they’d survive what was to come—no matter what that was.
Bet.
On.
It.
Past and future were about to be turned on its head, and everything old would be new again.
For everyone.