Epilogue
It has been a summer vacation like no other.
Family-time on steroids. Happy families galore.
It was super-convenient that Jason bought the mansions on either side of our lakefront home. And not just for his original, intended purpose of keeping the neighbors from hearing me scream when I come. We have enough rooms to be able to spread our family across all three houses, and having everyone so close has been heaven.
I’ve met all of Jason’s friends properly now, and they’ve become mine too. Everyone has been so welcoming and loving, and I can already imagine what our summers may look like in the years to come, with our family growing, like Vince said. More babies are on their way to join the cuties clapping their daddies on from picnic rugs while the big, bearded kids gallivant about, playing raucous ball and tackle games along the shore.
The eclectic band of brothers have been an endless source of entertainment, with their laughter and games, and if we keep this a summer tradition, our kids will grow up happily playing the same way.
In fact, Caleb has already joined the men, and not only was he accepted instantly, he was also embraced with open arms.
He came to Mountain Lake for the summer as well — with his parents, Buzz and Suzi, who are so fucking sweet, I’m actually starting to make peace with missing out on so much of Caleb’s life. I’m also taking notes and accepting all tips on parenting from them both, because they’ve done an amazing job with our boy, and I want his little brother to grow up just as happy and well-balanced.
I look down at our sated, milk-drunk little boy and see so much potential, I could burst with all the love I want to give him. I always want him close, where I can watch every breath he takes and keep him safe forever.
“He looks happy.” Jason stands behind my comfy armchair that faces out the bay window and rests his head against mine, so we can gaze down at baby Jacob together.
Shirtless, Jason smells like sunshine and outdoor activity — and do I detect a hint of pine? Fond memories of love in the woods give my core a needy tug, and I squeeze my legs together. I haven’t left the house in a while…
“You’re doing a beautiful job, Princess,” he rumbles before pressing his lips to my neck. “He should be settled for a good few hours, which means I can take his mom out for a change of scenery and some much-needed fun and TLC.”
His words don’t compute right away, and I twist my head so I can see his face. “Huh?”
He grins and comes in front of me, to carefully extract Jacob from my arms. I love watching them together. Jason looks at our little boy with pure love and adoration. He’s so gentle and careful with him, and he strives to give his son everything he needs to feel safe and comfortable. He’s the loving father I always imagined he’d be, and I couldn’t have asked for better.
I can’t watch them together without falling more in love with both of them, and if Jason knew what his ultra-awesome dad vibes did to my pussy, he’d have me on my knees and bred again without delay. It’s a delicious thought that refuses to leave my mind lately, which is very inconvenient when I’ve committed myself to never leave my baby’s side.
Jason traces Jacob’s sleeping smile with his fingertip and presses a kiss to his forehead before looking back at me.
A shiver of pleasure caresses my spine, and Jason wets his lips, before he drops his gaze to my exposed breast. The suggestive behavior has my body desperate for some feel-good pampering, but I have motherly duties to uphold.
Jason sways gently with Jacob while he looks me over with a heated gaze. “I got us a nanny for the afternoon, Princess.”
My heart stumbles in excitement, and then picks up speed when I think about what that really means. I can’t abandon Jacob, and I don’t want to miss a single part of his life. It’s a fucking privilege to be at my baby’s beck and call.
“Jason, no.” I rush to tuck my breast out of sight. “I can’t. I can’t leave him for a whole afternoon. He’s barely ten weeks old. What if?—”
“We won’t go far, he won’t leave home, and all will be fine.” Jason nods to something behind me. “He’s going to be bonding with his big brother.”
I climb out of my rocking chair, to see Caleb — basically the brunette spitting image of his father — grinning at me with the same fucking mouth. “Caleb’s the nanny?” I ask.
Caleb bows his athletic frame deeply. “At your service,” he says in a grand voice before making gimme hands for the baby. “I’ll keep him safe,” he says, much like Jason would. “Mom’s going to supervise me and everything. Please go outside. Get some sunshine, and see something pretty. I want to paint with you in your studio tomorrow, and I want you feeling fresh and inspired.”
I look between him and Jason as they carefully transfer our precious baby into Caleb’s arms. How long have they been in cahoots about this?
“Man, I wish I could raise one eyebrow,” I say, pushing myself up, to march over and take Jacob back. “I would raise it so hard right now.”
“You’re cute when you’re outnumbered and overruled.” Jason hoists me into his arms. “Princess, I know this is hard, and you have a lot of feelings about it, but I can’t let this anxiety rule your life. I promise you, Jacob will stay safely right here while we get you some fresh air,” he says, kissing me before he carries me downstairs behind Caleb and Jacob in some weird, royal-family-like procession.
“We’ll take good care of him for you,” Suzi promises from the kitchen, waving us off as we head down the hallway past the freshly hung portraits I painted of our boys. “He’ll be right here when you get back.”
“Back? We’re not just going outside? In the yard.” I start to panic and claw at Jason, so I can see where Jacob is being taken. “Where am I going? He’s too little.”
Jason carries me into the garage, shuts the door, and presses me to the wall with his body. He settles his hand against my throat and adds pressure while he kisses me so softly it confuses my brain. “Easy, Princess,” he purrs against my lips. “Everything’s okay. I have it under control. Trust in me.”
The command overrides my alarm, and a calm nudges at me, ready to be received if I obey. My belief in him is fundamental, and my response is automatic. I stop fighting.
“Good girl,” he whispers against my skin. “Nice and mellow. Nobody’s taking our precious baby away, I promise. He’s with our family, and every single one of them loves you both. Everybody’s safe. Everybody’s loved. And my princess needs to remember that I am by her side and that I will never let history be repeated. Do you fucking hear me?”
I can’t talk past the pressure on my throat, but I don’t want him to take it away. It’s giving me so much fucking comfort right now. I nod as best I can.
“You trust me?” His voice is steady, solid.
I nod again.
“Then believe me when I say it’s safe to take a break, Princess.”
A strangled sound escapes me, and he tilts his head to one side, as he studies my face. “It’s going to be hard, but we’re doing it. The longer you avoid it, the worse this will get. I’ll do my best to keep you distracted, to make it easier, and when we’re done making you feel better, I’ll bring you right back. That’s the plan, and there will be no deviations.”
“Make me better?” I croak, struggling against him. Whenever I’ve been told I need to get better, I’ve been sent somewhere, to be drugged and rehabilitated. I try to speak, but Jason sinks his weight against me and adds pressure at the sides of my throat.
The second he does, I moan from the blurry tingle of the head rush. I melt under his grip with a sniff. “I don’t want to be locked away in the psych ward.”
“Nobody will ever lock you away again, Princess. I promise.” He lifts my chin, so I can see his eyes are glistening with tears. “Not ever,” he repeats, gripping the back of my neck now and pinning me to his body. “This is our happiness, and I won’t let anyone fucking take it. All we’re doing is going for a ride. Taking a little swim in the lake. Making you come under the trees, the way we love. Then we’ll spend the evening with our family, grateful for all that’s good in the world. You don’t need to keep fighting. We’ve already won. Nothing else can touch us, and I will make sure you know it every single day, no matter what,” he pledges with his heart next to mine.
“Are you ready to be my brave princess? The one who came to find me? Who found her lost son? The woman who birthed joy to not one, but three different families, so they could know the gift of children? The woman who walked into my life and claimed me? Blessed me? There is no greater fucking woman, and I am desperate to prove it to you. Let me.”
I nod against his shoulder. “Okay.”
He holds me and rocks me in his arms a while longer before setting me on the back of his old dirt-bike.
He climbs on in front and pulls me in close behind him, making sure my arms lock tight around his waist. His skin is warm, and I press my face to his back, remembering how he used to ride bare chested and tanned like this, in a summer long gone. We’d go without helmets, to feel the sun on our faces as we took slow tours along the lake’s edge, to our favorite little cove around the bend, where we found peace and pleasure in each other’s bodies and learned what it was to be in love.
The engine purrs to life, and Jason hits the garage door opener. “What is this life for, Princess?”
“Living,” I reply, remembering the wisdom he once spoke.
“Damn straight. So hold on tight and live with me.”