Epilogue #1 - The Theater Goats
Eddie
Nolan Montague has officially lost his mind.
I know he’s eccentric. Hell, he’ll tell you that himself, but this is beyond ridiculous.
A giant striped tent stands at the entrance to the garden, serving as an unofficial welcome to Nolan’s party. Best I can figure, it’s either a circus theme or a fever dream.
Who knows with that man?
Fire dancers command the edges of the space, flames bursting into the night sky in sharp, controlled bursts. A small stage to my left hosts actors mid-performance, though I couldn’t tell you what the hell they’re saying. To my right, aerialists spin above us, suspended on silks.
And then there are the goats.
Actual goats in tiny top hats and bow ties, just… wandering through the melee like this is completely normal for a Friday night. Like I’m the weird one for noticing.
That settles it. I am completely out of my element.
And I’m just about to say so when I glance at Kiki and promptly shut my mouth.
She’s positively enthralled by the scene unfolding before her, her eyes lighting up as she spins around, clapping like a little girl. “Isn’t it magical?”
That’s one word for it.
“Nolan has gone completely off the rails,” I mutter.
“It’s fun. Funky. Totally Nolan.”
I wrap an arm around my woman, pulling her close. Who can argue with that logic? “And you are totally stunning.”
She is too. Kiki glows now. She’s the embodiment of sunshine with a little hurricane, and I fall more in love every day.
Kiki pulls from my embrace, giving me a slow twirl of her assets. “What can I say? Blissfully happy is a good look.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
The last few months have been a whirlwind. Between finishing Nolan’s house, which now apparently serves as a retirement home for theater goats, working on Kiki’s cabin, and Theo’s relentless sports schedule, we’ve been busy.
Plus, there are lines, literal lines, of people awaiting our services. Seems Nolan Montague has been singing our praises far and wide. Business is booming.
But I love working with Kiki. Some might cringe at the idea of working beside your significant other, but we have immense respect for each other, plus the sense to stay out of the way when our grumbly sides emerge.
I’ve unofficially moved into the cabin, and once my lease is up, I’ll become a permanent resident there. It’s a work in progress, but my crew added another bedroom and bath, so now there’s plenty of space for Theo… and anyone else who might come along.
Besides, there’s nothing like curling up next to Kiki every night, her curves pressed against me as she sleeps.
She’s not afraid of what lies in the dark anymore, and if I have my way, she’ll never be again.
I can’t imagine my life without her, which explains why I’m basically glued to her side, a fact which my crew loves to give me grief about, but I know the truth.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Drake is gone, along with several prominent folks from the area. They just up and vanished, no fanfare, no media coverage.
Hell, even Kevin Duncan couldn’t evade justice forever. He was arrested in the UAE. Seems his appetite for depravity followed him across the ocean. Hopefully now, he’ll pay for his crimes, although it’s anyone’s guess.
All I know is he’s far away from Sparkwood and I doubt he’ll ever come near this place again.
We didn’t ask, but we’re sure as hell not mourning their loss.
“Look who finally arrived. It’s the dream team!” Nolan strolls over, his voice carrying over the din.
I laugh and shake his hand. “This is quite the setup, Nolan.”
“I love it,” Kiki cuts in with a smile. “It’s like Cirque du Soleil meets Shakespeare in the Park.”
Nolan fires off finger guns like she just handed him a winning lottery ticket. “Seriously, that is exactly what I told my event planner. Good eye, Kiki.”
She smirks, planting a hand on her hip. “That’s why you pay me the big bucks.”
Nolan arches a brow, gesturing toward me. “Pretty sure I pay him the big bucks.”
I grab her around the waist, dropping a kiss on her shoulder. “Yeah, but since we live together, what’s mine is yours, right?”
Kiki tilts her head up for a kiss. “Quite right.”
“Which is why I pay him the big bucks,” Nolan adds with a chuckle. “Enjoy yourselves. And if you need a little space, the west garden is cordoned off.” He winks and excuses himself, disappearing into the crowd.
Yes, Nolan and I are good. More than good, actually. As soon as I realized he wasn’t trying to steal my woman, we were great. Turns out he was right. We are the dream team.
“Shall we?” I offer Kiki my arm, leading her to the private rose garden at the far end of the house. Hard to believe it was nothing more than busted concrete and dead plants a few months ago.
Now, it’s bursting with roses of every color under the sun, their fragrance coloring the summer breeze.
“It’s so beautiful.” Kiki fingers the petals on the roses, the smile never leaving her face. “Life is good, isn’t it?”
I love watching her love this life, knowing I played a small part in bringing her back.
I shove my hands into my pockets, kicking at a stray pebble. “Yeah, but it could be better.”
She pauses, fixing me with a curious glance. “How so?”
“I was thinking about our plans for the rest of the year. You know, now that this place is finished.”
She perches on the low stone wall surrounding the garden, resting her hands on her chin and giving me her full attention. “What do you have in mind?”
Kiki never asks for anything. No lavish dinners, fancy gifts, or expensive clothes.
But I’ve been saving for something special, and Nolan’s surprise end-of-job bonus sealed the deal.
So long as she’s on board.
With all of it.
“Paris,” I reply, watching her eyes grow large with surprise.
“Paris?”
I nod. “But not just Paris. We start there, let you examine every nook and cranny of those old apartments you love. Then we head to England, maybe have tea with the Royal Family, if we feel like it. And finally, we head to Scotland and go on a tour of the Highland castles.”
Kiki walks toward me, wonder written all over her face in the low light. “This sounds like a fully formed plan, not just a discussion.”
I shrug, perching on the stone table. “You’re not the only one who can plan things, beautiful. We leave in six weeks.”
She lets out a shriek of excitement and launches herself into my arms. “Are you kidding? Oh my God, that is the most fabulous news! I can’t believe we’re going to Europe!”
I extricate her grip, my thumb tracing over her knuckles. “But… I want to take Theo, too. This would be such an amazing experience for him. Hope you don’t mind.”
Now Kiki loves Theo, but that doesn’t mean she wants him tagging along on the trip. He’s seven, which means he’s a handful. An adorable handful, to be sure, but still.
Hopefully, I didn’t rain all over the surprise.
Turns out, I had nothing to worry about as she claps her hands, bouncing slightly in her heels. “In case you missed it, I love that kid. And I get to play mom, which isn’t a role I thought I’d ever have.”
Hey, talk about a perfect segue.
And, fuck it all, I’m nervous.
I clear my throat, running a hand over my jaw. “That’s the other thing I want to talk about.”
Kiki buries her face in her hands, a low groan rising from her throat. “Damn it.”
I pull her hands down. “Hey, none of that.”
She slumps her shoulders, averting her gaze, a furrow of worry creasing her brow. “Look, I’m probably screwing up everywhere, but to be fair, I’m pretty new at this whole parenting thing. Step-parenting thing. You know what I mean.”
“Actually, I think you’re pretty much perfect. A natural.” I shift my position, the tension itching just below my skin. “You remember when you talked about becoming a single mom?”
“Of course.”
I suck in a breath. My god, my nerves. “I have to be honest, Kiki. I’m not a fan of it.”
Her lips press into a thin line, the light dimming in her eyes. “Umm… okay. Did something—”
I raise my hand. “Hey, let me finish, okay?”
She nods, but there’s a resignation in her gesture. Fuck, that is not my goal.
I drag a hand over the back of my neck, desperate to get the words out. “I think you’d be an incredible mom. I see it all the time with Theo. Hell, with everyone, and—”
Now, she’s totally confused. “Thank you?”
I cover her mouth with my palm. “Will you stop talking for a second?”
Her eyelids fly wide as she mimes zipping her lips. “Damn. Bossy. Go ahead.”
Where the hell was I? I sigh and glance around the darkness enveloping the garden. “I thought I had life figured out, but then I met you and you screwed with every plan I had for my future.”
Kiki cuts her gaze to the ground, her teeth worrying her lip.
Shit, this is going sideways fast. Why am I so damn nervous?
“What I’m trying to say is… ah, fuck it.” I pull her between my legs, locking my hands around her hips as my forehead falls to rest against hers. “Let’s have a baby. A crazy, perfect blend of us.”
Oh yeah, I throw her with that request.
So much so that she doesn’t say a damn word, which doesn’t bode well for me.
“Kiki,” I prompt, half laughing now. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Her brows lift. “You just told me not to.”
A laugh breaks from my chest as I steal a kiss from her perfect mouth. “Woman, what am I going to do with you? Will you have a baby with me or not?”
But Kiki isn’t laughing. She pulls back, her eyes searching mine. “But you don’t want another child, Eddie.”
Huh?
“When did I say that?”
A nervous laugh pulls out of her. “I remember it perfectly. I was talking about you and Romy getting together, a terrible idea in hindsight, and you reassured me you had been there, done that, with both marriage and kids, and had zero interest in revisiting it.”
Ah, yes. Lightbulb moment.
My hands tighten on her waist. “Want to know what I remember? The woman I was in love with, passing me off on another woman. I was killing that situation.”
“You didn’t mean it?”
“I meant it with regards to Romy. But not with you.”
Yeah… she’s still not convinced. “You’d consider it?”
I seize her face and claim a fierce kiss, refusing to move my mouth from hers. “Consider it? Beautiful, I’m the one asking.”
But she backs away again, causing my confidence to shrink by the second. “I’m forty, Eddie.”
“Then we start immediately. Problem solved.”
“It might not happen,” she mumbles, averting her gaze.
I grasp her chin, tilting her face up. “Then we’ll deal with that issue when and if it comes. Do you not want a baby with me?”
“I do, but…” Her dark eyes flicker with a dozen emotions, but I see the two main ones battling for the upper hand: hope and fear.
I press a finger to her lips. “Let’s leave it there. I want a family with you, Kiki, and I hope you want one with me.”
Fear, your ass is getting kicked by the strongest emotion there is—love.
Even in the dim light, I see the flush climbing her cheeks as she drapes her arms around my neck. “We’ll have so much fun practicing.”
Fucking hell, but those are some magical words, as certain body parts awaken, desperate for playtime.
“Best time ever,” I reply, giving her luscious ass a squeeze.
“But if we succeed in this endeavor, there’s going to be a whole lot of dirty diapers and sleepless nights. Are you sure you want to go through that again?”
“Woman,” I roar, pulling her flush against me. “Am I sure? I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
A laugh bubbles out of her. “Let’s do it, Landry. Although I’m warning you. Stop making all my dreams come true. I might start expecting it.”
“That’s the idea.” I claim her mouth just as the fireworks explode overhead, but I’m in no hurry to return to the party.
I’ve already got everything I need right here.