Epilogue
Riley
“You good, baby?” Deacon glanced over before turning his gaze to the snowy road ahead of him.
I smiled and put my hand on his thigh, gently squeezing it. “That’s the third time you’ve asked me that today, honey.”
“Yeah, well, it’s the two year anniversary of…”
“The day I found out my parents were monsters?” I said.
“Yeah,” he grimaced. “You’re quiet today. I understand why, but I also want to be sure you’re okay.”
“I am,” I said. “I knew today would be a tough day, which is why I scheduled a therapy appointment this morning and agreed to go on a weekend getaway. Therapy to get all my feelings out, the getaway to forget about my problems. It’s the perfect solution.”
He smiled and reached down to take my hand, his fingers playing with the wedding band on my left hand. “If you’d rather we stay home this weekend, I can turn the car around.”
“No,” I said. “One, we’re almost there, and two, I haven’t seen the cabin since Aiden and Lina added the second addition in the summer. I want to see how it looks.”
Deacon laughed. “I keep telling Aiden he should just tear down the old one and build an entirely new place, but he says the cabin has sentimental value to him and Lina.”
“Oh wow.” I peered out the windshield as Deacon pulled into the plowed driveway and parked beside Aiden’s SUV. “It looks amazing. It’s like three times the size now.”
Deacon unbuckled his seat belt. “Yeah, Aiden added two more bedrooms and another bathroom.”
“Can we officially call it a cabin anymore?” I asked as we climbed out of the car. “It’s more like a winter manor, right?”
Deacon laughed as he grabbed the suitcases from the trunk and carried them toward the door. “Manor seems appropriate.”
The door flung open, and Lina, with Chloe on her hip, waved wildly. “Hey, you two! Get in here before you freeze to death.”
We stepped inside the warm cabin and were immediately greeted enthusiastically by their mastiff King. I petted his big head as Lina handed Chloe to Deacon before taking our coats and hanging them in the closet.
Chloe grinned happily at Deacon before kissing him on the cheek. “Hi, Deacon.”
“Hi, sweetie. How are you?” he asked.
“I good,” she said.
“Hey, buddy, where’s your girlfriend?” I asked as King leaned his head against my hip.
“Sleeping by the fireplace in our bedroom, most likely,” Lina said. “Daisy’s doing well considering she’s frickin’ ancient, but Noah and our nephews have worn her out.”
We headed toward the kitchen table where Aiden, Lina’s sister Kate, and her husband Edward sat.
“Hey, guys!” Kate smiled cheerfully at us. “How was the drive?”
“Good,” Deacon said as we sat down. He set Chloe on his lap, but she immediately slid down and went to Aiden.
“Up, Daddy.”
He picked her up, and she snuggled against his chest as Deacon took the coffee Edward handed him. “Thanks. How was your flight from California?”
“Better than I thought. Both the boys slept through most of it,” Edward said. “Do you want coffee or hot chocolate, Riley?”
“Oh, just a water, please,” I said.
He grabbed me a water and refilled Lina’s glass as I eyed the gentle curve of Kate’s belly. “So, don’t leave me in suspense… Lina said you were finding out the sex of the baby last weekend.”
Kate grinned at Edward, taking his hand and squeezing it. “We’re having a girl.”
“Congratulations,” I said.
“Thanks. We’re all very happy, even her big brothers. They swore they only wanted another brother, but they came around quickly to the idea of a sister.”
“Where are the boys?” I asked, looking around the cabin.
“They’re in Noah’s room. The last time I checked, they were in the middle of an epic Lego castle build,” Aiden said.
“How was your honeymoon?” Kate asked. “I know it was three months ago, but Lina said you went to Fiji, and I’ve always wanted to go.”
“It was incredible,” I said. “I highly recommend it. If you decide to go, I can give you a list of all the best spots to visit. I’m already trying to convince Deacon that a return trip for our six-month wedding anniversary is a perfectly normal and acceptable thing to do.”
Deacon grinned and sipped his coffee. “Hey, I’m not arguing. You’re the one who said you weren’t sure you wanted to take a fifteen-hour flight when you’re six months pregnant.”
You could have heard a pin drop in the kitchen. Deacon stared wide-eyed at me. “Oh shit.”
I burst into laughter as Lina jumped up. “Oh my God, you’re pregnant!”
“I am,” I said.
She squeaked excitedly and pulled me up to hug me. “Congratulations!”
Aiden and Edward shook Deacon’s hand, and Kate hugged me. “Congrats, Riley.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“I’m so happy for you,” Lina said. “We all are.”
“Daddy, I pooped,” Chloe said.
Aiden grinned at Deacon as he stood up with Chloe in his arms. “Get ready for this to be your life, buddy.”
Deacon laughed as Aiden carried Chloe out of the room, and two dark-haired boys, both miniature versions of Edward, ran into the kitchen. “Dad,” the oldest said, “we need your help. We’re making the Lego castle really tall, but we can’t reach the top to add more - not even when we stand on the bed.”
He yanked on Edward’s hand, who stood and left the room with both boys.
Deacon was staring at me with a very clear ‘I fucked up’ look. Lina studied him before grinning at me and saying, “Kate, come look at that thing in the other room I wanted to show you.”
Kate obviously had no idea what she was talking about, but she stood up and said, “Sure.”
They left the kitchen, and Deacon gave me a sheepish look. “Well, I did a shit job of keeping that a secret, didn’t I?”
I laughed and leaned forward to kiss him. “You managed to keep it a secret for one whole week.”
“I swear, I won’t blurt it out like that to other people,” he said. “I’m sorry, Riley.”
“It’s fine.” I stood and then plopped down into his lap, smiling when he rested his hand against my belly and rubbed gently. “We planned on telling people in a few weeks anyway, right?”
“Yes,” he said. He rubbed my belly again, and I nearly melted at the look of love he gave me. “I can’t wait to meet our child. I love you, Riley.”
“I love you too, Deacon.”
Keep reading for an excerpt from “Undeniably His”, Book One in the Undeniable Series.
Undeniably His is available for FREE!