Epilogue #3
I climbed off the porch. “Remembering your knees is one thing, but please remember to eat too.”
Dylan cracked a smirk and tossed his ball cap to the side. The sun was setting behind the trees, so I supposed he didn’t need it anymore.
Ash rose to his feet and turned his own ball cap backward. “Damn, boy. That smells good.” He was eyeing the pizza. “We’re not eating inside?”
“The others are off doing their own thing anyway.” I handed them their plates and sodas. “I’m just gonna go over to James and Jordan and see if they’re ready for tomorrow, and then I’ll enjoy my own pizza with a magazine.” A magazine full of rope joy.
“We have ’bout a half hour of daylight left,” he said. “Then our asses belong on the couch.”
I chuckled. It was settled.
I left them to it and trailed over to the Hacketts.
This weekend, the Mclean app was buzzing with three things.
Well-wishes and congrats to Lucas and Colt getting married, as well as Ivy “possibly” being in labor.
Tate had informed everyone that she and her partners were heading to the hospital, but that had been early this morning.
Lastly, chatter about the next Game now that the theme had been confirmed. Murder mystery.
We would be there.
I rang the doorbell and waited.
It wasn’t long before I heard someone on the other side of the door.
Jordan opened up and lit up at the sight of me. “Hi!”
“Hey, you.” I smiled back, fairly sure he’d just woken up. “Did I wake you?”
“Oh no, I was just dozing on the couch,” he chuckled.
“We spent the whole day moving Emmett’s things over here, and I was not made to be a mover.
” He poked his head past the door, maybe to see if the coast was clear, before he pulled me inside.
“Emmett’s upstairs.” He quickly reached up and kissed me.
I cupped his cheek, never one to turn down a secret moment with him.
“What can I do for you, Sir?” he whispered.
I hummed and deepened the kiss briefly. “If only we had the time…” One more hard, hungry kiss. “Where’s James?”
“Upstairs too.” He inched back, cheeks flushed and eyes brimming with desire. “He’s, uh…he’s putting together Emmett’s new desk. Should I get him for you?”
I shook my head. It could wait. “No, I only wanted to ask him if he’s doing his exercises.”
When Jordan had told me about James’s nerve pain from decades of working in construction, I’d been ready to tear him a new one for not taking it seriously. Ash had been the same once upon a time—until I had intervened.
“Oh, he is,” Jordan promised. “He’ll dismiss it when I remind him, but now that you’re involved?” He whistled. “Like, ignore what your husband is telling you. But sure, obey the neighbor Dom.”
I laughed under my breath and hugged him to me, and I kissed his temple.
“As long as he’s doing them.” With that, it was time to ease back and return to our regular programming—until tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we’d get some playtime. “What I really came over for was to make sure everything’s ready for tomorrow. We’re leaving here at two fifteen.”
He nodded. “Yes, Sir. We’re ready. I wrapped all the gifts, and our clothes are hanging upstairs.”
“Good boy.” I kissed his forehead. “You might want to bring umbrellas too. Ash told me it’s going to rain all day tomorrow.”
Talk about bad luck. Then again, scheduling an outdoor wedding ceremony right before June in Virginia…? A backup plan was practically required.
Jordan Hackett
What the…?
I eyed the little balloon dog I’d found in my pocket, and I smashed my mouth shut.
Daddy, I know it’s you!
Somehow. It had to be him.
He knew I’d bombarded him with cute ducks, and rather than confronting me, this was his revenge. Right?
I didn’t know what to do!
“Jordan, are you ready? Ash and Nathan are outside now.”
Crap. Okay. I’d think of something later.
I hurried down the stairs and paused when I saw Emmett playing video games in the living room. “Remember dinner next door at six, Em. And bring the cookies I made—they’re in a container on the kitchen counter.”
“Yeah, got it.” He didn’t look away from the TV. “Dylan’s coming over. That’s okay, right?”
“Of course. He’s always welcome.” I was just happy Emmett wouldn’t be alone. “Have fun today. James and I will be home around nine or ten tonight.”
James entered the living room as he attached the cuff links to his shirt. “No smoking near the house or where Dylan can see you.”
“I told you, Unc. I quit.”
“Nothin’ would make us happier, but we’re bein’ realistic here,” James replied. “You’re breakin’ a lot of habits now.”
Thankfully, nothing heavy, but sure, Emmett was used to hanging out with kids who drank, got high, and dabbled in whatever pills they could get their hands on.
Prescription drugs scared me the most.
Emmett swore he’d never tried anything worse than booze, weed, and cigarettes.
“I’m not gonna fuck this up,” he said quietly. “This is where I wanna be.”
I exhaled. This was where we wanted him. He did have dreams—he wanted to become a firefighter or join the military, so he couldn’t struggle too much with authority. And his grades weren’t hopeless.
Let the wedding fun begin!
I shimmied into Little mode as soon as Alexandria was in the rearview.
I mean, it wasn’t exactly a flip of a switch, but I could start relaxing and let Daddy and Rigger take over.
With the Rileys up front and James and me in the back seat, I hummed a happy tune to myself and counted to make sure I had all the gifts.
I’d lost control a little, maybe! But come on, they needed some fun sex toys for their honeymoon, and also new fridge magnets, a new sign for their mailbox, and a…
“…doormat with their last name,” I finished proudly.
“Those are amazing gifts, sweetheart.” Nathan smiled back at me. “But you know Kit’s last name is Damien, right?”
Not anymore!
But that was a surprise for Colt and Lucas.
“Like Mister Colt won’t call Kit his little Carter anyway,” I fibbed. “What did you get them?”
“Well, we’re not as creative as you are,” Rigger responded. “We picked one of the last items on the registry. An ice cream maker.”
Pffft. Typical. If brats had been allowed to choose the gifts, the ice cream maker wouldn’t have been one of the last items left on the list. That was for certain. But now I knew Kit was going to be ecstatic.
“That’s an excellent gift,” I said. “You should only go rogue from a registry if you’re a certified awesome gift-giver like me.
For instance, the magnets I made are shaped like fighter jets that Kit can move into formation on the fridge.
The doormat and the mailbox sign will tickle Mister Colt’s possessive streak, and the sex toys will drive all of them mad with pleasure on their honeymoon.
Also, I heard Mr. West is a bit of a slut for his men. He will not complain.”
Daddy rumbled a laugh. “Next time, we’ll order you to be in charge of gift-giving.”
I would like that job very much!
Uh-oh.
It started pouring down when we arrived at Mclean. Legit, pouring down, as if God were crying and coming and peeing at the same time.
“Okay, let’s make sure the gifts don’t get wet,” Rigger said. “We’ll hurry. Chances are they’re moving the ceremony inside.”
“I hope not,” Daddy replied. “This will be more memorable. And less sweaty. Wearin’ a suit in the middle of summer should be fucking outlawed.”
I giggled. He was so right.
“All right, we’ll make a run for it.” James opened the door and got ready with the first umbrella. Then the second.
I slid across the seats and followed.
Eeep! It was gushing.
RIP, my shoes!
I couldn’t even pretend to be annoyed, though. This was fun. Once the four of us had everything, we took off in a sprint, almost. In fancy clothes and all. Gross, the air was so thick with rain and thunder. The humidity was through the roof.
“The sky literally opened just when we got here.” Nathan picked up the pace. “This is ridiculous.”
I laughed.
We finally made it, and Master Kingsley and Master Greer were quick to usher us inside, opening the doors wider.
Adrenaline was coursing through me, keeping my grin in place, as we walked through the lobby. So many guests were here, and everybody seemed to be talking about the same thing. Whether they were going to delay the ceremony or move it indoors.
In the club area, I spotted several of my friends and their Owners.
“What’s everyone standing around for?” Daddy asked.
“We’re waitin’ for the verdict,” Mister Reese answered.
I waved happily. Hi, Corey! Hi, Noa! Hi, Gael! Hi, hi, hi, hi! There was Kit too!
“What do you think, sweetheart?” Mr. West asked Colt.
“What the fuck?” Daddy widened his arms. “We’re not delaying shit, and we’re not moving sixty chairs inside. This is exactly what I want in the photos, a bunch of brats running around in the rain and no Sadist able to stay pissy. It’ll be fun.”
I gasped and hoped so badly that the others agreed, and Colt seemed to be the first one. His smile appeared slowly but surely, and he nodded firmly.
“Ash is right. Since when are we afraid of a little water?”
Mr. West—actually… Mr. Carter… He chuckled and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Oh, what the hell. Let’s do it. Come on, baby boy. We’re gonna get wet.”
Kit lit up. “And then we can all jump in the pool!”
Yes! Fist pump!
“And get naked!” Noa hollered.
I cracked up with many, many others.
“Master Greer should leave the kilt on,” Macklin stated matter-of-factly.
I agreed with that. Master Greer was smoking hot in his kilt.
Okay, this might be one of the best weddings I’d ever attend.
I was ready!
The following week
James Hackett
Maybe Jordan and I should get a pool too.
Few things beat leaving the water and then lazying it up in a nice lounger.
We had absolutely no plans all weekend. It was fucking amazing.
We were gonna go bowling with Emmett tonight. That was about it. He’d asked for a chill weekend, and we were happy to deliver.