Epilogue
Hadley
The chill of Chicago is starting, and I’m remembering why I hate the winters, but I’m not going anywhere.
This is where I belong. The bookstore is improving every month, and I’ve had to hire another part-time employee.
We’ve been in the black for a few months, and the boys have come in for a Colts night where they read stories, each voicing different characters.
All in all, I’m super proud of how much business is improving.
We’re all meeting the guys at Peeper’s since the Colts swept the National League Division Series last night.
And now it’s between the Trojans and Cleveland to see who will win the American League Division.
Tonight could be the deciding game, and I’m not sure what will happen if we’re playing the Trojans for the championship.
Callie gave me the note at storytime a few days ago. Guess it was left on the cardboard sign and addressed to the women of The Dugout, asking us to meet at Peeper’s tonight.
“Let’s go, buddy.” I pick up Tanner. “Big game tonight.”
I hold him on my hip and walk out of our condo with the diaper bag that hopefully has enough toys to keep him occupied for a while.
In truth, we’re outgrowing Peeper’s backroom since there are so many of us with kids now.
The minute I near the ground floor, Hazel sees us and runs up the stairs.
Could I have a little of her energy?
“Ready to see who our mystery host is?” Callie’s walking down behind me with Ellis in her arms.
I’m not sure how much longer I can handle the stairs. Callie has to feel the same way.
Penelope and Decker don’t have to worry because they’re moving into their place after the season is over, which is only a couple weeks from now.
“Who do we think it is?” I ask, falling in line with Ellis and Callie.
“My assumption is it’s the boys. Hopefully they have a big surprise for us. Like they’re taking the kids and sending us on a girls’ trip as a thank you for raising their kids this season.” Callie laughs.
“We’re going to Lake Starlight,” Penelope says, eyeing me. “Nice new ring. Heard it was quite the ordeal.”
We all walk out of the gate and stop when we see Leighton on the sidewalk, telling Lincoln that she’s going to take his phone. She’s allowing Flora to hold Monroe’s hand and just walk around. I guess that’s what happens when you have more than one.
“What are you doing here?” Callie asks her.
“Because apparently the boys have decided to add one more thing to my day. I love surprises, but come on.” She opens the door to Peeper’s and ushers her whole group in. “Let’s go see what Dad has planned.”
We all walk into Peeper’s, and the guys at the bar turn and smile at us. They love us because we take care of their favorite players’ kids, and now they’re going to the World Series for the second year in a row. Hopefully they win it this year.
Ruby is behind the bar, talking to a woman seated there. I do a double-take since there aren’t any female regulars.
“Everyone, this is my niece, Cece.” Ruby gestures to the woman. “She’s visiting from New Hampshire.”
I had no idea that Ruby had a niece. In fact, I’ve never even thought of Ruby having a family beyond these four walls.
The woman spins around on the stool and gives us a small wave. She has striking blue eyes and brown hair with bangs. She smiles at us, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
Ruby quickly goes through the names of everyone in our group, then glances at the door to the backroom. “Ladies, you are aware of what’s going on?”
She comes around from behind the bar and gives all the kids high fives. She holds her hand up to Tanner, and he tries to go to her.
“Nope, sorry, I don’t do the holding.” Ruby goes back behind the bar.
“They’re in there?” Penelope thumbs toward the door.
Ruby nods. “Causing trouble as always. They exhaust me. I’ll bring in some drinks in a minute.”
Callie opens the door, or rather, she allows Ellis to do it with her help. “Oh no. Shut the door, Ellis.”
“Come on,” a deep voice says that doesn’t sound like any of our guys.
Callie turns around and frowns. “No girls’ trip.”
She walks in and we all follow. The Chipmunks are seated at the table, dressed in suits.
What are they doing?
“You’re the reason I dragged all my kids here?” Leighton says. “You better be buying, and one of you is going to get them pizza.” She points at each of them one at a time.
We all find our seats, and I keep Tanner on my lap, but eventually I’ll lose the battle. I just hope Easton is here before Tanner has a meltdown because he wants to walk around.
“We’re here to negotiate,” Simon says.
We glance at one another and glare at them.
“Negotiate what?” I ask.
“As we see it, you’re all happily coupled up,” Alvin says. “You’re officially in your happy-ever-after eras. I mean, three of you are married, one soon-to-be. You’ve all got kids, so why do you want to be in this building?” Alvin leans back in his chair, arms crossed.
He’s definitely the cocky one of the bunch. From what I know, he’s the second-line center, but now that Rowan Landry is rumored to be announcing his retirement soon, the spot is his. That ego will just soar.
“Why are you talking to us? Our names aren’t on the leases,” Penelope says, not mentioning that she’s moving out soon.
Theodore arches an eyebrow. “We’re not stupid, we know you’re the decision-makers.”
He’s too good-looking for his own good. I saw an endorsement ad he got, and if we all thought Decker’s ad was sexual, it had nothing on Theodore’s.
“At least you got that right,” Callie says.
“And I’m already out of this building. What do you want with me?” Leighton asks.
“Wouldn’t you want your friends to live near you? You can all have barbecues and your kids can grow up together. Can’t you just see these two falling in love and sneaking out of windows to visit each other?” Alvin points at Ellis and Tanner.
“Hey, my kid isn’t going to climb into windows to have sex with his girlfriend,” I say.
I huff, but Callie shrugs and cringes.
“Callie!”
“He is Easton Bailey’s kid,” Simon says as though that’s proof enough.
“You just lost my vote, by the way.” I hold Tanner a little tighter as if saying don’t listen to them.
“So, like we said, we’re here to negotiate. You tell us what you want in order to convince your men to move out and let us move in.” Theo crosses his arms.
We all narrow our eyes.
“You have nothing to offer us that we’d want, I assure you.” Penelope’s voice is firm.
I love the fact that she’s not telling them her condo will be free in a few weeks. Because I could see all three of them moving into their place and driving the other two of us out.
“What about babysitting services?” Simon asks.
We all look at one another and then our kids. “Hell no.”
They nod as though they understand why we wouldn’t want them to watch our kids.
“Tickets to the Falcons?” Theodore asks as though he’s coming up with things on the fly.
“Hockey’s not my thing,” Leighton says.
“Not to mention we can get tickets. Our husbands are Chicago Colts.” Callie raises her eyebrows.
“Technically he’s not your husband yet,” Alvin says, and Callie looks as if she wants to clock him. “Okay… forget that.”
“Good idea,” she says and gives us all exasperated looks.
They all look at one another as if they’re thinking about what else they can offer.
Finally, Theodore turns his attention on us. “Come on, we’ve wanted to move in for four years. I get that the location is perfect for the guys, but it’s meant for people who want to party and have fun.”
“So we don’t have fun?” Leighton cocks an eyebrow.
“No!” all three of them say at the same time.
The door opens and the guys walk in, all stopping short when they see the Chipmunks at the table.
“What the hell is this?” Foster asks, walking over to Callie. “She’s taken.”
“We’d never, Reap,” Simon says, actually looking offended.
“Why are you making secret plans with our girls?” Hayes sits next to Leighton and puts his arm around her.
“We’re not,” Alvin says.
Decker sits next to Penelope and slides his chair as close as he can get. “This isn’t the way to get on our good side.”
Easton comes over, and Tanner stands up on my legs. Easton takes him and bends down, kissing me. “Are they bothering you?” he asks, standing behind me, one hand on my shoulder.
“Fuck, guys,” Alvin says, shaking his head.
“Kids!” all the guys say at the same time.
All the Chipmunks hold up their hands.
“This is why,” Theodore says.
“Why what?” Hayes asks.
“Why you guys need to move out and be in family-friendly neighborhoods where people don’t curse,” Alvin says.
“Or drink,” Simon says.
“Or have sex,” Theo adds.
“That’s what this is about, us moving?” Decker looks between the three of them.
“Why are you here?” Hayes asks, looking at his wife.
Leighton shrugs. “I think I’m supposed to be on their side?”
Hayes takes Flora from her, kissing her cheek.
“You’re all happy, so why not just go live in happily-ever-after land?” Simon says. “We’re up for negotiations.”
The door opens and Ruby comes in. She only has drinks for the kids, which is the way it usually goes.
“This room is ours whenever we want it,” Decker asks.
“But what if we’re here?” Theo asks.
“That’s the point,” Foster says, voice even. “We arrive and you leave.”
Theo looks at the other two, then they get into a huddle to discuss and turn back to us. “Okay. Deal.”
We all sit there, and the Chipmunks look at us for a beat.
“So you’re moving?” Simon asks.
“Yeah. You’re that convincing.” Easton grabs a chair and slides in next to me.
“You run a hard bargain, but it’s yours.” Decker kisses Penelope’s cheek.
“Don’t ever corner our women again, though,” Foster says, the warning in his voice slightly scary.
“Now, go help Ruby with the drinks,” Hayes says.
They scramble up from their chairs, high-fiving each other for a job well done. Once they’re out of the room, we all laugh.
“I can’t wait until they find out,” Decker says.
“When do we tell them?” Hayes asks.
“Never.” Foster holds Ellis’s sippy cup for her, and Callie shakes her head.
“Plus, we have the series to worry about before we all move,” Easton says.
“Which reminds me, have you talked to the developer?” Callie turns to me. “She’s super sweet.”
After Easton proposed for a second time, he said how the guys were talking and thought it was time to leave The Dugout.
Decker was talking to the woman rehabbing their place, and she said she had two more houses coming on the market in the same neighborhood.
Since then, we bought a house that backs onto Decker and Penelope’s, and Leighton and Hayes are only a half block away.
Callie and Foster will be four houses down and across the street from us. We’re all sticking together.
“Knock, knock.” Penelope’s dad, Mark, walks in with a beer in hand.
I would never tell Penelope this, but her dad is hot. He’s muscular, and he has dark hair and a beard that’s perfectly peppered with grays. I can understand why there’re fan pages dedicated to Mark Ripley.
Hazel runs up to him. “Grandpa!”
“Hey, girl.”
“Ripley.” Hayes stands to shake Mark’s hand, and everyone says hello. “Who are we rooting for?”
He sits at the big round table, and everyone gets comfortable to watch the Trojans take on Cleveland.
There’re a lot of moving parts during the game.
Some of us take the kids outside, and there’s an ice cream run during the seventh inning stretch.
The Chipmunks do all of our bidding, and I wish we could trust them with the kids because they take instruction well.
Finally, Penelope gets some paper and crayons, and the older kids all color.
Eventually, Tanner falls asleep on Easton and Flora on Hayes.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Trojans are behind by one with two outs and a runner on second.
I’m kind of relieved that we won’t be playing the Trojans. God knows what would happen to this city if there was a Crosstown World Series.
Iverson, the ninth batter, comes up and gets it to a full count. But when the next pitch comes in, he swings…
“Holy shit,” Easton says.
“No way.” Ripley sits up straighter in his chair.
“That’s gone.” Foster stands.
“They won,” Decker says, putting his hands on his head in disbelief.
“We’re playing the Trojans, boys,” Ripley says, shaking his head, lips pressed together.
The television goes right to Bianca Banks, the general manager for the Trojans, in the stands.
“Hey, did Jagger ever find out which Colt was sleeping with Bianca Banks?” Hayes asks.
“Torres?” Foster asks.
“Nah, he got back with his girlfriend. They’re so hot and cold,” Decker says.
“Drew?” Easton asks. “I’d peg him for a traitor.”
“Come on, guys, let it go,” Ripley says, still watching the screen.
“Was it you, Coach?” Easton asks, eyebrows raised.
He frowns. “I’m old enough to be her father.”
All the guys laugh and move on to talking about strategy to take on the Trojans.
The television scans to Bianca one more time, but her head is down this time, and she’s on her phone, texting someone.
I turn to Ripley and see that he’s on his phone too.
Hmm.
Stay tuned…