Epilogue
CADE
"Meredith, you need a break.” I walked up behind my fiancée in our new kitchen, putting an arm around her waist. She wanted to prepare everything herself for our housewarming party.
I'd tried to warn her that with so many people, it was going to be a massive undertaking, and we should at least cater part of it, but she insisted.
We spent all morning prepping ‘finger food.’
I kissed the side of her neck. She was tense, so I stepped back, putting both hands on her shoulders, massaging them.
"Oh yeah. You can do that any time you want," she murmured.
I groaned, imagining what other sounds I could get out of her. That desire only intensified when she bit her lip.
"You think they’ll like it here?" she asked.
I bunched her dress, putting my hand on her leg. I loved feeling her skin. It was soft and so damn kissable. She was kissable. "Of course they will. Why are you so nervous?"
"I don't know. I just want everyone to be happy in our home."
I kissed the back of her hand. "I know they will be."
"Thank you," she murmured, "for finding this gorgeous place and indulging me."
"Meredith, indulging you is my honor." I lived for the moments when her face lit up. I made myself a promise to give her at least one reason to be happy every day. "I love you, Meredith."
She sighed, putting her hands on my neck. "How can you make me melt every time you say that?"
My chest was bursting with pride. That was exactly the effect I wanted to have on her.
As I kissed her forehead, the doorbell rang.
I groaned. “How can they be here so early?”
“I bet it’s my family,” she replied.
"Ready?"
She nodded excitedly. "Yeah."
Meredith was right. Her mom and dad had arrived along with Everly, Derek, and their daughter, Kate. Everly had the baby the day after Christmas, which made the holiday even more special for everyone.
“I love this house so much,” Meredith’s mom said.
“You two did a great job with it,” her father added.
Everly kissed my cheek. “And you keep doing a great job of making my sister happy. I’m a big fan of yours, just so you know.”
“Very big,” Derek clarified. “Stop raising the bar, man. It’s hard to keep up.”
“Awww, but you’re lovely for trying,” Everly told him.
He looked stunned. “Trying? Not succeeding?”
Everly kissed his cheek.
Meredith immediately took the baby from her sister's arms. My wife-to-be was a natural, and I could already picture our children filling up our house in the future.
"Oh, you’re so cute. When did you get so big? Isn’t she gorgeous?" she asked me as her family went into our living room. "Cade, what's that look in your eyes?"
Instinct. It was pure instinct. Seeing her with the baby wiped out every rational thought.
"Imagining you as a mother."
Her eyes widened. "Okay. I didn't expect that."
"Neither did I," I admitted, and kissed her forehead.
She smiled sheepishly as we went to the living room. I was in charge of drinks and brought out a few plates with finger foods too.
Meredith didn’t seem to want to part with the baby.
She sat down with her in her favorite corner of the L-couch.
She’d decorated our house in painstaking detail and had made it into our home.
We both loved it here—though I’d be happy anywhere as long as Meredith was by my side.
She was the most important thing. Everything else was just a backdrop, nothing more.
Before Meredith, all I cared about was restoring the reputation of The Boston Coffee Expert. I’d always considered that my legacy. But now I knew better. This was my true legacy, the life I was building with Meredith.
My family arrived shortly afterward. Meredith gave the baby back to Everly as she rose to greet everyone. Grandmother and Grandfather came with Jake and Natalie.
"Your home is beautiful," Grandmother said as she touched my cheek. "You did good finding this place."
We had a few things updated to our liking, so we didn’t want any visitors until it was completed. Honestly, that was more Meredith’s thing than mine; whatever my fiancée wanted was good with me.
Meredith immediately took my grandmother's arm and said, "Oh yes he did. I owe you a huge thank-you, Jeannie."
"What for, darling?"
"For raising him to be such a gentleman."
"That wasn't all me.”
“By the way, I've looked at the theater program. They're playing Romeo and Juliet next month. I could practically hear Cade's eyes roll into the back of his head when I asked him to go with me. Would you like to accompany me instead, Jeannie?"
Something tugged deep in my chest. That conversation with Meredith had actually gone in a completely different way. She asked me if Grandmother would like Romeo and Juliet. I told her she liked everything. I couldn't believe how much she cared for my grandmother's well-being.
It was easier to entertain Grandfather. All my brothers and I had to do was show up at his house and talk business with him. We usually kept out the challenging parts, but he was a smart man and could read between the lines.
Gabe and Colton arrived next.
"Colton!” I was stunned. “Thanks for coming, man. I wasn't counting on you showing up."
Gabe pointed a thumb at himself. "I get all the credit for this, okay? I dragged him from the office."
"He did," Colton admitted. "I lost track of time. But I’d always planned on coming."
"Yeah, brother, you always lose track these days. What would you do without me and Spencer?" Gabe asked. “Now that Jake and Cade are busy with their women, it’s down to me and Spencer to nag you.”
"Where is Spencer, by the way?" I asked. "I thought he was coming with you guys."
Gabe shrugged. "I don't know. He said something about an emergency and also not to worry."
"What the hell?" I took my phone from my back pocket, checking the text messages. I had one from Spencer: I'll come a bit later. Fair enough. That didn't seem like he was in trouble. Although, he did have a calm way of handling things.
Back in the living room, our families had already spread out, relaxing and talking like they’d known each other forever.
Meredith and her mom were at the kitchen island.
Everly and her husband were sitting at one end of the dining table along with my grandparents.
I couldn't help but laugh. I knew my grandmother would start her campaign for a great-grandkid again after spending time around a baby.
Natalie and Jake sat on the couch next to Gabe. They were talking in low voices, and I instantly knew something was off, so I headed over to them.
"Spill it," I said as I sat down.
“We don't know anything for certain,” Gabe qualified.
"Come on, don't bullshit around. What's happening? Is it about Spencer?"
He nodded.
“I damn well knew it."
“Remember Naomi?” Gabe asked, and I blinked.
“The woman he dated a million years ago?”
“No, not a million. It was, I’d guess, about a year ago? Probably less. Actually, way less,” Gabe corrected. “Anyway, he’s meeting her right now.”
“That doesn’t sound like a problem to me.” Spencer was meeting with his ex. Big deal. I couldn't understand why Gabe was up in arms.
"Come on, lighten up. You're going to worry the rest of the family," I said.
"No, he won't. Our grandparents aren't paying any attention," Colton said, joining us. He didn’t even ask what we were talking about, so clearly he was in the know.
“They're far too entranced by Meredith’s niece.
That's not boding well for the couples in our family.
She's going to start nagging about great-grandkids again.”
“I agree,” I said.
Gabe waved his hand. “I think she's more into matchmaking than actually having great-grandkids.”
"Yeah, she does seem to enjoy it a lot," Colton said.
I grinned. “Worried?” He definitely sounded like he was. I liked teasing my oldest brother. I was happy Gabe managed to get him here.
“I don't even have time to breathe, let alone for Grandmother to make any other plans for me, which leaves Gabe and Spencer as well as our half brothers as possible candidates.”
"No, I'm not worried at all," Colton said. “I just don't need her interference.”
Jake snorted. “Good luck with that.”
I started to laugh. “I told her the exact same thing, and it had zero effect.”
Grandmother had made up her mind when it came to matchmaking Meredith and me. But I wasn't complaining, not in the slightest. Some people met through fate, others because Jeannie Whitley decided it was time.
Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and Spencer and Maddox stepped in. I immediately knew something was wrong with my twin.
"What happened, dude?" I looked at Maddox, who just shook his head.
"You have something to drink?" Spencer asked.
"Yeah, what do you want?"
"Whatever’s strongest," he said.
An alarm rang in my mind. My usually relaxed brother needed a strong drink? That was a bad omen.
I went to the kitchen to make him one.
"I can't believe your brothers couldn’t come," Grandmother told Maddox. She was still on the couch, cuddling Meredith’s niece.
"They’re traveling," Maddox said. He kissed Meredith's cheek, handing her a bouquet of flowers. "You have a very beautiful home, Meredith."
"Thank you," she said.
I gave Spencer the drink. He took a sip immediately. I wanted to know what was going on, then realized there was a real possibility that he might not want to talk about whatever was wrong with the family all around us.
But Spencer surprised me. "I need to share something with all of you.” He spoke loudly enough that everyone turned to look at him as his voice resounded throughout the open floor plan.
“I’m sorry, Meredith. I don’t mean to hijack your housewarming party, but this isn't something I can keep to myself. "
"We're here for you, brother, whatever it is," I said instantly.
Colton frowned, putting his drink on the coffee table in front of the couch. So did Jake. Natalie grabbed his hand.
“Today, I met with my ex-girlfriend, Naomi. You all might remember her?”
"Yes, we do," Grandmother said, not indicating if that was a good or bad thing.
“I hadn't seen her in months. Today, she told me she's had my child.”
Everyone gasped.
Colton rose to his feet, coming up to Spencer. "What the hell? She never told you?"
Spencer shook his head. "No, I found out today. She only told me because she realized she can't do it. She doesn't want to raise a kid."
"Oh my goodness," Grandmother exclaimed.
Was that a glint I saw in her eyes?
Colton and Gabe started talking at the same time. Jake and Natalie were whispering in low voices, still seated on the couch. Meredith covered her mouth with her hand. Her parents looked stricken.
Grandfather joined us at the kitchen island. “Grandson, we’re all here for you, of course.”
"What are you going to do?" Colton asked.
“Raise my child, of course.” There was no hesitation in his voice.
Grandmother smiled wildly as she teared up. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Boy," Spencer said.
"Congratulations. Oh, I've always wanted a great-grandchild. I didn't imagine you'd be the first to give me one, but congratulations. Spencer, it's a blessing, even though it might seem overwhelming at the moment."
Meredith came up to me. I laced an arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple.
“This is a lot,” she whispered.
“I agree.”
“How do you think we can help?”
That’s my woman. Always there for my family.
“He’ll tell us.”
"I'll get my shit together in a couple hours. Right now, I'm still shell-shocked,” Spencer said.
I didn't blame him. Who the hell left their kid?
This was insane. But none of that mattered. All that did was that our brother needed us. And we were all going to be there for him when the time came.