EpilogueUntil May

Epilogue

Bridgett

Two months later

“May and Aiden are here, baby,” Noah says, coming into the kitchen behind me and kissing the side of my neck.

“Did you turn on the grill?”

“I did.” He gives my waist a squeeze and then lets me go when the doorbell rings. “I’ll get it.”

“Okay.” I accept a quick kiss, then watch him walk around the corner and out of sight before I go back to putting the finishing touches on the cake for dessert.

Since Conner signed the divorce papers two months ago, life has been a whirlwind of many ups, with a few downs tossed in.

A week after my lawyer pushed the divorce papers through, a judge signed them, finalizing my divorce and ending that chapter of my life.

Then, a couple of days after, Noah took my brother out for a beer and told him that the two of us were together. I was honestly torn about him telling Aiden; not because I worried that Aiden wouldn’t like his best friend being with his little sister, but because I was worried Aiden wouldn’t want me with Noah .

I fretted the entire time Noah was out that evening, scared that he would come home and say that he’d changed his mind about me after talking to Aiden.

I shouldn’t have worried.

Aiden had concerns, most of them having to do with how quickly things had progressed between Noah and me. But he told Noah that if he was happy, then he was happy for him. And I know deep in my gut that even if Aiden had told Noah that he didn’t think it was smart for him to be with me, my guy wouldn’t have listened.

Noah has made it clear that his feelings for me are genuine and that he’s in this for the long haul. He’s accepted me as I am and is patient with me as I figure out who I’m becoming.

“It smells delicious in here,” May says by way of greeting, coming around the corner into the kitchen, carrying a bottle of wine in one hand and a bouquet in the other. Aiden and Noah follow behind her.

“It’s Noah’s twice-baked potatoes.” I give her a one-arm hug, then smile at my brother as he walks around the counter to kiss my cheek.

“No, it’s the cake. The frosting on that thing is killer,” Noah tells them with his gaze locked on mine. I feel heat rising to my cheeks at the memory of what he said he wanted to do with the frosting he swiped from the bowl earlier.

“Don’t gross me out before we eat,” Aiden grumbles, looking between the two of us. May giggles while I duck my head.

“So…” May bumps her hip into mine, and I look at her. “How’s the new job?”

“Good. Busy.” I shake my head. “There’s lots to learn, but I really love it.”

“She’s already outselling Manny, and he’s been at that location for three years. Everyone is seriously impressed with how well she’s done in such a short time,” Noah tells her, and the pride I hear in his voice makes my chest warm.

Honestly, it feels good knowing that people are taking notice of how hard I’m working. And I’m doing it all on my own. I mean, yes, I have someone showing me the ropes, but I could have gotten this job even without my dad’s help.

“So, what’s your plan now that your dad’s back in the office?” Noah asks Aiden, and I hold my breath because I know that working for our dad has always been a sticky subject for him. But it’s a good question, especially since my dad started coming to work daily last week.

He’s improved tremendously in the last couple of months and is almost back to one hundred percent. He also seems happier now than he ever has. I don’t know if that has to do with divorcing my mom or what, but it’s been good seeing him as he has been.

On the other hand, my mom is still as angry as ever. But I haven’t spoken to her since our last run-in, which had to do with me being with Noah—whom she doesn’t think is worth my time. When she told me to dump him, I told her that she wasn’t welcome to be a part of my life in any capacity unless she made some significant personality changes. And since I doubt she’ll change, I’m not sure I will ever see her again. And that makes me sad for her because, at the end of the day, she will be missing out on being a part of her grandchildren’s lives one day. My dad, however, is thrilled that I’m with Noah, which only makes me feel surer about the man I’ve fallen in love with.

“I’m staying.” My brother’s statement brings me out of my thoughts, and I find him looking at May, who now sports a huge rock on her ring finger. “Dad’s back, but he doesn’t want to work the hours he was before. So, I’ll fill in for him when he needs time off and still deal with clients like I have been.”

“Glad to hear that, man,” Noah says, and May leans into my brother while I lean into Noah.

Looking at everyone in the room, I feel a sense of peace wash over me. Not only do I have a healthy and strong relationship, but I’ve also got the family I always wanted.

And I doubt anything is better than that.

* * * *

Noah

Four Months Later

Walking into the house, I lock the door behind me, then head down the hall toward the kitchen, not surprised that Lola and Chanel do not come to greet me. When Bridgett is home, they stick to her like glue.

Not that I blame them since I tend to do the same myself.

Bridgett isn’t in the kitchen or living room, so I step into the spare I converted back to an office for us to use after moving Bridgett’s shit to my room the weekend after we got together. Finding it empty, I go upstairs because I know she’s home since her car is in the garage. I hit the bedroom and do a scan, finding the bathroom door closed with a light shining out from under it. Hearing what sounds like crying, my heart stops, and I walk over to the door and shove it open. I don’t know what I expect to find inside, but it’s not Bridgett sitting on the floor, surrounded by a half dozen plastic sticks.

“What’s going on?” I bark, and her tear-filled eyes widen as they lock on mine.

“You’re home.” She frantically reaches for the sticks, and it suddenly hits me like a ton of bricks what they are.

“You’re pregnant.” I step into the room and drop to my knees in front of her, grabbing one of the tests before she can hide it. Looking at it, I see two lines, but I have no idea what that means.

“I…I didn’t know. I swear I haven’t missed any of my pills. I—”

“Are you pregnant?” I cut her off, and she nods while her chin wobbles.

“I’m sorry.” She covers her face with her hands, and my gut twists.

“Baby.” I wrap my arms around her and pull her against my chest. “Please, don’t cry.”

“I swear I’m not trying to trap you.” She sobs, and I laugh because she trapped me long before this moment. “It’s not funny, Noah.”

“Baby, I’ve been trying to figure out how to trap you since you moved in.” I fall to my ass so I can curl her onto my lap, then whisper, “So, we’re having a baby?”

“Yes.” She sniffs.

“I guess we should get married then.”

“What?” She jerks her head back to look at me.

“I figured I’d ask you in a few months anyway, so we can just do that now.”

“You’re not upset about this?”

“Are you?” I ask. Because, really, I feel surprisingly okay with her carrying my child, even if we might be doing things backward. Then again, we’ve been doing everything backward since the beginning. I mean, fuck, she was still technically married when we got together—not that I have any regrets.

“Yes.” She rests her hand on her still-flat stomach. “I…I’m scared, but I’m also happy.”

“Me too, baby.” I rest my forehead against hers and cover her hand with mine. “I love you so fucking much.”

“I love you too,” she whispers, kissing me quickly before resting her forehead in the crook of my neck. As I sit there on the bathroom floor with her in my lap, all I can think about is how crazy life is sometimes. Because I had no idea she would come into my life and give me everything I didn’t know I wanted.

* * * *

Also from Aurora Rose Reynolds and 1001 Dark Nights, discover Brodie .

* * * *

Brodie

An Until Her Novella

By Aurora Rose Reynolds

Click here to purchase.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aurora Rose Reynolds returns with a new story in her Until Her series…

More book worm than Barbie, Reese Shepard is completely caught off guard when the most beautiful man she has ever seen in her life steps in and pretends to be her boyfriend when some creep won’t leave her alone.

She assumes that it’s the last time that she’ll see the chivalrous stranger, but soon he is everywhere she is. And before she knows what’s happening, the two of them are spending all their free time together bonding over their love of the ocean, scary movies, and homemade cookies.

Reese knows that a guy like Brodie Larsen could have any woman he wants and that becomes even more apparent when she finds out that he’s a pro hockey player that’s worth millions of dollars. So to save herself the potential heartbreak she places him firmly in the friend zone.

If only he’d stay there.

The infuriating man starts pushing for more, lots more, and the worst part is she wants to give it all to him including her heart.