Epilogue

September

“Can we go to the beach today?”

Creed glanced up from his laptop at Aaron’s question and smiled at the boy.

“I think we can arrange that. Shall we take the kite?”

“Yeah!” Aaron’s eyes lit up and Creed reached out and snapped his computer closed. “Want me to wake up Dylan?”

Glancing at the clock, Creed figured the toddler had been sleeping for over an hour. “Yeah, go ahead.”

It didn’t take long to get Dylan changed, his own shoes on and the bright red and yellow kite in his hand.

Lifting Dylan in one arm, he carried the kite while Aaron, carrying a duffle with water, chatted about his new school and some cool friends he’d made. They walked the sidewalk that took them to the path that would drop them off into the sand of Ventura beach. He’d taken the boys there several times over the past two weeks and they’d loved it.

Aaron bent over and took off his shoes and placed the duffle down before he ran out onto the sand. Creed sat Dylan on a large stone and took off the little boy’s sandals. Dylan now went to a specialized daycare that helped toddlers who were behind with functional abilities. It had been a relief to find out that Dylan would soon catch up to other boys his age.

Creed sat the three-year-old on his feet and the boy ran after Aaron. Shoving his shoes and everything else into the duffle bag, Creed stepped onto the sand and pulled out his cell phone to send a text to Kellum.

We’re at the beach.

Need me to grab the kite?

He smiled at Kellum’s quick response and walked over to where Dylan was digging with a stick in the sand before he typed his response.

We have it. When will you be home?

I just pulled into the driveway.

After sending a smiley emoji, Creed pushed his phone into his pocket and unwrapped the kite. Aaron stepped up to take the tip.

“Remember how I showed you?”

“Yep!” Aaron smiled and took off running with the kite. When he got a ways away, the boy held up the tip to the sky and let the kite go.

Creed turned and ran and the kite launched skyward.

Racing back the way he’d come, Aaron skidded to a stop next to Dylan. Creed let out more string and walked back to Aaron to hand him the reel of string.

Lifting a hand to shield his eyes, Creed gazed toward the walkway and saw that bright head of hair. Kellum waved and Creed lifted his hand.

Rather than move out, Kellum and the boys decided they’d live with him. They’d gone out on two dates, but living together gave them plenty of time to get to know each other.

So far, it had been everything Creed had dreamed of. Kellum had whispered words of love last night and Creed’s eyes had stung.

He planted his feet next to Dylan so the little boy could cover them with sand. After a quick glance to make sure that Aaron hadn’t gone too far, Creed returned his gaze to Kellum.

The man walking toward him was everything he’d ever dreamed of.

Kellum stopped at the edge of the sand and bent to take off his shoes and socks. He’d invited his best friend Ashton over for dinner to meet Creed tonight, but that was in a few hours.

Right then, he wanted to be with his family. He’d spent the day doing techie stuff for Pegasus and creating budgets for Ace for a few jobs. His job was rewarding, but he lived for the times when he got to come home.

Creed was still on medical leave and had taken up after school care for the boys. That would soon end. Julia, a friend of Gage and Mason’s nanny, would come to work for them. She came highly recommended by Jenny and actually lived in Camarillo, which was not too far from their home.

Of course, he hadn’t moved out of Creed’s house because he didn’t want to and neither did Aaron or Dylan. It still amazed him how smoothly they’d slipped into Creed’s life and now the house he’d just walked from felt like a real home. The estate was back in his name and he was in the process of selling it to put the money away for Aaron and Dylan when they got older.

After just a few weeks, things were coming together and his heart was filled with so much love, it was hard to breathe sometimes.

He gazed at the tall, muscled man waiting for him on the sand and his breath caught.

Last night, he’d told Creed that he loved him. He had zero regrets and he knew there wasn’t another man on the planet who was a better fit for him. They were in sync in every way and it almost scared him, but he knew that was fear of losing what he had.

Shoving aside that fear, he’d sucked in a deep breath last night and when Creed had come to bed, Kellum had held the big guy’s hand.

“I love you more than I ever dreamed possible,” he had whispered, and brought Creed’s calloused palm to his lips.

Creed had made a sound in his throat and pulled him into his arms.

Lifting his hand to shade from the sun, Kellum stepped off the pavement and onto the warm sand. He returned Aaron’s wave and smiled as he walked toward Creed.

Holding the man’s gray colored gaze across the distance, his heart pounded.

And Kellum knew without a shadow of doubt that Creed was his future.

The end.