Epilogue

Eight years later…

I putmy truck in park when I get to the dance studio. It’s a little place on Main Street that I converted for Clara a few years ago. When our daughter was old enough to ask for dance lessons, Clara knew she wanted to be the one to teach her. That led to her getting her certificates and then opening this studio. I like to come by after working at the docks and watch her teach. She’s so happy and lights up whenever she sees a child learn something she’s taughtthem.

“Daddy!” my youngest daughter shouts as she comes bounding down the hall and into myarms.

“Hey, princess. Did you have a goodday?”

“I did. Mommy said we could have ice cream for dinner if you said it was okay.” Her big eyes are pleading and she knows I’m a pushover when it comes to the women in mylife.

“Oh, did she?” I ask, looking past her to where Clara is standing.

She turns, as if feeling my eyes on her, and gives me a wink. She comes over and gives me a kiss on my cheek before she moves her lips to my ear. “Please, Daddy.”

She knows how to get what she wants, and she knows all she has to do isask.

“I suppose so,” I sigh, loving how I can make them light up so easily.

“Yay!” they both cheer, grabbing theirbags.

Our oldest daughter pops her head out of one of the studios smiling ear to ear. “He saidyes?”

They all start to do an ice cream for dinner dance around me, and though someone might look in the window and think I’m a big pushover, I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’ve got me wrapped around their little fingers, and I don’t want to be any other place.

Life on the docks is good, and I get to come home to my family every night. Meeting Clara wasn’t part of my plan, and having a family wasn’t anywhere on my radar. But it all worked out exactly how she wanted it, and I never realized that’s how I wanted it to. I was just too damn afraid to hope forit.

I grab Clara by the waist and this time I’m the one whispering in her ear. “You can thank me later.”

“Oh, I plan on it,” she says, licking her lips and winking atme.

Her hands trail down my big chest and to the buttons on my shirt. She’s a tease and she knows it. But I don’t have any complaints. Teasing her is half the fun. The other half of the fun is bending her over and fucking her until she can’t walk. But I’ll save that for when the kids are asleep.

“Love you, baby,” I say, kissing her on the forehead and then helping the kids get in the truck.

“Love you, too, Daddy,” she says, before slapping me on myass.

THEEND!