Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Rita

Pregnancy had changed a lot of things in my life, most importantly my relationship with a certain city.

I grinned up at my baby daddy as I swung our linked hands between us. We'd decided to take a trip into the city before the holidays were in full swing. My favorite thing about New York City was the holiday windows.

Penn indulged me with a walk down 5th Avenue despite the crush of people standing in front of Saks for their colorful display, which included stripes of white and blue, plus the current addition of musical accompaniment that changed every year.

"I remember when I first moved here, Saks was simply wreaths and swags of lights on every window. Look at it now."

He kissed my temple. "Sometimes I miss the vintage Christmas New York City always did exceptionally well. Not that I don't enjoy the new, but the quiet traditions are pretty great too. As you saw with my mom and dad's house."

I laughed. "JoAnn loves that you're home this year to help with the decorating extravaganza. Your dad has nothing on the Griswolds."

"He grumbles about the electric bill every year, but then he buys even more lights." He draped his arm around my shoulders, and I caught him glancing at his watch again.

"Somewhere to be?"

Penn shrugged. "Just getting hungry."

"Don't want an overcooked cart dog?"

He wrinkled his nose. "I actually have a grocery order set to deliver at your place. I told you I was going to cook you that shrimp scampi."

" My place? You realize my kitchen is the size of a bathroom, right?"

"I'll make it work."

"Okay, if you say so." I rushed ahead to one of the crosswalks. "It's a hike to Times Square, pal."

"And that's why I have credit and cash for cabs." He held a hand up for one of the dozens of yellow cabs crawling around the city.

There seemed to be less these days now that car sharing had been allowed in the city, but I loved that he still liked the old-fashioned smelly New York City cabs.

"We could take the subway. Probably faster."

"Probably also just as crowded with tourists. Besides, I get to make out with you in the back of the cab."

"There is that."

We finally won the flagging down wars and collapsed inside. "Can you get us as close to Times Square as possible?" I said through the Plexiglass.

"Are you crazy, lady?"

"A little bit." I sat back beside Penn.

"Extra fifty in it for you if you get creative," Penn said with a smile.

"You got it." The cabbie turned off 5th and we both slid to one side in his turn.

"You really want to get back for those groceries." I scratched my nails lightly through his beard. "We haven't gotten to christen every corner of my apartment yet."

"No, we have not." He leaned in to kiss me.

The lights and sounds of the city faded as I let myself fall into the simple closeness of leaning on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. Since we'd found out about the baby, things had been a little crazy in Crescent Cove.

His parents had been thrilled, as had the rest of the family.

Colette just rolled her eyes and said another one bites the dust. But she was happy for me and said she was willing to take all my wine off my hands since I wasn't allowed to have any for the foreseeable future.

Duality Press had officially partnered with Wainwright Publishing. Penn and Asher had gone in together on a few upgrades to the machines to bring them up to the current printing technology. I was pretty sure Larsen and Asher were turning into a secondary bromance while they discussed all the machinery and plans they had for the future.

I was a little worried Penn would get jealous, but I think he was relieved that Larsen had someone else to bond with since our world was expanding very soon.

"This is as close as I can get you." The man looked over his shoulder. "Hope it's worth the fifty."

I peered out of the window and was surprised to see we were a few short blocks away.

"This is great," I said and paid the fare with my card while Penn handed over the cash tip.

When we got out of the cab, he caught my hand. "I can't believe you live right here in this madness."

"I know. I'm going to miss it."

"You don't have to get rid of your place."

I snorted. "If we want to build a house, I do. Crescent Cove isn't exactly cheap these days."

"True. I bet you'd make a good side hustle by subletting. You had to get in here before it got astronomical."

"Not a bad plan. Maybe I can put a clause in the sublet that lets me come by a few times a year for the view."

He grinned. "Now you're cooking."

He pulled me down the street. The familiar scents of overcooked food, exhaust, and last night's rain were oddly comforting and foreign at the same time.

"What is the hurry?" I laughed as I had to up my pace to keep up with him.

"Shrimp scampi!"

I rolled my eyes. "You really are hungry."

I didn't have the heart to tell him that the idea of garlic and butter was a little nauseating after all the New York City smells, but if it made him happy, I'd try to eat a few bites.

I was out of breath by the time we got to my apartment building. I gave one last look at Times Square with all the flashing lights before I followed him through the doors to my lobby.

I waved to the front desk person. They changed out so much I rarely remembered their names. My apartment building was full of young professionals with a few longtime residents who were clutching their rent control. Which I couldn't blame them.

Exactly why I'd never left this place.

The elevator ride was eternal, since there were so many stories to this building. Penn kept looking at his watch.

"I am sure the groceries will survive."

"Huh?"

I laughed. "I'm sure they're safe on the doorstep. My floor is pretty good about leaving packages alone."

When the doors opened, he practically dragged me out onto my floor.

"Penn!"

"C'mon, Duchess. My belly is grumbling." He gave me the gimme hands to get my keys out.

"Okay, okay."

When he opened the door and nudged the groceries in, he swore under his breath. Before I could get pissed about his actions—which were getting a bit much—he swung me around to kiss me against the door.

"What—"

It only took a minute for him to convince me not to be mad at him.

He cupped my face and slowed everything down. The kiss was thorough and soft. I could practically hear his heart beating a mile a minute even as he smoothed me out.

I wasn't sure what had gotten into him, but right now I was enjoying every second of his intensity. I tried pushing his jacket off. If he was going to kiss my brain out of my head at least I could get some sex out of the deal.

The leather thudded to the floor, then I tugged at his Henley, angling for his belt.

He groaned into my mouth. "Wait."

"If you say you need to cook one more time, I'm going to leave you on the couch tonight."

He frowned down at me. "I don't fit on your Barbie-sized couch. I barely fit in your mini bed."

"I fit just fine."

He grunted and stilled my hands. "This is not going exactly as planned. I should have planned how long it takes to do everything in this blasted city."

I frowned. "The groceries are here."

He stepped back from me with one last, lingering kiss. "I know, babe."

My stomach did a little flip. He had never called me babe before. I had gotten so used to Duchess that it was practically my name at this point.

He tangled our fingers together and pulled me toward the window. "I had a whole plan here, but as usual, things go a little off kilter with us."

I laughed. "That's true." I patted my still flat belly with my other hand. "Cooking along no matter how unprepared we are."

"And I love that baby already. Almost as much as I love you."

"Oh, Penn."

He pulled me closer to my big window, then he scooted around me to put his hands on my hips.

"I mean, it's a million-dollar view for sure, but what…" I trailed off as the massive billboard across from my building went dark. Slowly, out of the dark, Penn's very distinctive handwriting started forming words as if they were being written across the screen.

Rita Savage, will you marry me?

Then I laughed when two forcefully drawn lines streaked under the words.

Just as I was about to turn around the black swallowed up the words and Penn's character Moksha came out of the darkness with his signature purple highlights to his shadowed face. The knight held his hand out and a brand-new character came into frame. Pixellated for a moment as each piece came together in an intense green. The figure looked over her shoulder and green eyes glowed hot before she turned and ran to her knight.

"Penn." I twirled around when it started the same process again.

"You changed my life in so many ways, and not just the baby." He briefly cupped my middle then he went down on one knee, bowing his head for a moment. "I didn't know there was a love like this inside of me." He looked up at me, his rich, espresso eyes lit with the brightly lit panels behind us. "Marry me?"

I pulled at his hand to make him stand. "You leave me wordless, Penn Masterson."

"Hopefully, there's at least one in there."

I laughed as the tears started. "Yes. Obviously, yes."

He pulled me in for a kiss and then tugged me off my toes to twirl me around.

Life with Penn Masterson would never be a boring one.

"I love you so much, you crazy man."

He turned us to the window where people were starting to notice the wedding announcement. Pedestrians kept whirling around to see where the happy couple might be.

"I almost had a drone try and capture us through the window, but the fair city of Manhattan said no."

I laughed. "Let them imagine who I am."

The ringing and buzzing from near the door said that might not happen for long. His jacket was going crazy, and I'd left my phone in my purse.

He turned me into his arms. "Think they might have figured it out."

When our phones kept going, we ignored them as I watched the billboard in between kisses.

"Oh, who's the new character?" I asked after the third watch.

"Lilith."

I laughed. "Perfect." I linked my hands at the back of his neck. "I can't believe I got you to write a romance into your story."

"Epic romance." He brushed his nose along mine. "Just like ours."

We hope you're excited to read Travis and Bridget's story coming next! Turn the page to learn more.