Epilogue

Eight months later

He woke to Harper kissing his neck.

" Mmm . Good morning to you too."

"I've never kissed a triple New York Times best-selling author." Harper teased his ear. "It's sexy. You're sexy." He continued to trail kisses up and down his neck. "How does it feel?"

Colson turned to face him. "Like a dream. I had no idea people would respond so positively to the story. I just went with my gut." He kissed Harper. "And my heart."

"Hasn't steered you wrong yet." Harper sat up. "Are you ready for the signing today?"

Colson joined him against the headboard. "It's funny. When I was first published, I did tons of them, all across the country. But for some reason, I'm nervous."

"Considering how long it's been, it's natural. But your agent has everything in place."

"Yeah, Ned's a pro. First stop is Brooklyn, then the city. He said they've had a lot of interest at both locations."

"You'll have your own personal security there at your side." Harper grinned. "The best of the best."

"Modestly, he says." Suddenly unsure, Colson bit his lip. "Thanks for taking the day off to be with me. That was a nice surprise."

Harper's brows drew together. "Surprise? Really? Where else would I be?"

Colson cast his gaze at his lap and twisted his fingers together. "Well…my ex never came to any signings. Only the parties celebrating the publishing wins. He felt that signings were part of my job, and he didn't need to hang out and watch me."

Harper's pale eyes darkened to stormy gray. "Watching you is my favorite thing in the world. But seriously? That's what people do for their partners. Be there to support them."

Colson leaned in close. "That's what the right partner does. I love you."

Harper kissed him. "I love you too. And I'll always have your back." With a wink, he rolled on top of him. "And your front, and your…"

Colson covered Harper's mouth with his, pushing his tongue past his lips. "Like I said, don't give up the day job."

Harper reached underneath and squeezed his ass. "You're even hotter now that you're a number one bestseller."

Laughing, he pushed at Harper's shoulder. "Move, you big lug."

"And getting bigger, but I'll save it for later." With a smirk, Harper jumped out of bed. "Let's shower and get dressed. I want to make sure David understands what's happening, since he hasn't been to the city in a long time."

At breakfast, Colson sat beside David to explain. "I wrote a book. Luis helped me. Today I'm going to meet a lot of people who want to buy this book." He held up a paperback copy of Hunted Heart. "I'm going to sign the books and talk to them and take pictures. Harper and Luis will be there too. I wanted all my family there. So that's why I asked Harper to bring you and Luis." He caught Luis's excited face. The man was in a suit and tie, and it touched Colson that he'd gone to so much trouble. "And both of you look very handsome." They'd bought David a shirt and a tie, and maybe Colson was mistaken, but he thought David's smile was a bit brighter and his eyes more focused.

Harper finished loading the dishwasher and checked his watch. "We'd better get going. This store we can walk to."

Colson checked his phone. "Ned's there, setting up."

They made a procession and showed up at the Book Nook to see a crowd already gathered. Ned spotted him and waved him over.

"Glad you're early. This is Miles Halloran, the owner."

A good-looking blond man shook his hand. "Great to meet you. My co-owner is a huge fan, and I've just started getting into your books." His big, bright-blue eyes crinkled shut with laughter. "My husband, on the other hand, is also an avid reader of your books and very annoyed he can't be here, so I promised him a signed copy of each one." He glanced behind him and pulled over a younger man hovering in the background. "This is Gordon, my co-owner."

"H-hi, Mr. Delacourt. Miles is right. I'm a huge fan."

"Great to meet you too. This is my family—Harper Rose, my boyfriend; his brother, David; and Luis, who helps with David and is also my personal assistant."

He'd asked Luis to take on that role when the work on the publishing side of the book had begun to take on a life of its own. It was a perfect partnership as Luis could help him while David was at therapy or had downtime.

Miles shook everyone's hand, and to their surprise, crouched next to David's chair. "Hi, David. I'm Miles. Would you like some books to look at while Colson is signing? I think I have some things you might like."

David's head bobbed side to side. Harper turned away and brushed at his eyes, and Colson put a hand on his shoulder.

"He's so happy to be here, I think." To Miles, he said, "Thank you. David is very special to us."

Miles's smile was sweet. "I understand. I have some books for children with sensory issues. Do you think he might like that?"

"He can try and hold them. We've been working on his hand coordination." Always vigilant concerning David, Harper answered before Colson had a chance to.

"I'll go get them."

Miles hurried away, and Ned led Colson to where a huge backdrop of his book stood behind a table set high with stacks of paperbacks and special edition hardcovers.

"Dude, what a turnout."

Hogan and Bea stood with the two little boys by their sides. He hugged them. "Thanks for coming."

"We wouldn't miss it," Bea pronounced. "I bring the kids here at least once a week. Miles and Gordon know them by name, and they have a great selection of children's books. Hi, Harper." Bea waved, and Harper kissed her cheek. She leaned in and gave David a kiss as well. "Hello, handsome. Don't you look good."

David eyes were big and bright.

A line began to form, and Colson wiggled his fingers.

"Okay. Let the fun begin."

***

Two hours later, only a few books remained, and Colson's hand was cramped. But he'd smiled and taken pictures with innumerable people and discussed the romance angle of the book, which surprisingly, most liked and wanted to see developed further. Hogan had, under his protest, bought the book along with a slew of children's puzzles and stickers and other things to keep the boys entertained.

"We've got the potential for a series, here, Colson." Ned took down the banner. "Think about it for the next book. Detective Rosa and Chief of Forensics Diller could be a three-book series, at the minimum."

"Let's get through one at a time," he joked. "We'll meet you in the city."

This next signing, at a big national chain, was more formal than at the Book Nook. The lines were longer, but he kept up the happy persona and glad-handed everyone. There were almost as many women as men, the former quick to tell him they loved the romance and were hoping for more books with the gruff detective and the shy chief of forensics.

He took a break for a sip of coffee and spotted the three men he'd met the past summer—Sal, Arnie, and Bert. He waved them over.

"How are you? Great to see you here."

"You remember us?" Sal asked. "We weren't sure."

"How could I forget? Three of my biggest fans." He shook their hands.

"We had to come tell you that we all thought the book was great." Bert looked to the other two, who nodded in agreement. "And the romance was good. Not overdone."

"Yeah. It was real natural," Arnie added. "I could see it."

"I'm really glad you enjoyed it." He grabbed three of the special edition hardcovers. "These are for you, on the house."

"Wow, thanks. We were gonna buy them." Sal motioned to the crowd still gathered. "And we're not the only ones, it looks like. Great turnout."

"No way," he brushed them off. "Not for the guys who came all the way from Bensonhurst. Ned," he called out, "this is Sal, Arnie, and Bert, and they have a Sunday book club and talk about my books. Put them on a list to always get my early releases, okay?"

Ned pulled out his phone. "Give me your names, addresses, and emails, and I'll make sure you also get the hardcovers."

He signed each book and gave it to them, with a hug and a promise to let them know the next time they stopped by Spumoni Gardens. Warmth spread through him as he watched them greet Harper and David and introduce themselves to Luis. Adding more people to his new and growing circle.

The next hour flew by, and while he enjoyed the meet and greet, he couldn't deny breathing a sigh of relief at the end. As they were packing up, Harper put his arms around him.

"You must be exhausted. I was tired just watching you."

He tried—and failed—to hide a yawn. "I'm okay. And I don't mind. But I'm looking forward to tonight."

Harper's grin was wicked. "You mean the dinner with Millie, Hogan and his family, and Nolan, Gina, and the baby?" He pulled him closer. "Or later later, when it's you and me?"

He put his lips to Harper's ear. "Guess."

"Cole?"

He froze. Only two people called him that, and one of them was Ned, who'd already left.

"Evan?"

He stood there, handsome and put together as always. His face gleamed a rich, russet brown as if he'd recently returned from a sunny vacation. Onyx-black eyes reflected a healthy appreciation as they slowly traveled over him. Harper's grip tightened on his shoulders.

"Looking good. Congrats on the book. Guess you broke out of your slump."

"You could say that. In more ways than one." He smiled into Harper's eyes. "This is my partner, Harper Rose."

"Partner?"

"What're you here for?" Harper's belligerent tone wasn't missed by Evan, whose brows rose.

"Whoa, I'm just here to wish Cole well."

Colson didn't believe that for a hot second and folded his arms. "Is that so? How nice of you, considering I haven't heard one word from you since you walked out. Where's your better half? You know, the one you have your best days ever with?"

Evan flushed. "Uh, we broke up about two months ago. He's still in Paris."

Luis came up to him with David. "We're going to go to the garage. I think David's a little tired. Meet you there?"

"In a minute, yeah."

Colson knew it would be longer than a minute.

Evan gazed after Luis and David. "What's with him?"

Colson could feel Harper draw a deep breath, and he took his hand and squeezed it. Hard.

" Him is David. Harper's brother. Which makes him my brother as well. I have a new life, and I've never been happier." Trying to soften the blow, he gentled his tone. "Look, Evan, it's nice that you came by, but I'm not interested in renewing an old acquaintance or being friends or seeing you at all. Harper is all I need." He lifted his and Harper's hands.

Evan's jaw worked hard, and then he walked away.

"He had a lot of fucking nerve showing up here," Harper grumbled.

"Funny. I haven't thought about him in a very long time. I have such a full life, filled with so much positivity, I don't have time for the negative." He laid his head on Harper's shoulder. "It's been a hell of a day. I'm ready to go home and just be with you."

"Me too." Harper nudged his cheek with his nose. "Do you know, that's the best part of my day? Just being with you, knowing you're there and that we have each other…it helps me get through it."

"I'll always be there with you and for you."

Harper kissed his cheek. "Ready?"

At one time, he'd believed he'd never have what so many took for granted. He'd covered his body with tattoos of beautiful, winged creatures, wishing he could disappear and leave the ugly loneliness behind. Now he soared high. There was no longer any need to fly away. He had it all. A home. Family. Love.

He and Harper had love so strong, he woke up every day believing in miracles because he was living his truth and it wasn't a dream. It was real and everything he'd ever wanted.

"I'm ready. Let's go home."