Epilogue

Skye

I headed back to North Carolina for a week to see my folks and break the news to my friends in person. Izzy and Nadine knew my plans to stay in Stoney almost as soon as I knew, and they were happy for me, but also sad to see me leave. Luckily, it’s not that far to visit, so it isn’t like I’m going to fall off the grid and forget them. We had a lovely dinner while I was home and a few drinks to mark the occasion. Izzy reminded me about the dream she’d had about me falling in love with Gabe and staying in Stoney Creek. So she felt as though she’d predicted the whole thing, we all had a chuckle at that. They were already excited about planning a girls’ trip as soon as possible so they could meet Gabe, Trinity, and sweet Daisy.

I’ve only been back in Stoney Creek for a few hours and can’t wait to see Gabe. It felt like the longest week of my life because we’ve been inseparable since that night we claimed our love for each other in front of the family. It all happened so fast, but at the same point, it doesn’t feel like we’re jumping in too hastily. It feels like this is our time, and it’s just perfect.

I’m driving my car back to Stoney, so I don’t have to keep relying on Gran’s VW; not that it’s done me wrong during the time I’ve been here. But still, my own car will be a real godsend.

I stop in at Stone’s Throw for a cup of tea after the long drive and shoot Gabe a text.

Me

I’m back, baby. Just rolled into town. Grabbing a tea. I can do the school run

Gabe

Fuck I missed you. Why don’t you come straight here? It’s not time for pickup yet

He makes no bones about what he wants, and I love it. During the week he never stopped telling me what he was going to do to me when I got back to town.

Me

I know what you’re thinking ?? BTW me and Trin have something special lined up for you tonight

Gabe

Really? Like what?

Me

If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise

Gabe

Is it something I haven’t seen before?

Me

Not telling. You’ll have to find out for yourself.

Gabe

Fine. But meet me at the house in ten

Me

Yes, Boss

Gabe

You’re gonna pay for that, Red

I smile to myself because I knew that would get a rise out of him; it always does. I also love his nickname for me. He told me about the dream he had before we got together, and that was the nickname he used for me. I prized the rest of the dream out of him, where we were rolling around together… He even had a premonition about his ex that he kept on the quiet. Thank God that part of his life is truly over with.

I’m feeling pretty smug at the little surprise I’ve been planning. Ever since he took me out to Lookout Mountain, that special place on the ridge — where I found out he loved stargazing — I’ve been thinking about it. In fact, I think about that night all the time. That’s when I really knew Gabe was someone special, and someone I wanted to get to know.

My grandparents have been over the moon ever since they found out I was staying, and that Gabe and I were a thing. Gran had a feeling Gabe and I would hit it off. They both adore him and Trinity.

We try to have dinner with them once a week and visit Gabe’s parents as often as possible. The Bassetts may be Stoney Creek royalty, but they’re down to earth and so supportive. Even his brothers, who never stopped ribbing Gabe about us being together while I was working for him. Gayle is already asking how I feel about babies until Robert told her off for prying. I’m sure she was happy to hear that I do want kids. We just don’t want to rush into anything. We’re enjoying this time of newness for the both of us, and taking each day as it comes is something we’re both learning to enjoy.

I smile at the thought of one day expanding the family. Deep down, I’d love to have Gabe’s baby. I’ve had this vision more than once. It would be amazing to give Trinity a sibling, and Gabe has already said he’d love more kids in the future and he’d be open to marriage. I know his first marriage didn’t end well, but he’s put the past well and truly behind him now.

My parents were pretty shocked when I told them about moving, but they were happy for me that I’d found the man of my dreams, and that I’d be close to Gran and Gramps. And when Dad retires, they’ll be here on a more permanent basis themselves.

Gramps is doing a lot better now and followed his doctor’s orders for once; taking it slow and not doing anything too strenuous. He’s looking better and better every day. Nothing can keep him down for long.

When I pull up to the house, I can’t hide my smile that Gabe is already here. The dust has barely settled on the track.

I swung by my grandparents to grab the surprise for tonight; a telescope for Gabe. I’m leaving it in my heavily packed car for later. I wanted to do something that would commemorate the occasion, and this is something Gabe enjoys. And it’s a good excuse for us to go stargazing again.

He appears on the front porch as I swing the car door closed and run up to him. He closes his arms around me and lifts me up off my feet.

“Baby,” he breathes into my hair. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, Gabe.” I reach up to kiss him, and he strokes my cheek with his knuckle and kisses me roughly. I pull back to look at the heat in his eyes, knowing what he wants. I quickly glance at my watch.

“Oh, we have time,” he says, tugging my hand and pulling me toward the front door. He gives my ass a playful swat when I pass him. I giggle as we step inside and immediately Daisy starts to jump up and down excitedly, waiting for me to pat her. I reach down to scoop her up and give her some love. She really is turning out to be such a gorgeous little addition.

“I think she missed you,” Gabe laughs as I place Daisy back on the ground. But Gabe is all hands as he closes the door with his foot and reaches for the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head.

“Well, hello to you too.”

He grins, kicking off his shoes and loosening his tie, leaning in to kiss me again.

We’re all hot and heavy as I push his jacket off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. He loosens his cuffs and shoves them in his pants pocket while I make haste with his shirt buttons.

He reaches for my breasts and gives them a squeeze. “I’ve missed these. I’ve missed all of you,” he breathes into my neck.

“I’ve missed you too, and this.” My hand slides down his torso, landing on his hard length. “Wow, you are happy to see me,” I giggle.

“Fuck, yeah.”

He helps me shimmy out of my jeans while Daisy scruffs around in our clothes on the floor. I reach for his belt buckle, then his zipper, and push his pants and boxers down in one fell swoop. We leave our clothes in a pile as he pulls me toward him and pushes me against the wall, hitching me up as I wrap myself around him. “I’ve dreamed of taking you on the kitchen bench ever since…”

“Ever since when?” I bite my lip.

“The first day you came to my house.”

“That’s a pretty inappropriate thought on my first day at work, Mr. Bassett.”

“You better believe it,” he chuckles, righting himself. I cling onto him and he walks buck naked down the hallway to the kitchen, where he plants my butt, pushing Trin’s crayons out of the way. Daisy follows along and runs over to her furry bed to grab a toy, waving it around in her mouth.

“You know we don’t have long until school pickup,” I breathe as he pulls me to the edge of the bench and sucks a nipple into his mouth. I rest back on my elbows, watching him.

“I’d better do my best then, huh?” He pushes into me as I cry out at our connection.

I’ve missed him so damned much. He holds my hips and pops my nipple out of his mouth, looking up at me with those piercing blue eyes I’ll never get sick of looking at. “I may never look at this bench top the same,” I laugh as we start to move together in a perfect dance. It’s hot, erotic and fast, faster than we usually do it. I guess he really did miss me.

“With you on granite, it’s perfect,” he says into my neck, nipping and sucking my flesh.

“I love you, Gabriel Bassett.”

“And I love you, Skye Hendry.”

I grin like a buffoon. I love it when he’s like this, when he totally lets go. He has the perfect balance of businessman, CEO, daddy, and boyfriend. And I love them all just as much as each other.

* * *

Gabe

Skye insists we take the truck. She and Trin have been secretly packing a picnic since we got home from school, and they’re whispering when they think I can’t hear. It’s only when dusk falls that they announce we’re going to the ridge lookout.

“What are you two up to?” I ask while we pack the car. The nights sure are much cooler now so I make sure Trin dresses warm and we each have a jacket to wear.

Daisy has her little blanket and a fluffy bed. I’m sure she’s going to like hanging out with us at the ridge, too. She goes everywhere we go and is seldom alone.

Daisy made friends with Callan’s dog, Sunny, and they’ve already had several play dates. She’s also met Eden’s dog, Noodle, and they really took to each other too. Trin is in her element with the new pup, and I even took her to Macey’s house while Skye was away to meet Molly. It was so adorable seeing mom and daughter running around together happily.

Daisy’s been good company while Skye was away. She either sleeps with us, or in Trinity’s room and has more than one dog bed set up around the house. We can’t imagine life without her.

I can’t help but feel like we’re one big happy family already, even after a short time. I missed Skye a lot this past week. According to my brothers, I’m lovesick.

Our fast romp this afternoon was nothing compared to what I want to do to her tonight. We navigate our time around Trin’s bedtime, and I often pop home for an hour when she’s at school so I can give my woman some attention. Then we can be as loud as we want, cos ain”t no one gonna hear us when we’re alone. I can’t get my fill of her — I never will. I love pleasing her and making her come over and over again. There’s nothing sweeter. She stays over now more often than not. Trinity thinks we’re having sleepovers every other night, and I guess she isn’t far wrong.

The thing I love the most is how we had a connection before we ever got physical, and that was important to me after everything I went through. I think about the dream I had of Skye, and as woo-woo as it sounds, I know it was meant to be. As soon as I relaxed a little, let my guard down and went with the flow, things came much more easily. It feels so natural with her.

She has me hook, line, and sinker.

As for the future, I’ve envisioned her pregnant with my baby. And while every now and again a small reservation creeps up in my mind, I push it away because I know Skye is a different person to my ex-wife. And just because one woman hurt me all those years ago, doesn’t mean she’s going to do the same.

Tiffany left town as fast as she came in, and I heard from her parents — when they had Trin one weekend — that she stopped by to see them the same week she was in Stoney Creek. She made it to Ireland and is now one of the leading heart surgeons at a major hospital in Dublin. I suppose a part of it all still makes me sad, because someday Trinity will come asking questions, and who knows what the future holds. One thing I will never do is lie to her. If she wants to know who gave birth to her and any other questions, I will answer them the best way I can.

“We have a present for Daddy, don’t we, Trin?” Skye says when I’ve backed the truck in and have it in the right position we need so we can look at the stars.

I glance over at my girls and give them a chin lift. “A present, you say?”

“It’s something you haven’t seen before.” Skye gives me a wink over our earlier conversation as she reaches into the back behind us.

I lean over to give her a peck as Trin covers her eyes. Daisy sits between us, snuggling into her donut bed. She’s been such an easy little thing to train. I put the doggie door in and within a month or so, she was getting the hang of where to go and do her business. She’s smart. Skye and Trin have already taught her to sit and do a paw shake for treats. It’s very cute to watch, and so far, she’s not chewing anything except her toys. We hope it stays that way.

She pulls out a long cardboard box and lays it across my lap.

“What have you two been up to?” I give them both the side eye as I rattle the heavy box around.

Trinity giggles. “Daddy, open it!”

I rip open one end of the box and carefully pull out a long padded bag. I glance at Skye, having an inkling of what’s inside.

“You didn’t.”

She bites her lip, trying to hide her smile as I unzip the bag. “We thought you could do with one of your own,” she says as I pull the telescope out.

My heart swells so fucking big. “Mercury in retrograde would be jealous of this beauty. Thank you,” I say, feeling the emotion come over me. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.

“You’re welcome. I thought we could come out here and you can teach me and Trinity everything you know.”

“We wuv the stars, Daddy!”

I wrap my arm around the both of them, as Daisy bobs her head up between us all and we laugh. “And I love you girls. Do you know that? All three of you.”

“I wuv you Daddy! I wuv you Skye-blue! And I wuv you Daiseeee!”

We laugh at her enthusiasm. This kid. She still hasn’t gotten out of adding blue to Skye’s name when the fancy takes her.

“And I love you and your daddy, too,” Skye says. Her enchanting smile reflects a million words. I lean across to quickly peck her.

“And Daisy?” Trin asks. “Do you wuv Daisy too?”

“Yes, I love Daisy too.”

“Then it’s settled,” I joke. “Since we’re all in agreement, who wants first look at Daddy’s telescope?”

“Me!” Skye and Trin both say in unison.

“Well, then, I’d better put it together, hadn’t I?” We climb out and the girls wait patiently while I put it together. It doesn’t take me as long as I thought it would, and soon I have it in position next to the car. I take a quick peek when the girls are getting the picnic ready in the back.

I have a flashlight in the corner so we can see what we’re doing.

I’m like a kid in a candy store. I’m not sure it could get any better than this.

“This is by far the best present I’ve ever gotten,” I tell Skye, holding her in my arms when Trin and Daisy eventually both fall asleep next to us.

I held my little girl up to the telescope and she couldn’t believe her eyes. Lord only knows the stories she’s going to come out with when she goes to school on Monday about our expeditions. She’s a smart kid, so I’ve no doubt she’ll retain some of it as time goes on. I love telling her what I know about constellations.

Skye looks at me with such adoration that a tightness builds in my chest.“I’m so happy you like it.”

“Thank you, baby.” We kiss long and slow, both pulling back as we pant.

“Not in front of the kids,” she giggles, shaking her head.

“You bet I’m gonna be giving you something to dream about when we get home,” I say. “That’s a promise.”

“I have everything I want right here,” she says. “You’re also not so grumpy anymore.”

I kiss her again, chuckling at her comment. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” I smile. “The truth is, I thank God for you every morning when I open my eyes. You mean so much to me — to us.”

She doesn’t know this yet, but I plan to propose at Christmas. I figure, why wait? We know we’re going to be together. We’re practically living together, and she can’t stay at her grandparents’ caseta for the rest of time.

“And I’m here to stay for as long as you’ll have me.”

“How does forever sound?” I keep kissing her hair, holding her close. We both have to ignore what’s going on in my sweatpants, at least until we get home.

“That sounds perfect.” She sighs contentedly as Trin stirs for a moment.

Watching her brings a rush of warmth flooding through me. We’ve been through a lot. Finally, we both get our happily ever after. Trin settles back down and I park my ass against the truck bed, pulling Skye toward me as I stare into her green depths.

It’s everything a man could ask for to have all the girls I love here with me, sharing this beautiful still night with a million stars at our disposal, and the most peaceful place in the world — what else could a man want? There’s no place else I want to be.

Forever sounds pretty good to me.