36. Epilogue

Epilogue

Bennett

Six Months Later

Something was burning.

The rank smell of charred food tickled my nose, and I groggily opened my eyes just as the shrill sound of the fire alarm started shrieking. It was distant and I suspected–by the empty side of the bed–that it was the kitchen alarm blaring and Shay was attempting to cook something.

The annoying sound ended abruptly following a growled, "Dammit! I hope that thing doesn't wake up your brother." Which came through the baby monitor loud and clear, telling me Shay had one of the other monitors with him.

Rubbing my eyes, I took a peek at the video baby monitor on the nightstand. Brodie, thankfully, was still sleeping, poor baby. He'd been up pretty much every hour on the hour. Our normally chill, happy baby was cutting his first tooth, and he wasn't about that life. He was a little crank monster when he was hurting, not that I blamed him. He'd finally drifted off a few hours ago, exhausted.

Which had me wondering what on earth Shay was up to. He had been walking the floors with me, taking Brodie when I had been near tears and exhaustion. It was wonderful to have a partner who more than shared the workload of a new baby. I was more than thankful that at least one of us had firsthand experience with a newborn.

Slipping out of bed, I tiptoed down the hallway, until I could use my wolf hearing to try to determine what Shay, and from the sounds of the smaller voice, Lucas, were up to this morning.

"Brodie has been so cranky," Lucas lamented from his perch on one of the bar stools at the counter. I could just see him, but I couldn't see Shay.

"He's getting a tooth," Shay told him, clattering something in the sink. "You were cranky like that, too." He sighed loudly, frustration evident in the sound. "Well, pancakes were a bust. What do you think? Should I try French toast?"

My brows rose, and now that I knew what he had been trying to make, I could discern the scent of charred pancake in the air. What were they up to?

Lucas shook his head, "I think we should just go pick up pancakes from the diner. You're good at a lot of things, Daddy, but cooking isn't one of them."

Shoulders shaking with laughter, I clamped both hands over my mouth to stifle the sound. They were obviously planning to surprise me by making breakfast. But Lucas was right, Shay was a disaster in the kitchen. He did, however, insist on doing the cleanup since I did the cooking. Since I loved cooking but not the cleanup, it was a win-win for me.

I heard the jingle of keys, and Lucas hopped down from the stool. Plastering myself against the wall so I didn't spoil their surprise, I waited until they had gone out the door to the garage. Listening as the garage door opened, I saw them leave in Trixie from the window.

Checking on Brodie, who was still passed out from his exhausting night, I slid back beneath the covers. I was so thankful I had switched jobs after Brodie was born, and I had all my weekends free now.

Realizing that working the hours I did and having a new baby weren't working for me, Shay and I had discussed what was best for our family. Deciding a job with set hours, and weekends free, would work best, I had just started working on my resume when Asher had approached me with an offer.

His long-time office manager, Janet, was retiring, moving out of state to be closer to her grandchildren. He and his partner in his practice, Jax, had talked about the type of person they wanted to replace her. They wanted to expand their practice, adding another doctor and several nurses. They were looking for a manager that could conduct initial interviews, handle employee schedules, and all the other things that made their practice run smoothly. They also liked the fact that I knew all the services offered around Sweet Alps and could be of assistance to their patients' parents. It was a huge change for me, but I loved it, and it offered me the hours I needed. I especially loved being home by five-thirty Monday through Friday, and not working weekends .

Yawning, I hugged Shay's pillow to my chest, and closed my eyes to wait for them to return. Surrounded by his fresh earthy scent, I dozed back off.

Not sure how much time had passed, I roused when I heard whispering at the bedroom door.

"Shh, careful," Shay said, "can you wake him, and I'll hold the tray."

Pretending to still be asleep, I let Lucas shake my shoulder gently. "Bennett, Bennett, we have a surprise for you."

Making a show of blinking my eyes sleepily and yawning, I slowly sat up. Shay wasted no time placing a bed tray over my lap. It held a plate with fragrant, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, slices of crisp bacon, syrup, steaming coffee, and a vase with two pale pink tulips.

"What's all this?" Closing my eyes, I sniffed the flowers. "These are beautiful, Shay. And this looks wonderful. I'm not sure why I'm getting breakfast in bed, but I'm not going to complain."

"Daddy tried to make pancakes, but he kept burning them," Lucas gleefully tattled, "so we ordered from the diner." He was bouncing from one foot to the other, barely able to contain his happiness. "Daddy, Brodie needs to be here for this."

Shay frowned, "He's sleeping, bud. He had a rough night. Don't you think we should let him sleep?"

"No," Lucas was adamant, "this is ‘bout our family and he's part of our family. He needs to be here."

Blowing out a breath of defeat, Shay held up a finger to me. "Don't go anywhere. Apparently, I'm getting the baby."

Not sure where he thought I was going to go with a tray full of food, I took the opportunity to down half the cup of coffee before he returned. Somehow, he had managed to strap Brodie into his bouncy seat without waking him, and I would be eternally grateful. After last night, I was already planning a nap in my future. Shay sat the bouncy on the bed next to me, making sure he was secure.

"What's going on guys?" My curiosity was getting the better of me, because these two were definitely up to something.

"Don't you know what today is?" Lucas asked me.

"Um," searching my mind for what special day this could be, all I came up with was, "Saturday?"

Lucas shook his head, grinning broadly and showing off his two missing front teeth. He had finally lost them a week ago, and he looked absolutely adorable every time he smiled. "It's the ‘versary!"

"Anniversary," Shay corrected him, sitting gingerly on the bed by my legs, so he didn't jostle the tray of hot food too much. While I had always thought the idea of breakfast in bed was romantic, I was quickly seeing the pitfalls and dangers of it becoming a right pain in the ass.

My brow furrowed, feeling lost. Anniversary? I mouthed. Maybe it was new baby fog, but I really had no idea what they were talking about.

"It was one year ago that you brought us home!" Lucas declared proudly.

Thinking about what the date was, I realized they were right. Smiling, I picked up a piece of bacon and bit into it. "You're right, I did."

"We think," Lucas looked at his dad and Shay nodded in agreement, "that we should make this a ‘pecial day for our family every year." My heart still warmed anytime someone called us a family. "Since it's the day you kept us. "

Oh, my heart! Blinking the happy tears from my eyes, I gasped loudly when Shay slid off the bed and down on one knee.

"What–?" Mouth gaping, all I could do was stare at him wide-eyed.

"Wait." Standing back up, Shay moved the tray of food to his empty side of the bed, then resumed his previous position. Lucas, to my amazement and joy, mimicked his dad, also getting down on one knee.

Shay swallowed hard, clearing his throat, then took my hand in his warm one.

"Ask him, Daddy!" Lucas impatiently tried to hurry Shay along, and I thinned my lips to keep the hysterical bubble of laughter from escaping and breaking the mood.

"Bennett," he cleared his throat once more, clearly nervous, "I–we–love you more than we can put into words. You are the kindest, most gentle, and understanding man I have ever met, but also the fiercest when you are protecting your family."

My mind flashed back to that awful day when Edward had shown up and glanced briefly at the thin red scars on my arm from his claws. I would do it again, without hesitation. I would protect Lucas and Brodie with my life. And Shay too. Because he needed protecting just as much as the boys did, some days.

"I can't give you a mate claim bite," he looked sad when he said it, and I wished he wouldn't. I was being honest when I told him I really didn't need us to claim each other to feel like I was his. "And I might not ever be able to, but I want to. And I promise you, I'm working hard in therapy to be able to give you that. Someday."

Shaking my head, I gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. "It doesn't matter, I told you that. "

"It matters to me," he admitted softly. "I might not be able to give you a claim bite, but I–we–" he tilted his head at Lucas with a wink, "we can give you this."

From somewhere–I had no idea where–he pulled his other hand from behind his back revealing a red velvet ring box. To my surprise, Lucas took it from his dad, opening it and thrusting it towards me. Diamonds glinted from the velvety interior of the box, dazzling in an infinity pattern against a band of white gold.

"We want you to keep us forever," Lucas whispered, "please."

No amount of rapid-fire blinking was going to hold back my tears of happiness. My heart swelled with love.

Shay swallowed hard, "Bennett Maxwell, will you marry us?"

"Yes!" I shouted, startling the baby. Brodie jerked, swinging his arms, then settled back to sleep. Poor baby was truly exhausted. Lowering my voice, I whispered, "Yes, of course, yes."

Shay took the ring from the box, and with trembling hands slid it onto my ring finger. Did the silly man honestly think I was going to say no?

Bending, he captured my lips in his, in a soft kiss that seared my soul. Pressing his forehead to mine, I cupped his cheeks with both hands and stared into his gorgeous blue eyes. "You mean it?"

Smiling, I asked, "Are you mine?"

He nodded, forehead to forehead, "Yes."

"And am I yours?"

"For eternity."

"And is Lucas mine, as much as Brodie?"

"He's yours."

"That's all I need, Shay," I whispered, "You, and our boys, is all I will ever need. I love you. "

Small hands and arms wrapped around us, hugging, and we broke apart enough to let Lucas join in. Worriedly, he nibbled on his lips, and I cupped his cheek much like I had Shay's.

"Bennett?" he whispered, looking much less excited and more apprehensive.

"What's wrong, Lucas?"

"Do you promise that you'll keep us forever?"

This boy was going to be the absolute death of me. Swallowing around the boulder sized lump in my throat, I whispered, "I promise. Do you know what this symbol means on my ring?" Rubbing a finger across it, I held it up for him.

He shook his head. "Daddy showed it to me, and I thought it was pretty. Like you."

"This is an infinity symbol," I explained, "it means eternity. Forever and ever." Pulling him to me, I wrapped him in a hug, wanting to never let him go. He had been mine since the day I had walked into that room in the hospital, a year ago. Just as much as Shay had been mine.

"Pinky promise?" he whispered in my ear, holding up his pinky. Wrapping mine around his, I swore, "Pinky promise."

"No take backs?" he whispered.

"No take backs." I kissed his cheek softly.

A meaningful look passed between Shay and me over our son's head. Grinning, he held up his own pinky, so much larger than mine. "Pinky promise?"

Instead of wrapping my pinky around his, I entwined our fingers together tightly. "No take backs."

Leaning over Lucas, Shay kissed me, softly, sweetly, all his love flowing between us.

"For eternity."

"Eternity."

The End