Epilogue

OWEN

December

"My guy, you need to let me know these things in advance. Would you like to see my schedule? It's color-coordinated. Do you know why?" The petite assistant struck fear in every crew member's heart.

"Uh, because you like colors?" Tye, the unlucky target, answered with a weary scrub across his face.

"Is that a gay joke?"

"No! How would I know you're gay? I just…I mean…"

"Well, they are pride colors because they're pretty, just like me. You know what else will be pretty?" The foreman shook his head but stayed silent. "This lodge. As long as you don't decide to change things because you're in a mood."

"But Gabe told Quinn it was fine," Tye said meekly.

"Gabe said? Gabe doesn't know a damn thing about scheduling. He designs. I organize. From now on, you put me in every email because every agreement, every change, every delay, every modification needs to be tracked by me."

"It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't because this is me being nice."

"Nico, please stop scaring the crew. If they quit because you're mean to them, it will cause even more of a delay."

Nico turned his blinding smile on me. It reminded me of a shark seeking prey, and I stepped back a bit.

"Oh, he's fine. I'll tell him later how much I'm looking forward to his tidy demo work, which isn't bullshit because it's legit pristine, and he'll remember why he puts up with me."

Before I could answer, Nico muttered something about needing more plans and moved out of earshot.

We had months of renovations ahead, but today was about getting preliminary information for permits and whatnot. I wasn't needed, technically or otherwise, but I told myself the best way to get a feel for the lodge was to spend the night. Truthfully, it was only a ploy to stay in Bear's company. Since we'd gone officially official, I'd discovered I was a needy boyfriend who didn't want to be separated from Barrett.

In any case, the exterior wouldn't change apart from a basic clean-up, painting a few spots, and adding window boxes that would emphasize the Alpine vibe. The outbuildings were hit-and-miss and several would have to be rebuilt. The only thing we were saving from the lobby was the pretty needlepoint they'd already had hanging on a wall. I wasn't sure where it was going, but it would remain in the lodge.

"Babe, have you seen Elizabeth?" Bear came in from cataloging the outbuildings dressed like a lumbersnack. He wore an open flannel with a T-shirt underneath, jeans, and work boots. He was sex on a stick, and unfortunately, we didn't have the luxury of being alone, but, fingers crossed, that would change soon enough. "I didn't see her when I came in."

"That's because"—I paused to cup the bump in my sweater—"she crawled in here and hasn't budged. "

Bear leaned down and brushed a soft kiss on my lips. He came back for a deeper taste when I slightly parted my lips.

"Gentlemen, there's plenty of time for that later," Nico called from near the reception area. "I think I have what Gabe needs to get started on the plans. Tye? You good?"

"Yeah, I should be, but if Quinn or I have any questions, I'll email Ga—I mean, I'll email you."

Nico beamed, and Tye rolled his eyes. With a wave, Tye headed straight out the door and wasted no time getting into his truck.

"Are you headed back today too?" Nico asked as he slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and gave the room a once-over for any forgotten materials.

"No, we're spending the night and heading back tomorrow. Are you going to Gabe and Rory's for the Christmas party?"

"Yeah, I was planning on stopping by. You'll be there, right?"

"Yeah, we'll be there. Assuming Rory doesn't mind, I'm dragging a friend along. He needs to get out of the house more."

After one final, final look around, Nico headed out the door and we were left alone in the lodge with Elizabeth.

Barrett collapsed on the sofa beside me and hauled me to his side. Elizabeth crawled out from under my sweater and settled back against my neck. There were still plenty of tasks on our to-do list while we were up here.

We needed to catalog the furniture for the disposal company, discuss what level of interior renovation was needed, and figure out if any of the junk in the building was salvageable, but none of that motivated either of us. Instead, we sat on the hideous pink sofa and enjoyed the quiet. Barrett finally broke the silence.

"While I was outside, I got a phone call from my dad."

"Yeah, what did he have to say?" I craned my head to look at Barrett's face after hearing his perplexed tone. "Everything okay?"

"He said he and Mom have decided to take a trip together and are going on a cruise." He paused to pet Elizabeth before continuing, "That wasn't even the strange part."

"Really? 'Cause that seems odd to me?"

Barrett tightened his embrace, and I sighed because I loved a firm hug.

"He asked how we were doing, but then said to tell you his plan worked out exactly as he hoped. When I asked for an explanation, he said to ask you. Do you know what he's talking about?" Barrett's tone remained even and calm, reminding me why I loved him.

"Oh lordy, I do." I attempted to straighten so I could look directly at Bear but he lifted me up and deposited me on his lap. I kept a tight hold of Elizabeth so she wouldn't get lost in the shuffle. "Oof. Okay, I guess I'll talk from here."

Barrett grinned while he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Spill it, Babe."

"A few months ago, your dad came to see me at the office."

I rubbed Bear's chest when I saw his expression darken.

"Stop, don't get mad at him. I don't remember the exact wording, but the gist was that I needed to either pick you or let you go."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, and it was the push I needed. He was right, and I'm sure that's what that whole marriage thing out of the blue was."

Bear still looked annoyed.

"His heart was in the right place, and I'm kinda sorta happy with how it turned out."

Since I was so close, I leaned forward and ran my nose along his neck and under his jawline .

"Hmmm, you smell good." My lips replaced my nose, and I dropped a line of kisses. "You taste good too."

I intended to keep going when Elizabeth leaped to her feet with an arched back and puffed-out fur. Her usually sweet chirps and meows sounded angry instead.

"Hey, Bitty, what's wrong? It's okay."

I tried to soothe her, but she wasn't having it. When I shifted my hand off her, she bolted off my lap and headed straight for the lodge's front door.

" Oh fuck, Bear, the door !"

I jumped off Bear's lap and scrambled for the door, but it was too late. Elizabeth bounded out the door and darted across the yard and parking lot of the lodge. She made a direct beeline for the ring of trees along the edge of the property.

Both Barrett and I chased after her, but we were no match for her speed. She ran so fast that it looked like she was floating over the ground. I called her back, but I wasn't even sure she heard me.

Bear passed me with his longer legs, but he couldn't catch up with her either. The gap between us and Elizabeth widened before she stopped abruptly at the edge of the forest. I was ready to barrel forward and scoop her up when Bear grabbed me.

"Owen, stop," he hissed. "You can't get closer."

He raised his finger, demonstrated the universal sign for quiet, and then pointed to where Elizabeth sat on a fallen log.

" Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck ."

Directly in front of Elizabeth was a damn bear. It was a black one, just like the last time, but they all kind of looked alike, so I had no idea whether it was the same one. I gripped Barrett's hand so tightly that I was probably close to breaking the skin .

It was wintertime. Shouldn't it be hibernating? I distinctly remembered learning about bears and hibernation in school, but here it was, wide awake and lumbering toward my sweet kitty.

"What do we do? I don't want to startle the bear, but I don't want Elizabeth to get hurt."

"Fuck if I know," Barrett whispered back to me.

Both of us stood rooted to the ground, and Elizabeth calmly sat on the log and watched the bear approach. All signs of her previous upset were gone.

Barrett and I held our breath when the bear ambled forward, halted, and then lifted its head into the wind. The bear looked around until its eyes locked in on us. The bear stared at us, and we stared back. Our staring contest was only broken by Elizabeth's sharp meow. The bear responded to her noise and restarted its path toward her.

Barrett and I stood helplessly as the bear got closer and closer to Elizabeth until they were only inches from each other. The bear plopped down directly in front of her, which put them at eye level. They exchanged noises that didn't sound aggressive.

Barrett and I exchanged confused looks, but all we could do was watch helplessly while the two of them did whatever they were doing.

It felt like an eternity but was probably closer to a minute as the bear and Elizabeth continued making noises at each other and then touched noses.

"What the fuck is that about?" Barrett murmured, which caught the bear's attention. His gaze swung to look directly at us. It felt like a glower.

"Sorry," I hissed and squeezed Bear's hand as tightly as I could .

"Sorry," Barrett echoed.

That was enough for the bear to return to the conversation with Elizabeth. They touched noses one more time before the bear returned to the forest. Elizabeth remained on the log until the bear was out of sight before she jumped off the log and pranced back over to us.

The snow-covered ground was mostly frozen. She delicately wove around the large tufts of grass, retracing her steps. When she reached us, she wound her body around my leg.

I finally released Barrett from my death grip and picked her up instead. Her soft nuzzles had her rubbing against my face, and I didn't bother to hide my tears. Barrett dropped an arm across my shoulder and gave me a tight hug before he shepherded us back to the house.

"Elizabeth, you're a naughty kitty. You can't go running off to talk to bears. It's not safe. What if the bear ate you? I'd be the saddest." Barrett scolded her, but she only yipped in response and wasn't contrite at all. "And you scared us. We don't want to lose you."

That got a mewl followed by a stretch to rub along my jaw.

"It's okay, Bitty, Barrett's not mad. He's just disappointed." I ignored the scoff from over my shoulder. "Ignore him. We were worried, pretty girl."

As we approached the front steps of the lodge, Elizabeth leaped out of my arms.

"Oh, goddammit, not again."

Barrett dove for the cat, but she darted out of his reach. Instead of the open door, Elizabeth veered to the right and stopped to paw at a board on the porch. We caught up with her and I picked her up yet again.

"Elizabeth, you have to stop. I'm going to put a leash on you if you don't knock it off."

At my words, Elizabeth swung her head around and gave me a withering look that spoke volumes.

"If you don't want it to happen, stop running off. And don't give me that look either."

While I was fussing at her, Barrett had been looking at the boards.

"Babe, there's a board loose."

Barrett messed with it until it popped free, but it was too dark to see inside. Elizabeth peered over my arm but thankfully didn't try to run off again.

Barrett pulled out his phone to use the flashlight and see what was there. "Ha! Elizabeth, you are a clever one."

She preened and purred in response to his words.

"What's in there?" I asked as I tried to look over his shoulder.

"The bear didn't eat the keys because"—he paused to reach into the hole—"here they are!"

When I looked down at her, she rewarded me with a nose bump. "Elizabeth, you are the best girl."

Barrett: January

"Babe, you are ready for some lunch?"

Owen was ensconced in the office, working on the proposal for the second-place bidder from the auction in the fall. The last time I peeked around the corner, he'd been knee-deep in swatches and pattern books.

This time, he and Elizabeth were on the floor with a piece of string and the new cat that Ryan had asked us to foster. The cat had shown up in the alley behind Ryan's vet clinic without a chip but with a collar that read Hexe .

The city shelter had been full, and we were only supposed to hold her for a few days. We were a foster-failure family. Within a day of fostering, we'd known the temporary visitor was staying if no one came forward to claim her.

Hexe was a tortie Maine coon cat who was as large as Elizabeth was small. They were mismatched in size but inseparable after the initial introduction. The only time they were apart was when Owen went back to his house. When that happened, Hexe moped around my house until Elizabeth returned.

"Can we talk first?" Owen's pensive tone spurred me to hurry and drop to the floor beside him. "Relax, Bear, it's nothing bad. Promise," he added with a smirk.

"What's up?"

I racked my brain, trying to remember anything out of the ordinary. We'd had our first holidays as a couple, which had been even better than sharing them as best friends. We'd headed out to central Washington to spend a few days with Owen's mom and met up with my parents in Portland for a few days. Neither of us, especially me, understood their newfound friendship, but they seemed happy enough.

Nothing had happened that would seem to need a sit-down talk.

"I'm not sure how to start this." Dread grew in the pit of my stomach as the weight of his words sunk in. "Christ, this is awkward."

"Babe, just spit it out." The air in my lungs had stopped moving.

"I don't want to be at home anymore."

Uh, what?

"I'm gonna need more context."

The cats had moved between us and demanded attention. I focused on stroking their silky fur while I waited for Owen to elaborate on whatever it was he couldn't say directly.

"We spent the month living together so you could be my Da full-time, and then I went back to my house…" Owen held his hand up when I started to speak. "I know that's what I said I wanted because I needed to be sure."

"And now?" Hope bloomed in my chest.

"I hate being split between the two places. I want us to be a real family."

"You, me, and the cats, babe."

Every instinct I had urged me to grab Owen, but it was obvious he still had more say.

"But wait, there's more."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember when I said I didn't want kids?"

"Yeah?"

"I lied. Not tomorrow, but I do want them."

Joy exploded in my heart, and I dragged Owen onto my lap. The cats scattered with indignant yowls, and I gave a silent promise that I would apologize later. Owen offered no resistance, looping his arms around my neck and giving me a cheeky grin.

"So, we're cool."

"We're so goddamn cool right now."

I captured his smiling mouth in a kiss that I hoped he felt down to his damn toes. My tongue stroked against his with an urgency that overtook every thought in my head. His soft moans spurred me to deepen the kiss, and his tongue tangled with mine in a dance that sent trembles through me.

In three months, my life had gone from pining for an unattainable man to that same man being ready to move in and turn my house into our home.

"Bear, c'mon. "

Owen pushed off my lap, grabbed my hand, and helped me off the floor. After another fleeting kiss, he ran out of the room, with me fast on his heels. The musical laughter I'd always loved trailed him.

I grabbed for him, but he danced out of the way. As we ran up the stairs, the cats headed for the catio. The conversation between them wasn't hard to decipher. They were less than impressed with our antics. We'd make it up to them later. Owen ran until he stopped at my—our—bedroom door.

Neither of us managed to speak once we made it into the bedroom. It was all about need and want and love. We stripped off our clothes faster than it seemed possible and fell onto the bed in a tangled heap.

Our bodies craved what the other could provide. I pushed Owen underneath me and settled in the juncture of hips. Our cocks were pressed between us and the delicious friction was enough to make us both gasp.

Owen looked like the perfect pillow princess as he lay under me. I dropped my head to tease one nipple and then the other. My teeth nipped at the hardened point before my tongue soothed away the sting.

When Owen tried to grab me, I captured his hands and drew them above his head. He writhed and squirmed, which only served to further harden our cocks with each brush of flesh.

"Babe, you all right?" I asked.

The only answer he could manage was a low moan as he bucked against me. I couldn't bear the thought of losing my grip on him long enough to grab the lube. Instead, I kept his hands in one of mine and spit into the free hand. With a shift that left Owen whimpering, I grasped our cocks in hand. Between the spit and precum, there was enough friction for me to jack us both .

We rutted against each other, both too far gone for coherent thought or words. No one else mattered in this moment. It was him and me and us. In our little cocoon, we bucked and rubbed until we were ready to burst.

"Bear, oh fuck."

"Come for me, baby. I need you so much. I love you. I love you."

My chant was needy and desperate, with no fucks given. When Owen arched underneath me, I knew he was almost over the edge. His guttural moan triggered my release. Ropes of hot cum spurted from my cock, quickly followed by Owen's.

I collapsed next to him with his body still wrapped around me. Our harsh pants were the only sounds in the room. Slowly, our breathing evened out, and as always, Owen fell into a quick cat nap.

Lying next to Owen, I knew everything important in my life would happen with this man.

I never wanted him to leave my home or my heart again. In a blink, I saw a future with a little girl, who shared her father's musical laugh and golden eyes, in the backyard under the shade of the fir trees, chasing her feline sisters as they chased her. Her name was Dorothy.