Epilogue #1

Bianca

“Ready?” Knox shouted from the door.

Running out of our bedroom with my last suitcase in hand, I nodded and stopped to catch my breath. “Yes, yes. Sorry. You know, it takes time for me to pack.”

Knox let his head fall as he looked at me. “Bianca, unfortunately I know that, but you started packing days ago. Come on, I want to get to Ohio by nightfall and we’re already two hours behind schedule.”

Maybe I was late, but my man needed to learn to slow down a little and relax. I walked up to him and brushed my finger over his furrowed eyebrows. Then I smoothed over the space between them. “Relax, baby. It’ll be okay.” I could see it was working, but he’d need a lot more where that came from before he actually relaxed about this whole trip.

He exhaled like there was an elephant sitting on his chest. “You know, this was your idea,” he reminded me for the umpteenth time.

Get it tattooed on my forehead already. I know it was my idea. And Knox was never going to let me forget it.

I nodded, having heard it all before, and reached for my suitcase again. “I know, I know, but it’s going to be good. I promise. Besides, I can’t wait to see where my man grew up.”

“Why do I doubt that?” he asked, heaving a sigh.

Oooh, so crabby.

I shook my head and smiled. I wouldn’t allow him to think for one second that I didn’t want to see where he grew up. “It’s true. Maybe we can mess around in your old bedroom. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

His gaze steely, he clenched his jaw. “No. Trust me, when you see it, you’ll want to run in the opposite direction.”

He’d already told me all about his parents, the house, and his past in general. I knew it all. I wasn’t scared. I was really looking forward to it. I genuinely believed it was time he went back for a visit. Maybe his parents didn’t want to see him or maybe that was just the story they were telling themselves, but either way, this would be good for everyone. If I’d learned anything this year it was that sometimes we had to do the hard thing to get to a better place. And family was important— thank you, Mom, for always telling me that . Knox had my family now, sure, but having his own would be good for him, for us. So, at the end of the day, I was so here for this trip.

“Whatever,” I said, brushing his concerns off and walking from our apartment, sure to grab the car key from the fishbowl Knox loved so much. To me, it wasn’t much for decor, but he liked the functionality of it, so who was I to argue with him?

He clutched my wrist in his hand and tugged me back, pressing a kiss to my lips.

When we separated I let my finger pull down on his lips, rolling the bottom one as I went. It was hard to resist this man, but I knew we had to go, so I took a step, but not before my hand found his sexy little ass and I gave it a good squeeze. I knew he was just being grouchy because he was going to Minnesota, so it was easy for me to forgive him for it. “Race ya to the rental,” I said, winking and starting downstairs while he locked up. Something told me the only place he wanted to race me was to the future—say, days into the future, so he could bypass this trip altogether and we’d be home again, but I was going to ignore that.

“Just you wait until I get you to that hotel room,” he called, but I was already halfway out of earshot, so I just kept going until I got to the main door of the building.

Out front, parked against the curb, was our rental car for the next week. I couldn’t remember a time that I was in a rental car, let alone going on a road trip like this, but I was so ready. Any experience with Knox was one I knew I wanted.

As I stepped off the curb and walked to the driver’s side (not that I was driving, but I wanted to check it out), I saw Allie leaning against the car, a suitcase at her feet.

“Uh, hey, sis. Whatcha doing?” I asked, more than a little confused. She was in jeans and a shirt, her long hair hanging loose down her back.

Before she could answer, Knox came out and joined us. “Allie,” he said, stopping short when he saw her, too.

“I know you’re going to Minnesota, so I figured I’d tag along. I always wanted to see the twin cities,” Allie said, visibly cringing as if not even sure she was getting her geography right.

I tossed Knox the keys so he could slip my last suitcase in the trunk with the others while he shook his head at Allie. “You’re right on the twin cities, but that’s not where we’re going.”

She winced and bit her lip. “Lake Superior?” she asked, trying again.

“Just get in the car,” he said, not even fazed by the idea that my sister was going to crash our trip. “But be warned—this trip is going to suck.”

“Knox!” I admonished. I walked to the other side of the car as he shrugged and put his hands up in the air.

“Sorry, but I can’t lie to her. Besides, she predicts the future, she already knows.”

Allie angled her head and studied Knox closely. “I don’t predict the future. I just—”

“Get in the car, Allie!” I called out with my hand on the handle of the passenger side door.

Inside, I heard her door open and then slam shut. “Thanks, guys. I love you both so much,” she gushed.

I clicked my seatbelt into place and turned to look at her as Knox started the engine and adjusted the mirrors. “What gives?” I questioned.

As Knox pulled away from the curb, he looked in the rearview mirror. “Are you sure you want to go to Minnesota?” he asked, distracting her from my question. It was funny, his question was one I had a feeling he wanted someone to ask him—not that I was about to. He was going, end of story.

Allie nodded, her head going up and down like a bobble head. “Thank you! Bibi always says you’re the best and she’s right!”

Rolling my eyes, I looked at her again as we finally moved into traffic. “Why are you really here, looking to come to Minnesota?” I tried again.

But she just threw her head back against the seat and looked up. As if waiting, counting her breaths or something; I decided I could wait, too. My eyes never left her. Eventually, she’d have to explain.

Finally, she dropped her head and looked at me like she’d rather talk about anything else. “Brady. It’s Brady. I have to get away from him.”

I shifted my eyes to Knox, who caught my gaze out of the corner of his eye. He never diverted his attention off the road ahead, but his brows shot up and I knew what he was thinking. I was pretty sure we had the same thought, in fact. But before we could get there, I had to make sure—“Wait! Like in a bad way? Like he’s horrible, I have to get away from this monster? Because that wasn’t the Brady we met in the Hamptons.”

Sighing, she slapped her thigh and angled her head, her eyes rolling every which way. So dramatic. “No. In a I-can’t-share-a-space-with-the-man-anymore way. It’s just too much, he’s just so. . . so. . .”

“So?” I probed.

“Hot!” she shouted. “Okay, there I said it. He’s hot, damn it.”

Oooh-la-la, my sister was in trouble.

No, scratch that, Brady was in trouble.

Oh, who was I kidding, they were both in trouble.