Epilogue Holden

"This is the worst idea in the entire history of civilization," Lexi chastises me.

I continue to look intently at the movie screen with my jaw tight while everyone rustles into their seats in the cinema, waiting for the movie to start.

"Lexi," I grind out a warning, letting her know that I'm not impressed by her words. She throws a piece of popcorn at me, and I reluctantly drag my eyes away to ten rows up ahead.

"Holden, everyone knows when the parents of a group of thirteen-year-olds discuss having a chaperone to the movie theater that you absolutely, 100%, under no circumstances ever volunteer to be that parent. Yet, here we are. Every. Single. Time."

My attention completely snaps in her direction. "First off, Mrs. Overthrew the Parent Committee President?—"

She waves her finger in front of me. "Don't you dare. Kate McClearly had it coming, and I'm the best damn parent-board president there is. Everyone loves me." Her loud whisper squeaks. "I started the moms-who-wine club. Thank. You. Very. Much."

I want to smirk with pride, but I need to focus on what the actual fuck is going on right now. "Don't you remember what you were like when you were thirteen?" She winces because I'm completely right. "Besides, that little punk sitting next to her doesn't seem to care that I can watch his every finger. He's unaffected."

Lexi gives me that sexy eye roll and is well aware there is no taming this tiger.

"They are a group of like eight teenagers. All the other parents just carpool, drop off their kids, and go have dinner somewhere, then pick them up again. But no, here we are eating popcorn that tastes kind of weird." She studies the box of popcorn.

I lean back in my seat and sigh a breath. "Maybe you're right. We need to nail this down because Harry will be here in a year or two. It's just… the lights? They go off. Then maybe it's a scary movie where hand squeezing needs to happen or it contains scenes that I sure as hell don't need my daughter watching with a guy that seems intent on kissing her."

Lexi shakes her head at me. "Chill out, seriously. She already hates us for this. So good luck dealing with that when she comes home tonight. We're not stalking them when they all go for after-movie hot chocolate, are we?" Her concern is apparent.

"Well… I mean, I kind of?—"

She grips my arm to stop me. "I'm putting my foot down. If you do that to her, then you are not getting sex tonight. In fact, I'll even go to bed in lingerie and nope, no action."

The older man behind us clears his throat where he's sitting next to his wife, clearly having heard. I give him a curt nod before focusing on my target again.

Licking my lips, I interlace my fingers with my wife's as we sit there. I know I should calm down, but my daughter is beautiful, witty, smart, and from what I hear, boys even in the eighth grade are lining up. No way am I going to sit at home and wait for her to return.

"How about you promise to fuck me just so I can relax?" I attempt to ask seriously.

Lexi's face floods with disbelief, and I vaguely hear the old man clear his throat again. "How do you suggest we do that here?" She loops her arm with mine to pull me close as the lights dim. "Will I be able to leave you alone for like two minutes later? I've been dying to pee for what feels like forever but needed to rein you in a bit upon arrival."

I kiss the top of her head and regain some fucking composure, let Lori be, and focus on my wife cuddling into my arm. It's been years since I've been in a movie theater.

After cooling off after five minutes and being convinced that the group of teenagers with hormones raging are actually watching the movie, Lexi risked a run to the ladies' room and then came back with chocolate with mint filling.

"Of all the options, you pick that? What a bad choice," I berate her.

She gets comfortable back on her chair again. "Sorry if I'm making bad choices today. My husband must have rubbed off on me," she loudly whispers her sarcasm.

"Don't throw me attitude now. I had to deal with that for fifteen minutes from our daughter before we left the house." Because my kids have Lexi locked into that role, even if it's not official.

In the corner of my eye, I can see that Lexi is smirking. Those facial expressions of hers always calm me, which is why we do enjoy the rest of the action movie, and I only spy on our daughter a few times.

I even give them space when the group heads to Jolly Joe's for a November hot chocolate with whipped cream. We stay seated on the bench down the street, bundled in coats and scarfs.

"Aren't you proud of me?" I smile brightly at Lexi.

She swoops her hand under my chin to guide my eyes to hers. "Very." Lexi kisses me, a soft warm kind that still feels sensual.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to shower with me before bed? I've been a good boy," I murmur into her hair as she nuzzles me.

Her fingers crawl on my thigh. "Maybe… if you can get me a hot chocolate with marshmallows and a candy cane." Her tone rhapsodizes but underneath she's serious.

"Oh, come on," I raise my voice. Now I'm annoyed and sit up straight. "All night, I get the third degree, and now you want me to actually go invade their space?"

She shakes her hands as though she's flustered. "I'm sorry, but that popcorn sucked."

"It tasted fine," I counter.

"But I'm kind of hungry and those chocolate things didn't cut it."

I stare at her blankly. "Because you pulled a rookie move and got chocolate with mint."

Lexi shrugs. "So? I would go myself, but truthfully, my legs feel like I can't walk after that Pilates class this morning nearly killed me."

I stand and take a few paces. Walking to Jolly Joe's right now will be similar to a man getting eaten alive by sharks, except it's purely through glares of disdain from our daughter and her friends.

Dragging a hand across my face, I gather some strength. "Fine." I sound completely unenthused.

She tries to give me an innocent happy smile, but she knows that I'll make her pay later, which in retrospect just thrills her more.

I begin to walk away. "Whipped cream on top?" I call out over my shoulder as I begin my journey to hell.

"No. By the way, I'm pregnant." Her monotone statement doesn't faze me for a second.

My feet freeze instantly, and I blink a few times. Did I hear her right? Turning on my heel, I face Lexi casually sitting on the bench with her arms stretched out along the back, her smirk completely honest.

"What did you say?" I don't blink.

"I'm pregnant," she repeats, with her smile warming as she waits for it all to sink in for me.

She caught me off guard, which was probably her intention.

A smile spreads on my mouth, and I stride straight back to her and kneel down, sliding her hands into mine. "We're pregnant?"

Lexi's lips quirk out. "That we are, Husband."

We haven't been trying with intention or thinking about it non-stop, but we did decide to see where things go when Lexi went off birth control. The baby will have quite an age gap with his or her brother and sister, but it makes it all the more fun.

My lips meet hers for a kiss that is mixed with love and happiness. "This is so much better than getting that puppy that drives me insane," I whisper against her lips.

"I hope so." She laughs, and her smile must hurt from how happy she seems.

Pulling away, I narrow my eyes. "Wait, do you really want hot chocolate?"

Lexi pretends to debate. "Nah. But the popcorn was disgusting, the chocolate mint was a bad choice, and along with the need for the bathroom, they were probably the hints I was wondering if you would pick up on."

I flex my jaw side to side. "Ah, maybe they were."

"This morning, you were occupied with tonight, so I didn't tell you. But I don't know, I didn't want to hold out until tomorrow's breakfast at the Dizzy Duck." Sunday brunch is our family tradition, dog included, as he just chills by the fireplace in the lobby and guests love it.

Blowing out a long breath, I am so ecstatic with this news. Maybe it was never on my mind to have more kids, but with Lexi, it was clear as day that we should have a baby. She'll be so relaxed and still keep us all in line.

I kiss her again and again, her cheek, jaw, neck, everywhere that would be appropriate for a bench on Main Street.

"I love you so much," she tells me, the streetlight causing her eyes to glint with a twinkle.

"Me too." I kiss our intertwined hands.

She peers over my shoulder. "You're happy?"

I nod. "Of course, what kind of question is that?"

"Good, because Harry isn't at his friend's house. They seem to be over there where they are about to light firecrackers on the street, and the old lady walking with her hot drink looks pissed." Her face looks strained and cautious.

My head draws a line from her eyes to where she's pointing to see my son is messing around with a friend from math club.

Because our family has a difficult time enjoying a calming day, and that's kind of the way we like it. Or I keep telling myself that every breakfast when chaos exists and my wife just calmly sits there while reassuring me with a wink, because later she'll swing by the Dizzy Duck like old times to get sassy with me as she sneaks her hands up my shirt.

I don't dare say life is perfect, but it's pretty damn close.

It's true, and I repeat it to myself right before I puff out my chest, gather a breath, and prepare to face my son.

But I don't get far.

The sound of a couple arguing causes me to pause.

Lexi squeezes my arm as we both dart our sight to the other corner of Main Street where we see Summer.

She's been through hell in recent months. Her husband passed, and she's used working at the Dizzy Duck as a distraction and appears strong. That was until her late husband's brother, and the Dizzy Duck's 10% owner, Nash, showed up.

Summer yanks her arm away from Nash's hold. "This shouldn't be happening," Summer protests, and she looks fired up.

Nash steps closer to her. "You know that's a lie."

Lexi and I glance at one another, very well aware that nobody should be witnessing this…

UP NEXT

I ended up with the wrong brother. Now, he has passed away, leaving me a widow with a baby. But then his brother Nash walks back into our small town and my life. My disdain for him is apparent, yet still, he moves in to care for my son and me, claiming it was his estranged brother's dying wish. But having Nash close stirs memories of when we may have had a chance. In truth, he always lingered in my thoughts. And it takes one kiss to cause turmoil.

Because nothing appears as it seems.

The relationship that develops is inevitable; we have a past, after all. But the dilemmas we reveal may tear us apart. Even with guilt for moving on, a fire between us feels near eternal. And the trail we create in the fallout of our romance makes me realize that Nash and I? We're something long ago that always should have been…

Nash and Summer will send you on a no-cheating rollercoaster with a forced proximity, single mom and a second-chance romance with a twist. There is no cheating involved. Should Have Been is the third and final standalone book in the Lake Spark Inn series, part of the Lake Spark world.