Epilogue

ELISE

“I can’t tell if that grin means you’re a little drunk, you just got laid, or you’re just really happy for your husband,” Luna says, coming to stand next to me where I am observing Blake’s retirement party from the edge of the room.

I’ve been in the midst of the party all night, and just wanted to take a minute to breathe and take it all in.

I grin at my friend and lift my half-empty lemon drop martini in a little toast. “How about all three?”

I got laid a few hours ago before we left for the party, but with my three men taking care of me, my post-orgasmic glows last .

She laughs. “That’s my girl.” She takes a sip of her martini and gives a, “Mmm.”

They really are delicious. Blake chose the lemon drop martinis as the signature drink tonight. He’d given his grandmother a wink when he handed her the first one and the smile they had exchanged had made my heart squeeze.

“Well I know that you weren’t in the storage room since Alexsei and I were just in there,” Luna says.

Now that she mentions it, her lipstick could use a little touch up.

I shrug. “A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

Luna snorts. “Thank God we don’t know any ladies.”

I giggle. Turns out, we’d been on our way to that very storage room before the party really kicked off, but Blake and I had been waylaid by his mom, dad, and sister arriving and we hadn’t had another chance to slip away yet. We, of course, have our choice of big beds only a few minutes away from the upscale bistro in downtown Chicago where we reserved the party room tonight, but sneaking around and playing as if we don’t is always fun.

I find my men. They are all together across the room, drinks in hand, laughing with Owen Phillips, Michael Hughes, Crew McNeill, and Jack Hayes.

I love seeing how easily Aiden and Simon have been incorporated into Blake’s group of friends. Blake has a small inner circle, but it’s full of great people.

Though, looking around the room right now, you wouldn’t know his circle was small. The room is packed with people wanting to celebrate his retirement with him.

I think the entire Racketeers team is here, including Wade, the mascot, and Nathan, the team owner. There is also, of course, a ton of family and friends.

Blake’s whole family, including aunts, uncles, and cousins are here.

And my mother is even here somewhere.

Blake said that of course his mother-in-law should be invited, so I did, never expecting her to accept. But she immediately agreed and she’s been here since the beginning. She and Blake‘s mom get along great. They’re sitting together at a table along the far wall.

“So on a scale from zero to ten, how happy is he to be retired?” Luna asks. “And how long do you think it will be before he misses it?”

“I think he’s about a nine right now,” I say, honestly. “If the night they won the championship was a fifteen, he’s a nine about retiring.” We both laugh. The night the Racketeers brought that trophy home was amazing. I’ve never been that excited or proud of someone else in my life. “He’s really happy,” I continue. “I don’t know if it’s totally sunk in yet, though. But his doctor says that this last shot he gave him for his hip might actually do some good now that he can rest. And he has plenty to look forward to at home.”

Luna laughs. “I know he does, babe. And I’m so happy for you.”

I sip from my glass, hit by one of those moments that occurs every once in a while, where I can’t believe how everything has turned out and how absolutely ecstatic I actually am. My life is full.

My business is going gangbusters. I am actually to the point where I think I’m going to have to hire someone to help me.

Simon has moved to Chicago and we’re looking at places where we can all live together.

We’ve come up with a sort of routine. At least as much routine as having a billionaire who has to fly around the world occasionally and a firefighter who works twenty-four hours at a time can have.

But it’s all just so fucking good.

“I do think he’ll miss it though,” I tell Luna. “Probably around the time the season is supposed to start. Coach has told him that he is welcome anytime he wants to come to practice and help kick the guys asses. And Crew has been talking to him about the kids hockey program he works with. I think that would be awesome for Blake. He’d love to work with kids.”

Speaking of kids and Crew, his wife and daughter join us just then.

“Hey,” a slightly harried Danielle greets us.

“Gimme,” Luna says, handing her empty martini glass to me and reaching for her niece.

Dani surrenders the baby with a grateful sigh. I pass her the rest of my martini.

She doesn’t even blink at the fact that I’ve drunk half of it. She lifts it for a sip and then sighs happily.

“This is an amazing party, Elise. But I am here to officially tell you that you still have to come to games. Even if Blake isn’t playing, I want you sitting with us.”

A year ago, I would’ve laughed. I did not show up at hockey games because of hockey. I showed up because of friends and the rowdy atmosphere. Then I kept showing up because of the hot hockey players. But now I actually appreciate the game.

“I think that can be arranged.” Aidan has gotten into hockey as well, and Simon just likes to be wherever we are. I’m guessing it will be weird for Blake to sit in the stands after all these years, but he needs to try it.

“Oh, yay!” Dani says enthusiastically. She really is the sweetest person.

Again, I’m hit by a wave of happiness and gratefulness. I have two amazing friends. I’m so lucky.

I also have two amazing boyfriends and an amazing husband, and just then, Simon catches my gaze and tips his head in a ‘come here’ gesture.

“I think I’m being summoned,” I say.

Luna and Dani both have men in the group as well so they cross the room with me.

But just as I step under Simon’s outstretched arm and get a wink from Blake and a grin from Aidan, a loud wailing splits the air. The sirens draw close and a moment later, red flashing lights illuminate the front window.

I frown and immediately look at Aidan. He’s also scowling.

“Oh my God,” Dani says. “Are those fire trucks?”

Aidan is already striding toward the door. “Stay here,” he orders. “I’ll check things out.” Blake moves to me and Simon, tucking me between them.

That’s sweet, though I’m not sure they’re going to be able to block fire .

There’s a fire exit directly out of this room so I’m not overly concerned about anyone being trapped or harmed. We’re in a restaurant, so I suppose the idea of a kitchen fire isn’t too far-fetched. But I’ll feel better when Aidan tells us we’re okay.

It’s less than five minutes later when Aidan comes back into the room with a hard to read expression. I start to ask what happened, but the answer is right behind him.

Luke and Wyatt, the two firefighters I met when I visited Aidan at the firehouse, step through the door.

Blake meets them. “What’s going on?” Blake asks.

“Capacity problem,” Wyatt tells him.

Blake looks around. “We have too many people in here?”

Wyatt shakes his head. “No, you should have two more.”

Blake frowns. “I…don’t understand.”

Aidan rolls his eyes. “He thinks he’s being funny.”

“For the record, this was his idea,” Luke says. “And I didn’t know he was going to use the siren or lights.”

Wyatt laughs. He claps Blake on the shoulder. “We’re just messing with you. Aidan told us about your party, and after all the gushing I’ve done and telling you I’m your biggest fan about forty times, we’re kind of pissed we didn’t get invited.”

“He’s pissed,” Luke clarifies. “This was all his idea.”

Blake stares at them then he looks at Aidan. “Are they serious right now?”

“ Him ,” Luke says again. “His idea. I’d offer to fire him, but he’s one of my best. And, you know, saving lives and being brave and shit makes up for him being a dumbass sometimes.”

Blake looks at Aidan. Aidan nods. “It’s true.”

“Which part? The he’s kidding part or the he’s a dumbass but should be forgiven part?”

Aidan shrugs. “Both.”

Suddenly there’s a giggle from the back of the crowd. Blake, Luke, and Wyatt all turn.

It came from Brooke, Blake’s younger sister.

Wyatt’s face breaks into a huge grin. “See?” he says to Blake. “Funny.”

“There is no way , Wilder is your favorite player though,” Crew calls, and the tension is broken as everyone laughs.

We’ve gotten to know the guys that Aidan works with pretty well. Fire crews tend to be like little families, and there was no way that Aidan could be as close as he is to me, Simon, and Blake without introducing us to his crew. The guys have had some guys' nights at the Racketeers’ favorite bar, and Blake thought it would be cool to go to one of their training exercises one Saturday.

Needless to say, being a hockey goalie is not quite the same as being a firefighter and carrying huge heavy hoses up and down ladders almost did him in.

His hip gave out way before anything else, but he confessed to me later that he truly wondered if his lungs were going to explode.

“I guess maybe I thought you guys had more important things to do,” Blake tells them. “You know, like saving lives and keeping us all safe. But clearly you’re able to just fuck around. So come on in.”

Luke shakes his head. “Nah. He’s just messing with you. But we did want to stop by and say congratulations.”

“Thanks man,” Blake says, extending his hand and shaking both of theirs. “But seriously stay. If you’re not working.”

“We’re off shift,” Wyatt says quickly. “We wouldn’t do this if we were actually still on the clock.”

"If you’re gonna stay, you should maybe move the big red truck with the flashing lights," Aidan says dryly.

I am shaking my head as Simon pulls me over to the side. “How the hell did we end up in love with a hockey player and a firefighter and all of their crazy people?” he asks me.

I grin up at him. “Just very, very lucky I guess.”

He leans down and kisses me. “Exactly right.”

The party keeps going long past our reserved time and when I notice the clock, I start to worry until Simon assures me that he’s taking care of it with the restaurant management.

It really is nice to be sleeping with a billionaire sometimes.

Okay, oftentimes. Especially this particular billionaire.

“Uh, oh,” Simon says an hour later from where I’ve finally dropped into a chair and kicked off my heels.

I look up. “What? I don’t like uh, oh.”

“Blake‘s sister is single, right?”

I look around and spot her across the room. I immediately see what Simon’s uh oh is about. “As far as I know.”

“She looks very sweet.”

Brooke does look sweet. She has an innocent air about her. She also doesn’t wear much make-up and her hair and clothes are simple and understated. In other words, very different from me. But I love her and we get along great.

But she looks small and a little overwhelmed at the moment with Aidan’s two best firefighter friends standing on either side of her. She’s laughing though, even as her eyes are wide.

“How old do you think Luke is?” I ask. “He’s at least your age.”

Simon nods. “I’d say probably forty.”

Simon is thirty-seven and I’m twenty-seven, and Blake has never said a word about our age difference. Brooke is in her twenties.

I have a feeling that his sister hanging on every word of the forty-year-old guy who is looking at her right now with heated appreciation might catch his attention though.

“I think he might have a problem with Wyatt as well,” Simon says. “He is probably your age, but he is clearly a player.”

Oh, for sure . Wyatt exudes confidence and I’m-a-good-time.

They’re also both extremely good-looking and fuck, they’re firefighters. I don’t know any straight female who could totally resist that.

“Yeah, Brooke is quiet. And from what I’ve gathered, she doesn’t date. Like at all,” I tell Simon.

“Should we intervene?” Simon asks.

I don’t love that idea. Brooke’s a big girl. And she doesn’t look uncomfortable . More…wonderstruck.

“They’re both good looking and very charming and they’re good guys. I think she knows that all she has to do is say the word and they’ll leave her alone.”

“I actually meant should we intervene with Blake. Maybe try to distract him so he doesn’t have a heart attack before he gets to enjoy his retirement?” Simon asks.

I grin. “Now that’s not a bad idea.”

“Any suggestions about how to do that?” Simon asks with a little smirk.

I spot my husband across the room. He looks so good in the dress pants, and button-down shirt, one hand tucked in his pocket, a bottle of beer in the other. He is laughing, relaxed, surrounded by people he loves, clearly happy.

God, happy and relaxed looks good on him.

“Well, I have it on good authority that the storage room is the right size for two people, including a hockey-player-sized person, and is fairly private,” I say.

“Well, I can say, with authority, that the coat room is also very private and is a little more…intimate,” Simon says, lifting his glass for a nonchalant sip.

“Oh, you can say with authority ?” I ask, nudging him. “And experience perhaps?”

He grins. “Yes.”

“And I didn’t get invited to the coat room party?”

“You were busy. And it was rather…spontaneous.”

I laugh. “Got it. So the coat room, huh?”

“Yes. I think Blake would enjoy it. It’s about the size of, oh I don’t know, an elevator car?” He smiles. “But there’s not much light in there.”

I laugh. "You don’t say. Well, I think I can work with that." I get up from my chair and lean over to kiss Simon on the cheek.

“I’ll send Aidan in to rescue you if you’re not back in ten minutes,” he says, giving my ass a little squeeze.

I laugh. “Don’t you dare.”

I take my phone from my purse and text my husband.

We need to talk.

I watch him check his phone, grin, and then lift his head to search for me.

I tip my head toward the hallway.

He immediately excuses himself from the group he’s chatting with and heads in my direction.

That, in and of itself, makes my heart flip. He will always be looking around any room for me. He will always want to be with me more than anyone else. He will always come to me with a simple tip of my head.

God. That is more of a gift than I ever expected to be given from any person. And I’ve been given it times three.

I hold out my hand as he draws close and he links his fingers with me. “Hey, Sugar.”

“Hey. I need a few minutes with you.”

“Only a few?”

“Yeah.” I give him a sly little smile. “For now.”

“I’m all yours.” He leans in and kisses me. “Thank you for this celebration.”

I smile. “I didn’t do much. I just made the reservation and talked to the catering department.”

“Not talking about just the party,” he tells me. “I’m talking about the celebration . I’m celebrating the start of the next chapter of my life and all the good things coming up have to do with you.”

My eyes widen and I feel tears sting. “Oh my God.”

He chuckles. “Oh no. Don’t get all mushy on me. I wanna know all about whatever dirty thoughts you had in mind when you beckoned me over here.”

“How did you know they were dirty?”

He leans in. “Because I know you.”

Well, what’s the point of arguing? “I just had an idea about you and me and a tight space…”

His voice drops. “I do like tight spaces.”

My body heats and I turn and start tugging him down the hallway. Yeah, I’m right back into my dirty thoughts.

And ten minutes later, Blake is officially distracted from the fact that his sister has two firefighters flirting with her at his retirement party.

In fact, he can’t even spell ‘retirement’ when I’m done with him.

Truthfully, I can’t either, because Blake never lets things be just about him.

So it’s a good thing we don’t really need to, because we are really just at the beginning of so, so many amazing things.