Epilogue for Grady and Scottie

“I think I’m gonna puke.” Chase holds his stomach as he takes a few deep breaths in and out while we stand in the locker room of Carrington Cove High School.

“Well, good thing your mom isn’t here to hear that, or she’d be tickled pink.”

He huffs out a laugh, but then the pinch in his brow returns a second later. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

I place my hand on his shoulder, staring down at the boy I met three short years ago, accepting that he’s a young man now on the brink of his future—a future I am more than familiar with myself. “You were born to play baseball, Chase. But, even if you don’t play in college or the MLB, this moment is one that you have worked your ass off to experience. Don’t worry about the scouts. Don’t worry about what happens tomorrow. Just focus on the game, do what you know how to do, what your mind and body naturally does, and everything will be fine.”

He nods and then lifts his head from the ground so our eyes meet. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

“No.” Chase shakes his head. “I’d never be here right now if it weren’t for you, Grady,” he says, emotion clogging his throat. “You are…”

“I know, Chase.” Reaching for him, I pull him into my chest, slapping his back as I fight back my own emotions. “I know. I love you, kid.”

“Love you too.”

We each clear our throats at the same time, shaking off the moment as Chase straightens his baseball cap on his head and shakes out a few more nerves. “All right. I’m ready.”

I follow his lead, heading for the door that exits the locker room and leads us out to the field where the bleachers are filled with Carrington Cove residents here to cheer on the varsity baseball team during our first playoff game. We got to the semi-finals last year, so this year we’re hoping to go all the way to winning the state championship.

“Go, Chase!” My head whips up toward the stands as I hear Scottie’s voice ring out over the others.

“Chase! Chase! Go! Go!” Callie waves her pompoms in the air as Scottie holds her up above her head.

When our eyes meet, Scottie blows me a kiss and I return the gesture before heading over to the dugout, ready to make sure that the kid on the mound who feels like my own leaves nothing up to fate tonight—although fate sometimes has a way of giving you exactly what you need too.

***

“I can’t stop crying.” Scottie dabs underneath her eyes as Callie claps from her spot on my shoulders. We won our game 5-2, and Chase is still talking to one of the scouts while the other seven wait their turn.

He was fucking phenomenal tonight, just like I knew he’d be.

“Well, I fondly remember you crying over the wrong orange popsicles last time, so it’s good to know that the hormones are doing their job.”

Scottie glares at me with an amused smile on her face as she reaches down and strokes her growing stomach. We just found out last week that we’re having another daughter, but this pregnancy was planned this time. We both wanted another child before we turned forty. “You were the one that bought the wrong popsicles, Grady. You brought on that meltdown.”

I pull her into my side and kiss the top of her head. “Well, crying because our son made us proud is definitely allowed, baby.” I inhale deeply, squeezing her to me as Callie bops us both on the head from her spot on my shoulders.

“Time for ice cream?” our almost three year-old daughter asks, gaining our attention.

“Almost, baby,” Scottie says, peering up at our beautiful girl with wild curls just like her. “We’ve gotta wait for Chase.”

“Chase! Chase!” she calls out to him as his head whips in our direction. She starts to wiggle on my shoulders, so I lift her off, set her down on the grass, and then watch her teeter over to her big brother.

The two of them are close, so I know it’s going to be hard when he leaves in the fall for college. But hopefully after tonight, we’ll have a better idea of just how far he plans to go from home. Scottie’s been emotional about that aspect as well, so I’ve started carrying tissues around in my pocket so I’m always prepared.

“Why do they grow up so fast?” she hiccups through a sob as I pull her into my chest, holding her head close as I breathe her in.

“We just have to keep having babies then, Scottie.”

She swats at my chest, but I keep her contained in my arms. “Newsflash, Grady. We’re getting older too.”

“I know.” I brush her hair back from her face as she stares up at me, my wife that I can’t believe I ever lived without.

This woman owns me. The past three years have been nothing short of what romance novels are made of, and I’ve read a few since then.

None of them even compared to our story though, but they come pretty darn close.

“But that’s part of the beauty of life, Scottie—having kids and watching them turn into their own people.” I glance over at Chase holding Callie as he continues talking to the scouts, our baby girl entertaining them more than Chase did on the mound. “We’re raising some pretty incredible ones, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish on their own.”

There was a time in my life where I never thought I’d have this—the family, the wife, the job I love. But Scottie Daniels (well, it’s Reynolds now) made that all happen, so I’ll do whatever I need to keep her happy for the rest of our lives. And raising kids? Fuck, it’s wild, exhausting, and makes me want to drink sometimes.

But fuck, it’s incredible too.

Shit, now I think I might cry.

She presses up on her toes, directs my face back to hers, and kisses me hard. “You always know what I need to hear.”

“I do. And tonight, I’m pretty sure there’s something else you need that I’m going to give you as well.”

***

“Callie’s asleep,” I say as I shut our bedroom door and find Scottie staring at herself in the mirror, assessing her changing body as our second daughter grows in her belly.

“Thank you for handling bed time tonight.” Our eyes meet in the mirror as her brow furrows.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

She sighs. “I don’t feel sexy this time like I did with Callie.” She rubs her stomach again. “I feel bigger and not in a good way.”

“Scottie, you’re the sexiest woman on the fucking planet, especially when you’re pregnant with my babies.”

She eyes me over her shoulder now as I cross the room to get to her. “You have to say that.”

“No, I don’t, but I will tell you this.” Wrapping my arms around her from behind, I stare at her in the mirror. “When we started trying to get pregnant again, I couldn’t wait to see you swollen with my kid again, Scottie. It made me hard all fucking day. Do you know what it’s like trying to work on cars or coach baseball with an erection?”

“That’s…”

“The truth.” I lower my hands to her hips, stroking her skin and drifting them around her stomach, down to her ass, and around her thighs until I lightly stroke her pussy through her shorts.

“Grady…”

“And I think you need a reminder of how much I fucking want you.”

Scottie doesn’t have a chance to argue before I grab her by the hand and lead her to the edge of the bed. “Strip, baby.”

She watches me for a second before she realizes that I’m serious and starts taking off her clothes. I study her movements, standing there itching to pounce on her, but I want to enjoy every second of watching my wife bare her body to me, surrender to me, own me even though I’m about to worship her.

When she’s fully naked, she stares at me, biting her bottom lip. “What now?”

I rip my hat from my head, tossing it onto the bed, pull my shirt off from behind my neck, throwing it to the floor, and then pick my hat up again, placing it on my head backwards before dropping down to my knees in front of her.

“Now, I want you to put one foot up on the bed, open up that pretty pussy for me, and watch me lick every inch of you, Scottie Reynolds.”

A whimper leaves her lips as I stare up at her and her eyes lock with mine. “Grady…”

“I have a lot of work to do, to remind you of how incredibly sexy you are, so I’d best get to it.”

And so I do.

“God, I love you,” she moans as my tongue finds her clit, building her up softly and slowly while holding her hips in place, steadying her so she doesn’t fall.

“I love you more, baby.”

And then no more words are spoken as I make love to my wife and thank God yet again for letting us fall back into each other’s lives.