Epilogue

May

[Mavis]

If it’s even possible, Sylver Sundays have certainly gotten a lot more exciting with the addition of Annabelle Valentine Sylver, born to Sebastian and Enya in February. We are all excited for the second time parents.

Clay and I discussed babies. I won’t mind having one, but Dutton is also more than enough. Clay is content as he’s done his duty as a brother raising siblings. For him, he wants to concentrate only on one kid, our Dutton. We’re perfectly happy in our little family of three.

Filling up Stone’s backyard on the season’s first beautiful spring afternoon, people are playing pass the baby and uncles are arguing over who is the favorite for a newborn.

As an official member of the growing number of women in this family, we’re off to the side where Enya is taking a break from holding her own child. The official sisters are sitting in a new addition to the backyard, a two-seater swing, while Vale, Halle, and I sit in Adirondack chairs facing Cadence and Enya.

“I’m just not liking this,” Vale states, speaking about Judd and his decision to ask his long-time girlfriend Heather Remington to marry him.

The weird thing about this woman is he never brings her to family events. He hardly attends Sylver Sundays himself, much to Stone and Vale’s dismay.

From family discussions, it’s evident they don’t care for Heather, the daughter of a local car dealership owner, who is both wealthy and a bit crooked, according to Sebastian. She’s pin-up worthy in the looks department, but the family thinks she’s full of hot air. And somehow, she has Judd swindled into thinking he loves her, and she loves him. None of the Sylver women, nor men, are convinced.

Clay especially doesn’t like it, thinking his brother is making a huge mistake. Not that marriage is the issue, but he wants his brother to have that deep sigh sensation, and he believes Judd is experiencing more like a can’t-catch-his-breath feeling. As if he’s suffocating under some hidden pressure that he should get married when he doesn’t need to settle down.

Cadence once let it slip that Judd told Ford he was tired of being alone, and I think many of us can attest to understanding that feeling.

When I’d been with Wesley, I was still lonely as hell. Before that, I’d been working so often, I didn’t have time to think until I was alone in my condo after shifts, wishing there was someone to greet me and ask me about my day.

Glancing over at Clay, I catch him watching me and he winks. He’s standing by the grill which Stone mans and uses during almost any season. I smile back at Clay, loving him more every day, if that’s even possible.

“I love how you look at him,” Cadence interjects, drawing my attention back to the group of women.

“Is it any different than how you look at Ford?”

“I don’t know, is it?” She glances over at him, almost glaring at him a second, before her cheeks turn a soft pink.

Enya chuckles beside her sister. “I don’t think any of us are safe from the Sylver magnetism. Sorry, Vale.”

Vale already has her hands over her ears, la-la-la -ing when it comes to us discussing the men in our lives. As for me, I glance down at the ring Clay gave me near Christmas as a promise of that wedding we’ll be having soon. Something simple. Mainly family.

“Anyway,” Vale drags out. “I keep telling everyone, if Judd loves her, we need to love her, for him. But I still don’t love how this is playing out. Him and Heather? I don’t see it.”

“The problem is we never see them together,” Enya states.

I’d only met Heather once and it was last fall when Clay had me pick out an SUV from Remington Auto. While the Jetta wasn’t fully wrecked in the slip into the ditch, he didn’t like the idea of simply replacing the airbag. Plus, he thought it might be triggering for both me and Dutton. And he wanted a bigger, more stable, protective vehicle around us. He was very persuasive in his presentation about why I deserved a new car, that he purchased. The argument included sexual pleasuring as well.

Clay made amends with Perry Foster, but their friendship is more distant than it once was. I feel guilty about that, but Clay assures me I shouldn’t. He’d rather be home than hanging out at the bar, watching men over forty make fools of themselves trying to pick up younger women.

He's so domestic.

A shift in attention from the guys near the grill, and the two picnic tables now needed to hold the family, causing us ladies to look up, wondering if the kids have gotten into trouble somehow.

Hudson and Zelle are tight, at the moment. Tim joins them when they are willing to play soccer with him.

Winnie and Dutton are thick as thieves while complete opposites, letting June tag along with them.

Violet is on Adara duty as the near two-year old toddles around the yard.

But it isn’t the kids that causes the shift.

“Hi . . . everyone.” Judd’s deep voice stumbles over the greeting. He waves awkwardly before lowering his hand. However, his other hand has everyone’s attention. He’s holding the hand of a woman who is clearly not the auto salesman’s pin-up daughter.

This woman is smaller, cuter, brightly dressed and wearing a tight, anxious smile. She’s holding Judd’s right hand, clutching his bicep with her left hand. And something shiny glints in the sunshine.

“Uhm . . . I’d like you all to meet Genie. My fiancée.”

At first no one reacts. Too stunned to say anything. Then Stone moves toward them and Vale hops up from her seat, muttering, “Thank God,” before she rushes toward her brother.

Slowly, the rest of us rise, making our way over to the reclusive brother, wondering what this story is all about, because we’re certain there’s a story here.

+ + +

Thank you for taking the time to read this book.