EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

Ten Years Later

Chappy/Carlise

“The house is too quiet. I don’t like it,” Carlise said with a sigh as she snuggled into her husband.

He chuckled. “I thought you’d been looking forward to coming to the cabin for some alone time.”

“I was. I am. I just . . . I don’t know . . . I miss them.”

Chappy smiled. He knew exactly what she meant, but he was loving the time with his wife without their four energetic kids underfoot.

Atlas was ten, and Chappy swore he’d come out of the womb talking. The kid never shut up, but he was hilarious, so Chappy didn’t really mind. Jasper was the opposite of his brother. He always had a book in his hand and was perfectly content to find a quiet corner to sit where he wouldn’t be bothered while reading . . . which meant Atlas was, in fact, constantly bothering him and making him mad.

Will was six and a good mix of the first two. He was always up for going outside and playing with Atlas, but he also liked to sit by himself and put together a Lego set.

All three boys had one thing in common, though—they were extremely protective of their baby sister, Ivy, who’d just turned two.

Chappy supposed they’d learned that from their dad and their three equally protective uncles. Ivy was going to be spoiled rotten, because her brothers were constantly bringing her toys when she cried, they fought over who got to help her at mealtimes, and all three wanted to carry her around or sit with her when they watched TV.

“Do you think they’re all right?” Carlise asked with a small frown.

“Yes, they’re fine,” Chappy said firmly. They’d been at the cabin for two days, and while he was also a little worried about their children, he had no doubt they were safe. They would’ve been notified immediately if they weren’t. He needed to get Carlise’s mind off her worries.

“I’m thinking maybe we should talk to Bob and see if we can get him to rig up a small ropes course up here.”

Carlise straightened and stared at him in shock. “What?”

“Yeah, you know, maybe some pole jumps or high wires.”

“No,” she said flatly.

“Come on,” Chappy cajoled. “You know how much Atlas and Will love going with Uncle Bob to the ropes course.”

“You have got to be kidding me. Atlas would sneak out in the middle of the night to do that crap. I worry about him enough when he’s up here. That he’ll get lost while he’s out playing in the woods.”

Chappy couldn’t hold the smile back any longer.

Carlise glared at him, then smacked his shoulder. “You’re kidding. That was mean, Riggs.”

He gathered her back up against him and kissed the top of her head. “I know. Sorry.”

“No, you aren’t,” she complained. “But I love you anyway.”

“I love you back.” Chappy got serious. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world,” he told her. “The day you found me in the middle of that storm was the luckiest of my life.”

“You mean when Baxter led me to you,” she corrected.

They both looked to the corner of the cabin, to the old dog sleeping on a fluffy dog bed. Probably sensing they were talking about him, he lifted his head and looked at them as if to ask, “What?”

“He certainly doesn’t look anything like he did that day. Remember how skinny he was?” Chappy asked.

Carlise nodded. “I still wonder where he came from.”

“Doesn’t matter where he came from. It only matters where he is now.”

“With us. Safe. Remember that time he woke us when Atlas had gotten completely wrapped up in his blankets and couldn’t breathe?” Carlise asked.

“Of course I do. Or when we couldn’t find Will after he’d wandered off, and when we did find him, Baxter had planted himself in front of him and wouldn’t let him move?” Chappy reminisced.

“Or when he just lay there and let Ivy smear mud all over him?”

The memories of their beloved dog came faster now, Carlise and Chappy grinning.

“How about when Baxter stuck his nose into Will’s playpen and didn’t bite or even whimper when Will pulled out every single one of his whiskers?”

“Or when we all were on that walk and we startled that moose? Baxter immediately rushed in front of us and growled and barked, giving us time to back away before the moose attacked.”

“He’s been the best dog,” Carlise said with a sigh.

“He has,” Chappy agreed.

As if tired just hearing about his own exploits, Baxter put his head back down on the bed and closed his eyes.

“Why can’t dogs live forever?” she asked.

Chappy hugged her tighter. “I don’t know. But it sucks.”

Baxter had started showing his age lately. He didn’t stray far from the cabin when they visited, and he slept more than he was awake. He still followed the kids around when they weren’t in school, and he kept a very close eye on Ivy as she toddled around the house, but it was more than obvious he was nearing the end of his life. They didn’t know how old he was when he came to them, but the ten years since wasn’t enough.

“This has been a good mini vacation, but I think I’ll be ready to head home tomorrow,” Carlise said.

“Me too,” Chappy agreed.

“I do love this cabin, though. Even if it’s quite a bit bigger than it was when we met,” Carlise said with a smile.

Chappy looked around proudly. He and his friends had worked hard to expand the cabin, making it big enough to hold his large family. They came up here regularly, even in the winter. Some of the best memories of his married life were here.

“You hungry?” he asked.

“Nope. Those fish tacos you made tonight were more than enough. It’s not as if I need to eat any more,” she said, patting her belly.

His wife had gained some weight over the years, but that just meant there was more of her to love. And Chappy loved every inch. It didn’t matter what the scale said when she stepped on it. She was the best wife, mother, and friend he could ever ask for.

“Well . . . I am,” Chappy replied.

“Oh. Well, let me move, and you can go find something to munch on,” Carlise said as she attempted to shift away from him.

But Chappy tightened his grip. “I’ve got something here already that I want to eat.”

Carlise giggled and rolled her eyes. “You know that was corny as hell, right?” she asked.

He smiled. “Well, since my children aren’t around to hear me, I figured I might as well make sure my wife knows I desire her just as much now as I did when we were stranded here all those years ago.”

“I think she knows,” she said with a grin.

“So . . . you want to feed me?” Chappy asked with a lift of a brow.

Carlise looked at her watch. “Going to bed at seven-thirty . . . oh, you know how to spoil a girl.”

He laughed, loving his woman more than he could express. He scooted out from under her and stood, holding out his hand. Carlise took it, and he helped her to her feet. He didn’t move, though, simply held her against him as he stared at her beautiful face.

“What?” Carlise asked.

“I just . . . I’m happy,” Chappy said.

“I’m glad.”

“No, I mean . . . I’ve been happy for the last decade. I just wanted to make sure you truly understand that it’s because of you.”

“I feel the same,” Carlise told him, lifting her arms and putting them around his neck.

Chappy lowered his head to kiss her, only to feel an insistent nudge against his leg. Glancing down, he saw Baxter beside them, looking impatient.

“The kids might not be here, but we’re still interrupted,” he said with an exaggerated sigh.

Carlise giggled again. “I’ll let him out.”

“I’ll go with you. All right, boy, even though you were just out there, I’ll let you out for one last pee. Make it quick, though, would ya?”

The three of them walked to the door, and to Chappy’s surprise, as soon as it opened, Baxter ran out into the dark forest.

“What the heck? I haven’t seen him move that fast in a long time,” Carlise said. “I hope there’s not a bear or a moose out there.”

Chappy hoped that too. Bax was too old to be going up against large predators. There used to be a time when he could take them on without any issues, too fast and agile for them to catch, but those days were long gone.

Their loyal companion was in the woods much longer than usual, and just when Chappy was beginning to worry and wonder if he should go out and see if he could find him, they heard something off to the right.

Looking across the front porch, Chappy gaped at the sight that greeted him.

Baxter had returned . . . with a friend. An emaciated and extremely pathetic-looking brown-and-white Lab mix was at his side. And she was limping.

“Holy crap, Riggs! Look at her!”

He already was. And he couldn’t help but smile. He walked off the porch and crouched down. “Who’d you find, boy? A friend?”

Baxter came right to his side, but the other dog hung back, clearly not sure about him.

When Bax saw his companion hadn’t come forward, he went back to her, licked her snout, then made a low noise in his throat. This time when he walked toward Chappy, the Lab mix came with him.

“It’s okay, girl, you’re safe now. We’ve got food, water, and a nice soft place for you to sleep.”

Chappy felt more than heard Carlise approach. She went to her knees beside him and held out a hand for the new dog to sniff.

To the surprise of both of them, the dog walked straight up to Carlise and laid her head in her lap.

“Holy shit, she likes me, Riggs!”

“Of course she does,” Chappy told his wife. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on Baxter’s. “Thanks for bringing her to us,” he told his loyal companion softly.

“Think she’ll come inside? I don’t think I could just leave her on the porch like I did with Bax.”

“Let’s try it.”

Surprising them again, the newcomer came inside without too much trepidation. She drank half a bowl of water and snarfed down the food they put out for her. It was obvious she was starving and neglected. Then, as if she’d done it every day of her life, she followed Baxter over to his bed and snuggled next to him and immediately fell asleep.

“Looks like we have another dog,” Carlise said with satisfaction. “The kids are going to be so excited.”

Chappy nodded, but deep down, he had a strange feeling he knew what this meant. Baxter wasn’t going to be with them much longer, and he didn’t want to leave them alone. He’d found someone to take his place.

It broke his heart, but Chappy was still full with love and gratitude for his old friend.

Without a word, he took his wife’s hand and walked toward their bedroom. He shut off the lights as he went, and they got ready for bed without a word.

Proving she was on the same page, once they were under the covers, she snuggled into him and said, “I hate that Baxter will be leaving us soon, but it’s so like him to bring us another stray. He really is magical.”

Chappy nodded. Then he rolled over, making sure not to squish Carlise as he did. He propped himself above her. “I love you, Mrs. Chapman.”

“Love you too.”

“For the record . . . our kids aren’t here.”

“Duh,” she said with a laugh.

“I’m just making sure you know that you can be as loud as you want.”

She giggled. “Yeah? You gonna do something to make me get loud?”

“Damn straight,” Chappy told her as he began to slide down her body.

They were going to have a hectic day tomorrow. They had to pick up their brood, introduce the new member of their family to the kids, take her to the vet to have that leg looked at, and get her settled into her new home. Not to mention the usual chaos involved in keeping everyone entertained and fed.

For now, though, Chappy had his wife to himself, and he was going to take full advantage of every second.

June/Cal

“Stop fidgeting,” Cal said. “You look beautiful.”

“I can’t help it. I’m nervous,” she retorted as she tugged at the bodice of the beautiful gown she was wearing. It had been custom made for her by Giorgio Armani, and Cal had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

The woman at his side belonged to him, and he couldn’t be more proud. She’d given him two beautiful children, and he fell deeper in love with her with every day that passed.

“Don’t be nervous. You know how much you’re loved here.”

They were currently in Liechtenstein for another royal wedding. Cal tried to come back to his home country at least once a year, now that they had kids, and another cousin getting married was a great excuse. More than seeing his homeland and relatives, he loved seeing how the people of Liechtenstein were drawn to June.

She could do no wrong, which Cal knew was both a blessing and a curse. They were lucky enough to enjoy a quiet existence back in Maine, without reporters camped out on their doorstep. Their kids—Maximilian, who was ten, and Georgina, who’d just turned five—could live a normal life, free of paparazzi. They were of royal descent but would never have to worry about the politics of their father’s ancestral country or know what it meant to be constantly photographed.

“Does my hair look okay?” June asked as she brought a hand up to her head.

Cal grabbed it before she could touch the updo the hairdresser had painstakingly put together. He kissed her palm and kept her hand in his as he said, “Of course it does. You’re going to outshine the bride, love.”

Cal wasn’t surprised when June rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she said. “No one’s going to even notice me with all the other beautiful people around here.”

She was wrong. So wrong, it wasn’t even funny, but Cal simply smiled. He knew better than to correct her. One, it would just make her even more nervous and self-conscious to know the press and the onlookers were just as excited to see her as they were the bride and groom and the rest of the royal family.

“Come on, let’s get going. We don’t want to be late,” Cal said.

He pulled June along next to him, and they got into the Rolls-Royce waiting to whisk them to the church where the wedding was taking place. The same church where they’d gotten married eight years ago. Max had been two, and their entire crew had flown to Europe on one of the royal family’s private jets.

Unlike their civil ceremony, when June was in the hospital after being shot, the Liechtenstein wedding had been a lavish formal affair, just as today’s would be . . . but of course, June and their friends had put their own unique stamp on their ceremony. Cal couldn’t remember it without smiling.

As they neared the church, they had to stop because of traffic. Cars were lined up, waiting to let the guests out, each of whom stopped and posed for the media.

After about ten minutes, June sighed. “This is taking too long,” she complained.

“You want to walk?” Cal asked, knowing his wife better than anyone in the world.

“Yes!” she said with a huge grin.

Cal leaned forward and told their driver they’d walk the rest of the way, and the man simply smiled. He was used to Princess Juniper’s “quirks.”

Cal scooted over, exited, and held out a hand to June. She grabbed it, and he helped her stand. He didn’t worry about her walking in heels and hurting her feet, because she’d insisted on wearing a pair of sneakers under her fancy dress.

Cal already knew what was going to happen, so he wasn’t surprised in the least when his wife stopped to talk to a little girl standing behind the safety barrier. June didn’t speak any German, but that didn’t seem to make a difference to either woman or child. They spoke with smiles and gestures, and when June blew the girl a kiss, Cal knew she’d just made the child’s day.

She continued stopping to greet people as they made their way toward the church. She didn’t see the crowds lining the walkway as subjects, just potential friends. It sometimes drove Cal nuts, because he knew better than most that literally anyone could be out to hurt a member of the royal family, but he could no sooner stop his wife from greeting the citizens than he could stop a hurricane.

So he stood back and indulged June. And secretly, he loved seeing her like this—being exactly who she was, real and kind and down to earth. This was why she was so beloved in his country.

By the time they reached the steps to the church, June’s hairdo was a little skewed and she was dewy with sweat, but the smile on her face was genuine, making her more beautiful than the most perfectly coiffed and made-up woman there.

She also had a handful of flowers given to her by strangers they’d passed.

“That was fun,” she whispered as she placed her arm in Cal’s. He smiled at her adoringly . . . and later, he’d realize this was the exact moment the picture that was plastered all over the internet was taken.

But of course, right then, all he could do was look down at his wife with love. She went up on her tiptoes to kiss him, but never would’ve reached if he didn’t lean in to meet her. Such a public display of affection was normally not done, but his June didn’t care about protocol.

Just as they were about to enter the church, someone yelled out, “Where are Prince Max and Princess Gina?”

Internally, Cal sighed. They could’ve ignored just about any other question, but June couldn’t resist talking about their kids. She turned to the man, who was standing next to a video camera. Obviously he was a reporter, but June didn’t care.

“We left them at home this time,” she said with an apologetic smile. “We thought Liechtenstein could do with a break from the little heathens.”

Everyone around them laughed. Their kids were adorable, but they definitely weren’t what Cal would call disciplined.

“We love Max and Gina!” a woman called out in English, making June smile even wider.

A few other people called out some things in German, how cute their kids were, how June and Cal were such good parents, how the kids were so friendly.

“Next time,” June said with a small wave at the camera, then tightened her hold on Cal and headed for the doors of the church. When they were far enough away that no one could overhear them, June whispered, “Were they saying that Max was an unruly American and Gina was as far from a princess as possible?”

“You know they weren’t,” Cal said.

“They wouldn’t have been wrong,” she said with a shrug.

Cal could hear the rumble of voices in the nave of the church, which let him know the wedding hadn’t started yet. No one would have blinked if he and June were late. They weren’t exactly known as rule followers. He hadn’t seen his parents yet, and they’d have scolded him for any tardiness, but since he was a grown-ass man in his forties, he didn’t care.

He pushed June toward a door that he knew led to a small closet holding cleaning supplies and other odds and ends. Thankfully, it was unlocked, and Cal put a hand on the small of June’s back as he encouraged her to enter. He turned on the dim overhead light and put his back against the door as he grinned down at her.

June rolled her eyes. “What are you doing?”

“I need some alone time with my wife,” he informed her.

“You had plenty of that last night,” she retorted.

“Yeah, but you had to get up at the ass crack of dawn to get ready. I didn’t get my morning cuddles.”

“You sound as pathetic as Gina,” she said with a laugh.

“Do you care?” he asked, pulling her close.

“Not in the least,” she assured him.

Cal looked down at the woman in his arms and wondered how in the world he’d managed to convince her to love him. Not only that, but she’d given him two children, and she still seemed just as in love with him as the day they’d said their marriage vows.

“What? You look so serious,” she said with a small frown.

“I could’ve lost you.”

June shook her head. “You didn’t.”

“When you were lying on that floor, bleeding from gunshots . . . I didn’t know.”

“Know what?” she whispered.

“How much I would’ve lost if you hadn’t been strong enough to survive. You. Our kids. My country loving you almost as much as I do . . . and it scares me. And when you had Max without me in that cabin that could’ve blown up . . . so many things could’ve gone wrong.”

June petted his chest. “But they didn’t. I’m here. You’re here. Max and Gina are here. We’re fine.”

Cal took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, we are.”

“Shouldn’t we be out there mingling? Hobnobbing with the king and queen? Talking to your parents?” she asked.

“Probably.” But Cal didn’t move.

“So?”

“I have a better idea,” he told her . . . then began to gather up her dress.

“Cal! No! Don’t wrinkle me!” June protested with a little laugh.

“Oh, I won’t,” he said, going to his knees and lifting her skirt over his head.

Her protest was muffled by what seemed like miles of material, and it was dark under there, but Cal knew his way around his wife’s body and didn’t need any light. His finger went to the hem of her panties, and he slowly pulled them over her hips.

He felt her hands grip his shoulders, and he smiled before leaning in. He paused for a moment to inhale, never getting enough of his woman’s scent. How turned on she got for him. Even after a decade and two kids, he could still make her wet, which made him feel like a superhero.

It didn’t take long to get her off. She was primed and ready, like always. He held her up as she shook in his arms, and he did his best to lick her clean before regretfully pulling her underwear back into place. Then he fought his way out of the material before reemerging and smiling up at her from his place on his knees.

She immediately burst out laughing. “Oh my God, Cal, there’s no way you can go outside looking like that! Your hair is completely mussed, your lips are swollen, and you have some . . .” Her hand brushed against his cheek, even as she blushed bright red.

He could feel her juices on his cheeks. He always got a little carried away when he went down on her, wanting to bathe in her scent. Without thought, he turned his head to wipe his cheek on his shoulder.

“No! Don’t—! Darn it, Cal. Now you’ve stained your tux.”

Cal didn’t care. He got to his feet and pulled his wife into his arms even as he was lowering his head. He kissed her. Long and hard. He wanted nothing more than to drag her out of this closet and back to their bed in the royal palace. But he needed to do his duty.

Taking a deep breath, he brushed his fingers over her flushed cheek. “I love you,” he said.

“I love you too . . . most of the time. But I have a feeling when we get out there, everyone’s gonna know exactly what we were doing in this closet.”

“Do you care?” he asked with a tilt of his head. “Because if you do, I’ll go out first, make sure no one is around, then take you back to the palace if that’s what you want.”

“What? No! We can’t leave, Cal,” she scolded. “That would be rude.”

Again, Cal didn’t care.

June nervously shifted in his arms, then brought up a hand and brushed her thumb over his lips. “You have my lipstick on you. Do I look okay?”

“You’re beautiful.” And she was. Smudged makeup, hair about to fall from the dramatic updo, and her upper chest flushed from her orgasm. He couldn’t love her more.

June sighed. “I guess it’s just one more thing for people to shake their heads about when it comes to us. Come on, let’s get this over with.”

This time it was June who tugged on his hand and pulled him out of the closet. They scared the few people who were standing in the foyer, and Cal smirked at the blush that deepened on June’s face. But she’d learned over the years not to make excuses for the actions of her friends, her children, or her husband. She simply smiled at everyone, then held her head high as she headed for the entrance to the nave.

Cal heard a whispered comment about what a lucky man Prince Redmon was, and he couldn’t agree more. He was a lucky man. Luckier than any one man had a right to be.

Marlowe/Bob

“Why are there so many stuffed animals, hair doodads, and so much damn glitter in this house?” Bob grumbled as he made his way toward Marlowe, who was on their couch. She wore one of his oversize T-shirts, an old pair of sweatpants, and her hair piled on her head. They’d just finished dinner—comprised of artichokes, oysters, and Doritos. The first two because they didn’t get to eat them when their daughters were home, and the third just because.

“Because we have a nine-year-old and a seven-year-old who love anything glittery and are girly-girls all the way through,” Marlowe informed him with a laugh.

“Why couldn’t we have had a boy first, like Chappy and Cal?”

“Don’t look at me, it’s your sperm that decided the gender of our kids,” Marlowe told him.

They’d had many conversations like this, so she couldn’t be all that surprised by his grumbling.

“I know,” he sighed.

“Just wait until they’re teenagers. When Violet’s makeup is all over the bathroom and her hair is clogging the shower, and Kienna is hanging out with her friends in her band and they’re shaking the neighborhood with their music.”

“I’m not going to survive,” Bob said dramatically as he fell onto the couch next to her.

Marlowe giggled and straddled his lap, draping herself over him as he sat boneless beneath her.

“You will,” she told him. “Besides, I have something to tell you that will take your mind off our daughters being teenagers.”

“What’s that?” Bob asked, not able to keep his hands off his wife. She fit against him perfectly, and one of her favorite things to do was snuggle into him like she had when they were running from the authorities in Thailand.

“I’m pregnant.”

Bob blinked, thinking he’d misheard her. He laughed. “Not funny, Punky.”

“I’m not kidding. I’m about six weeks along, so it’s still early, but this time next year, we’ll be knee deep in dirty diapers once more.”

“Holy crap, you’re serious!” Bob said, sitting up and holding Marlowe tightly against him so she didn’t fall backward. “What . . . how . . .”

She laughed. “Well, as to the how, when you make love to your wife without a condom and she’s taking fertility drugs, that’s kind of what’s supposed to happen.”

“I know, but I thought . . . it’s been so long. I guess I just assumed it wasn’t meant to be.”

Marlowe shrugged. “Me too. But surprise! It happened.”

Bob suddenly stood, ignoring his wife’s screech. He’d never drop her, never let any harm come to her when he was there. He carried her through the mess of the living room, past the shoes in the middle of the hallway, up the stairs—which had odds and ends waiting for someone to carry them to various rooms—past their daughters’ bedroom doors and straight to the master.

He crossed to the bed, still holding Marlowe tight, then he fell backward onto the mattress with his wife on top of him. Staring up at her, seeing how relaxed she was and how happy, Bob felt gratitude swell within him.

She sat up, and his hand immediately went to her belly to stroke the soft skin. “Pregnant,” he breathed. They’d always wanted three kids, but after Kienna was born, no matter how often they’d tried, Marlowe hadn’t gotten pregnant again. They’d done everything. Their last resort was the fertility treatments, and when nothing had happened for another year, they’d both assumed that was it.

But now she was pregnant. Finally.

Bob took a deep breath and closed his eyes, overcome with emotion. When he had himself under control, he opened his eyes and found his wife staring down at him with love shining in her gaze.

“Off,” he muttered as he pulled on her shirt. Bob needed to see her. See where his baby was forming deep within her. Intellectually, he knew she wouldn’t look any different than she had a few hours earlier, when he’d made love to her on the kitchen table, but he couldn’t stop himself from needing to see every inch.

She laughed and indulged him as she stripped off the shirt. She went a step further and leaned to the side to kick off the sweats. She clearly hadn’t put her underwear back on after the kitchen escapade, and Bob made a mental note to find where they’d ended up before their daughters came home the next day.

When she was naked as the day she was born, she straddled him again. She’d come a long way from the too-skinny woman whose periods had stopped because of malnutrition a decade ago. She was curvy now, having kept some of the weight she’d gained from being pregnant, and it looked positively gorgeous on her.

Bob’s hands went to her legs, and his thumbs caressed her inner thighs for a moment before sweeping up to her hips, then to her belly. He ran his hands reverently over her stomach before sitting up. He braced Marlowe as he lay her back and hovered over her.

“I need you,” he growled.

“I’m yours,” she said without hesitation.

Bob stripped in record time, having the presence of mind to make sure Marlowe was ready to take him before he pushed his cock deep inside her body.

“This one’s gonna be a boy, I can feel it,” he murmured.

Marlowe laughed under him as she stroked his arms. “I think it’s too late to do anything about the gender at this point.”

“Whatever,” he said as he began to gently thrust in and out of his wife.

Bob wouldn’t last nearly long enough, not with the thought that he’d once again knocked up Marlowe threatening to overwhelm him. He couldn’t wait to see her pregnant again. She was so damn beautiful with her rounded belly. He loved everything about her pregnancies. Her weird cravings, how she got even lustier, her need to nest . . . he even loved her up-and-down moods. One second she’d be in love with everyone, and the next she was crying hysterically.

“More!” she demanded, squeezing his butt and trying to force him to take her harder. He should’ve known she was pregnant again, before she’d even told him. She’d been a lot more forceful in bed lately, just like she had when she was carrying Violet and then Kienna. To be fair, it had been seven years since the last one, but still.

“I love you,” he told her as he gazed at her lovely face.

“I’d love you more if you moved faster and harder,” she panted.

Laughing, Bob did as ordered.

After he’d filled her with the biggest load of come he could remember spewing in a long time, Bob turned onto his back and brought his wife with him. This was still her favorite way of resting, using him as a pillow.

She was boneless against him, and he stroked her back lazily. Their house was a mess, there wasn’t much food left in the fridge and they had to get to the store, the lawn needed mowing, they’d given away the last of the baby things they’d been holding on to months ago . . . but Bob didn’t care about any of that. This was the most important thing. Holding his wife.

He kissed her temple. “Love you.”

“Shhhh,” she mumbled. “Too loud.”

Bob grinned, and shushed.

April/JJ

“Can you tell us the story about Aunt June’s wedding again? Please, Aunt April? Pleeeeease?” Atlas begged dramatically.

April grinned as she stared at the little faces gazing up at her. Having all eight of their nieces and nephews over at the same time was exhausting, but she loved every minute of it . . . especially how quiet the house seemed when they were all picked up.

She hadn’t lied all those years ago, she’d never wanted children of her own, but she adored spoiling her friends’ heathens.

The children ranged in ages from ten to two. Little Ivy was already sound asleep in her crib, but the other seven were awake and wired from the sugar they’d eaten and the excitement of being at Aunt April and Uncle Jack’s house.

And she had absolutely no problem telling the story of when they’d all flown over to Liechtenstein for June and Cal’s wedding. It was one of her favorite memories ever.

“All right, but after story time, you all have to promise to lie down and go to sleep. We’ve had an exciting day, but tomorrow your parents are coming to pick you up, and if you’re all cranky and exhausted because I let you stay up until three in the morning, you’ll never get to come back,” April warned.

Everyone giggled. The thought of staying up that late wasn’t something they could imagine. Neither was not being allowed to come visit Aunt April and Uncle Jack.

“We promise!” Atlas said, enthusiastically making an X over his heart.

“Yeah, we will!” Max added.

“Mommy’s not going to say we can’t come over,” Violet said solemnly. “She and Daddy like their alone time too much.”

“Yeah, they get to smooch without us complaining,” Kienna said.

All the kids made gagging sounds at the thought of their parents kissing.

April chuckled and couldn’t help but look over at Jack. He was sitting on the floor on a beanbag, holding Gina in his lap. The little girl was half-asleep and leaning against Jack’s chest as she sucked a thumb and held on to a stuffed walrus. The thing was hideous, but she’d carried it around with her since she was old enough to move.

Jack gave April a small smile. He looked tired as well, but they wouldn’t trade being around these kids for anything in the world. And knowing it gave their friends some time to themselves was a bonus.

“All right,” April said. “Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a very mean stepsister and stepmother. They made her do all the chores by herself and didn’t let her leave the house, and they didn’t give her any money. But there was a handsome prince from a land across the big ocean who visited the house and saw the girl. He helped her escape, and they came to Maine.”

“And she got shotted!” Will said excitedly.

The kids had heard June and Cal’s story so often, they knew it by heart.

“It’s not shotted,” Max said with an air of superiority. “It’s shot. And hush, you’re ruining the story!”

“Whatever,” Will said with a roll of his eyes.

“You’re right, Will,” April said, continuing. “The girl—her name was June—was shot by a bad man who worked for her horrid stepfamily.”

“But she didn’t die,” Kienna said, leaning forward as she spoke. She was sitting on the bottom of a bunk bed, listening intently.

“No, she did not,” April said with a smile. “She lived, and she and the prince got married in a small, quiet ceremony and lived happily ever after.”

“Aunt April,” Jasper whined. “Tell it right!”

April laughed. “Right, sorry. The boy and girl did get married in a quiet little ceremony, but since the boy was a prince, the people in his country wanted a big fancy wedding. So after June and the prince had their first child—”

“Me! That’s me!” Max said proudly.

“Yup,” April agreed. “After they had you and you were old enough to travel more comfortably, when you were around Ivy’s age, they packed a bag and got into a fancy private plane with six of their very best friends and flew across the ocean to have a huge wedding ceremony in the prince’s country.

“The day arrived, and the girl wore a beautiful dress. Her train was so long, four people had to hold it to help her walk around. The prince looked very official in his tuxedo and all the medals he’d earned while being a soldier. The church was packed with people who’d come from all over the world to witness the marriage of the prince and the girl.”

April looked around the room and found everyone’s gaze glued to her. She loved this part of the story; it brought back so many awesome memories of that trip eight years ago.

“The prince was standing at the front of the church, waiting for his princess to walk down the aisle. His tuxedo didn’t have any wrinkles, his hair was perfect, and he looked as handsome as the girl-turned-princess had ever seen. She began to walk toward him—when suddenly there was a loud scream behind her!

“Everyone gasped, afraid that maybe someone was there to hurt the princess or the prince, or maybe even king and queen! But instead, a little boy appeared from behind the princess. He was completely naked and crying hysterically. He yelled, ‘Daddy!’ and toddled down the aisle toward the prince.

“He didn’t care that he wasn’t wearing any clothes or that there were hundreds of people staring at him. All he wanted was his daddy. The prince knelt down and held out his arms, and the little boy, naked and, for some reason, soaking wet—which the prince didn’t realize until he picked him up—ran straight into his arms.

“At first, all the people watching weren’t sure what to do. The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Even the princess stood frozen at the end of the aisle. Her face got really red, and everyone could see she was embarrassed.

“Then another little voice yelled something, and another small body pushed his way past the princess. It was a second small boy. Also naked. Also crying. He looked around for a moment, then ran down the aisle toward his mother, who was standing in the front row of all the seats.”

“We were wet because we were hot and it was stuffy in the church and we took off our clothes to play in the water in that fancy fountain. Then when the babysitter tried to get us to put our clothes on, we ran because she was totally scary,” Max explained, defending their actions.

“That’s right. You got scared because the very nice lady who was babysitting was just a little freaked out,” April said with a small smile.

Max turned to Atlas and gave him a high five. The boys loved this story. They weren’t embarrassed that they’d interrupted a royal wedding by running naked in front of all the guests. April had a feeling they might care when they got older, but for the moment, they simply loved being such a huge part of the story.

“Keep going!” Jasper said impatiently.

“Right, sorry,” April apologized with a grin. “As I said, the entire church was completely silent as everyone was in shock. The two boys were still crying, and to add to the chaos, a little girl held in the arms of one of the princess’s friends, also in the front row, began to cry because she heard the boys crying.

“The girl in the beautiful dress panicked, thinking she’d ruined the entire wedding. That everyone in attendance and all the people who lived in the prince’s land would hate her. But then . . . someone giggled. It was muffled, but clearly a chuckle. Then another joined in. Soon, the giggles turned to outright laughter. It started in the front rows, where June’s best friends were standing. And the sound spread. Before she knew what was happening, everyone in the church was laughing.

“And the prince did something no prince in the history of the land had ever done before. He stepped off the platform at the front of the church and walked down the aisle toward the girl. When he reached her, he leaned down and gave her a kiss. By now, his tuxedo, which had been pristine, was damp from the boy he was holding. His hair had been mussed by little fingers. But he didn’t seem to care. Neither did his princess.

“He took her by the hand and led her all the way up the aisle to the front. He stopped at the first row to hand off the little boy to one of his friends, but his son refused. Not only that, but the other naked little boy held up his arms, wanting to join them.

“The princess gave her bouquet of flowers to one of her friends and took the second little boy in her arms. He immediately stopped crying and laid his head on her shoulder. And that’s how the prince’s country fell in love with the new princess. The marriage ceremony went on, with the prince and the princess holding naked little boys while promising to love each other for the rest of their lives.”

April smiled at the memory. The wedding was anything but traditional, and while June had been terrified she’d be kicked out of Liechtenstein and never invited back, the opposite came true. The citizens loved how unruffled and kind she was, and the pictures from their wedding were still widely circulated every year on their anniversary.

The ball after the ceremony had been so much fun. The people they’d met were friendly and welcoming, and all the fears June had before the wedding were put to rest. Carlise, Marlowe, June, and April had found time to huddle at one point and simply enjoy being together, safe, happy, and healthy, and a photographer had caught that moment as well.

The picture was currently framed and on the wall downstairs. None of their faces could be seen clearly, as they were literally standing in a circle with their arms around each other’s shoulders, but it was one of April’s favorite pictures ever . . . maybe except for the one she and Jack had taken on the day they’d gotten married. She had a black eye and a bruise on her cheek, and Jack looked almost mean because he was still so worked up over the fact that she and the others had been kidnapped and almost blown up. But when April looked at it, all she saw was love.

“All right, story time is over. Time for all of you munchkins to go to sleep,” she declared as she stood.

There were moans and groans from all the kids, but they headed to their beds—if they weren’t already in them. Jack and April went around the room, doling out good night kisses and tucking everyone in.

By the time they headed to their own room, April was exhausted.

“Tired?” Jack asked as he put his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side.

“That’s an understatement. You think they’ll sleep through the night?”

“No way in hell,” Jack said with a small laugh.

“How many do you think we’ll end up with in our bed?”

“Definitely Gina. Maybe Will. Ivy will probably wake up and get everyone else up as well. We could end up with an impromptu tea party at three a.m.”

April groaned. When they got to their room, Jack made sure to leave the door open, so any of the kids who woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to crawl into their aunt April and uncle Jack’s bed knew they’d be welcome. He led April to their king-size bed and tugged her into him where they stood.

April immediately snuggled close, resting her head against his shoulder.

“This weekend has been awesome,” Jack said after a moment.

April nodded. “Exhausting, but awesome,” she agreed. Picking up her head, she looked up at her husband. “You don’t mind?”

“I’m not sure what exactly you’re asking, but the answer is no. Always no. If you enjoy what we do, then no, I don’t mind.”

April wanted to melt into his arms. This man was her everything. He wasn’t perfect. He was still way too protective, but he worked his ass off, he made her feel like the most important woman in the world, and he loved her more with each day that passed . . . just as she did him.

“I was asking if you minded having all the kids at the same time,” she clarified.

“No way. It’s crazy, terrifying, and we’ll sleep for a week once they’re gone, but they’re all really good kids. And knowing it gives our friends a break for a few days feels good.”

“Yeah,” April agreed.

“And . . . we get to give them back, so I get my wife, and our bed, all to myself when they leave.”

April huffed out a laugh at that. Then got serious. “Jack?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

“I love you.”

“I know.”

She smacked his chest lightly.

He grinned. “I love you too,” he echoed. “Thank you for giving this messed-up lumberjack a second chance.”

“My lumberjack,” April insisted.

“Yours,” Jack agreed, then lowered his head to kiss her.

The affectionate gesture quickly heated up. April moaned in protest when he pulled away.

“Later,” Jack vowed. “The second the last of the heathens is picked up, we’re coming back to our room . . . you’ll get naked and crawl under the covers . . . I’ll join you and pull you into my arms . . . and we’ll sleep for eight hours straight.”

April burst out laughing. He wasn’t wrong.

“Then, I’ll show my wife how much I love and adore her. Your patience with the kids is never ending, and I love how good you are with them. They couldn’t ask for a better aunt.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” April threatened. “I want to show my husband how awesome he is and how proud I am that you didn’t lose your cool when we went to the park and they all ran in eight different directions.”

Jack shuddered. “Lord, that was awful. I couldn’t keep my eye on them all at the same time. One of them could’ve been snatched up, and I might not have seen it. Let’s not ever do that again. Or if we do, they’re all wearing those trackers Tex sent us.”

The infamous Tex had sent trackers to the guys after the women had all been kidnapped and had gifted a new one with each child born.

April smiled up at him. “They were fine. No one was more than thirty feet from us at any point. And they know they’re to stay with their assigned buddy at all times.”

They’d all taught the children everything they could about staying safe and about the dangers in the world—without scaring them to death. When they were out and about, everyone had a buddy they were required to stay with at all times, no matter what. So far the system had worked.

April leaned up and kissed Jack before running a hand over her face tiredly.

“Go on, get ready for bed,” he said, physically turning her toward the bathroom.

April nodded. She grabbed the oversize T-shirt she still wore to bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, JJ held his lightly snoring wife as he stared at the ceiling and counted his blessings. He was just as tired as April, but he couldn’t sleep. He listened to the sounds the house made as he tried to relax. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The eight precious souls in the huge attic space, which he and April had turned into a large bedroom with four bunk beds and a crib, were safe.

He adored his friends’ children. They were funny, kind, sarcastic, and smart, and the love JJ had for them was almost overwhelming. He and April were blessed to be such a large part of their lives.

Life in Maine had gotten better and better. Jack’s Lumber was thriving. The ropes course they’d set up had been a huge hit right out of the gate. They were busy year round with tourists and locals, and organizations and businesses wanting to have trust-building and bonding trips with their employees.

They’d cut way back on leading groups on the Appalachian Trail. Between their families, Jack’s Lumber, and the ropes course they all helped with, there simply weren’t enough hours in the day.

But something no one was willing to sacrifice was time spent with friends. The number of picnics, girls’ nights out, guys’ nights in, movie nights, and semiquiet evenings at one of their houses, just visiting while the children played, were plentiful.

JJ was just as close to Chappy, Cal, and Bob as he’d been all those years ago, when they’d played a game of chance to determine their future. Who would’ve guessed they’d be where they were now? Not him.

April shifted in her sleep, tightening her grip on him as she did.

JJ sighed. This. This was what he’d longed for all those years after hiring April but had been too chicken to pursue. And he’d never let her go now. The kids would grow up and get on with their lives, but he’d still be here with April. Loving her as much as he could. He didn’t know any other way to love her but fiercely. He still had the occasional nightmare about her being kidnapped, but with the passing of time, they’d lessened significantly.

A sound caught Jack’s attention, and he lifted his head to look toward the door. Six-year-old Will was standing there, looking unsure.

“You okay?” JJ asked softly.

Will nodded. “I can’t sleep.”

“Come here, buddy,” he said, holding out a hand.

Will quickly crossed the room and crawled onto the bed. He snuggled into JJ’s other side and sighed. A minute or two passed before he held up a little fist and said, “On the count of three.”

JJ grinned and curled his fingers into a fist on the hand that was around April’s back, as she lay against him. “One, two, three,” he said, flattening his hand to signify a piece of paper.

Will’s index and middle fingers were spread into scissors.

“I won!” the little boy said happily.

JJ couldn’t stop smiling. “So you did. Good job.”

He’d taught all his nephews and nieces how to play rock paper scissors over the years. They could literally play the game for hours. It was as annoying as it was endearing. Luckily, Will seemed content with the one round, because he put his head on Jack’s shoulder and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

As he and April had discussed, JJ had a feeling by the time morning came, there would be several more little bodies in their bed, taking up every nook and cranny. But he didn’t mind, and he knew April didn’t either. They’d have their house and bed back soon enough, and while it would seem a little empty, it would be a relief too. The best thing about being an uncle was being able to give the kids back to their parents. But he wouldn’t trade the time he got to spend with them for anything.

“Jack?” April murmured.

“Yeah?” he whispered.

“Love you.”

JJ closed his eyes and let his wife’s words sink into his soul. Yeah, he was blessed. After the life he’d led, the chances he’d taken, the danger he’d faced, he was thankful for everything he had.

“Love you too,” he said, kissing the top of his wife’s head.

He concentrated hard once more on the noises around him, making sure all was as it should be, before allowing himself to completely relax . . . then shut his eyes and slept.