Epilogue

LUCA

Thirteen months later

“We’re going to be late,” Leigh hollers from the front of our New York apartment, and I can picture her looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room down at the traffic below, pretending like her anxiety isn’t getting the best of her.

She might claim to be a New Yorker at heart, loving the hustle and bustle of the city, but the more she splits her time in Los Angeles, the more I think she likes the slower pace.

Not that traffic isn’t horrendous there too. It is. But it’s easy to forget when you’re standing on our balcony looking at the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

I huff a laugh and yell back, “Tell that to Zach. He can’t decide if he wants to wear the blue shirt or the purple one.”

“Tell him it won’t matter if we don’t hurry up.”

As if that’s going to work. Shaking my head, I lean against the doorframe of Zach’s room where he, in all his newly turned three-year-old glory, is standing naked from the waist up, hands on his hips, looking at the two shirts on the bed.

He gets this from me. How many times has he found me in the exact same position, getting ready for work in the morning? Usually, I’d find it adorable as shit, but today’s a big day, and I need him to just pick a damn shirt.

I cross the room and kneel beside him. “What if you wear the purple one to see the judge, and then you can wear the blue one when we go out to dinner with your aunts and uncles?”

“Zo?”

“Yes, Enzo will be there.”

“Hote?”

“Yup and Holt too.”

“Bash Bash.”

I chuckle, realizing we are going to have to name every single one of his aunts and uncles who are flying in for this special day. “Yes, Bash too.”

“Dee?”

“And Indie.”

“Low and Shop?”

“Yes, Willow and Bishop too.”

Zach’s brow furrows as he considers my offer. As much as I’d like to claim the trait as mine, this one’s all Leigh. He carefully looks back and forth between the two button-down shirts and then smiles up at me. “Okay.”

If only I’d come up with this solution ten minutes ago, we wouldn’t be on the verge of running late. I’m fairly certain the court of law waits for no one, and today has been months in the making, so there’s not a chance in hell I’m going to allow us to miss our scheduled appearance.

Throwing the blue shirt over my shoulder to take with us, I help Zach slide the shirt on and do up the buttons, silently thanking the Patron Saint of Toddlers that he didn’t fight me on trying to do them himself. Now I just need the saint of traffic to help us get to the courthouse on time, so Leigh doesn’t have a conniption.

The last thing I need is for her to be angry today. Not with everything I have planned.

I look down at my sweet, confident, and brave boy. “You ready buddy?”

Zach beams up at me. “Family Day, Dada!”

“Yeah, bud.” I smile, blinking back the tears I promised Leigh wouldn’t fall before the judge bangs her gavel. “Today is family day.”

Traffic is a nightmare, but somehow, we make it with time to spare.

Thanks, traffic saint.

Just as we’re pulling up, Leigh reaches across Zach’s car seat, offering me her open palm. “You nervous?”

I place my palm in hers and give a gentle squeeze. “Not even a little.”

Leigh lets out a small laugh. Today is the day I get everything I’ve ever wanted. Starting with Zach officially becoming my son.

Six months after Telluride, on my birthday, Leigh asked me again if I wanted to know if I was Zach’s biological father. Of course, I told her no. I still stand firm that it didn’t matter. But then she followed up with, “If we do the test, then we’ll know which form we need to file in order for you to formally become his dad.”

The way my heart stopped.

This was better than saying she’d marry me.

Which I’m still hoping she will.

Very soon.

But going through with it meant confirming what I already suspected as I continued to spend time with Zach.

He isn’t mine. At least biologically.

His nose is that of a stranger, and as he grows, he’s got a little chin dimple that doesn’t come from either Leigh’s or my family.

But what he does have is my stubborn streak and a penchant for mischief. He’s got my love of spicy food, and a capacity for compassion I take pride in instilling within him. That little boy is mine in every way that counts, and I am proud to call him my son.

Today just makes it official.

Zach places his hands around our entwined fingers and giggles, melting my heart like he somehow manages to do every single day.

How could I be nervous when this is everything I’ve wanted ever since the two of them stepped off that plane in Telluride?

“Cuttin’ it close, don’t you think?” Enzo says as he opens the door of the Escalade and offers a hand to Leigh.

“Your nephew is as bad as your brother when it comes to choosing an outfit, otherwise we would have been here twenty minutes ago.”

Unbuckling Zach, I help him slide out of the car behind his mother. I follow after, rounding the back of the car to meet them.

Enzo laughs. “Well, you’re here now. And I’ve got some exciting news.”

I cock a brow. “What’s that?”

When Enzo says he has good news, it’s fifty-fifty if it’s actually good or something he perceives as interesting, like, the stock market being up X amount of points.

He smirks, like he knows I’m silently judging him. It’s twin telepathy at its finest.

“We know where we’re going next year for Bucket List Christmas.”

“Holt finally picked?” I ask, knowing he was struggling between two locations. Not that he would allow the rest of us any input. It’s become somewhat of a pride thing for all of us to take the time to consider what Jack would want for that particular year in our lives.

“Yeah.” Enzo pauses for dramatic effect. “Ultimately, surfing won.”

Leigh rolls her eyes dramatically.

“I know, shocker.” Over the last year, Holt took up surfing as a hobby, since it was something Jack loved. I should have known that would have played into his pick.

“So where are we going?” Leigh asks.

“Cozumel, Mexico, to visit the reef.”

Shit.

I’m going to fucking kill Holt.

My eyes dart to my sweet, nerdy twin to see if he has any idea The Reef isn’t referring to the coral in the ocean, but rather a high end sex club where you can explore every kink imaginable under the light of the moon. But there’s nothing. Not a trace of a knowing grin.

And it’s my job this year to plan all the excursions.

I silently debate if I should let him in on the secret. Then again, maybe he’ll find himself a little romance, or at the very least find someone to help him loosen the giant stick he’s had lodged in his ass since our grandfather passed away a few months back.

No, I think I’m going to keep this bit of info to myself.

“After two years in the snow for Christmas, I can get behind coming home with a tan,” Leigh says before grabbing Zach’s hand. Spotting Indie, Willow, and Bishop waiting for us at the top of steps, she waves.

I watch her go, admiring the way the new coat I got her for Christmas hugs the curve of her waist and shapes her ass perfectly.

My twin leans over and nudges my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I already looked into booking you the honeymoon bungalow for at least two nights.”

Whipping my head to face him, I speak in a harsh whisper, “She hasn’t said yes.”

“Oh, come on. As if that woman is going to say no. You guys haven’t been able to keep your hands off each other all year. And I’m pretty sure we all heard what that led to in Zermatt.”

I bark a laugh. “It’s not my fault you booked us a house that had all the rooms right next to each other.”

“Never again.”

“You’re an ass.”

“And you love me.”

“I do.”

I can’t imagine the last year without him or the guys. We might not all live together, but they’ve always been a phone call away—of which I’ve had to utilize plenty of time when I stick my foot in my mouth—andthey’ve gone out of their way to stop and see Leigh, Zach, and me whenever our schedules line up in LA or New York.

“You ready for this?” my twin asks, and I know it’s not from a place of doubt, but love.

“Today can literally be penciled in as the best day of my life.”

I haven’t stopped smiling since the judge banged her gavel and officially named us the James family.

Leigh was shocked as hell by that, and she’ll be even more shocked when she realizes I took the liberty of changing my last name. We wouldn’t have to change it later when she makes me the happiest man in the world again today.

It might be me jumping in with both feet, but I have the feeling my odds are pretty good.

Looking down the table in the tiny back room of our favorite Italian restaurant, I’m surprised we all fit.

In addition to the Bucket List Boys—as Leigh calls us—Indie, Willow, and Bishop, a handful of the Renegades we’ve become close with, and their manager, Graham, all came to celebrate with us.

And celebrate we have, especially Zach, who has gone up to every person and told them confidently, “We a family.”

I reach over Zach, who is sitting between me and his mom, and run my fingers over her exposed collarbone.

She looks over at me, and nerves instantly take over and I feel my body tense.

“You okay?”

“Never better.” I breathe, shifting in my seat so the weight of the ring box in my pocket isn’t evident against my thigh.

Zach looks up, watching our interaction. “Momma, now you marry Dada”

Heat fills Leigh’s cheeks. “Oh, sweet boy, no. We explained to you, that’s not what today was about.”

“No,” Zach protests and I give him a look that says, “now is not the time.” After dessert is the time. We haven’t even gotten our meals yet. But try telling that to a three-year-old.

“Dada,” he continues, looking up at me with those big blue eyes that I can never say no to. “Momma’s ring.”

“Yeah,” Bash chimes in from across the table. “When are you going to put a ring on it and make an honest woman out of our Baby Momma here?”

The fucking asshole knows exactly when.

“My Baby Momma,” I growl.

Leigh glances from Bash to Zach, then back up at me.

I exhale and shrug my shoulders.

I stand from the table and take Zach’s hand, helping him from his chair before offering my hand to Leigh.

“What are you doing?” Her voice is shaky, but not angry, so at least we’re off to a good start.

When I give a slight tug, she rises to her full height.

The room goes silent.

I glance down at Zach and give him a smile. “Just like we practiced.”

He smiles and nods.

Willow gasps and Indie cheers alongside Bash and Holt as I pull out the velvet box from my pocket. I fall to one knee in front of Leigh, followed by a collective round of “aw”s as Zach does the same thing beside me.

“Leighton Renee Bennett James,” I begin.

“Momma,” Zach says at my side.

“I have wanted to ask you this question since Christmas morning in Telluride, but I knew you weren’t ready to answer. Where I jump into the pool recklessly, you dip your toe in and make sure you aren’t going to freeze. We’ve spent that last year warming up to one another. Learning to honor each other’s quirks and communicate. You are my best friend?—”

“Hey!” Bash and Holt exclaim in unison, and I shoot a pointed glare at them, which earns me a wary chuckle from Leigh.

I turn back to her, looking up into her tear-filled eyes. “As I was saying, you’re my best friend, and the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, and even though you’ve already made me the happiest man on earth by allowing me to become the father of our son today, would you do me the honor of adding husband to my list of titles and letting me call you my wife?”

I glance over at Zach, who is smiling at Leigh, and give him a little nudge. “Now, bud.”

“Mommy, will you marry Daddy?”

The longest split second of my life passes before Leigh huffs a choked laugh and smiles.

Her eyes leave Zach’s and connects with mine. “I guess I could tolerate you for the rest of my life.”

“That’s not a yes.”

Leigh rolls her eyes, the same way she did in Telluride. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

I open the box, showing Leigh the ring I had Willow help me track down a few months back.

She gasps. “It’s my mother’s ring.”

“I had help getting it.” I throw a glance over at Willow, who played a fundamental part in stealing it from the tiny safe Leigh kept it in. “I knew you’d want her to be a part of this.”

“Thank you,” she says with a knowing smile.

A shiver runs down my spine and I force myself to ignore the twitch in my dick as I slip the ring onto her finger. It’s a perfect fit.

I tug her down onto my knee and pull her and Zach against me as our friends and chosen family cheer around us, but I’m too busy savoring the feeling of having everything I’ve ever dreamt of in my arms.

“I love you, Luca,” Leigh whispers against my ear.

“I love you too, my Little Thief.”

THE END

Thank you so much for reading TINSEL IN TELLURIDE!!