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Nodding, I reach out and tap his cheek twice before palming it. “You’re a good man, Bill. Don’t forget it.”
“I’m not just good, Adam. I’m the favorite.”
Before I can punch him this time, he jerks away from me, jumping to his feet, chuckling as he goes. “You’re lucky I’m too tired to chase you.”
“Says the old man.”
“Go home to your wife, bro.”
“I am. It’s exactly where I belong.”
EPILOGUE
FIVE YEARS LATER
“Go! Go! Run! Twenty! Ten! Touchdown!”
The entire Casanova clan is yelling and screaming on the sidelines as Cece makes her first touchdown.
“That’s my girl!” Adam is jumping the highest and yelling the loudest. Can we say girl-dad to the extreme? His first born, Dominic, is cheering just as loudly for his sister, and looking at these two is like looking at twins. Every move they make is a mirror image.
Coach Beckett congratulates Cece as she makes her way to the sidelines. I love watching Mariella coach these girls. For someone who started their own girls league a few years back, to watch her step into the coaching aspect has been amazing.
I’ll be proud to have her as a coach when Billie gets into school.
“Daddy! I want to play football, too!” Adam kneels on the grass as his daughter Ally pulls on his shirt.
“Soon, baby girl. You and Savannah will be able to play next season.” He scoops her up and stands again, watching the game.
Standing next to my wife, I rub her belly as she leans into me. She’s big for fifteen weeks and I have a feeling why. I won’t say it to her, though she’s already thinking about it, too. I’ll let the doctor break that news. “Billie, do you want to run the field with your cousins next year?”
In her pink lace dress, a cross of her arms and a giant mean-mug painted on her face, she exclaims, “No way, Daddy! I’m going to be a cheerleader. I amnotgoing to get dirty running on that field!” She turns her nose up and attitude pours out of her. I chuckle to myself and muse, “where the hell did that sass come from?”
Adley groans and covers her eyes with her hands. “She’s my sister. I only hope this one is a boy.”
Farrah bumps Adley with her shoulder. “The boys may be worse. Girl, I don’t know if we should keep populating the town with more Casanovas.” She takes off running as her little devil, Justin Thomas, or JT for short, runs by flashing the crowd. I laugh as I see my nephew run buck naked down the sideline.
“That’s what Tom gets. The quietest one of the bunch gets the wild child. Not even Jackson’s son is as bad as he is.” Laughing, I think to myself it’s a good thing my brother is a cop. It’s going to be his child with the first mug shot of all our kids.
We’re all here today for the girls’ first pee wee football league home game. The ‘Girls Play, Too League’ has taken the town of Christmas by storm. It’s exciting to continue along in the same old pastime. I only wish Francesca could be here to see it. She would love to see the girls play.
Jackson, Francesca and JJ moved to Mistletoe Falls five years ago. What was going to be a two-year contract turned into three, four and now five. Jackson Gage has become a phenom in that town and has turned the NFL upside down. He’s like the younger version of Bill Belichick and it’s so exciting watching to see how far he can go. And with that, comes more players needing PR reps. My sister has turned Love Public Relations into a nationwide company in a matter of three years. She still has Jameson Winters as her top client, but she’s adding so many new players. I couldn’t be more proud of her.
In the last five years, Adley has published over twenty books, all of which hit within the top 100. She’s killing it and I love every single word she puts out. I’ve since become one of her best editors, reading, as well as acting out each scene to make sure it all makes sense.
It’s my favorite part of what she does. I’ll never tire of being her prop.
And me? I’m still running Moose’s, though we’ve renamed it. I wanted to keep his legacy alive, so we reopened as Al’s Place about a year after his death. I’m sure he was up there cursing me out for putting him in the spotlight, but it felt right. My dad officially retired from House O’Love, but my mother warned him if he didn’t get out of the house and do something besides get in her way, she was going to move in with one of her children. I quickly offered him a job as our daytime bartender, and he filled the spot perfectly.
My recovery has been the most unassuming thing to ever happen to me. It was filled with holes, constant do-overs but once it took hold, there was no turning back. My six-year anniversary is coming up next month and though the day is important to celebrate, counting each day is not on my radar. Picking up a drink, or something more, is not even a part of my vocabulary anymore. Seeing all of what I’ve gained since I’ve put down a bottle has me living a life of luxury. I’ve got the sexiest wife around, an amazing daughter, with another baby on the way, and the most loving family you could ask for. And by loving, I mean obnoxious and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Redeeming my own life has brought us all full circle. We’ve cleared the ghosts, we’ve stepped into a new life and the next generation of Casanovas are here to bring havoc to the town of Christmas. And I am here to embrace it all.
THE END
