Epilogue
Two months later
“Dear God, they’re going to kill each other,” Sam groaned from her lawn chair as we sat beside the pool Travis and I had recently put in. It had been his idea, saying it would be handy to have during the summer. Plus, I had a feeling he wanted it for those babies he’d become increasingly enthusiastic to practice for.
I snorted watching as Travis, Theo, Sid, Dec, Caden, and my brother, Ryan, played a makeshift game of water polo. It was more like a wrestling match, but as I ogled Travis, his muscles flexing, I couldn’t say I minded the view.
Ryan had arrived home several weeks before, and after a few tense meetings, Travis had won him over as I knew he would. He’d been over to the house several times and had taken a few meetings at headquarters as well. I had a feeling he’d be hired on soon enough.
My little brother had changed dramatically over the past few years. With his buzz cut and muscles he certainly hadn’t had when we were kids, combined with the calculated and confident way he carried himself, I scarcely recognized him. His eyes, though, those striking gray eyes that looked right through to the heart of you, those were still the same. One thing was for sure, my baby brother had become a badass man.
When Olivia toddled over to the pool, the guys broke it up, Caden swimming over and reaching for his daughter with a broad grin. Hudson soon followed as we looked on, drinks in hand.
Mabel sat in her polka-dot bathing suit underneath the large umbrella Travis had set up for her. With her bright red lipstick and large-brimmed hat, she looked like a classic movie star. A movie star who needed another drink already.
I’d noticed Sam hadn’t touched hers.
“Do you want something else?” I asked, eyeing her untouched drink. She offered a Cheshire cat grin in return.
“I can’t drink it.”
“You can’t?” I asked, a second before it sunk in. “Oh my God!”
Danny and I sat up abruptly from our spots on either side of her as May smiled knowingly. “When did you find out?” I demanded.
“A few weeks ago. It took us so long this time.” She sighed as she rubbed her barely protruding belly. “Sid and I wanted the news for just us for a while.”
“I completely understand,” Danny put in, wrapping an arm around her friend. “Congratulations, Mama.”
“Thanks.” Sam grinned.
“I’m so excited for you guys,” I squealed. “You’re such an amazing mom, you both are.” I looked to her and Danny.
“You will be, too.” Danny winked.
“We’ll see,” I mumbled noncommittally.
I couldn’t help my disappointment that Travis hadn’t proposed. We hadn’t been together long, but with the warp speed our relationship had traveled and all the talk of babies, I’d thought it would have happened. I worried he’d changed his mind. Now that we’d truly settled into our lives together, one without me having to look over my shoulder, maybe he’d grown bored.
When the sun dipped lower in the sky, the guys got out of the pool and fired up the grill.
“Did you fire Kelsey?” Sid asked Travis as they piled burgers onto the grill.
Kelsey was the latest in the revolving door of receptionists.
“Yeah,” Travis replied gruffly. “She was thirty minutes late for being fired. Fitting, given her track record.”
The rest of us laughed, aside from Theo, whose expression had grown severe.
“What’s up, man?” Sid asked him, obviously catching sight of his expression.
“Fuck this,” Theo ground out. “You know what? Enough. I’m going to get my girl.”
And with that he strode inside and out of sight.
Danny and Sam exchanged a wide-eyed look before bursting into cheers.
“It’s about damn time.” Sid chuckled.
