Page 69 of Kiwi

Epilogue

Istir as the salty smell of bacon pulls me from sleep. Instinctively my hand reaches for the other side of the bed. The sheets are cold, and for a moment, I wonder if I'm still dreaming. A wet nose nudges the tips of my fingers that dangle over the edge of the mattress, telling me it's time to get up. Throwing the cover aside, I sit up on the edge of the bed and curl my toes against the wood floor, warmed by the rays of light flooding in through the bedroom window. As if to say hello, Chance lets out a bark then scampers out the opened bedroom door. I cross the room and stand in front of the window, feeling the sun on my face.

"Hey, you." I close my eyes and let the sound of her sweet voice penetrate my soul. Six weeks ago, I came damn close to never hearing or seeing her beautiful face again. Turning, my eyes fall on my woman. I take her in. Her white summer dress flutters around her bare feet as she walks into the bedroom, and I have to remind myself to breathe.

Without saying a word, I pull her flush against me, wanting to feel the warmth of her body against my skin. Her scent engulfs me. "You always smell so good." Dipping my head, I cover her mouth with mine stealing her breath as my own. Someone clearing their throat pulls us apart, but only slightly. Across the room, in the doorway, stands my baby sister.

"Should I just eat your share of the bacon?" Poppy smirks, and I know Mum sent her to bug me.

"Those are fightin' words," I say with a playful tone.

Piper smiles at me. "Come on. She's been at it all morning." She pulls on my hand, leading me out the door and into our small kitchen.

"Mum, you've got to stop stealin' my woman every morning."

"I'm getting to know my future daughter-in-law and teaching her how to cook some of your favorite dishes."

"Mum," I sigh. For weeks she's been talking about marriage and babies. I haven't even proposed yet.

"Kora, leave our son alone." My dad walks in from outside, and Chance rolls in behind him. He grins and shakes his head, knowing Mum won't listen. "How are you feeling, son?" he asks.

"Restless. I'm tired of sittin' on my arse all day," I tell him, then ask, "Have Frankie and Molly called?" My other two sisters had to fly back to New Zealand yesterday morning because they had to get back to their jobs. I hated for them to leave. Having my entire family around, crammed into my small house, felt like old times, and I've loved every second of it.

"They made it," my dad says.

I glance around the kitchen and notice the buffet of food covering the countertops. "Mum, what's with all the food?"

"Oh." My mum looks at me, her face beaming. "I invited the boys and their wonderful families out for brunch." She wipes her hands on a kitchen towel, then tosses it near the sink. "Let me fix you some coffee before they arrive." She reaches in the cabinet for a mug.

"I can make my own coffee, Mum." Letting go of Piper, I cross the room. I love her, but she's been running herself ragged ever since I came home from the hospital.

"No, no. You just relax and take it easy," Mum tries shooing me away.

I kiss the top of her head. "Mum, I'm good. The doctor cleared me two days ago. I think I can lift a coffee mug without killin' myself."

My mum spins. "Tai, don't joke like that. We almost lost you." Her voice sounds pained.

"Shit, Mum. I'm sorry." I hug her and look over at my dad, then at Piper, standing with my baby sister. There is nothing like a mother's love, and she has poured her heart into taking care of me without asking for anything in return. My mum sniffles and I feel like a dick for making light of everything. "I appreciate all that you and the rest of the family are doing for Piper and me. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I'd love a cup of coffee." My mum pulls back and smiles up at me. "Sorry for sounding like a shit," I apologize.

"I know I'm a tad overbearing, but taking care of you makes me feel better," she says patting my cheek. "Now, then. If you're feeling up to it, your father could use help setting up the table and chairs on the back porch."

My dad walks over, pulls my mum to him. "I love you, woman." He smashes his lips to her.

"Not in front of the children," my sister says dramatically while covering her eyes, and I laugh.

"Tai, join me outside. Let the ladies get back to women's work," dad jokes, then swats my mum's arse to get a rise out of her, and it works.

"Say that when you're scrubbing the dishes later," Mum grins.

My dad chuckles. "Come on, Son. Slip some shoes on your feet. I've got something I'd like to show you," my dad announces just as we hear the rumble of Harleys approaching. "And your brothers are just in time," he adds. My dad has that look on his face, one where he's trying extremely hard to keep a secret. It's the same look he had every Christmas morning when he woke everyone in the house before sunrise because he couldn't stand waiting any longer to open presents.

Piper hugs my neck. "Why don't you get dressed. I'm going to finish helping your mom and sister." She kisses me just beneath my ear because she knows it drives me wild. I groan and pull her into me, wanting her to feel the effect she has on me. Her eyes widen. "You'd better put that away," she giggles.

"Oh, you're gettin' it tonight," I warn, and her pupils dilate.

"Promise?" Piper whispers. Her nails trail down my bare chest as she steps away.

Several minutes later, I'm dressed and walking out the door onto the back porch. I take in the new railings and fresh paint. My dad has been busy lending a hand and fixing up the place while I've been recovering from my near-death experience. My hand goes to the long scar on my stomach. When I shot the younger Thibadueux brother, he happened to get a shot at me as well. The motherfucker hit me right in the gut, and the bullet traveled around in there, ripping up my insides. I lost a shit ton of blood and had to be resuscitated three times. Fucking scary to know, my heart stopped beating. The surgeon had to slice me open and do exploratory surgery to find and repair what the bullet damaged. Then, there was a high risk of infection following the procedure. In all, I spent three weeks in the hospital.