AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His smile stretches into a toothy grin. “You’re looking at the newest millionaire in North Carolina.”
Epilogue
Jared
OneYearLater
I scrawl the St. Patrick’s Day specials onto the chalkboard, just as I do every year. But this is the first time I’m doing it at our secondary location. Lake Mercury Slice has been open for almost a month, and I couldn't be more proud of it. It’s a crisp spring day and a gentle breeze causes ripples to form on the surface of the lake. Where the sunlight hits the water, it sparkles like thousands of diamonds, reminding me of Mikki’s wedding band.
Located at the Lake Mercury Marina, the restaurant has a dock for access directly from the water. Our dockside carryout special is already a hit with the fishermen. It’s going to be a smashing success this summer. When the water warms up this summer, the lake will be full of hungry boaters, swimmers, and water skiers.
“Jared!”
I can’t suppress a grin as I turn to see my beautiful wife glaring at me.Even with a scowl on her face, she’s breathtaking.For the millionth time, I wonder how I got so lucky. “Yes, my love?” I ask, though I know exactly what she’s going to say.
She folds her arms across her ample chest. “You misspelled ‘leprechaun’ again. I know you did it on purpose just to vex me.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Just tosexyou, you say?”
Her eyes flick involuntarily to my crotch and my body instantly responds. “I said v-vex,” she stammers.
“Are you sure?” My voice is a growl, desperate with need for my beautiful bride.
Before she can respond, I pull her into my arms for a kiss. Her mouth falls open in a gasp. How she can still be surprised every time I pull her into my arms is beyond me, but Iloveit. It’s an ever-present reminder of her innocence—of the fact that I’m the only the only man who’s ever made her moan in ecstasy.
Her open mouth is the only invitation I need to sweep my tongue inside. I kiss her deeply, twining my fingers in her thick, red curls and spinning with her so that her back is pressed into the chalkboard. I grind my cock against her as our tongues tangle, wanting nothing more than to be inside her. Right here. Right now.Customers be damned. We’re not opening tonight.
But it’s not possible. Mikki loves Mercury Slice too much. And truth be told, so do I. St. Patrick’s Day is too important, and the rest of the staff will start arriving soon. Mustering every ounce of my willpower, I gently push her away. We both breathe heavily, staring into each other’s eyes.
“To be continued,” I promise.
She sighs but nods in agreement. Her eyes drift to the chalkboard. The words are smudged to the point of illegibility from where her back was pressed against it. Mikki blushes, her cheeks turning a lovely rosy color. It’s adorable.
She clears her throat before turning her gaze back to me. “While you’re fixing the board, maybe you can spell ‘leprechaun’ correctly this time?”
I pick up my piece of chalk and grin. “We’ll see, boss.”
She sighs, placing a hand on her stomach. “I guess we’ll have to name our little one ‘Leprechaun.’ Then maybe you’ll learn to spell it.”
The chalk slips from my fingers, breaking into several pieces when it hits the tile floor. “Are you…? Are we…?”
Her eyes well with happy tears as she nods. “You’re going to be a daddy.”
This time when my lips meet hers, I kiss her gently, protectively cupping her belly in the palms of my hands.My Mikki. My baby. My family.
I want to hold Mikki in my arms forever, but we really do have a lot to do before the customers arrive. After several long minutes, I let her go, returning to the task of writing the specials on the chalkboard.
I hesitate before writingleprechaun, debating whether to spell it correctly for once. But I just can't do it. Teasing Mikki is too much fun. Twirling the chalk in my fingers, I say, “So, Mik, if we name the baby Leprechaun, we could use Connie for a nickname. That could be a girl’s name or a boy’s name, right?”
“No,” Mikki says, shaking her head. “We arenotnaming our child Leprechaun!”
My grin widens. “Are you sure? I thought that was the only way I’d learn to spell it?”
She laughs, and the sound washes over me like a warm breeze. “Fine. You win. You can spellleprechaunwrong for the rest of our lives.”
I gasp in mock horror. “Did the Spelling Bee Champion just tell me to spell a wordincorrectly?”
A smile stretches across Mikki’s face. “I guess some things change.”
As I gaze into my wife’s beautiful face, I see the woman I’ve loved for so long. My best friend. The mother of my child. My heart.
“Some things change,” I agree, my voice husky. “But some things never will.”
