Epilogue
Molly
“Tell me something.”
I dropped the diaper bag next to my feet. “If you want me to carry anything else, I’m going to have to tell you to shove it up your butt.”
Kellan chuckled and shook his head. “I was going to ask how you look so beautiful day in and day out.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Nice save, hottie.”
He held out his phone. “Also, can you take a couple of pictures of me during the belt promotion?”
“Knew there was something more you wanted from me. All you do is get me pregnant and ask me to hold stuff anymore.”
He pulled me into his arms and buried his face in my neck. “Twice I’ve gotten you pregnant, and the only reason you had to carry everything today was because I had to leave before you.”
So, maybe he was right. My morning struggle of getting Kam and Kyle out the door had traumatized me today. “Well, next time you leave when I leave.”
“Sounds like a plan, cookie.”
He nuzzled my neck, and I closed my eyes. “What have I told you about doing this when you’re in your karate outfit?”
“And how many times do I have to tell you it’s a gi and not an outfit.
“At least six more times.”
“Do I wanna know where you stashed the kids?”
I pulled back and hitched a thumb over my shoulder. “Hadley kidnapped them before I even had the car in park.”
Kellan shook his head. “Tate needs to knock her up. I swear to God, she’s going to seriously take Kam one day.”
“Could we really blame her? She’s damn adorable.”
“Just like her mama. If she starts baking cookies like you, you know Dante is going to get in on kidnapping her.”
“Cookies?” Dante peeked his head out of the back office. “You brought cookies?” A naked baby came streaking out of the office, waving a diaper in the air. “Hey, get back here, you little rascal.”
“Dante,” Kennedy called, “how the hell did you hear her say cookies? We’re knee-deep in dirty diapers over here. Get Roxie back here.”
Dante chased after Roxie and scooped her up in his arms. “Cookie!” she squealed.
“I seriously can’t believe he taught her to call you Cookie,” Kellan laughed.
“Let’s get back to Mama, little lady.”
Dante was shameless. He was passing down the cookie addiction gene to his daughter.
“Oh Lord. Naked baby.” Sam walked through the front door with his hand over his eyes. “Someone guide me. I’m too young to be traumatized like this.” He blindly reached up, and Roman grabbed his hand.
Dante ducked back into the office with a flying, naked baby in his arms.
“You’re ten, dude. Chill out.” Roman nudged Sam through the door with Rose holding his other hand and Sage bringing up the rear holding Ben. “Let your mom in the door.” Sage stepped through the door with Mary and Dale behind her. After almost a year of Mary refusing to accept anything Sage or Dale had to say about Jack, she finally came around. Sage told me that sometimes it was tense between Roman and them, but they made it work.
Mary and Dale made their way to the chairs by the mat while Sage and Roman hung back.
“Is today over yet? I swear, it’s like getting a football team ready instead of just three kids.” Sage blew her hair out of her face and smiled.
Oh, but she loved it. Just like I loved having Kellan, Kam, and Kyle drive me insane.
“You didn’t by chance see Tate and Hadley out there, did you?” I logically knew Hadley wouldn’t kidnap my kids, but there was a slight fear in the back of my head.
Roman smirked. “Tate was holding Kam, and Kyle was jumping in puddles with Hadley and Ryker.”
“Oh, sweet heavens. What is going through that woman’s head?” I grabbed the diaper bag off the floor and handed it to Kellan. “Put that next to my chair. I’m gonna make that woman wash Kyle’s clothes, and then she’ll see why she’s a butthead.”
I pushed opened the door and hollered. “Kyle Ray Wright and Ryker Krane, get your butts out of that puddle right now. You too, Hadley Holten. I ought to tan your butt right here.”
Tate busted out laughing and bounced Kam in his arms. “Busted,” he sang out.
“Get your busted butts in here and wash up. Your cousin Sam is about to go for his second-degree black belt, and you guys are jumping around like a bunch of monkeys.”
“Mama,” Kyle called. “It’s fun!” He stomped his foot in the puddle and splashed Hadley.
“That is what you get!” I gloated at Hadley.
“Hey, you can do the same thing with my kid, and we’ll call it even,” she hollered back.
I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the door. “That would be fine and dandy if you actually had a kid and didn’t steal ours to do naughty things with.”
She shrugged. “All part of being the fun aunt. In eight months, you can start corrupting baby Holten.”
“Wait, you what?” I sputtered.
“I’m having a baby!” she hollered.
Holy hell, miracles did happen. Tate and Hadley had been struggling to have a baby for the past two years. I was the only one Hadley had confided in they were trying everything under the sun and nothing was happening. “How the hell did that happen?” I laughed.
“I stopped trying, and Tate stopped wearing underwear.” She held her arms up in the air and spun around.
Ryker grumbled and headed to the door. “That was way more than I needed to know,” he mumbled as he walked past me. “I really need to get my own place.”
“You live in the pool house, dude.” Kellan laughed.
Hadley rounded up Kyle and walked into the dojo holding Tate’s hand.
We all crowded around them, hugging and crying. Well, the girls were crying. They guys were telling Tate it was about damn time he joined the Ninja Dad Club.
“All right, all right. People are starting to pull up,” Kellan called. “Sam, you go get warmed up. Everyone else, unless you have a gi on, go get your butts in your chairs.”
I grabbed the bag from Kellan, but he caught me by my wrist and pulled me close. “You happy now, cookie?”
Okay, so maybe I had told Kellan about Tate and Hadley. I beamed up at him and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Never been happier.”
“You tell me that every day.”
“Because every day is better than the last.”