Chapter Forty-Four
Epilogue
I was in the backyard, putting new sod in along the back fence when Nina came running out of the house holding her phone and yelling, “Dad! Dad! Phone for you! It’s Gramps!”
“Why didn’t he call me on my phone?” I asked, as I pulled off a dirt-covered work glove and took the phone from her.
“This is your phone, Dad,” Nina laughed.
“Hey Pop, what’s up?” I said, as I watched Nina unroll a length of sod and then walk on it with her bare feet. I pulled the phone away and yelled at her, “Hey, get off that! You’re gonna kill the grass before it even has a chance!”
“Blake, what’s going on over there?” my dad asked.
“Nina’s messing with the sod, Pop,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Just wanted to let you know that your mother said we’ll be ready around 4 today,” he replied. “She’s firing up the grill and says you might want to bring a few extra six-packs.”
“Gotcha,” I said. “Anything else we need?”
“Nope, I think you mother’s taken care of everything else,” he said. “Well, except for what you need to bring.”
“Yeah, I got it,” I said, as I watched Nina carefully roll up the sod she’d unrolled and put it back on the pile.
“You sure you’re okay with this, son?” my dad asked.
“Never been surer of anything in my life,” I said with a grin that I was sure he could hear even if he couldn’t see it.
“All right, then we’ll be ready for you this afternoon!” my dad said before hanging up.
“Everything ready?” Nina asked, as I handed the phone back to her.
“So they say,” I nodded, as I pulled on the work glove and grabbed the rake I’d dropped on the lawn. “I just need to finish this before we go.”
“You’re crazy, old man,” Nina sighed then giggled. “You know that, right?”
“So, I’ve been told,” I grinned, as I pulled the rake through the dark earth before spreading a layer of fertilizer on top of it and then mixing it in.
I watched as Nina ran back to the house and up the stairs. It had been a relatively quiet summer compared to the dramatic spring we’d had. Nina had moved in with me the day that the judge had awarded me full custody, and Remy and I had hammered out a visitation schedule that had kept the hard feelings to a minimum. Nina and Remy had been attending counseling sessions on a weekly basis, and while Nina said nothing much had changed, I begged to differ. Remy had softened since the hearing, and she was spending more time trying to get to know Nina rather than control her. It would be a long road to travel to get to a place where they had a relationship like mine and Nina’s, but I could see progress every time Nina came home from a session.
I finished aerating the section I’d been working on and decided it was time to call it a day. I covered the sod with a plastic tarp and put the tools in the garage before heading into the house to take a shower.
I smiled when I walked into the kitchen and saw Nina sitting at the counter cutting up potatoes while Emily washed dishes at the sink. I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist.
“Hey! You’re sweaty and dirty!” she cried, as I kissed the top of her head. “I’m all ready for the barbecue; don’t make me have to clean up again!”
“I’m not that dirty,” I laughed, as I pulled back and saw that I’d left a smudge of mud on her cheek. I reached out to wipe it away but only made it worse. I laughed, “Okay, maybe I am.”
“Dad! Stop getting Emily dirty!” Nina cried, as she shot me a death stare, then picked up a towel and crossed the kitchen to come to Emily’s rescue. Nina wiped the dirt off of Emily’s cheek, then turned and flicked the towel at me shouting, “Go get cleaned up, old man!”
“Hey, hey, hey!” I laughingly protested. “I’m not that old.”
“Well, old or not, go get cleaned up,” Emily laughed, as she turned back to the sink. “Your mother will kill you if we’re late again!”
I headed back to the bathroom to shower and change, feeling happier than I had in a very long time. Emily and I had begun patching things up after the hearing, and while it hadn’t been easy, we’d managed to find a way to make things work. After school was out, she’d signed a summer lease on a house just down the street from mine and stayed with Nina on the nights I was working. We’d talked about moving in together, but she was hesitant to do anything that would cause any more problems at school now that she’d completed all of the requirements of the probation set by the school board. Instead, she’d begun looking for a house that she could buy on my block.
Nina, Emily, and I had spent numerous off days touring houses and talking about how Emily might be able to renovate one of them to meet her needs. Nina focused on making the home Howard-friendly, while Emily thought about how to accommodate her frequent guests - us. She’d put an offer on a house three doors down from mine, but someone else had come in with a higher offer at the last minute. Emily was disappointed, but remained optimistic.
Today we were headed to my parents’ for a barbecue and their annual domino tournament. I was excited to bring Emily to the gathering for the first time and have her meet the rest of the Gaston family, and Nina was excited to be able to bring her new boyfriend, Brandon, to the gathering, despite the fact that I was still on the fence as to whether I liked him or not.
Emily assured me that he was a good student and a nice young man, but I didn’t like the idea of my daughter dating any high school boy at all. After all, I knew what they were like. Every time Brandon came by to pick Nina up for a date, I’d give him the third degree about where they were going and when they’d be back. If Emily was around, she’d smile and intervene to give the boy a break, but I wanted him to fear me enough to ensure that my daughter arrived home safe and sound — and on time.
I had just finished shaving when Emily entered the bathroom and gave me the once-over.
“Mmm, you look very good, Mr. Gaston,” she said with a smile as she walked toward the mirror. She looked beautiful in a blue summer sundress with her long blonde hair spilling across her shoulders. I turned, pulled her into my arms, and kissed her deeply. She rested her palms on my chest as we kissed and I quickly felt myself approaching the point of no return, as I always did when she touched me. Emily pulled back a little and whispered, “You smell amazing. Better get ready, big guy, or I’m going to be the one making us late today.”
I grinned suggestively at her as I put my hand on the edge of the towel I had tucked around my waist. She laughed loudly and shook her head as she moved away.
“What? Suddenly I’m chopped liver?” I pouted.
“Oh, I think you know you’re not,” she laughed. “But do you want to explain to your mother why you made us late again?
“No, I don’t think I do,” I grumbled
It didn’t take me long to get dressed, and by the time I joined Emily and Nina in the living room, Brandon had arrived and was pacing nervously behind the couch. We shook hands, and as he looked to Nina for reassurance, I pulled him toward me and slapped him on the back saying, “Son, it’s all good. Relax.”
“Yes, sir,” he nodded solemnly, before letting go of my hand and taking Nina’s. I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, Emily slipped her hand in mind and pushed me toward the door.
“Got everything, Dad?” Nina called, as we walked toward the truck.
“Yep!” I replied.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“I’m sure!” I said, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Now will you let it go?”
“Okay, okay,” she said, holding up her hands in surrender. “Just trying to be helpful. Don’t shoot the messenger.”
I chuckled as I slid into the driver’s seat and stuck the key in the ignition. Emily shot me a questioning look from the passenger seat, but I just shook my head and waved her off. As we pulled out of the driveway, I was Jake and Kathy standing in their front yard smiling and waving. I offered a quick wave and a smile before I put the truck in drive.
“You’ve got some really nice neighbors,” Emily commented, as she smiled and waved. “We should invite them over for dinner sometime.”
“Uh, yeah,” I said looking away. “Sure.”
“Do you not like them, Blake?” she asked.
“Long story,” I said, glancing up at the rear view mirror and then back at the road in front of me. “I’ll explain later.”
When we arrived at my parents’ house, the driveway was empty, but cars lined the street. When we got out and began to unload the food and beer from the back of the truck, Brian and his friends came rushing out the front door and swept it all inside without a word.
“That’s weird,” Emily said, watching the posse of guys move back into the house.
“C’mon, let’s go around back and see what my dad’s cooked up,” I said, as I reached out and took her hand.
We walked around the side of the house, and as I flipped open the side gate, I could hear voices chattering excitedly. I held tight to Emily’s hand as we rounded the corner. She gasped when she saw the crowd of people standing around my parents’ backyard, sipping cocktails and looking around expectantly.
“Blake, what’s going on?” Emily asked, looking up at me and then back at the crowd. “Why are all of these — Mother? Daddy? Becca? KO? What are you doing here?”
“Ellie and Alan came to see us and asked us to come to the barbecue,” my mother said in a stilted voice. “We knew you might not want to see us, but we wanted to make an effort to see you.”
“But why here? Why now?” Emily asked.
“I think Blake can explain better than we can,” her father stepped forward and hugged her quickly before backing away again.
“Blake, what’s going on?” Emily asked, obviously confused by the entire scene. I nodded at my brother and when he hit play on his phone the first lines of Elvis singing one of the greatest love songs ever filtered through the patio speakers.
“Wise men say, only fools rush in, but I can’t help…falling in love with you.”
“Emily, I wanted everyone here today because I wanted the to hear me say how much I love you,” I said, as I faced her and took both her hands. “I’ve known you were someone special from the first time I laid eyes on you.”
“You mean when I lectured you about how you needed to help Nina improve her grades or the time I burned my house down and you rescued me?” Emily said with a wry grin, and the crowd laughed.
“I mean when you could have collapsed, and you didn’t; you took care of Howard, and you found a way to push forward despite losing everything,” I said, looking into her eyes. “You are strong and smart, and you inspire me to be a better person.”
“Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? For I can’t help…falling in love with you.”
“I love you, too, Blake,” Emily said, smiling warmly up at me.
“So, I thought it would be a good idea to have everyone we love here today,” I said, taking a deep breath.
“Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can’t help falling in love with you.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small blue box I’d been carrying for months as I dropped to one knee and said, “Emily Fowler, will you do me the great honor of agreeing to be my wife?”
I flipped the box open to reveal a simple round diamond set in a platinum band. Emily gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she looked at the ring and then back at me in utter shock. I plucked the ring out of the box and held it out as an offering as I waited for her reply.
There were tears in her eyes as she nodded, and then she held out her hand so that I could put the ring on her finger. As I slid the ring on her finger, she whispered, “Oh Blake, yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!”
The entire crowd burst into applause and cheers as I quickly hopped to my feet and wrapped my arms around her waist to pull her in for a big kiss. Emily wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back. When she pulled back to look at me, I could see her eyes shining as she smiled up at me.
We turned and faced the crowd of people who had gathered to celebrate our engagement, and together we raised our linked hands in a sign of victory. Nina stepped forward out of the crowd and wrapped her arms around both of us, then turned and yelled, “She said yes!”
The music burst forth from the stereo, and the party began in earnest as everyone surged forward to congratulate us on our engagement. It was heartening to see Emily’s parents genuinely happy for us, and I hoped that in the coming months, we’d be able to build some bridges that would enable us to keep them in our lives, but if not, then I knew we’d be fine.
“I’m proud of you, son,” my dad said, as he put an arm around me and looked over at Emily, who was now laughing with Nina and my mother as they flipped burgers on the grill together. “She’s a good woman, and she’ll be a great addition to this family.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I said, as I smiled and accepted a beer from my brother.
“Yeah, maybe she’ll like you enough to add another little Gaston to the mix,” Brian said, slugging my shoulder.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” I laughed. “We’ve got a teenager in the house now, and I’m not sure Emily is going to want to start over.”
“Not want to start over what?” Emily asked, as she joined us and took my hand. I raised it to my lips and kissed it before I replied.
“Start a whole new family after raising a teenager,” I said, smiling at her.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” she grinned, then leaned in and whispered, “But we’ve got plenty of time to practice.”
“I love you, Emily,” I said, as I leaned down and kissed her.
BILLIONAIRE ON FIRE
By Claire Adams
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Claire Adams
Billionaire on Fire Volume 1
Chapter One
Cam
"Engine One, Truck One, Ambulance Forty-One, residential fire at Monroe and Oakley," the voice said over the loud speaker. I looked over at Danny Newsome and then ran as fast as I could to grab my gear and hop on the truck.
"C'mon, Connor, let’s move!" Newsome yelled at me. "Let's go, let's go!"
I shot Danny a grateful look as he swung up into the seat next to me just before the engine pulled out of the station. Driver Mike Kelly turned on the siren as he drove like a bat out of hell down Van Buren toward the fire. I gritted my teeth and looked out the window. Cars pulled to the side as the siren screamed its warning and the city blocks rushed by. The houses along the way became a blur as Kelly pressed harder on the gas pedal and flew toward the fire.
Danny and I were ready to jump out before the engine came to a full stop. We grabbed the huge hoses and hauled them to the hydrants while the rest of the squad began pulling out the tools we'd need once we got inside. I unscrewed the cover on the hydrant and twisted the metal end of the hose onto the threads before tightening it. Danny grabbed the metal bar we used and cranked the lever that opened the water flow.
"Ready!" I yelled as I ran toward the house aiming the nozzle at the flames leaping out of the windows, but the more I sprayed the higher the flames leapt. I cursed under my breath as I braced myself and held the stream on one spot knowing that if I could put it out, all would not be lost. I could feel the sweat running down my body inside my jacket and felt my uniform being drenched as I held my ground.
"Cam!" Danny called. "Cam, ease up, the guys gotta go in! Let 'em in!"
I braced myself against the porch railing and kept aiming the water at the flames that were quickly consuming the house. Danny tried to pull me back, but I shook him off and continued my one-man attempt at putting out the fire. Danny pulled at me again, but this time I shoved him hard and moved forward with a singular goal in mind.
"Connor!" Chief Riley shouted as I ran up the stairs and into the house spraying water into the flames. "Connor, step down!"
"No, Chief, I won't!" I shouted back. "I'm not gonna lose it!"
"CONNOR! That's an order not a request!" Chief yelled as he grabbed my arm and yanked me off the porch. "Get your ass off the porch and let the guys get in there and fight the damn fire!"
"No, no, no!" I yelled as I flailed against the Chief's grip. "Let me go! Let me go!
"QUINN!"
Chief Riley pushed me to the ground and stood over me daring me to get up. The next thing I knew, I was rubbing my elbow and cursing as a warm wet tongue bathed my face. I shook my head and opened my eyes to find myself face to face with Tesla, my big yellow Lab. She was frantically licking my face as her tail wagged a mile a minute. Her breath was terrible, and I threw up a hand to stop the onslaught.
"Get back, girl," I grumbled as I gently pushed her away from my face. "I don't need a bath right now."
Tesla sat down and began softly whining and pawing at me as I leaned against the bed and held my head in my hands. I felt like crying, but like many, many times before this, the tears wouldn't come.
I looked up at the clock and realized I had to be at the station in two hours. That would give me just enough time to take Tesla for a run, make coffee, and grab a hot shower before I had to face another day of fighting Chicago fires.
"C'mon, girl," I said as I patted my dog on her head and smiled down at her. I was rewarded with a furious tail thumping on the floor as I said, "Let's go for a run."