One month later
Kenzie
I opened the door to my apartment and smiled at the sight before me. Jeremy and Cole were lying on the floor on their stomachs colouring in drawings together. Matching black t-shirts. Jean-covered legs bent at the knees and crossed at the ankles. Their shoes were even the same. Seemed my son had another idol, other than his Uncle Ryder, to look up to.
“Hi, Mumma,” Cole said, barely even glancing at me.
“Hey, babe,” Jeremy said, not lifting his gaze from the car he was colouring in.
“Nice to see you both too.” I slipped off my jacket and hung it on the hook behind the door before collapsing on the sofa and watching my men hard at work.
My men.
I loved that.
And them.
It was such a relief to be able to relax in my own apartment, finally. The weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and I felt lighter. Calmer and more at ease. Nothing worried me anymore. I was happy, truly happy, and so was my son. And I had no doubt it had everything to do with tattooed bad boy who played his music too damn loud and had a heart of gold.
Chace was arrested and charged. They wanted me to testify in court, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to see his face ever again. He should have served time, but “somehow” was let off with a fine and good behaviour bond. No doubt Daddy Stephens paid off the right people to keep his son out of trouble. It was what they did, after all. Didn’t like the consequences, pay someone to make them go away.
But regardless, he wasn’t allowed anywhere near me or my son again. I had cameras installed in my apartment, an alarm, and I had a restraining order against him. He so much as stepped foot in Blackhill, one phone call to the police and they’d lock him up, regardless of how much money his dad tried to throw around.
Rumour had it, though, that Chace wouldn’t be a problem again, anyway. Jack, ever the gossiper that he was, rang to tell me one day Chace was there, the next he was gone. His clothes and everything packed up and gone. Apparently, according to Jack, Chace’s parents were disgusted with his behaviour and couldn’t believe he tarnished their reputation by stalking me. They thought he was crazy and were none too impressed that he wanted to see Cole, so they checked him into a “health clinic” to fix his mind. To get him the help he needed.
So, life was good.
“You guys gonna get washed up and ready to leave?” I asked.
It was Sunday night, and that meant dinner at the Kellermans’.
They both groaned and whined at the same time, “Do we have to?”
“Yes, you do. Now, get up and pack up your mess and get ready.” I clapped in encouragement.
Cole heaved out a sigh. “This sucks.”
“I know, little man, but we better do as we’re told.”
It was a momentous occasion tonight.
Johnny and Julie were going as well. It was a celebration of new partnerships and new beginnings.
Jeremy officially took over the running of the roadhouse tomorrow and was opening his own garage. He and Ryder had worked hard over the last few weeks finalising details and getting everything ready, and it was finally time.
Johnny and Julie were stepping back and handing the reins over completely. Except for Sundays. Their idea, not Jeremy’s or Ryder’s. Said it was because Sunday night was Kellermans night, and they couldn’t have anyone cancelling on that because they had to flip burgers on the grill. So, Johnny and Julie would remain and work one day a week, and the rest of the time, they were free.
“Come on, we’re going to be late,” I called down the hall when I heard Cole giggling from the bathroom.
“We’re coming!” Jeremy yelled back.
Moments later, they both walked out of the bathroom wearing the same smirks on their faces and red cheeks.
I didn’t want to know what sort of trouble they got up to in there. I was afraid to look.
I came home from work one day to see the words “I kinda like you” written on the mirror in lipstick.
Apparently, Jeremy had caught Cole writing on the mirror and told him if he didn’t want to get in trouble with me, he had to write something I wouldn’t be mad about. And to prove his point, he wrote that.
Yeah.
He wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t get mad because it was sweet, and I loved hearing him say it.
And now it was Cole’s thing too. He told Jeremy all the time with a laugh that he kinda liked him too, and it made my heart hurt…in a good way.
A very good way.
“Hi-ho, hi-ho,” Cole sang as he skipped down the stairs.
“It’s off to the Kellermans’ we go,” Jeremy sang along, shooting me a wink over his shoulder as he grabbed Cole’s hand and skipped down the stairs with him while I locked the apartment up.
By the time I got outside, Jeremy had Cole buckled in and was closing his car door.
“Thank you.” I smiled up at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek because I knew Cole was watching. “And thank you for watching him today.”
“I kinda like the kid as much as his mother, so I don’t mind.” He pinched my chin and pressed his lips to mine. I sighed and leaned into him.
“We kind of like you too.”
“And you can thank me properly later, Nurse Jones.” He laughed and jumped away as I reached out to swat him.
Turned out, that nurse’s costume wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
READ ON for an exclusive preview of Book 5 in the Scandalous series, Audrey and the Hero Upstairs, coming soon from Limitless Publishing