Epilogue
“We’re teaching Randy to roll over,” James said solemnly, and Storm grinned from his place on his new memory foam chair.
“How’s he doing?” Storm asked and laughed when he saw Nathan rolling over in front of a confused-looking Randy as if showing the dog how to do a new trick.
“Not good, but we’ll learn him,” Nathan said with a smile.
“You’ll teach him,” Everly corrected before sinking into the large cushion next to Storm.
“That’s what I said,” Nathan said before rolling over again. Randy sank down on his belly and rested his head on his paws.
“He’s not doing it,” James sighed.
“He’ll learn eventually,” Storm said. “We’ll get Wes over here to help since I can’t crawl on the ground with you right now.”
“Just don’t overdo it. Any of you.” Everly sounded calm when she said it, but he heard the tension in her tone. Storm slowly lifted his arm, and Everly cautiously leaned against him. They were always so careful since the accident, and he didn’t fault either of them for it, but he was beyond ready to be able to hold her in his arms or have him on top of her…or under her…or behind her.
Everly bit his earlobe, and he groaned. “Stop thinking about that right now, mister.”
He looked down at his sweats and pulled a blanket on top of his lap. “Oops. Well, at least that still works.”
“Don’t even joke like that,” Everly whispered. “Okay, boys, show us what you’ve done with Randy so far.”
The boys started rolling over and Randy plopped on his back. Storm called that a win. “Good job.” He moved slowly to kiss the top of Everly’s head and was damned happy that he didn’t feel any pain. It was odd, but the surgery he’d gone through had actually helped his earlier back pain. He would never be one hundred percent, but he’d be able to move around better than he used to in a couple of months if not weeks.
Storm tried not to think about how everything had changed so quickly over the past few weeks, months. He’d talked to Clay earlier while the boys had been in the tub with Everly watching over them and still couldn’t get that conversation out of his head. The kid had been distraught over everything that had happened.
It wasn’t just the fact that his aunt was dead, because damn it, Storm felt for the kid, but now there were three children out there that were now orphans, and Clay would have to be there, trying to help with everything he possibly could. According to Clay, the kids would be taken care of by his grandparents, with Clay helping when he could. Storm wasn’t sure what the right answer was, he just knew that things would get harder before they got easier.
Everly knew James and Nathan needed to spend time with their brothers and sister, though they were too young to understand that now. No one knew how things would work out or how much damage might occur along the way, but Storm and Everly would be part of Clay’s life for a long time to come.
Things had definitely changed and hadn’t gotten any easier, but now he wasn’t alone.
“I should do more unpacking,” Everly said after a few more minutes.
Storm shook his head. “Wait until my sisters get here to help. That way, I can have you in my arms a bit longer.” He still couldn’t believe Everly had moved in that week. Between his recovery time and the fact that Jackson’s memory had been in each room of Everly’s old home, they had decided that she and the boys would move in to see how it all worked out. So far so good, he thought, and knew that as soon as he was able to get down on one knee, he’d propose.
Things had moved fast for them, yet in reality, it had taken years for them to see who they were to each other. He’d fallen in love with his friend’s wife and hadn’t realized it. Everly was everything to him, her and the boys. He’d gone from being a confirmed bachelor with pain in his heart that he never thought he’d overcome, and had ended up with a woman he loved, and two children whose lives he was honored to be a part of.
“So…”
He looked down at Everly and smiled. “What?”
“I know we’re not engaged, but your mother has practically adopted me…can I get the Montgomery Ink brand?” She fluttered her eyelashes at him, and he fell that much more in love with her.
“You want our MI tattoo?” he asked, surprised. “I didn’t think you’d want ink.”
“It’s kind of your family’s thing, and your ink is kind of hot. Just saying.” She kissed his jaw, and he moved so he could take her mouth.
“I think you with our ink would be fucking sexy. So, yes, get the ink, and when we’re ready, you’ll get a ring, too.”
She kissed him again, and the boys laughed and clapped as Randy barked, the noise increasing with each passing moment, and Storm wouldn’t have it any other way. His life had changed so much he could barely keep up, but he was one damned lucky man.
“You’re so romantic.”
“Yeah? Well, later, when the boys are in bed, I’ll show you exactly how romantic I can be.” He bit her lip before licking the sting away. “You’ll have to be on top, of course.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll go slow, baby. Don’t worry.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” He kissed her again, and knew that no matter what happened from this point on, he had everything he wanted.
He just hadn’t known he’d fall the way the other Montgomerys in his life had in order to get it.
THE END
Up Next:
Wes and Jillian. Finally.