Epilogue #2 - A River Bend Reunion
“Evan! Get your little butt back here!” Ally pushed to her feet as fast her burgeoning baby bump would allow and took off toward the kitchen, hot on the tail of her half-naked toddler.
“Sheriff, so help me God if your kid takes a piss on my floor…” Reed cocked an eyebrow at Mark, who second-naturedly stuck out a hand and snagged his pantless kid by the arm without even looking. The little boy giggled and squirmed as Mark scooped him up and hiked him over his shoulder before he could disappear down the back hall.
“Where you going, son?” Mark playfully paddled the kid’s bare cheeks while Ally blew the hair from her face, propped her hands on her hips, and stretched her back, pull-up in hand.
“I’m not sure I want to do this again,” she said breathlessly, handing the diaper to her husband.
“Too late for that, lady.” Maddie laughed from the couch, a sleeping infant of her own snuggled in her arms. “In fact, you’d better permanently hand over diaper duty to Mark or one of these times you’ll end up stuck on the floor, waiting for him to come home and rescue you.”
“Yep. While little E has his way with all the junk food he can handle,” Jenny added with a wink. Her husband Brody snorted from behind her, bottle of beer in hand.
“I can just see it,” the Marine said. “Cheetos and chocolate pudding from one end of the house the other.”
“Ugh. When does your paternity leave begin again?” Ally whimpered, as Mark wrestled the kid back to the floor and redressed him.
“As soon as you pop, babe.”
“Good Lord, that can’t happen soon enough.”
Josh smiled from the outskirts of the living room, quietly watching his best friends, whose lives had changed so much in the past few years. It wasn’t a surprise that they’d all settled down, but the fact that they’d all remained so close--now more than ever--was a blessing he’d always be grateful for.
“Sweetie, can you help me get the turkey out of oven?” Mia appeared in the doorway with oven mitts in hand, a smudge of what looked like mashed potatoes on her cheek. “Not saying I can’t handle a twenty-five-pound bird by myself, but I know how much you like to be needed.”
Across the room, Reed grinned that dopey grin of his. “Yep, and I especially appreciated your need for me this morning.”
Nicole rolled her eyes and Tony gave a disgusted grunt, nodding to a small table beside the couch, where his daughter, Brianna, colored. “Little ears, man, little ears!”
Reed chuckled as he approached his wife. “Oh, really? You expect me to believe you worry about those little ears when Nic needs you? You’re full of shit, dude.”
“Language!” Mia swung one of the mitts at her husband’s head, but he ducked away, still laughing.
“Babe,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. “You know you love my potty mouth.”
Spunky chick that she was, Mia used the opportunity to smack him repeatedly until he lifted her off the floor and carried her, kicking and protesting, back to the kitchen.
Josh chuckled. Seeing his best friend so happy never ceased to stir a feel-good warmth in his chest. After everything they’d been through, foolishly questioning the strength of their friendship, and after all Reed had dealt with in regard to his father’s true identity, it was a relief knowing his friend was finally in a good place. And with a good woman.
A place Josh was familiar with himself. Point proven when Carissa stuck her head around the corner from the back hall and crooked her finger at him.
“Babe, you got a minute?” she asked softly, which probably mean Joselyn was finally asleep in the guest bedroom. She’d come down with a cold as the seasons changed and, for a short time, Josh wasn’t sure they’d even make it to Reed and Mia’s second Thanksgiving of the year--this one for friends only.
“Yeah, of course.” He tipped back the last swallow of his beer, set the bottle on the table, and followed after his wife, who held a finger to her lips as she lead him through the guest bedroom. As he suspected, Joselyn was snoozing quietly in the playpen, a lock of dark hair falling across her forehead.
“That took longer than I thought,” Carissa whispered, carefully closing the bathroom door behind them. “Everything going okay out there?” she asked, blowing out a breath while she wet a washcloth in the sink and dabbed it against her face.
Curious, he nodded and took a seat on the edge of the tub. “Yeah. Turkey just came out of the oven. Ryan and Rose aren’t here yet, though.”
His gorgeous bride hummed. “I’m excited to see them.”
“Me, too.” Ryan was missed daily on the Hudson Contracting crew, but the opportunity he’d found in California had been too good to pass up. And then there was Rosemary. The love of his life. “You okay, babe?” Josh asked, reaching for his own piece of forever.
She nodded, sighed, and pressed her lips into a small smile as she took a seat next to him. “The test was negative again.”
Ah. So that’s why she’d been so quiet today. “You know that’s okay, right?”
“Yeah,” she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder when he pulled her close. “I know we’ve only been trying for a few months and, after all Dan and Maddie have gone through, I have no reason to be upset, but…”
“But you are.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re allowed to feel that way. Hell, I’m disappointed, too.”
“You are?” She blinked up at him, her dark eyes filling with shame. As if them not getting pregnant this month was all on her. Silly girl.
“Yeah, but not because Josie’s has to wait for a sibling.”
Carissa’s brow furrowed.
“Because I have to wait for your hot mama bod to bloom.” He waggled his eyebrows and his wife’s elbow connected sternly with his ribs.
“Ugh, you’re such a weirdo.” She got to her feet again, but he was right behind her, caging her in against the counter. One hand braced against the cool granite, the other swept her hair from her neck so his mouth could play. “Josh,” she groaned, only half-heartedly trying to shrug him off.
“You’re saying it’s weird for me to be insanely attracted to my wife?” While his lips explored, teasing and sucking her soft skin, his hips found the warm curve of her ass. The connection was so familiar, so right, so...home that his dick began to immediately harden. “See what you do to me?”
In the reflection of the mirror, he watched her eyelashes flutter shut and her lips part in a silent gasp. “Put that away,” she whispered, once again with only a hint of conviction. “Josie’s sleeping and--”
“Exactly.” He cut her off by tugging her hair and angling her face up to his. Her eyes flickered open just long enough to expose her dilated pupils and the longing he knew he’d find there. “No one’s would dare knock and risk waking her up, now would they?”
The prettiest blush colored her cheeks and the faintest of smiles curled at her lips. “You’re bad, Mr. Hudson.”
“Only with you, Mrs. Hudson.” He crushed his mouth to hers while she went at his fly with knowing fingers.
Whether they had more babies or not mattered little to him. What he lived and breathed for every day of his life was making Carissa the happiest woman in River Bend.
Even in his best friend’s bathroom.
***
“They’re totally doing it.” Jenny flicked a glance at her watch and smiled. “Gotta hand it to ‘em, knowing full well we’re all out here, making assumptions.”
Maddie snickered and Dan muttered something about his brother’s lack of manners.
“What was that?” Tony spoke up, pinning Dan with a smirk. “Because, as I recall, the last time we got together at Josh’s place, someone ended up with a black eye in the bathroom.”
Maddie bit her lips together to hold back the laughter. “Towel rack one, Dan zero.”
The lawyer swung a glance to his wife that quickly melted into a guilty grin. “Hey, I took one for the team. Don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy yourself.”
She rolled her eyes and Jenny giggled from a distance. “So, how many of you have broken in the bathroom at our place? I’m dying to know.”
Nicole shot Tony a pointed look, but it was too late. He’d already lifted his hand. “I hadn’t seen her all week. She was working swing shift. Had to make the most of the time we had together.”
Nic chucked a pillow at her fiancé, her face as pink as the punch in her glass. “Seriously?”
Tony shrugged, not the least bit embarrassed, as far as Jenny could tell. That was Tony, though, at least where Nicole was concerned. They were set to get married in just over a month, on New Year’s Eve, and it wouldn’t surprise Jenny one bit if they started adding onto the family shortly thereafter. Brianna was four now and it was obvious that being a dad looked good on Tony.
Jenny had to wonder--would it look good on Brody, too? Because in just seven and half months, they’d find out for sure. Somehow, they’d managed to keep the pregnancy a secret for a month now. But every time they got together like this, with so many of their friends already parents or in the family way, it became harder and harder to keep quiet. To help, they’d made Christmas cards to announce the news. They’d go out in the mail in two weeks and Brody, bless his heart, thought these would be the longest two weeks of the pregnancy. Poor guy didn’t know what he had coming.
She smiled up at him and he bent to press a kiss to her forehead.
Clueless or not, there was no one else she’d rather take this journey with.
***
“You think it’s juicy enough?” Mia asked, setting the slices of turkey onto a serving platter as Reed cut them.
“Looks good to me, babe.” He waited until she transferred another piece before he winked. “And, trust me, I’m an expert when it comes to judging the right amount of juice.”
Slug.
Reed laughed when her fist connected with his arm. “What? You know I’m right.”
“We’re about to share a meal of gratitude with our dearest friends and you’re thinking about sex. What is wrong with you?”
“Um, have you forgotten that I’m married to the sexiest, most smokin’ lady in town?” She rolled her eyes and he held up his hands. “Babe, if that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.”
She did her best to keep from laughing, but Mia’s weak spot where he was concerned won out and she crumbled into a fit of giggles. “Why do I put up with you? I may need a reminder.”
“Ah.” Now that he could do. Setting down the knife, he quickly pulled her in for an embrace. “We already know you like my dirty mouth,” he husked in her ear. “And I’m pretty sure my dirty mind is right there with it.”
“Hmm…” She wound her arms around his neck and held him close. “I do like the way you think about most things.”
“Most?”
She nodded and pulled back just enough to lock her eyes with his. “I don’t want to wait to share the news. I know you’re worried about jinxing things, but I have a really good feeling about this and, if it doesn’t work out, our friends are going to be our biggest supporters, either way.”
He didn’t doubt that for a second--it was Mia he’d been trying to protect. Her heart and her feelings. But if she was sure… “You know they’re going to be over the moon, right?”
Her dark eyes lit up and her grin stretched wide across her gorgeous face. “I know. That’s why I want them to know about the adoptions.”
Reed chuckled and lowered a soft kiss to her lips. “You’re going to be a gorgeous mother, you know that?”
“You might’ve mentioned that before.” She tugged at his hair and stole another kiss when the doorbell rang.
“Ah, that’s gotta be Ryan and Rosemary.”
“The more, the merrier!” Giving him another quick peck, Mia hurried off to answer the door, leaving Reed to watch his wife eagerly skip out of the room.
Never, in his all of his years, had he expected to end up here, like this. With a woman who loved him unconditionally and challenged him every day, in the very best ways. And to think that this time next year, he and Mia would be parents to the cutest little boys he’d ever laid eyes on.
Life simply didn’t get any better than this.
***
“I can see why you miss them.” Seated at Reed and Mia’s dining room table across from the River Bend crew, Rosemary leaned in close and whispered into Ryan’s ear. “I’m starting to feel guilty for taking you away all this time.”
“Taking me away?” Ryan smiled, as he passed the cranberries to Tony. “More like taking me in.”
Rosie laughed softly. “That’s one way of looking at it.”
“I mean it. I love these guys...” He lowered his voice to keep the discussion private while he reached over and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “But my place has always been with you. Wherever that may take me.”
Without warning, she leaned in and kissed him. Hard.
“Whoa, what’s going on over there?” Josh asked, clearing his throat. “This is the dinner table, not the Holiday Inn, Croft.”
Rosie pulled away and covered her mouth with her fingertips, the cutest blush in her cheeks. “Sorry. All my fault. It’s just...sometimes this guy says the sweetest things.”
“Now, that I find hard to believe,” Tony chuckled. “In fact, if this guy wasn’t pissing and moaning, I used to question whether or not he was still breathing.”
Ryan stomped on his buddy’s foot beneath the table. “Yeah, well, if you weren’t such a pain in the ass to work with…”
“Bro, don’t even think about going there, all right? You’re not going to win.” Tony popped an olive into his mouth and winked. “Besides, we both know you miss the shit out of me.”
Ryan snorted. “Not a chance in hell, man.”
Josh eyeballed them both like they’d lost their minds. “Really, you two? Is this really where you want Nic and Rosie to find out about your bromance?”
Nicole gave a bark of laughter so hard, she almost dropped the gravy. “I knew it!”
“I had my suspicions, too,” Rosemary added with a smirk. “In fact, it all kind of makes sense now…”
Ryan shot her a knowing glance and, beneath the table, took her hand.
“Do tell,” Nicole prompted. “In fact, maybe we should compare notes.”
Everyone laughed except Ryan. He hadn’t planned on doing this in front of everyone, but the moment sort of created itself and...well, why not?
“I think I’ll let Ry take the lead on this.” Rosie squeezed his hand and tipped her head toward Tony, who was still cluelessly filling his plate.
“Well…” Ryan cleared his throat. “I was going to ask him to be my best man, but now I’m not sure. I mean, I don’t want anyone getting confused about us.”
Tony’s fork clanked against his plate as he pushed away from the table. “Wait, what?”
Ryan lifted a shoulder. “I know you’re probably heartbroken that I’m marrying Rosie, but--”
“You kidding me, man?” Tony sprang up from his chair, his eyes as big as the smile on his face. “You serious right now?”
Ryan set his napkin next to his plate and stood, as well, offering Tony his hand. “I’m serious. That is, if you can handle it.”
“Handle it?” Tony roared, pulling Ryan in for a manly hug full of back slapping and laughter. “Hell, yes, I can handle it! Jesus Christ, I never thought you’d get over me.”
The entire table burst into laughter and Ryan couldn’t help but chuckle, too. He loved California and the life he was making with Rosemary, but River Bend would always be home. And these people would always be his best friends.
“We’re getting married at the resort this summer,” Ryan said, helping Rosie to her feet. “And we’d love for all of you to be there.”
“The resort?” Dan asked. “But it’s still closed.”
Ryan shook his head. “Not for long. In fact, I have it on good authority it’ll be up and running again by June.”
“But how? It’s been shut down for almost two years now and, last I heard, it needed a major overhaul.” Dan shook his head. “A multi-million-dollar overhaul, to be exact.”
“No one around here as that kind of money,” Mark added. “Unless someone hit the lottery.”
“Or has the right friends,” Rosemary added, while she and Ryan shared a private smile with Josh.
“What the hell am I missing here?” Dan frowned at his brother. “As your lawyer, you’d better tell me what the hell’s going on.”
Josh held up his hands and chuckled. “I’m just the muscle. Or rather, Hudson Contracting is.”
Ryan reached for his beer and lifted the bottle into the air. “To the best town in the world. The only place I’d ever jump head first into something so crazy.”
Josh stood and raised his drink, as well, and, one by one, the others followed suit.
“To our next big adventure,” Ryan said proudly. “To the River Bend Resort.”
THE END
Keep up-to-date by subscribing to my mailing list!
_______
Visit Molly’s website at:
_______
Want more from me? Check out these books, too!
Fly (Velocity #1)
Fight (Velocity #2)
Bend
Rush
_______
And, of course, there’s the full River Bend Series!
Can’t Shake You (River Bend, #1)
Can’t Hold Back (River Bend, #1.5)
Can’t Get Enough (River Bend, #2)
Can’t Walk Away (River Bend, #3)
Can’t Resist Him (River Bend, #4)
Always Enough (An Epilogue)
A River Bend Wedding
Can’t Let Go (River Bend, #6)