Epilogue

Leah

After another round of lovemaking, and that's what I was calling it because it was different than sex, we talked. It had been sweet and tender and, oh, so damn good.

Now, we were sitting at the table, eating breakfast. Things were much better between us. Better than they had been when we first started. We decided not to push anything. We weren't dating or boyfriend and girlfriend. We were two people who really enjoyed one another and wanted to see where things went from there. No pressure. No hurt feelings if one of us didn't call the other every damn day.

He would be coming to stay again for spring break, assuming nothing changed. Neither one of us wanted to wait three months before we saw each other again, but we didn't want to make plans. We would play it by ear. I could easily drive up to Seattle and stay in a hotel for a weekend, and he could always come here. If it was meant to be, it would.

“I'm going to make a big feast,” I told him as he grabbed another piece of toast. “Save your appetite.”

He smiled. “My appetite is in no danger. Trust me. I can't seem to get enough when I'm around you,” he added in a low voice.

I blushed at the innuendo, and he started laughing.

Blake came into the dining room, carrying a cup of coffee. “Don't flirt when I'm sitting here. This is okay as long as I don't have to see you two fawning all over each other.”

I laughed. “Relax. We're eating breakfast, and then you two need to get out of my kitchen so I can make our Christmas dinner.”

“So, Dad,” Blake drawled the word out. “Do I call you Dad or Stepdad?”

I rolled my eyes, and Chase threw a piece of toast at him. “You call me either, and I will throat punch you.”

“What time is Marissa coming over?” Chase asked Blake, teasing him with the question.

Blake shrugged. “Probably when she rolls out of bed. I think she's probably going to have one hell of a hangover today.”

I laughed. “I doubt that. Marissa can drink like a sailor and recover faster than anyone I've ever met. She's supposed to come over early to help me make dinner. Although, her idea of early is before noon.”

“When are we opening gifts?” Blake asked.

“Who says you’re getting anything?” I shot back.

“Yeah, yeah, come on, let's go,” he said, taking a piece of toast and his cup of coffee into the living room.

Chase and I followed him, making sure we kept a respectable distance.

He leaned in and whispered. “I have something for you, but I don't think Blake would care to see it. Tonight?” he asked.

He had a way of inciting an insatiable lust in my body with a single word. I nodded, licking my lips in anticipation. I saw his nostrils flare and knew he, too, was thinking about sex. I took a deep breath, looked away from him and got myself under control before sitting down on the floor in front of the massive tree decorated with gold ornaments.

We had all agreed to one gift, and it couldn't be anything big. I wanted Christmas to be about being together with family and people you cared for, not about how many or how big the gifts under the tree were. It was something Dennis had instilled in his son as well. When Blake was younger, he was given plenty of gifts, but as he got older and was able to buy what he wanted, things changed a bit.

Blake laughed when he opened the box with a WSU beanie hat inside. “Seriously?” he joked.

It was a running joke we had between us. Every year, I had gotten him something from WSU, his school's rival. It had started the first year Dennis and I were together. Dennis told me his son was a Washington University fan. I hadn't realized there were two and had picked up a bunch of WSU gear. Blake had been very kind and accepted it with dignity, but it wasn't until months later, I had found out the truth. Every year since, I always gave him something from his other favorite school as I had dubbed WSU.

“Inside,” I said, and he pulled out a gift card to his favorite fast food restaurant.

“Thank you,” he said, putting the hat on.

“I cannot be seen with you if you wear that to school,” Chase warned.

“I'm going to put it on you while you're sleeping, take a picture, and tweet it. The team is going to haze you,” he teased.

Chase rolled his eyes. “Nobody is hazing the starting pitcher.”

I grabbed a box from under the tree and handed it to Chase.

“For me?” he asked with surprise.

“Yep,” I smiled.

He opened the box to find a gift card to the same restaurant with a membership card to my club.

He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me I need to work out more?”

I gave him a knowing smile. “I'm saying the next time you come for a visit, you'll want to check out the gym we have there. It is pretty fancy, and I think you would really appreciate all the equipment. The weight room is out of this world.”

He started laughing. Blake looked a little confused but agreed with me the club gym was pretty nice. Only Chase and I knew how well the gym here in the house had been used.

“Thank you. I will make sure to check it out the next time I'm here.”

“I'm not introducing you as my father, just so you know,” Blake stated.

There was one gift left. Blake handed it to me.

I opened it up. It was a pink, fluffy bathrobe.

I rolled my eyes, Chase bit back a laugh, and Blake grinned. “Well, I figure we can avoid future episodes of awkward naked moments if you had a robe.”

I had to laugh. I was so glad he was taking the whole thing in stride.

“I'll try to remember to throw something on. Speaking of, I need to shower and get dressed so I can start cooking.”

I left Blake and Chase and quickly showered and changed into what I called my Christmas outfit. It was a comfortable pair of green leggings, with a long red shirt, and a pretty bow for my hair.

It was around noon when I heard the doorbell and knew Marissa had finally rolled out of bed. I walked to the foyer to greet her, but Blake had beat me to it. I walked in to see them kiss. I quickly pretended to be choking before fake gagging. It was the same reaction Blake had when he had seen me and Chase.

Chase came into the foyer and stared at me in horror, looking between me and Marissa and Blake.

“Leah,” he scolded.

I burst out laughing with Marissa and Blake following suit. Chase visibly sighed in relief before laughing as well.

“Does this mean I can do this?” he said, stepping toward me and kissing me on the lips.

There were a few gagging noises, but I heard a slap and knew Marissa had put Blake in check.

“All right, we have cooking to do. You two stay out of trouble, and stay out of the kitchen!” I ordered.

Marissa sauntered toward me, looked at me, and grinned. “You know I'm only here for the food and alcohol, right? I don't actually cook.”

I laughed. “Yes, I know. You can be helpful and look pretty while you sit on the stool and drink.”

She giggled. “Good. Because I brought lots to drink.”

We headed into the kitchen with her telling me about the new cocktail she created and wanted to serve before dinner. I groaned, not exactly thrilled to try her invention.

“Try it. You may like it. You've been doing all kinds of daring things lately,” she said with a sneaky grin.

“You're right. I have, and that has all turned out pretty well for me.”

I spent the next couple of hours putting together a meal for the people I cared about most in this world. When it was time to eat, I looked around the table and felt whole again. It had been a long time since I had been this happy.