Epilogue
“HEY, mister! Can you pass me our ball?”
Connor laughed as the soccer ball rolled before his feet. A couple of young lynx shifters had started a game of soccer on the resort lawn, but they were having trouble keeping the ball on the grass. “Sure thing.” He took aim and gently kicked the ball in their direction.
“Whoa! You’re good. You want to play?”
“Next game, I’m there. Right now, I need to find myself a lady.”
The boys made kissy noises. “Ooh. A lady.”
“One day you’ll understand.” Smiling, his hand in his pockets, he continued on the path through the resort. He’d made plans to meet Elaine and the kids after his shift and had promised to teach the munchkins how to fish. They were already waiting for him at the dock, and he didn’t want to keep them waiting any longer than he had to.
He and Elaine hadn’t wasted any time since they got back to Gemini Island. The four of them had promptly moved back into Cabin 14, despite Ryland’s generous offer of a larger cabin. The kids loved their home, and he loved it there, too.
Sure, there were still lots of memories of Lloyd. There always would be, but the good memories had started to crowd out the bad ones. Connor no longer felt like a fifth wheel. He was man of his house, and he was home with his lady. That was all that mattered in the end. The four walls that housed them were of little consequence as long as they were together.
Layla and Andy had rolled right into their new routine. They’d even stopped calling him “Uncle Connor.” To them, he was just Connor now. Maybe one day soon, he’d be “Dad,” but he wasn’t about to force the issue. It would happen when they were ready.
As Connor hung a right on the path, he was almost mowed down by a group of teen shifters jogging. Killian and Nina, their mentors, jogged along behind them, shouting encouragement.
“Group!” Killian directed the teens to another path. “Circle back to the lodge. Last one there does fifty pushups.”
The teens raced toward the lodge, hooting and trash talking each other.
“You are one harsh task master,” joked Connor.
“Oh, please. Once those kids go home, they can resume their sedentary lives. At the Ursa, we make them move.” When Nina stopped to tie her shoe, Killian called out to her, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Woman, would you like a rest? I know this is strenuous.”
Nina straightened and put her hands on her hips.
“Watch out, Killian.” Connor made a face. “I think you’re in trouble now.”
“Maybe but she’s my favorite kind of trouble.”
Nina sprinted past them. “Strenuous? I’ll show you strenuous.” Within seconds, she’d disappeared between the towering maples on either side of the path.
Connor gave Killian a high-five. “Go get her, dude.”
With a competitive chuckle, Killian chased after his mate.
Connor headed in a separate direction. It wasn’t long before he ran into Charlotte and Bart with baby Lloyd. The young family was seated on the ground at one of the picnic areas, a blanket underneath them. Bart and Charlotte took turns feeding little Lloyd his rice cereal. The baby’s face grew animated every time food came in sight. In his bouncy chair, he kicked his feet and held out his hands.
He approached them and clapped a hand on Bart’s back. “Chip off the old block, eh?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Connor, you don’t know the half of it. Between these two, I won’t be able to keep food in the house. It’ll disappear the minute it hits the kitchen.”
Bart patted his non-existent belly. “Wolf men have great appetites.” He winked at his mate. “You must know that by now.”
“Believe me, I’m well acquainted with your appetites.” She spooned another helping of cereal into Lloyd’s mouth. Lloyd swallowed, smacked his gums, and opened his mouth in anticipation of more food.
“That’s my boy.” Grinning from ear to ear, Bart offered the baby another spoonful. “Connor, does Elaine complain about your eating patterns?”
“No, can’t say she does. I swear that woman eats more than I do sometimes.”
“Well, I think I got a defective mate.” Bart aimed his thumb at Charlotte. “This one doesn’t seem to care about satisfying her man.”
Charlotte lobbed a rolled-up napkin at him. “Keep that up, Bartholomew, and you’ll be satisfying yourself.”
“Too much information, folks. This is where I leave you.” Connor bent over and kissed the baby on the head. “See you around, little Lloyd. Look after those crazy parents of yours.”
As he walked away, Connor’s mountain lion made an appearance. We want to make cubs, too.
“Yeah, I know,” he assured the beast in quiet tones. “It’ll happen. Just you wait.”
It would happen. He and Elaine had even begun talking about expanding their family, but neither of them had a definite timeline. They wanted to enjoy each other first. There was no rush. Their relationship had begun in sadness and grief. Right now, it just felt so good to wake up in each other’s arms, grateful for another day. They wanted to make the most of each day they were granted. Every night, they came together, their bodies and minds in harmony. In fact, Connor had discovered his new favorite activity, falling asleep with Elaine curled up next to him. Nothing gave him a greater sense of peace than to close each day with his woman’s hair brushing his cheek. Life was perfect. A baby would be wonderful, but he wasn’t about to mess with perfection. It would happen when it was meant to happen.
As Connor passed by one of the cabins, a loud cymbal crash disrupted his train of thought. It was followed by the rat tat tat of a drum.
Of course, the sound came from Soren and Gioia’s cabin. Spying an open window, Connor approached and peered inside. He couldn’t help himself. Soren might be a good friend, but he was also a famous drummer, and Connor liked catching him at practice now and again.
Instead of Soren, young Gunnar was seated at the drum kit, working up a sweat.
Soren stood in front of him, conducting. “One, two, three, four! That’s it, dude. That rhythm is sick.”
At the far end of the room, Gioia was seated, knitting. She bobbed her head as her men practiced the tricky percussion piece.
Gunnar spotted Connor and waved, twirling his drumsticks, just like Soren always did. Gioia looked up and waved as well.
Soren walked to the window. “Connor. Bonfire tonight. Bring your family. What do you say?”
My family. He would never stop getting a thrill from hearing that. “We’ll be there.” He nodded at the teen. “Keep up the good work, Gunnar.” With another wave, he left them. Knowing how much Soren loved practicing with his stepson, Connor didn’t want to disturb them any longer.
He checked his watch as he cut across another path. In a nearby clearing, he saw Byron, Percy, and Suzan. The three of them kneeled in the dirt near one of the flowerbeds, digging out some old undergrowth.
Aside from being artists in their spare time, both Percy and Byron were landscapers at the resort. They’d obviously convinced their mate to spend a day in the muck with them. From Suzan’s flummoxed expression, she must not enjoy getting her hands dirty in this fashion.
“Don’t we have some sort of machine to do this work?” Suzan asked.
Byron laughed. “Come on, gorgeous. Are you telling me you’re afraid of a little dirt?”
“I’m not afraid of dirt. I just don’t like putting my trowel in the ground and accidentally slicing the worms in half.”
Percy pulled a big, fat worm from the ground and held it up. “Do you prefer your worms whole?”
Suzan jumped. “Connor,” she called, spotting him. “Would you please tell my mates their chances of remaining happily married depends on their ability to get the worms out of my face?”
“Percy. Byron.” Connor shook his head. “I learned not to dangle worms in front of a woman’s face in grade school. You are seriously behind the times.”
“Thank you, Connor,” said Suzan, trying not to grin.
Percy held the worm closer to Suzan’s hand. “But I think this one likes you.”
“He wants to come home with us,” said Byron.
Suzan shuddered, making her men laugh.
“If you don’t put the worm down now,” warned Suzan, “you can take it to bed instead of me.”
As Byron and Percy disposed of the worm, groveling before their woman, Connor made his exit.
Shifter men might be dangerous predators when roused, but when threatened with lack of sex, they became pussycats.
As he continued toward the dock, he encountered Anton and Marci. The couple stood under a linden tree, gazing at one another. Their hands were linked. Anton stroked Marci’s hand and brought it to his lips. She lowered her head and nuzzled against his chest.
Sensing a private moment, Connor turned. He didn’t want to disturb them.
However, Anton spotted him and waved him over. “Hey, Connor. How are you?”
“Great. You guys okay?”
They looked at each other. A blush spread across Marci’s cheeks.
“Yeah. Things are good. Incredible, actually.” Anton smiled and stood behind her. He wrapped his hands around her, settling them on her stomach. “Can I tell him, kitten? I’m dying to tell someone.”
Marci giggled. “Go on.”
“Marci’s pregnant,” said Anton, his face lighting up. “We’re going to have a baby.”
“For real?”
Marci nodded, bouncing in her place with excitement.
“Yes!” Connor hugged them both. “Congratulations.”
“You’re the first to know,” said Anton. “We just found out and wanted to tell Jani and Fleur, but we saw you. My cousin will probably kill me for not telling him first.”
Connor laughed. “Knowing Jani, he just might do that. Don’t worry. I’ll keep it under my hat for now. Do you mind if I tell Elaine, though? She won’t say anything.”
“Of course not.” Marci nodded. “Tell her.”
“Does this mean you’ll head back to Hungary soon?”
As prince of his court, Anton was needed at home, and he’d already taken a lot of time away to help the Ursa friends deal with their various struggles.
“Yes,” said Marci. “It’s time. Things are settled here now, and it’s important for us to have the baby in Budapest.” She elbowed Connor. “But we were hoping everyone might join us for a little visit in a few months to meet the new addition to the Gaspar court.”
“As if we’d stay away,” said Connor. “Listen, I’ve got to meet Elaine, but I’m so happy for you guys. You’d better go find Jani. If he cries, please record it.”
“Guaranteed,” said Anton. “Once we’ve told him and Fleur, I’m telling the world.” He drew Marci in for an embrace. “I’ve never been so happy. Thank you, my princess.”
Connor left them to it, a new spring in his step. Another baby for the Ursa family. Kody and Lloyd would have a little playmate. Maybe Anton and Marci’s baby would be a girl. That would be great to see, although he pitied the little one’s future boyfriends. Anton would be a very protective father.
Chuckling, Connor almost bumped right into Jani and Fleur. As they crossed his path, Fleur adjusted the camera strap around her neck. As resort photographer, she was always out in the woods, honing her craft. He should have known he’d run into her and Jani out here. “Hey, Jani. Anton’s looking for you.”
“Anton’s always looking for me,” Jani deadpanned. “He can’t live without me.”
Fleur shook her head. “Please. You two are like conjoined twins who got separated. You can’t live without him either.”
“It’s a good thing I’m fond of this mouth.” Jani plumped Fleur’s lips and gave her a kiss. He turned to Connor. “What does my cousin want with me today?”
“It’s pretty important. You might want to join him and Marci at the lodge. I’ll let them tell you.”
“Is everything okay?”
Connor tried to keep a straight face. “Oh, yeah. Everything is just dandy.”
Jani peered at him. “You’re hiding something.”
“Who me?” He clapped his buddy on the arm. “Go to the lodge. You’ll be glad you did.”
“This all sounds very ominous.”
“Oh, come on,” said Fleur, tugging on his arm. “Now I want to know what’s going on. Bye, Connor.” As she dragged Jani down the path, Jani shrugged in defeat.
Humming, Connor finally made his way to the dock. When he spied his family, his breath caught in his throat. Standing on the planks, her fair hair aglow under the sun, Elaine looked beautiful. He thanked his stars every day that he got to look at that face and experience the passion inside the woman.
She was all his. Forever.
Ryland, Lia, and baby Kody were with them, and they were all smiling and laughing. Andy was doing a silly dance on the dock, trying to make Kody laugh, but the baby got red in the face and passed gas.
Andy screwed up his face. “Auntie Lia, Kody is stinky.”
Lia held him up and took a whiff. Her eyes widened. “My word. That was a doozie. Time for a change.”
Connor sidled up to Elaine, slid his hand behind her back, and kissed her. “Hey, lady.”
“Hey, you. Did you have a good shift?”
“Sure did. I have the best job in the world.”
“I, for one,” said Ryland, “am happy to hear you say that. I’m glad you stuck around, Connor.”
“Yeah, me too.” He winked at Elaine. “I guess this place has some charms.”
“It’s the best place in the world,” she agreed.
Lia tickled the baby’s tummy. “We think so too, don’t we, Kody? Can you say ‘Dada, change my diaper’?”
Ryland took the baby from her and held him at arm’s length. “Good God. What are we feeding this kid? That’s foul. I think the leaves on some of the trees have started changing color.”
“Welcome to the joys of fatherhood, Ry,” said Elaine.
Ryland kissed the baby. “I don’t mind stinky diapers.” He nodded at Lia. “Although Kody told me he prefers his mother’s touch.”
“Really?” Lia laughed. “Kody told you that, huh?”
Ryland smiled. “We have a psychic bond.”
“Nice try, Amazing Kreskin.” Lia poked her mate. “Let’s go change and feed this child.”
Ryland placed their son in his stroller. “I hear you folks have a fishing day planned.”
Layla made a face. “I don’t want to touch the worms.”
“Sweet pea,” said Connor, “you’re not the only one. You’ll have to talk to Auntie Suzan. She doesn’t like them either.”
“I like worms.” Andy picked up the bait can and held it over his head like a trophy. “I have all the worms!”
Ryland chuckled. “Good luck, Connor. You might need it.”
“You too, Ry. Enjoy the diaper.”
As Ryland pretended to cough up a lung, Lia swung the stroller onto the boardwalk heading to the lodge. As the new family walked away, Ryland took over pushing the stroller from his wife. He placed one arm around Lia’s shoulders and leaned down to give her a kiss. The new lodge loomed before them in the distance, framing them with its majesty.
Connor’s heart swelled as he considered the home he loved. So many good people lived here and loved here, and he was lucky to be part of this special community.
He didn’t ever want to be anywhere else.
Elaine slipped her hand in his. “Are you okay?”
He brought her into his arms and brushed his lips against her neck. “I’ve never been better, and it’s all because of you.”
“Connor,” she whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you, too, sweetheart.” Dropping another kiss onto her nose, he turned to their children. “All right. Are we set?”
“Yeah!” Layla and Andy cried out at once.
“We just need to load up the boat,” said Elaine.
She’d brought a few things from the cabin for them, a picnic basket, sunscreen, and hats for everyone. As Elaine helped the kids into the boat, Connor lifted their things from the picnic bench that sat on the dock.
As he moved the items, his gaze landed on the bench’s new brass plaque and its inscription.
In memory of Lloyd Gleason. Friend forever.
Elaine caught him staring at the plaque. She looked at him and smiled.
Connor threw on a baseball cap and tipped it toward the plaque, as if Lloyd stood with them.
It’s going to be a great day, buddy. The best.
The End
Publisher’s Note
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About Rosanna Leo
Rosanna Leo is a multi-published romance author. Winner of the Reader’s Choice 2015 in Paranormal Romance at The Romance Reviews, Rosanna draws on her love of mythology for her books on Greek gods, selkies, and shape shifters.
From Toronto, Canada, Rosanna occupies a house in the suburbs with her long-suffering husband, their two hungry sons, and a tabby cat named Sweetie. When not writing, she can be found haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair.
A library employee by day, she is honored to be a member of the league of naughty librarians, who also happen to write romance.
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Other Titles by Rosanna Leo
Gemini Island Shifters Series
Orkney Selkies Series
Greek God Romances
Contemporary Romances