EPILOGUE
CeCe
The sun is bright and warm, shining down upon us as we all gather to celebrate Rosa’s fourth birthday. Emily and Ryder’s backyard is filled with their closest friends while at least a dozen children run around with chocolate smeared all over their little faces.
Excitement dances in my belly when I think about the future and how someday our backyard will be filled with this much love and happiness.
“Is it just me or are we the luckiest bitches alive?” Kayla says, a friend of Emily’s who lives here in Charleston. She points over at our husbands where they stand around having a beer together. “We got the Sheriff,” she says, gesturing to her husband. “FBI agents, Navy SEALs, and now a firefighter… The view doesn’t get better than this.”
“Agreed.” Emily smiles. “We are very lucky and we’re covered if we ever find ourselves in trouble, that’s for sure.”
“My husband is used to bailing me out,” Kayla says. “If I’m really lucky though, he’s the one arresting me.” Her suggestive grin has us all bursting into laughter.
She’s a total trip and reminds me a little of myself, I quite like her. Gabe and I fit in really well with this crowd. Our home is in Atlanta but if I were to ever move anywhere else it would be to this quaint city where my best friend resides.
“Mama,” Rosa yells from across the lawn, “can I open my presents now?”
“Sure, honey. Go sit in your chair and I’ll bring them over.”
Rosa runs to the chair that’s decked out with pink tulle and colorful balloons. All of her friends gather around her feet, squeezing in to get as close as they can. Emily places a tiara on her head and hands her the first gift while the rest of us move in closer.
My eyes shift to my husband as he makes his way over, my tummy dipping at his long, purposeful strides. His eyes are shielded by aviators but I swear I can feel them roaming over my body, the same way mine are wandering over his.
He moves behind me, arms wrapping around my waist, his body heat warming me from the inside out. “Keep looking at me like that, Bella, and we will be leaving this party before it’s over.”
I shiver at his hot breath in my ear, my body aching for his touch. It doesn’t matter that we made love only this morning, I crave this man every second of every day.
“Sorry,” I breathe, not the least bit apologetic. “My hormones have a mind of their own when you’re around.”
His lips brush my cheek. “Don’t worry, baby, I was checking you out, too.”
Ha! I knew it.
His hands move over my stomach, his touch gentle and protective. It’s something he hasn’t stopped doing since finding out about the little life I have growing inside of me. A surprise neither of us were expecting. We talked about enjoying the married life for a little while before making this leap. However, it seems two months was long enough, at least where fate is concerned. As unexpected as it is, we couldn’t be happier.
“You’re drawing attention to it,” I whisper, leaning back against his chest. “People will ask questions if you aren’t careful.”
“I can’t help it. It turns me on to know you’re carrying my baby in this beautiful body.”
It makes me feel all sorts of things I can’t explain. A deep sense of contentment and happiness I’ve never known. It’s killing me that I haven’t been able to tell people, especially Emily since she is pregnant again, too. Four months further along than I am. But we just found out a few days ago ourselves and we want to wait until we get the all clear from the doctor.
Smiling, I watch as Rosa continues to tear through her presents, her excitement palpable.
“I can’t wait until she opens ours,” I whisper.
“She’s gonna love it, Blondie. Ryder on the other hand…” His sentence trails off on a chuckle.
No doubt he will be grumpy at first, thinking I’m corrupting his sweet little girl, but surely once he sees the smile on her face he will appreciate it, even Emily is ecstatic.
By the time Rosa finishes opening all of the presents, I’m practically jumping out of my skin.
“This last one is from Auntie CeCe and Uncle Gabe,” Emily announces, handing her the large, sparkly, wrapped gift.
Rosa’s pale blue eyes lift to mine, a hopeful smile lighting up her face. “Is it what I think it is?” she asks excitedly.
“Guess you’ll have to open it and find out.”
After reading the card, because it’s the polite thing to do, she begins destroying the wrapping paper.
“Why am I so scared for this?” Ryder mumbles but nowhere near quiet enough. It earns him an elbow from his wife.
I flash him my best smile. “Because it’s from me and you know it’s going to be amazing.”
By his bland expression that is obviously not the case but my smile never wavers, my eyes riveted on Rosa.
Her high-pitched squeal penetrates the air when she pulls out the pink handbag with a stuffed Chihuahua. “You did get it for me!” She rips the dog from the purse and hugs it close. “My very own Pepper and purse.”
“Keep digging inside, there’s more,” I tell her.
She places the dog on her lap and reaches into the handbag again, pulling out a pair of Coach sunglasses, tiny ones that match mine, lip gloss and…a set of keys. “What are these for?”
“Why don’t you come to the garage and see,” Emily says, a knowing smile on her face.
Ryder, however, is completely clueless, his eyes darting to me nervously. “The garage? What the hell have you done?”
When all he gets from me is a smirk, his gaze shifts to Gabe.
“Don’t look at me, man. This was all her idea. I just want the credit of being the cool uncle.”
Ryder grumbles something that I can’t make out but I ignore it and follow the squealing little girl who can hardly contain herself.
Once we reach the garage, Emily hits the button on the door, revealing the pink power wheel Volkswagen convertible.
“You’ve got to be shittin’ me!”
Ryder’s less than enthused reaction is overshadowed by Rosa’s scream of excitement.
“My very own car, just like yours!” She launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. And you, Uncle Gabe!” she says, giving him a hug, too.
Gabe sweeps her up into his strong arms, bringing her in close. “You’re welcome, niña hermosa. There is just one rule.”
“What’s that?”
“No boys allowed in this car. Ever.”
She laughs along with everyone else. “Deal!”
Once Gabe places her back on her feet, she runs to the small vehicle and climbs inside, some of her friends squeezing in with her.
“Buckle up,” she yells before reaching into her purse and slipping on her new Coach sunglasses.
My heart stutters at how perfect she looks.
Glancing over at me, she gives a thumbs up then directs her attention to Ryder. “See ya later, Daddy.” With the tap of her foot, the motorized car rolls forward, music blaring as she and her friends take off down the driveway.
Smiling, I chance a look at Ryder and practically cringe at the glare directed at me.
“A fucking car, CeCe? Seriously?”
“So what?” I argue. “I’m the only aunt she has. I’m allowed to spoil her.”
“She’s right,” Emily says, coming to my defense. “How can you be upset when Rosa is smiling the way she is?”
His expression softens as he looks over at his daughter. “Fine,” he relents, his eyes meeting mine once more. “But be prepared, because one day all this shit is coming back to you.”
“Sorry, man, but I’m not having any girls,” Gabe says. “Only boys.”
Ryder grunts. “Yeah, good luck with that.” He takes off after his daughter and Emily follows behind, snapping pictures along with everyone else.
I turn to Gabe, quirking a brow at him. “Only boys, really?”
His arms lock around my waist, pulling me in close. “Sorry, Blondie, but I decide the sex and no way in hell am I having beautiful girls who look like their mother. I’d never survive it, especially seven of them.”
“Seven!” I screech.
“Yep. That’s how many kids we’re having.”
“I don’t think so, Fireboy, I am not popping seven babies out of my vagina.”
“Fine, six.”
“Three,” I counter.
“Five.”
“Four.”
Silence ensues for only a moment before he flashes me that sexy smirk of his. “Okay, four.”
My arms encircle his neck, body fitting snug against his. “Imagine if all four were girls?”
His amusement vanishes. “That shit isn’t funny.”
I find the horror on his face rather amusing. “Come on, would having princesses like me be so bad?”
His expression softens, dark chocolate eyes penetrating my soul. “No, Bella, I’d only be so lucky.”
Smiling, I lift to my tiptoes and brush my lips across his. “The only thing that matters is that all of our children are as amazing and honorable as you.”
He hugs me closer, slightly lifting me off my feet. “Princes or princesses, we’re going to have a good family, Blondie. I promise you that.”
He’s already the best husband so I have no doubt he will be an amazing father to our children. Regardless if they are all boys or girls or a mixture of both, my hope is that they are all healthy and they grow to embrace his family’s heritage as well as carry my sense of impeccable style.
His lips seal over mine, sending my heart soaring to that special place where only he and I exist. A palace filled with love.
This is what real life fairytales are made of.
The End
Thank you for reading Cockloft, I hope you enjoyed CeCe and Gabe’s story as much as I did writing it. My next release will be Justice, book one in the Creed Brothers Series. You can find out more information about it and read the prologue on my website .
If you are curious about Ryder and Emily and have not yet read their story, turn the page for the first two chapters of Beautifully Insightful.
Available now on all platforms.