Epilogue

Collin

Two years later

In the back of my mind, I knew this wasn’t right. But with two kids, and another on the way, we had to get it when and where we could, even if that meant a secluded alcove in the back of the reception hall at my best friend’s wedding.

“You, sir, are insatiable.”

I kissed my wife on the mouth as I stood, still tasting her on my lips. Sweet, warm…the spot between her thighs was one of my favorite places to be.

Her breathing was strangled, cheeks pink, and her eyes wide in the shadows. One good orgasm, and she’d nearly forgotten her mind…and the fact that Chloe had just taught her sixteen-month-old sister, Maya, how to say the word fuck during dinner.

“If ‘insatiable’ means getting you alone for a little while to eat your pussy, then I’ll wear the title the rest of my life.”

She rolled her eyes as I helped her pull up her panties, knowing she could hardly bend over. Little Man in her stomach was doing all sorts of shitty things to her back. Still, a pregnant Addison Montgomery was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

“Did anyone see us come in here?” She brushed her hands down the front of my suit, grinning against my mouth.

“Nah, they’re all still eating.”

She groaned and pushed her hand over the top of her rounded belly. “He’s going to be punching his way out of me at this rate.”

I lowered my hand, rubbing it against the curve of her seven-month pregnant belly. “He’s got lots to catch up on with his sisters. Us Montgomery boys love competition.”

One snort later, she was grabbing my hand and leading me out into the dark hall. “Yeah, and that’s the problem. I can’t afford to cut the school year short because your son has issues with being impatient like his dad. I need this job, Collin.”

I kissed her soft lips once more and pressed my forehead to hers. “I know. You’ll make it.” She worked for the school district in Matoona, lead pre-K teacher—and fucking good at it too. Beaner stayed with her grandparents, both sides, while Maya alternated between Max and my parents—whoever wasn’t busy that day.

Once we were in the reception area, I searched the room for our girls. Dad had them corralled in the corner, just in time for my best man’s speech. Mom was likely getting more beer for Dad because our kids drove everyone to drink.

Max jumped in front of us, dark eyes suspicious and narrowed. “Where the hell were you two?”

I shrugged, no shame as I said, “Eating my wife’s pussy.”

“Collin!” Addie smacked my shoulder.

If I could’ve fucked her, I probably would’ve, but that’d be for later. When I had her alone in bed.

Max punched my other shoulder, then winked at Addie. “I thought you looked a little flushed, Short Stuff.”

She rolled her eyes, but I saw her smile. The sass in her had me all but falling at her feet when she walked toward the head table. Nearly three years later, I was more in love with her than the day I dry humped her against the front door of our old duplex—the one Max and Lia were currently living in.

“You ready?” Max squeezed my shoulder and nodded toward Gav. He was sitting at the head table, Kenna in his lap, her white bridal gown sparkling, and their nineteen-month-old boy, Brody, snuggled against her chest. The mini-Gavin, with hair down to his shoulders, was pretty much the light of my daughters’ lives.

Max and Lia had eloped about a year back, after breaking off the huge shindig my mom had been planning for them. Our mom was pissed, but Lia was happy, so she didn’t hold too much of a grudge. Big weddings weren’t for my sister anyway. And Max? He’d do just about anything to make her happy.

“Think so.” I patted my suit coat and tugged out the piece of paper I’d written my speech on.

He nodded, that Maxwell grin lighting up his face. Missed waking up and seeing him in the morning, but I loved living on the river in the new house we’d just finished building next to Gavin and Kenna’s even more. Max said he’d move to Arlo someday to be closer to us, but for now, they were fine where they were, just the two of them, especially when it meant more alone time as they attempted to get pregnant.

I shuddered at the thought, not wanting to think about my baby sister and her husband’s sex life, even if the end result would be pretty fucking awesome.

Max handed me the microphone at the table. I tapped the end, gaining the room’s attention. Once everyone was silent, I unfolded my paper, then decided at the last minute to ditch the programmed speech and speak from the heart. Addie would be damn proud.

I looked at her, then winked. She blew me a kiss and mouthed, I love you.

“When I first met Gavin, he was sitting in the bunk next to mine during boot camp. He didn’t talk much. Barely even looked at me when I tried to talk to him. I thought to myself, something’s wrong with this guy, so I kept away from him, until Max decided to make it his life’s duty to befriend the quiet dude.” I cleared my throat, looking down at Gav. He was shaking his head but smiled all the same. It could’ve been the fact that his wife was whispering in his ear. Or it could’ve been me. Either way, seeing him happy, when for so long he hadn’t been, was the highlight of the wedding.

“Anyway, the three of us”—I patted Max’s shoulder at my right—“grew to be friends. And then not long after, they became my brothers, sticking by me when life was so messed up I couldn’t see straight.” I rubbed my hand over my mouth, remembering that time, so long ago. “They became uncles to my daughter, the sole reason I survived nine months of raising a child on my own. I don’t know what I would have done without them.” I cleared my throat, a big ball of emotion lodged inside.

“I love Gavin like a brother. And this girl he made his wife today? Yeah, she’s pretty amazing too.” Amazing because she put up with him. His bad moods could be worse than my own. “And today, he got his happily ever after with the one girl who’d been able to make him see reality at its finest.” Fuck, I sounded like an idiot.

“So let’s raise our glasses, and give a toast to Mr. and Mrs. Gavin St. James.” I lifted my glass in the air, looking over the tables. “May they be blessed with a house full of kids and a life filled with happiness.”

“Cheers, Colly.” Gavin toasted me, then Max, then the three of us pressed our glasses together. We drank it all down in one swig and set the drinks back on the table in unison.

One by one, we grabbed our ladies by the hand, hauling them to the dance floor. Some slow song played over the speakers as we moved, and a sense of completion filled me to the core. My wife in my arms, my buddies by my side…my two favorite little girls giggling from the side of the dance floor, watching.

There really wasn’t anything else we needed. Life was pretty damn close to perfect.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Maya, with her dark-brown hair and her mother’s brown eyes, jumped onto the dance floor, followed by a grinning Chloe, and my mom and dad chasing after them.

I shook my head and shut my eyes, pressing my forehead to Addie’s with a sigh. She giggled—God, did I love that sound—and I couldn’t help but laugh too.

Fuck perfection. It was overrated anyway.