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When Love Comes Back (When the Mission Ends Book 5) by Christi Snow (25)

Epilogue

Two months later

The first day of the twins’ senior year. Why was it that Gage was the one with butterflies in his stomach? He flipped another homemade, blueberry pancake onto the platter. He’d awoken bright and early this morning, had gone for a run, and had still beat the other three occupants of the house into the kitchen.

His thigh ached slightly after running now, but he was happy to almost be back up to his full running strength. Ralph nudged the back of his knee, and Gage looked down at him. “No way. I’m not that sucker. That’s Felicia.”

The same Felicia, who, as a vet, knew better than to feed him table scraps, but she was the worst of all of them. 

Ralph adored her for it, and his ears perked up at her name.

“Yeah, why don’t you go get Felicia? Get Felicia.”

The golden retriever took off running down the hall toward their bedroom.

But after he passed by their doorway, both the twin’s bedroom doors opened in tandem. It was freaky how they did that sometimes. The more Gage spent with the twins, the more he realized there was definitely something to that twin connection that people talked about. His kids had it. They didn’t even acknowledge one another as they shuffled into the kitchen and sat on barstools.

Austin’s head dropped to the crook of his arms on the counter. London propped hers on one arm. She might appear more alert, but that was a fallacy. Looking at the two of them made Gage crave more coffee.

He grinned. “It’s nice to see you both so bright and chipper this morning. Excited about the last first day?”

They both groaned. London might have opened one eye, but that could have just been a nerve twitching.

The cat, Cagney, jumped up on the counter, and Austin began to pet her, although he didn’t lift his head. So, he was at least partially conscious.

Felicia and Ralph bounded into the room. “There they are,” she enthused. “The senior class.” She waved jazz hands at the twins although neither one of them opened their eyes to see. She whipped out her phone and began to snap photos of them. “Aw, yeah,” she crooned. “They are going to be the stars of my IG account today.”

London lifted her head and glared daggers at Felicia as she pointed. “You will not post those anywhere.”

“Oh, really?” Felicia raised an eyebrow, barely flicking a glance at his threatening daughter as she flipped through the photos on her phone. “And how are you going to stop me?” She lifted the phone to show a particularly bad shot of London that made her look like an escapee from a meth lab.

London shrieked in outrage.

Cagney shot off the counter, and Austin glared at his sister. “You scared Cagney.”

London rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. “The cat isn’t supposed to be on the counter, anyway.”

“Aww, she’s always the blossom of modicum and decorum,” Gage said to Felicia. He grabbed Felicia’s phone and scrolled through the truly awful photos of the kids. “Oh, yeah. Here, you caught it.” He turned the monitor for Austin and London to see.

London let loose another screech of outrage, but Austin just laughed.

He laughed until Gage showed him the photo that made him look like an escapee from a mental institution.

Austin could predict Felicia’s moves in half the time that Gage could. He sat up straighter and looked her dead in the eye. “What do you want that will get those photos deleted?”

Felicia propped her hands on the counter, fully ready to negotiate hardcore with the twins. Her domineering attitude was getting him a little hot. He surreptitiously adjusted himself in his thin running shorts.

“I want you two to pose nicely for me this morning before you leave,” Felicia bargained.

Austin groaned as if she’d just announced he’d never be able to get online again.

“Without whining,” Felicia added.

“Deal,” London said as she grabbed Austin by his shirtsleeve. “Come on. Let’s go get pretty for our annoying paparazzi.”

Felicia made a put-out sound as the twins disappeared into their rooms. She turned to Gage. “I’m not that annoying, am I?”

“Hmm, let me check.” He tugged her close so her body pressed into his from knees to breasts. “No.” He kissed her long and deep. “I don’t find you annoying at all. In fact, I think it’s really incredible how you are keeping track of all these moments for them. They may not appreciate it now, but in another few years, they’ll really appreciate having all the photos. Thank you for that, Doc.”

He kissed her again. This time, the kiss went a little deeper.

She pulled back. “You know, after they leave for school, I’m thinking we might both need a shower.”

“Together?” His cock jerked in his shorts, and she felt it.

She cupped him, which just made him that much harder. “Oh, yeah. Definitely, but first I want some of these pancakes you made.”

“I think I should be offended. You’d rather eat than...” He gestured down to his still-throbbing erection.

She shrugged. “We still have teenagers in the house.”

He narrowed his eyes down the hall. “Another year and they’ll be going to college. Then I’ll have you all to myself.”

“Until you move again.”

He shook his head. “That isn’t going to happen. I put in my retirement paperwork. As of December, I am out of a job. Think you’ll still love me when I’m unemployed?”

Her mouth dropped open. “Seriously?” Her eyes filled with tears. “You’re not moving?”

“Well, yeah, I kind of have to.”

Her face fell, but he just kept talking.

“The incoming commander will want the house, so I was kind of hoping we could make this permanent, and I could move in with you.” He reached into the drawer where he’d stashed the solitaire engagement ring he’d bought her eighteen years ago and dropped to one knee. “Will you marry me?”

This wasn’t how he’d planned on doing this, but it felt right even though he was sweaty from his run, and she’d barely rolled out of bed.

There was a reason he’d stashed the ring here. He had a feeling the right time would happen when he least expected it, just like everything else in their lives.

This is who they were, and they were perfect...as long as they were together.

She dropped to the floor in front of him and grabbed his hands as tears rolled down her cheeks. She nodded as she kissed him.

“I need the word, Doc.”

“Yes!”

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THE END