There’s a non-stop flash from cameras all the way until we reach the limo after the official ceremony, off on our honeymoon.
A familiar jet waiting for us both, ‘destinations yet unknown’ in bold print on the card with the gift baskets on-board.
A surprise gift from the studios, and more surprising for me, Jack’s first trip overseas.
Who could have guessed?
Extended Epilogue
One Year Later
Jack
“I admit, I wasn’t too impressed by your little stunt turning our wedding into a movie, Ma. But I’ll be damned if you’re gonna-”
Olivia appears in front of me, her brows raised, almost daring me to curse let alone keep raising my voice just when she has little Anthony settled.
It works every time. That look.
She’s not mad, just wants things the best they can be. And daddy losing his temper is not the best, even if his agent is being a complete pain in the ass.
“Is Olivia there?” My mom chimes. Like she can see through the damned telephone, and always immune to whatever mood I’m in. “Can I speak with her please?”
“She’s busy,” I almost hiss, gripping the phone tighter until Olivia re-appears, handing me our darling boy and taking the phone from me in one single movement.
She knows my weakness, the one thing that melts me every time.
Apart from her of course, and that’s the feeling of our son in my arms.
“…Oh, he’ll be alright.” I hear Olivia explaining, waving my mood off as well while she disappears down the hall with a laundry basket on her hip with my phone against her ear.
“I guess it’s settled little man,” I tell my son.
“Looks like you’ll be going with Mommy and grandma, whether Daddy likes it or not.”
His little hands ball up in front of my face and he blows some bubbles, his best attempt at laughter so far until I get a whiff of the real punchline he’s packing.
“Very funny,” I observe, falling for it every time as I move my head down and take a deep sniff from next to his diaper.
As if I needed to prove it was there.
I’d prefer my son to make his own decisions about being in the spotlight, like when he’s old enough to do so. But Denise, his grandma now, has also managed to get my doting wife on her side.
Convincing themselves and little Anthony that it’s a great idea for him to go on the media circuit, promoting the film they made right in front of me behind my back.
It started at the wedding, but once the audience became fans, adoring fans, the whole birthing and now what feels like our whole life is some huge hit reality series.
Not just for television, but at the movies as well.
“You’re just sore you’re not the complete center of attention anymore,” Denise tries to lecture me, not helping by convincing Olivia that she needs to show more cleavage or even that time they actually wanted to film her breastfeed our son.
No way.
I put my foot down, and hard. But the trade-off had to be that Olivia, Anthony, and even Denise had their turn in the spotlight.
Fine. But keep it fully clothed, will ya?
Olivia’s the most beautiful woman alive, and I’m not okay with sharing her with the world like that.
Pajama’s is fine but it’s the limit. Same for our son.
I take little Anthony and change him on his table by the doorway in our room, forgetting everything I pretend to be grumpy about when I see his large blue eyes flash up at me with the light and laughter only babies have.
Once he’s cleaned up and changed, he’s even more adorable.
“Don’t tell anyone, but I’m your biggest fan,” I whisper to him, kissing his feet before I feel Olivia’s hands over mine.
“I won’t,” she whispers, kissing my ear and telling me she’s still my biggest fan.
“And what’s the boss got lined up for Mommy and my son?” I ask in mock resignation.
“It’s just an awards show, the latest movie won something and they wanna shoot a special with Anthony there, with you too,” she adds, trying to console me but I only make a face.
“Do you want to go though?” I ask her, turning to hook my arms around her waist and pull her close, Anthony gurgling on his table, little feet kicking me in the side.
“I do. I want all of us to go, as a family,” I hear her remind me firmly, pretending to snatch my nose and show her thumb to our son like some strange trophy.
“Can we?” she asks, and I make another face. The, of course, we can one.
“Anywhere you want to go with our son and your loving husband? I’m right behind you,” I tell her, kissing her back before lifting up our baby boy for us both to share.
“I sometimes wish grandma wasn’t so organized, and I know I can be a grouch about it all sometimes, but I really do want you to do whatever you want that makes you happy,” I tell her.
“Both of you,” I whisper, kissing them both gently.
“We love you, Daddy,” she whispers back and I can only repeat it back to them both.
Holding them all like they’re the most precious things in the world to me.
Because they are.
My loves. My babies.
My family.
Extended Epilogue
Two Years Later
Olivia
The loft apartment was never gonna work. Not with a growing family.
I still smile when I even call it that, more like a shopping mall than an apartment.
“It’s not for a lack of room Jack, it’s too big. And in the city? I want our kids to run around on the grass, make mud pies. Breathe fresh air.”
I wasn’t complaining, but it turned out Jack was thinking exactly the same things once we had number two.
Maybe number three on the way, but that’s a whole other story.
Maybe I’ll tell Jack once we’ve settled in.
Kind of like a housewarming present.
Packing up the last of Baby Alice’s things, putting the cartons next to her brother’s, I can’t help but feel a tinge of sadness at leaving the place.
“So many good memories,” I tell the empty room, smiling at the echo the place has now that it’s practically empty.
But not empty for long.
I can already hear her coming up the stairs, barking orders at the movers before I hear Jack quiet his mom down with a strong whisper.
“Mom! Please, we just got them to sleep…”
I smile wider, hugging my elbows. Missing my babies already and with a little shrug, I give my last goodbye to our old room as we prepare to head off for the house in the country.
A big old country house, probably just as many square feet as this huge city place, but old style.
A real house, with a smelly old attic and a dusty basement. Not too dusty once Jack cleaned it out.
Trees that were planted long before our apartment high rise was even built let alone dreamed of.
And a yard. A huge yard that runs for acres in every direction. A place for our kids to be kids and for Jack and me to maybe get our hands dirty once in a while.
Denise has kindly agreed to take the city apartment off our hands, moving so quickly we’re pretty sure she’s been waiting for the day for a long time now.
“She’s earned it,” Jack said, surprised at how keen his mom was to move in as soon as possible once we let her know we’d be heading north, permanently.
“You mean bears, forest fires, and rattlesnakes?” Jack murmurs, listing off regular things Denise cautions us and her grandbabies about, even when we visit the local park.
“She’s a city girl, that’s fur sure,” Jack says with his best country twang in his voice, hooking his strong arm around his me and making us both laugh.
“We’re doing the right thing,” he adds, and I nod in agreement.
“Does that mean you’ll be horseback riding all day, checking the fences and hunting our supplies for the winter?” I ask, failing badly as I try to give a country accent, waking little Anthony who starts to wail.
“Not a chance,” Jack whispers, kissing me quickly before he snuggles our son up into his arms, hushing him and rocking him back to sleep in a moment.
“I’m gonna be too busy chasing you around haystacks in the barn,” he cautions me with a wink, pinching me gently and moving his hand to the one place that tells me he’s not kidding.
“Can we really make it as country folk though?” I ask, gnawing my lip as I glance out one more time at the amazing view we have of the huge city that stretches out, seemingly forever.
“Could make an interesting series,” Jack muses, producing a pair of cowboy hats from somewhere and slotting one over my head before finding his own.
“You mean that?” I ask, suspicious of his sudden interest in a concept like that.
“Making a series about the Mercury family once they leave the city for the country?” I muse to myself.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea!” Denise shrieks from the other side of the apartment, her heels clicking louder by the second as she seeks us both out.
“Did you already put that idea in her head, Jack?” I ask, smiling when he shrugs with a coy smile.
“Well, we have to have grandma come visit for a reason, don’t we?” he decides, tipping his hat forward before kissing me again.
“Love you darlin’” he drawls, making me laugh while he kisses me again, his stubbled chin tickling me.
Making me realize he’s been preparing for a cowboy role a lot longer than I ever realized.
“I love you, Jack Mercury. More than you’ll ever know.”
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A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS
Book 1: Baby Lust
Book 2: Veteran
Book 3: Built
Book 4: Bambino
Book 5: Rescued
Book 6: Leader
Book 7: Professor
Book 8: Burned
Book 9: Worldly
Book 10: Pistol
Book 11: Policed
Book 12: Driven
Book 13: Lucky 13
Book 14: Lumberjacked
Book 15: Protector
Book 16: Carpenter
Book 17: Italian Stallion
Book 18: Gardener
Book 19: Budapest Billionaire’s Virgin
Book 20: Billionaire’s Babysitter
Book 21: Cocky CFO
Book 22: Fireman’s Filthy 4th
Book 23: Mechanic
Book 24: SEAL’s Secret
Book 25: Police, Pooch, and Smooch
Book 26: Fireman’s Fake Fiancée
Book 27: Billionaire’s Virgin Ballerina
Book 28: Bitcoin Billionaire’s Babysitter
Book 29: Veterans Day Daddy
Book 30: Cowboy’s Christmas Carol
Book 31: Police Officer’s Princess
Book 32: Statham
Book 33: Bodyguard
Book 34: Greek God
Book 35: Billionaire Single Dad's Babysitter
Book 36: Mountain Man
Book 37: SEAL’s Justice
Book 38: Royal Romance
Book 39: Doctor Mountain Man’s Special Delivery
Book 40: Crocodile Dan D
Book 41: Mountain Man’s Secret Baby
Book 42: Doctor Bad Boy’s Secret Baby
Book 43: Cop’s Babysitter
Book 44: Nanny for the Cop Next Door
Book 45: Small Town SEAL’s Saving Grace
Book 46: Cop’s Fake Fiancée
Book 47: Billionaire’s Nanny
Book 48: Cowboy’s Babysitter
Book 49: Steamy
Book 50: Brother’s Best Friend
Book 51: Possessive Professor
Book 52: Firefighter’s Babysitter
Book 53: Soldier’s Secret Baby
Book 54: Ward’s Independence Day
Book 55: Doctor Next Door
Book 56: Possessive Policeman
Book 57: Coached by the MMA Fighter
Book 58: Boss’s Babysitter
Book 59: Virgin in New York
Book 60: Rock Star’s Baby
Book 61: Possessive Protector
Book 62: Possessive Australian
Book 63: Best Friend’s Brother
Book 64: Possessive Cowboy
Book 65: Summer Romanced
Book 66: Possessive Prince
Book 67: Lovers’s Enemy
Book 68: Cop’s Best Friend
Book 69: Possessive Firefighter
Book 70: Football Next Door
Book 71: Doctor December
Book 72: Possessive Canadian
Book 73: Blue Collar Billionaire
Book 74: Possessive K-9 Cop
Book 75: Possessive Brazilian
Book 76: Hockey Obsession
Book 77: Possessive Boston Irish American MMA Fighter
Book 78: Halloween Next Door
Book 79: Possessive Russian
Book 80: Baseball Mine
Book 81: Cop’s Caribbean Captive
Book 82: Instalove Island
Book 83: Dad’s Best Friend
Book 84: Thanksgiving with Dad’s Boss
Book 85: Possessive Italian Neighbor
Book 86: Possessive Portuguese
Book 87: Possessive Christmas Cop
Book 88: Russian’s Obsession
Book 89: Possessive Doctor’s Christmas
Book 90: Possessive Parisian Pilot
Book 91: U.K. Boxing Day
Book 92: Jealous Russian Stalker
Book 93: Italian Mountain Man
Book 94: Aggressive Russian
Book 95: Possessive Valentine
Book 96: Possessive Hunter
Book 97: Dad’s Russian Mafia Friend
Book 98: Russian Teacher
Book 99: Australian Obsession
Book 100: Russian Next Door
Book 101: Dad’s Irish Friend
Book 102: Nanny for the Russian Mafia
Book 103: Best Friend’s Dad
Book 104: Basketball Babymaker
Book 105: Possessive Veterinarian
Book 106: Brother’s Fireman Friend
Book 107: Brother’s Canadian Cowboy Friend
Book 108: Summer Vacation with Dad’s Best Friend
Book 109: Dad’s Italian Mafia Friend
Book 110: Dad’s Irish Mafia Friend
Book 111: Dad’s Football Friend
Book 112: Possessing His Dancing Queen
Book 113: Brother’s Cop Friend
Book 114: Halloween With Dad’s Best Friend
Book 115: Claimed By Her Boss
Book 116: Possessive Rider
Book 117: Dad’s Ex-Biker Buddy
Book 118: Possessive Undercover Cop
Book 119: Falling For Her Boss
Book 120: Claiming His Fashionista
Book 121: More Than Dad’s Best Friend
Book 122: Thanksgiving With Dad’s Best Friend
Book 123: Bossy Italian
Book 124: Christmas With Dad’s Mafia Friend
Book 125: Maid For The Italian Mafia
Book 126: Nutcracker
Book 127: Cowboy Cerrone
Book 128: Chef’s Kiss
Book 129: Claimed By The Russian
Book 130: Bought By The Italian Mafia
Book 131: Hot Nerd
Book 132: Dad’s Italian Mafia Boss
Book 133: Mine
Book 134: Taken By The Thief
Book 135: Curves Ahead
Book 136: Her Mafia Valentine
Book 137: Doctor Valentine
Book 138: Maid For The Irish Mafia
Book 139: Winning Her Curves
Book 140: Dad’s Cartel Best Friend
Book 141: Dad’s Greek Mafia Friend
Book 142: Lawyer’s Obsession
Book 143: Attending Her Curves
Book 144: Maid for the Russian Mafia
Book 145: Priest
Book 146: Claimed By Dad’s Best Friend
Book 147: His Curvy Office Obsession
Book 148: Easter with Dad's Best Friend
Book 149: Veterinarian's Obsession
Book 150: Curves For Her Older Boss
Book 151: Mob Lawyer's Curves
Book 152: Maid For The Doctor Next Door
Book 153: Possessive Forest Ranger
Book 154: Nurse For The Russian Mafia
Book 155: Dad’s Fireman Friend
Book 156: Russian Mountain Man
Book 157: Possessive Italian Doctor
Book 158: Dad's EMT Best Friend
Book 159: Claimed By The Publisher
Book 160: Mr. CEO
Book 161: His Curvy Castaway Obsession
Book 162: Claiming His Reunion Obsession
Book 163: Claimed By Dad’s College Friend
Book 164: Dad’s Detective Best Friend
Book 165: Attending The Russian Mafia
Book 166: Dad's Biker Best Friend
Book 167: My Dad's Russian Mafia Friend
Book 168: Possessive Landlord
Book 169: Gardener For The Mafia
Book 170: Possessive Fighter
Book 171: Claiming Her Sweet Curves
Book 172: Possessive Camp Counselor
Book 173: Claimed By Dad's Italian Best Friend
Book 174: Possessive Neighbor
Book 175: 4th of July With Dad's Best Friend
Book 176: Claimed By Her Enemy
Book 177: Bodyguard’s Obsession
Book 178: Falling For The Player
Book 179: Possessive Alpha Cop
Book 180: Her CEO
Book 181: Falling For Her Dad’s Boss
Book 182: MMA Fighter’s Obsession
Book 183: Possessive Lawyer
Book 184: Claimed by the British Rockstar
Book 185: Summer Obsession
Book 186: Paris with Dad’s Best Friend
Book 187: Claimed by the Possessive Fireman