My Fiance's Dad

by S. E. Law

  Epilogue

  Cora

  Two years later.

  “Come on Pyra, eat some peas, please.” I press the spoon against my little daughter’s mouth, but the 14-month old just giggles and knocks the spoon out of my hand. Peas go flying.

  “I can’t believe how strong she’s getting,” my mom says while stroking her granddaughter’s hair affectionately. “And so big,” she says to Pyra in a silly voice, which only makes the baby laugh harder.

  “That first birthday party was pretty epic. You do realize you’ll have to outdo yourself at her second one, right?” Marky teases. He’s casual and light-hearted, beaming at his younger sister.

  “Yeah, yeah. But don’t worry, you had your own epic first birthday.” Matt claps his son on his back, laughing at the memory. Father and son beam warmly at one another, and I’m happy that Marky has accepted our relationship.

  After all, we’ve just finished our own big family dinner, a Sunday night ritual that Matt and I implemented two years ago. That first dinner had just been a ruse to get everyone in the same room to tell them that we were an item, but it quickly turned into a tradition. Especially after little Pyra was born.

  I look at my little daughter lovingly. She has my wild brown hair and Matt’s stunning blue eyes. Sitting in her high chair, she swings her chunky little legs and coos at the loving family around her.

  Deciding to name the baby Pyra began as a joke between Matt and me. “‘It’s Latin, for fire,’” he told me, obviously teasing me for my brush with arson. “If we name her after fire, she’s going to be a handful!” I quipped back. But in the end, despite our teasing, we actually realized that it was the perfect name for our little love child, since it was a fire that brought us together.

  “So Brett, how’s the team doing this year?” my dad, Frank, asks. Oops, stop daydreaming, Cora. I turn my attention to Brett, Marky’s boyfriend. They’re out about their relationship now, and I’ve never seen Marky so happy.

  “Well it is JV football, but overall, we’re doing pretty well. You guys coming to the game next Friday?” Brett asks Matt and me, his handsome face crinkling as he smiles.

  “Absolutely, we wouldn’t miss it.” Matt smiles at Brett, and then at his son.

  “Great.” Marky stands up. “Well, we better get going. My boss is cruel and makes me get to work early on Mondays.” He winks at his dad as he and Brett say their goodbyes. I close the door behind them, only to find my mom and dad putting on their coats as well.

  “Oh, I hate to leave this little doll, but your dad and I better get a move on, too,” Marcia says. My mom scoops up Pyra and snuggles her before putting her down once more. I hug each of my parents and walk them out.

  “Bye Mom. Bye Dad. Drive safe!” I call, as they pull their Subaru down the long driveway of Matt’s mansion. Or maybe I should say our mansion because we live here as a family now.

  I come back to the kitchen, where Matt has Pyra in her highchair and is already cleaning up.

  “Looks like it’s just you and me, kid,” he says while chucking our baby girl beneath the chin.

  “Hey what about me?” I ask, feigning irritation.

  “You’re cute, too.”

  I laugh and help Matt clean up after the dinner party.

  “I can’t believe it’s been two years,” he says casually as he scoops leftovers into Tupperware containers.

  “Two years?”

  “Since our first night at the cabin. When I saved your life, remember?”

  I burst into giggles.

  “Hardly – you saved the cabin’s life,” I say sassily. “I could have run outside at any minute.”

  “And freeze to death in those skimpy panties you had on?” Matt asks, one eyebrow raised. At my surprised look he adds, “Oh, and sweetheart, don’t forget: I also remember in vivid detail just how see-through that bra was.”

  I throw a dishtowel at Matt.

  “Not in front of Pyra,” I tease. “You’re so bad.”

  “Truce, then.” He clears his throat. “Marky and Brett seem happy,” he adds changing the subject.

  “I think so, too.” I smile at Matt. “They’re good for one another, don’t you think?”

  After all, Matt’s first child finally came out of the closet after he and I ended our engagement. In fact, Marky told me that it was learning about my willingness to risk everything to be with the person I love that helped him decide it was time to be true to himself. Once he found out about me and his dad, he knew that his news would be small peas by comparison.

  I shake my head. Still, it was definitely one of the strangest conversations I’ve ever had.

  “What’s running through that beautiful mind of yours?” Matt asks as he starts putting the leftovers in the fridge.

  “Remember how shocked Marky was when he learned about us?” I laugh at the memory. “But then he was so ecstatic? I was just thinking about that.”

  “I was so worried.” Matt agrees ruefully. “We thought he was going to run screaming for the hills, but he didn’t. Marky was our first supporter, which means a lot.”

  I smile at my handsome lover again, but unintentionally frown as he turns away to start washing the dinner plates.

  After all, even with Marky’s support, it wasn’t easy. A lot of people in our town, and even some family members, expressed concern and even displeasure with the fact that I was dating my ex-fiancé’s dad. I get what it looks like. Girl hops from one man’s bed … and into the bed of that same man’s father.

  But still, our relationship is real, and I have proof. I look at my little girl playing with her leftover dinner, making a mess of the peas and potatoes. Announcing Pyra’s birth was a big part of helping others see that Matt and I are serious about each other. Marky especially loves having a kid sister and is her frequent babysitter. The innocent little tot has unknowingly brought our strange little family much closer together.

  I shake my head. How did I get so lucky?

  “If you’ve got the dishes, I’ll go make sure the house is cleaned up before we go upstairs.”

  Matt grins at me over the pile of dishes. “Uh-huh, sure.”

  “Thanks love,” I wink at him as I pull Pyra from her highchair and prop her on my hip. “Come on little girl, we’re going to make sure everything’s cleaned up before bedtime.”

  As I adjust a cushion here, straighten a picture frame there, I pause to take in my beautiful home.

  Even by mansion standards, the house is huge. Nestled on a few acres on the outskirts of Blue Mountain, the house boasts a sweeping foyer, large porch, and magnificent windows. Matt purchased the home for us a few months after I told him I was pregnant, and insisted that I decorate however I saw fit.

  I smile as I stroll around the living room, turning off various lamps. I love the place, and – despite its grand size – have managed to make it a cozy and fun home. To my surprise, Matt had been completely on board with my interior design theme of turquoise, deep red, and sunflower yellow décor. Pyra’s framed finger-paintings grace the living room walls, and pictures of our loving family members line the stairs.

  Yep, I’m pretty darn lucky.

  Pyra coos in agreement.

  “Alright, girls.” Matt says as he strides into the living room. “I finished the dishes, locked up, and now it’s time for one of you to go to sleep and the other, well,” he kisses me deeply. “I have plans for the other.”

  I smile wickedly at him.

  “Alright, let’s get upstairs then.”

  After we settle Pyra into her crib, Matt and I stand side by side, watching the infant wiggle around.

  “We made a cute kid.” Matt puts his arm around my shoulder.

  “We really did.” I smile at the baby.

  “Plus, she’s surprisingly calm, considering we named her ‘fire.’”

  “Well, who knows, maybe the next one will be the fiery one,” I reply in a sly tone.

  Matt drops his arm and turns to face me, his blue eyes s
earching.

  “Next one? Sweetheart, are you trying to tell me something?”

  I turn to look at him, my eyes damp.

  “I’m pregnant, Matt. You’re going to be a father again.” Tears fall down my cheeks and Matt’s own steel-blue eyes get misty.

  “You are? That’s just – I’m so happy, Cora.” Matt scoops me into a tight embrace. “You hear that, kiddo? You’re going to be a big sister.”

  Pyra coos noisily, waving her chubby fists.

  I sniffle a bit. “I think she’s excited.”

  “I’m excited.” Matt is grinning ear to ear. “How far along are you, do you know?”

  I giggle at his eagerness.

  “Maybe six weeks. Not much. And by the way, I think I want to keep working part time at Hearts and Heroes for a little longer, but honestly, Hadley’s such a good manager even my part-time work seems unnecessary.”

  “Well, you may get busier,” Matt adds.

  “With two babies, you bet I will be!” I laugh, excited to have another child but somewhat unsure how to manage the workload.

  “Not just with that, but maybe planning something else.”

  Suddenly, the handsome man is down on one knee, and I find myself staring at the heirloom engagement ring from so many years ago. My heart pounds as the pearls gleam in the low lights.

  “Cora, I have loved you since the moment I met you. Every day, you bring such fiery happiness to my life, and I never want to be without you. Will you marry me, sweetheart?”

  My eyes tear and my heart flips over with happiness.

  “Yes! Yes!” I kiss Matt as I laugh, tears mingling with my joy. My handsome fiancé returns my kiss, still kneeling in front of me. He slips the precious ring onto my finger then rests his head against my belly, greeting the burgeoning life growing inside of me.

  We stand like this for several moments, each of us thankful for the circumstances that brought us to this very moment. I smile as I think back to the earliest moments of our relationship. How little we knew then that a spark in a cabin would ignite into the passionate fire that is our beautiful love story.

  Story, unexpected. Life, perfect. Cora? I look down at my loving fiancé and over to my sleeping baby.

  Happy.

  THE END

  Five Years Later

  Curious about Cora and Matt’s life five years later? Then pick up a short story for a tantalizing glimpse into the future. You can download it here or read it on my website here. It’s a steamy tale with an unexpected twist that you won’t want to miss!

  More from S.E. Law

  Who falls in love with her friend’s dad and stepdad? Read Marni’s story in Her Honey Pot, available here.

  Even worse, I decided to fall in love with both of my mom’s ex-husbands. It’s filthy, but I still like calling them “Daddy.” About My Daddies is available here.

  The two cherry farmers are plucking Courtney’s cherry this season in Her Juicy Cherry, available here.

  My prom night was a disaster when I caught my boyfriend cheating on me with my best friend. But the older alpha male made it all better in Forbidden Fruit, available here.

  Getting pregnant? A big deal. Getting pregnant by your handsome, hands-on personal physician? An even bigger deal. And don’t forget, he has a business partner who loves being in on the action as well. Playing with Her Doctors is available here.

  After I blackmailed my dad’s best friend, the alpha male swore revenge. But what we didn’t expect was the attraction between us … and now we’re having a baby. Pick up Blackmailing My Dad’s Best Friend here.

  My dad’s boss caught me in a naughty position, and now he says that I have to let him enjoy my curves. Sound delightful? Then you’ll love Blackmailed By My Dad’s Boss, available here.

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  Sneak Peek: Blackmailed By My Teacher

  Kim

  The alarm’s shrill ring dragged me from the best sleep I’ve had in the past week. Wrestling an arm out of the warm duvet, I blindly swiped at it until the godawful noise finally stopped.

  Muffling a groan as I stretched out all the kinks in my shoulders, I began my morning routine with reluctance. Studying had taken a serious toll on my mental and physical health lately and last night had been especially brutal.

  But today’s exam is important, so unfortunately, some hard-core hitting the books was necessary. Both my brother and I are good students, and as twins and classmates, we decided to study together. We don’t love American History, but it’s a required course. Plus, Kurt is generally better than I am at memorizing facts and figures, so I was grateful for his help.

  But as I got dressed, my mind turned to my twin. Lately, Kurt had been even more exhausted than usual. With the constant pressure from our parents to get into a fancy college, it wasn’t too surprising. Plus, I think the fact that Kurt is a boy makes it worse. My parents are still old-fashioned, and they think that a man needs to be the breadwinner of his family. Because I’m female, they still think I can marry rich, although with my curvy body and frizzy hair, I’m not sure any man would be interested in me, much less a wealthy one.

  But my brother worries me. The bags under Kurt’s eyes seem to be getting darker, and his ribs have started to poke out under his shirt too. He still eats, but it’s like watching a rabbit nibble at carrots. Seeing my brother so physically run down was painful and there was nothing I could do about it.

  That wasn’t even adding in the emotional toll that the stress was taking on him. It’s been years since I’ve heard my brother cry, but lately, I’ve been hearing muffled sobs when he’s in the bathroom with the door shut. He thinks I can’t hear, but in fact, his every sob is audible above the pounding of the shower water.

  I’d offered to talk with him about what was going on, but like a typical boy, Kurt refused. Grinding my teeth at the absurdity of the male ego and his refusal to ask for help when he needed it, I forced my attention to the day ahead of me.

  I had to stay focused because an A in American History will look good on my report card. What college wants someone who pulls out a B in a class like this? It’s vital that I ace it.

  But as I pull on my shoes, I hear painful retching sounds in our bathroom. Quickly, I tiptoe over to the door and knock lightly.

  “Hey Kurt, are you okay?” I ask softly.

  There’s no sound for a moment, but then the whoosh of the toilet rings in my ears.

  “I’m coming,” he calls. “Just give me one sec.”

  I wait patiently, and then the door swings open.

  “Hey,” I say hesitantly. “Are you okay? I know the exam has put butterflies in your stomach, but it’s going to be fine –”

  My brother cuts me off.

  “Everything’s going to be fine, Kim. Come on, we’re late,” he says, brushing by me to pull on his jacket. I stare at his turned back, wondering if I should say something, but then my brother shoots me a look. From the expression on his face, he’s clearly not interested in discussing the issue of nerves.

  “Coming?” he asks.

  “Sure,” I gulp. “Let’s go. We’ll ace this test, I know it.”

  But as the door closes behind us, I shoot another worried look at Kurt. His face is pale, and his entire being seems to emit exhaustion and despair. Is my twin okay? Unfortunately, there’s no way to know.

  To be continued …

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  About the Author

  Let go of your inhibitions because S.E. Law is about to take you for a wild ride with over-the-top alpha males who CLAIM their women. Fan of candy canes, popsicles, and anything rainbow.

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