These Paper Walls

by Magan Vernon

Epilogue

  Five Years Later

  Libby

  Sleeping was never easy. But sleeping was especially hard when Mathieu was crammed in between Blaine and I in bed, and three-year-old Carter was working his way up to tackle Blaine.

  I watched out of the corner of my eye as the little curly haired blond approached him like a tiger, then pounced on his unsuspecting and sleeping father.

  "Ow!" Blaine rolled over, exposing his tanned chest. Even though his road crew days were coming to a close, that man still knew how to keep his body looking great.

  I, on the other hand, at twenty weeks pregnant with our third child, and hopefully our last since she was a girl, was not looking so hot.

  "Carter, what do you think you're doing?" Blaine asked, sitting up with Carter promptly standing on the bed next to him.

  "It's mommy's big day! We're going to eat cake and try not to break anything."

  Blaine laughed. "I take it you told them that there are still breakables at the shop?"

  "You know it." I laughed.

  Blaine leaned over the sleeping Mathieu and kissed me. "Always the smart one."

  "Ewwww!" Mathieu shrieked, waking up and rubbing his eyes. Even at five he was already starting to get his daddy's accent and I loved hearing it come out of my other blond haired little boy.

  "What? I can't be kissing your mama?" Blaine asked, tickling Mathieu, who curled up into a ball.

  "Nooooo! That's my mama! Her kisses are only for me, Carter, and baby Grace," Mathieu said in his cute little accent.

  "Well then, I might just have to tickle fight you to get my chance with her," Blaine said before digging into Mathieu, who squirmed and laughed.

  "I'll defend your honor, brother!" Carter yelled and jumped on Blaine's back.

  I moved out of the bed quickly, so I wasn't in the middle of another Crabtree boy wrestling match. They may have been rough, but I couldn't help but smile watching my little family. Though, it would be nice to have a girl.

  "All right, boys, that's enough. We have to get ready and get to the shop."

  "Are Grandma and Grandpa still coming?" Carter asked, hopping off the bed with his alligator footy pajamas hitting the hard wooden floor.

  I nodded. "Yep. Maybe they brought you guys something from Chicago."

  "Yes!" Carter pumped his fist in the air.

  Blaine put his arm around me. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if that boy ended up a Yankee and marrying some hoity Chicago girl."

  I raised an eyebrow. "And would that be such a bad thing?"

  Blaine laughed and kissed my forehead. "Nope. That just means he'll turn out like his daddy."

  "Ew! I said no kissing you two!" Mathieu yelled.

  Blaine laughed and put his hands up. "Okay, we'll stop kissing if you go in and brush your teeth and get dressed. Mama laid your clothes out for today."

  "Aw, do I have to get all fancied up?" Mathieu moaned.

  "Yes. If I have to, then you have to," Blaine said, pointing at the door.

  Mathieu pouted, but left the room, followed closely by Carter.

  "You ready for today?" Blaine asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.

  "Ready as I think I'll ever be." I let out a deep breath of air.

  He put his hand on my chin. "Hey. You know you've got this. It's just a formality for her to sign the shop over. You and Dina have been basically running this through two pregnancies, you finishing your bachelors, and me going to school and working. You're superwoman."

  "I don't know about that." I smiled.

  "How about a little fireball? Maybe a thunderstorm?" he asked.

  I put my arms around his neck and leaned in, placing a small kiss on his lips. "Hmmm, I think I like you using weather analogies. What do I call you? My big hurricane?"

  He smiled, pulling me closer. "If you're going to start talking like that, I may have to lock the door so the boys can't interrupt."

  I kissed him again and again. "I doubt they would be gone long enough."

  He slowly stepped back and locked the door. "I guess we can find out."

  ***

  Blaine

  I thought I would hate having a minivan. That it would take away some of my manliness. But with two kids in baseball, me coaching, and a third baby on the way, it was actually really reliable.

  "And here he comes in his shagging wagon!" Jackson hollered as soon as we pulled up to the back of the shop.

  I shook my head as I helped Carter out of his car seat. The kid was going to be a beast. I wouldn't be surprised if he was asking to wrestle and play football by the time kindergarten rolled around.

  "You won't be saying that once your little girl is born and you're looking for a bigger vehicle," I yelled.

  "Yeah, yeah!" He waved his hand off.

  Libby took my hand with her free one and Mathieu held onto the other one. We walked together into the shop where Dee had a few papers set out and someone had made a cake. It was just the signing over of the shop, but really it was more than that.

  It was the start of the official joining of Jackson's family and mine in a business venture. The start of Dee taking her time off that she so desperately needed.

  "Hey, boys!" Libby's cousin Britt yelled and the boys let go of our hands, sprinting toward her.

  "I thought you had practice?" Libby asked.

  Britt fiddled with the hem of her dress black dress. The girl was definitely better suited out on the field, where she was now playing catcher for LSU with a full ride. "Yeah, but I couldn't miss the big day. It's great for you and Grandma."

  "You know this means you're not getting out of coming home and working this summer when the season is over," Libby said.

  Britt rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah!"

  "Grandma! Grandpa!" Carter yelled, running through the store and into the arms of Libby's mom.

  "Oh my goodness, you've gotten so big!" she carried him over to us as he nestled against her chest.

  Libby's dad leaned in and kissed both boys, then hugged Libby before he shook my hand. "How's school going?"

  "Almost done, sir. Just on my last few weeks of student teaching at Dupont."

  "Does this mean we should start calling you Coach?" He raised his eyebrows.

  I laughed, shaking my head. "Not yet."

  Libby elbowed my side. "Oh yeah we can. Coach all but said he was retiring next year after you finish your first year as shop teacher at Elsbury."

  "Is that true?" Jack asked.

  I nodded and rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, sir. I guess it is."

  He smiled for what seemed like the first time in his life. "We're proud of you, Blaine. You and Libby have really done some wonderful things."

  "Thank you sir, I really appreciate it." And I meant it.

  I looked over at Libby, who was talking to a very pregnant Dina.

  It was as if she knew I was looking in her direction because immediately she turned toward me and grinned. The grin that could light up the whole room. The one that had since the moment I saw her.

  I thought that by getting married, the paper walls surrounding me were going to close in and suffocate me. But really, those walls were just the beginning to putting up doors, windows, and new walls.

  I may not have been able to go out with my friends on the weekends or taken a job in New Orleans, but those things weren't important anymore. Finding someone who took my paper heart that I thought was torn to shreds and made me whole again. Who made me fly, well, that was worth more than anything in the world.

  "You ready to sign this paper and start the rest of our lives, Blaine?" Libby asked.

  I smiled. "Of course."

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  About the Author

  Magan Vernon has been living off of reader tears since she wrote her first short story in 2004. She now s
pends her time killing off fictional characters, pretending to plot while she really just watches Netflix, and she tries to do this all while her two young children run amuck around her Texas ranch.

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  Acknowledgements

  You would think, with this many books in, I'd have my acknowledgements down, but I always feel like I miss someone

  A big shot out goes to my alpha Kelly Viel. Thank you for helping me to make this book one of the best of the series.

  My PA, Alissa Glenn, what can I say? You're the best.

  My husband, Timothy Ray, thanks for being the southern gentleman that inspired my Blaine.

  Brandon Lane, thank you for being the perfect cover model. I didn't know there was a real Blaine out there until I saw you. You've been so helpful with everything!

  Michael Meadows, you're my favorite. Don't tell my husband. You found me my Blaine. You found a place that looked like a bayou in Arizona! You're amazing!

  Donna Dull, my cover designer. Thanks for putting up with my crazy demands!

  Kellie Montgomery, I don't know how many aints there were, but I'm glad you don't hate me for them.

  There are so many people that have helped this serious come into fruition and I feel like I'm forgetting so many, but know that I paper heart every single one of you!