And when the kids fall asleep tonight we’re immediately going to get to work on making our third child, and by work I mean being satisfied before, during, and after the act and then again nine months later.
I can hardly wait to experience all four feelings of euphoria.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
Cameron
Five more years later
“And this is where he wrote The Old Man and the Sea and much of For Whom The Bell Tolls,” the tour guide at Ernest Hemingway’s Havana, Cuba home known as Finca Vigía.
I watch as Camila’s eyes light up and to a certain extend the kids too.
Camila loves to read, especially to the kids at night, and I know how much we all wanted this vacation down here in Cuba. It’s the perfect way to celebrate our ninth wedding anniversary…and the upcoming birth of our fifth child in a couple months.
As Canadians we’ve been able to come to Cuba for years, even though American citizens were forbidden. I’m not a political person at all, or anything like that, but all I know is that it’s a beautiful country down here with beautiful people.
And then I think of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and remember the night Camila first read it to the kids. It was the first time I’d heard the story about a man who had had a string of bad luck only to find success and then bad luck again.
In the story the older man, Santiago, tells a younger person, Manolin, how a string of bad luck will end and then that happens.
And that’s what happened with my life. I met my wife, who is younger than me by a dozen years, and I told her she would be mine.
And as I watch her take in the tour guide’s words I smile knowing that’s exactly what happened.
But unlike Hemingway’s story mine does have a happy ending, thanks to her.
She came along and gave me my family and that means everything to me.
About an hour later we exit the museum and the kids and Camila are still buzzing.
“How about we go look at some old cars?”
“Yeah!” the boys shout. They’re into Hot Wheels and have posters of cars in their rooms so they’re super excited to see the classic cars that are seemingly everywhere down here.
And that’s what this holiday is all about, and life is all about.
Making other people happy, which in turn makes me happy.
There’s nothing that makes me happier than to see my wife and our kids smile. Nothing.
It makes me feel incredible as a man to know that I can do that and it’s something I strive to do at all times…because they’re mine.
My family and they bring me my happiness.
I sure am possessive when it comes to them, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Dad, can we ride in it?” Camden asks as he spots an older gentleman offering rides in his classic convertible.
I look at the sign and see that you can either have a ride with him or take the car yourself.
I approach him, keeping a close eye on my family, and we strike up a conversation.
I trust him and realize he’s got incredible stories to tell, just like Hemingway…and just like me.
My life has taken many twists and turns but this current chapter that I’m on with my wife and kids is the best one yet.
“Okay, everybody. Let’s hop in. Please be careful and respectful of Mr. Rodríguez’s car.”
Mr. Rodríguez, opens the door and the children get in as my wife and I watch.
“You know this is a dream of the boys,” she says as she wraps me up in a hug.
“And this is a dream of mine,” I say.
“It is? I didn’t know you were that into cars.”
“I’m not particularly, but I am into putting smiles on my family’s faces.”
“Wow!” Camden says. “Dad, come look at the inside!”
“On my way, buddy,” I say and I lean in and give my woman a kiss.
“Front or back?” she says.
“Back. I’ll sit in the back in the middle and keep an eye on things. You and the girls can have the front.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive, and we’ll switch off on the way back.”
“Okay,” she says and we all get into the car.
What she doesn’t know is that I’ve made an agreement with Mr. Rodríguez for the entire day. One that involves him taking us to more than a few places, including the beach where I know the girls really want to go. And considering that we’ve all got our swimsuits on underneath our street clothes we’re already ready to go.
As we pull away from the curb I lean forward in the seat and my wife leans back and we kiss.
“I can see the two of you are really in love,” Mr. Rodríguez says.
“Absolutely,” I say.
“Love is a beautiful thing,” he says.
“Are you married?” I ask.
“Fifty-one years this month.”
“Us too!” Camila says.
“Young lady I don’t know much about you but I do know you’re way to young and way too beautiful to be as old as I am. I was married at nineteen.”
A possessive growl comes from my throat at his words, but then I remember his age and that he’s just an older gentleman giving her a compliment. It’s just that my possessive instinct never dies down.
“As is your entire family. Really nice looking group I’ve got in my car today.”
I try and relax a little, but I still can’t quite shake his words.
Camila turns around in the seat and puts her hand across the leather bench seat that’s up front. I bring my hand to hers. “It’s okay,” she says softly.
I nod. She’s right. I have to learn to let her receive compliments from strangers from time to time. Not everyone is hitting on her, even though that’s how I perceive it.
And how could I see it otherwise? She’s the most beautiful woman in the world so of course everyone wants to be with her, but she’ll only ever be with me. That’s for sure.
“Mother of four, soon to be five,” she says, trying to remind me that she’s “past her prime” as she says sometimes in order to try and calm me down.
“That only makes you more beautiful. You know that.”
“More beautiful to you, sweetheart.”
“I’m sorry, sir. Did I offend you by telling your wife she was beautiful?” Mr. Rodríguez says.
“No, everything is okay,” I say.
“Let me show you this,” he says and he pulls to the curb and removes his wallet and then presents me with a picture from it.
“That’s me and my wife and our five kids. I see you’ve only got four so far, but it looks like you’ve got a fifth on the way.”
“That’s right,” I say.
“And that’s why I saw a little bit of myself in you and why I was hoping you’d want to take a ride in my car today. I like, and respect, a good family man and that’s why I’m happy to have you and your kin.”
“Thank you,” I say. “You’re family is very beautiful,” I say.
He turns toward the back seat and looks sternly at me and then growls almost exactly as I had.
Suddenly we all burst out laughing.
“I may be seventy years old but I’m still just as protective as you are, sir. And you know we Cubans are good boxers,” he says with a bit of a smile and a bit of half-truth to it.
“So I’ve heard,” I say.
“Okay then. So it’s settled. Both of us men have won the lottery of life. We both found us the perfect woman and made her ours and then life really started when we had a family with her.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” I say.
The man extends his hand into the back seat and we shake.
“Okay, now let’s hit the road so we get to the beach and get a shady spot.”
“The beach?” the girls say in unison.
“We’ll see,” I reply. I lean back in my seat as we pull away from the curb.
The radio springs to li
fe and I hear the sounds of Buena Vista Social Club.
It’s great to be on vacation with my family and it’s great to have a driver who “gets it.”
Life is all about fun times with your family and surprising them with their favorite things.
And taking a classic car to a beautiful Caribbean beach definitely checks all the boxes.
All boxes but one.
I tap my wife on the shoulder and she turns around in the seat and we kiss as the wind blows through our hair.
Now the day is well on its way to being perfect…thanks to her.
And the family she gave me, and continues to give me.
I reach around and put my hands on her stomach.
“Five,” I say.
“Lucky seven,” she says.
“Lucky seven,” I say and we kiss again.
Yeah, I’m lucky all right. The luckiest man in the world because she’s mine.
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
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Possessive Canadian: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 72) Page 7