Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 75(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 75(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
Epilogue
PARKER
Six Years Later
I’m folding the last load of laundry when I glance out the window and see my daughter torturing poor Gilbert.
I waddle over and yell out the back door, “Smokey! Look at what your daughter is getting into.” While Asher and Warrick watch the football game on the flat screen we installed on our patio, our five-year-old daughter is terrorizing the cat.
“Don’t worry, little Minx.” My mate laughs and glances over to watch as Iris clips barrettes in the black cat’s fur. “The little fucker deserves it.” Asher is still a little salty about Gilbert throwing up in his favorite sneakers.
As Gilbert glares at the two men sitting on the patio, I realize my cat is plotting something nefarious. The spoiled cat is used to having me at home, and there’s usually very little upheaval in his life. Soon after we found out I was expecting Iris, we decided I should stay at home with our little one. Plus, the whole Barry Strickland ordeal really left my mate a little shell-shocked. Every time I’m out of his sight, my mate starts to stress that something is going to happen.
Once I quit my job and started staying home every day, my spoiled cat got used to having someone home most of the time. Over the last year or so, the old cat has become set in his ways, big time, and he’s having a hard time adjusting to all the changes happening in our family right now.
Not long ago, Asher was promoted to Captain. While he’s got more responsibility with the position, he now works a normal nine-to-five schedule, which is so nice for me, but our cat hasn’t gotten used to the change yet.
Add to that, we’re due to have twins in a few weeks, and we’ve been preparing for the upheaval the new additions will cause to our household.
Not only does our cat act out for weeks after every slight change, but our daughter is accustomed to being the only child and the apple of her father’s eye.
I can see the next few months are going to be tough but totally worth it, I tell my mate mentally through our mate bond. It’s a neat little trick I learned shortly after we mated.
I’ll have to buy several pairs of sneakers, Asher grumbles in my mind.
I keep telling you Gilbert didn’t mean to ruin your shoes. Actually, I’m pretty sure my ornery cat was acting out over Iris starting kindergarten, but I have no idea why the silly animal decided to take his frustrations out on Asher.
Bullshit, my mate grumbles. That menace knew exactly what he was doing. Asher has learned to only use swear words when we’re communicating mentally so he doesn’t have to put money in our daughter’s swear jar.
I roll my eyes and walk out onto the back patio as Warrick turns and laughs at the pathetic sight of my cat all dressed up in pink bows and booties. “Pink is definitely his color.”
“Stop being mean to my cat.” I glare at my mate’s best friend.
“I’ll stop giving him shit when he stops being a little asshole.”
Before I’m able to shush him, my daughter pipes in. “Uncle Warrick said two bad words.”
I turn to my husband’s best friend and stare at him with a raised eyebrow as he blows out his breath. “You’re supposed to be on my side, little sprite,” he grumbles and hands over two dollar bills to add to Iris’ swear jar then turns back to Asher. “I can’t believe you’re letting your daughter finance her trip to Disney World by extorting money from your friends. It’s highway fucking robbery,” Warrick grumbles to my mate and reaches into his wallet for another dollar. At this rate, we’ll be taking Iris on vacation next summer.
“If you would watch your language, she wouldn’t be getting money from you.”
“I’m going to need a second fu…” he stops and corrects himself, “a second job to support my swear word habit.”
“I wuvz you, Uncle Warrick.” My daughter climbs into his arms with poor Gilbert clasped tightly in her arms, and I watch as the big wolf shifter melts on the spot.
“I love you, too, sprite.” He hugs her close and smirks at the sight of the black cat with three hot pink bows clipped in his fur and pink satin kitty booties on all four of his paws.
My daughter slumps against her godfather and yawns, signaling it’s time for a nap. “Come on, Iris. We need to get you cleaned up. It’s nap time.” I take her hand and lead her to the back door.