Page 138 of Bump and Run

Epilogue

Eliza

Five Years Later

I pullthe blanket off the back of the sofa and drape it over the giant beach ball taking hold of my stomach. After a few seconds of fidgeting to get comfortable, I end up giving up completely.

“Eliza, are you even listening to me?”Grant says, his voice just barely audible through the speaker on my phone lying next to my head.

I grab it and hold it to my ear. “Yeah, I’m here,” I grunt. “I’ve officially reached the stage of this pregnancy where nothing is ever good enough and I want to launch myself off the nearest skyscraper.”

“Oh, boo-hoo,” he laughs. “You get to lay around all day in Suburbia and eat bonbons with my adorable goddaughter. I’m the one that has to deal with actual children.”

I chuckle. “Louise isn’t… that bad.”

“Pfft. She’s no you.”

“Well, I’ll try and schedule my next procreation so it doesn’t interfere with your plans, Grant.”

“Thank you. That’s all I ask,” he sighs. “When does Lover Boy get back anyway?”

I glance out the window at the quiet street corner. Snow tumbles down from the sky, covering the black street with a fresh layer of white.

“I’m picking him up from the airport in the morning,” I answer. “Did you watch the game on Thanksgiving?”

“You ask that as if I had a choice,” he laughs. “Ty has been emailing me highlights from it for two days straight.”

“He’s just proud of his favorite client.” I shift again the couch, feeling a harsh cramp taking hold of my lower back. “Is Ty home yet?”

“No, I think he’s got some conference this weekend in Dallas or somewhere. No one told me marrying a sports agent would mean spending so many holidays alone.”

I throw on a pout and look out the window again. “I feel your pain.”

“At least I have my ingenue… when she’s not gestating.”

“I’m sorry!” I laugh.

“It’s okay. I’m only kidding. If that kid is anything like the one you already have, it’ll be worth it.”

I slide a hand over my belly and smile. “I agree.”

A taxi pulls to a stop on the corner outside and I squint to get a better look through the thick, falling snow.

A man steps out from the backseat; tall, wide shoulders, handsome—

I gasp. “Oh, my god!”

“What?” Grant asks. “Is there baby? Is baby happening?”

I rock back and forth, gaining momentum to push myself off the couch. “It’s Junior!”

“What?Where?”

“Outside.” I hobble to the front door and throw it open, not caring about the cold, invading snow. “A taxi just dropped him off.”

Junior looks up at the house and grins, no doubt fetching the exact reaction from me as he planned.

“Ohh,”Grant says. “It’s the old I caught an earlier flight to surprise you trick. I love that man.”

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