Page 91 of Boss Daddy

“Bring them to me.”

The nurse gently places one tiny bundle in each arm, and as I look down at their scrunched-up faces, my heart swells to a size I didn’t know was possible. Pure, unconditional love floods through me, and I can’t help the tears that spill over.

Samuel crouches beside me, his hand brushing against mine as he looks down at our boys. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.” His voice is soft and full of awe.

I glance at him and smile.

“Well, Daddy, say hello to Samuel Jr. and James. My two favorite boys named after my two favorite men.”

He chuckles, leaning in to kiss me again, his lips soft against mine.

“Sammy and Jimmy. Welcome to the world, boys.”

Epilogue II

Samuel

One year later…

“You’re not going anywhere just yet, buddy,” I say to Sammy, smirking as he lets out a determined grunt. Beside me, James is holding Jimmy, who’s doing the exact same thing.

I glance down at Sammy, who’s squirming in my arms, his tiny hands reaching toward the new toy cars scattered across the lawn.

The house is alive with laughter. I love it. I don’t know how I ever lived without it.

Kids dart between clusters of brightly wrapped presents and a bounce house that has become the main attraction. The smell of barbecue wafts from the grill, where one of the neighbors mans the flames, flipping burgers and hot dogs.

“Please sit still for two seconds,” Erin pleads, holding her phone up to take a picture. Her voice sounds exasperated, but there’s laughter in her eyes. She’s standing by the picnic table, which isloaded with food and a cake shaped like two race cars—one blue, one red.

“We’re trying,” James says, but the grin on his face tells a different story. Jimmy giggles, his little hands batting at James’s face.

Around us, the sprawling yard of what is now our cabin in the woods stretches out like a dream. The addition of fences and a playground are for the boys’ benefit.They have plenty of space to run, explore, and be as loud as they want.

Tiffany breezes past, laughing as she tries to wrangle a group of toddlers chasing each other with balloons. She waves a hand at Erin. “Good luck getting those two to pose!”

Erin sighs, lowering her phone. “Fine,” she concedes with a laugh, waving us off. “Go ahead. Let them loose.”

With Mommy’s permission, the twins are off, hauling butt to their toy cars. The little vehicles light up and make engine noises as the boys clamber onto them, chatting to each other in their secret twin language.

Erin laughs, shaking her head as she watches them. The sound of her joy settles deep in my chest. I’ve stared death in the face more times than I care to count, lived through enough chaos to last a lifetime, but this moment is pure, simple happiness. The kind I never knew I needed.

The adults gather around the patio table, keeping a close eye on the kids while casually chatting and drinking. James leans back in his chair, Jimmy’s sticky juice handprints still on his shirt.

“Got some news,” he says. “Kailee’s been found.”

Erin stiffens beside me, her hand pausing mid-reach for her glass. “What? When? Where?”

James chuckles, shaking his head. “Turns out she was the one who’d stolen the money. Sounds like she hoped Misha would tag you for it. Anyway, she got arrested trying to sneak into Canada. Apparently, she had an unregistered gun on her and what remained of the cash.”

Erin’s jaw drops. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious,” James replies. He seems a little amused by it all. “She was scared Misha’s men were after her. She’d been keeping a low profile here in the States, but I guess something spooked her and she tried to flee across the border. Clearly, she was sloppy about it.”

Erin sinks back in her chair, shaking her head. “Unbelievable.”

I glance at her, then at the twins, who are happily racing their cars across the yard. “Guess that clears your name, huh?”

“Not that I needed any clearing. Misha’s long gone, doing his witness protection act or whatever. I’m not exactly concerned with getting back in his good graces.”

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