Page 168 of The Pucking Wrong Rookie

And then, through the large windows of the gallery, I noticed something. It was raining. Hard. But the weather didn’t feel like a threat anymore. It wasn’t a storm to fear, a sun when it shouldn’t be shining, or a sign of something bad. It was just weather.

I smiled, pulling Rome closer to me. The rain fell steadily outside, but inside, everything felt… perfect. I didn’t need the sun to shine every day. I didn’t need everything to be easy. I had what mattered most—family, love, and a life I never thought I’d have.

And in that moment, I knew I was whole.

SECOND EPILOGUE

LOGAN

One year later

We were sitting around, taking a break after practice, when Walker glanced over at me, holding his youngest daughter, Jovie, in his lap. She was adorable, all pink cheeks and wide eyes, but Walker had this serious look on his face, which immediately made me suspicious.

“I’m filing a complaint.”

“What?” I asked.

“Your son,” he started, his voice low and mock-serious. “He has been givingmydaughter the look.”

I blinked, pausing mid-drink, before raising an eyebrow. “Rome?”

“No. Sanders,” he growled.

I blinked at him, my lip curling up in amusement. “Disney, he’s a month old. How is he giving her the look?”

We’d been able to adopt Sanders as a newborn, and Sloane, Rome, and I were in heaven having a new baby in the house.

Walker nodded, completely deadpan. “I don't know, man, but I saw it. He’s been eyeballing her every time we hang out. I don’t like it.”

I set my drink down, trying not to laugh. “Eyeballing her? He barely opens his eyes.”

“Except when he shits,” Ari added. “His eyes were definitely open when he shit all over my shirt yesterday.”

Lincoln snorted and shook his head.

“Yes, that’s true,” I mused.

“I’m going to set the rules right now.” Walker lifted his chin, glancing down at his daughter with exaggerated protectiveness. “There will be no commingling with these two. It’s not happening.”

I leaned back in my chair, raising both eyebrows this time. “And what about Isabella and Rome?”

Walker sighed. “It’s too late for them. Isabella’s already in love. But if I start young enough, before Sanders is too cute to cloud my judgment…Jovie might have a chance.”

“Hey, Sanders is cute right now,” I complained.

“He looks like a wrinkled grandpa,” Lincoln said, his eyes glued to the video of Monroe he was watching on his phone.

“It’s true. Like a cute little prune almost. A grandpa prune,” said Ari.

Camden, who was sitting nearby, snorted into his water bottle, clearly trying to hold it together.

“Well,” I said slowly, rubbing my chin like I was considering this deeply. “I will take what you’ve said under consideration. Because you’re right, gotta nip that in the bud. Wouldn’t want my month-old son scheming on your daughter.”

Walker narrowed his eyes. “It sounds like you aren’t taking me seriously. It’s bad enough that Isabella asks to see Rome twenty times a day…”

“No, I am,” I said, a smirk spreading across my face. “I’m going to have aserioustalk with Sanders tonight. A real heart-to-heart.”

“He’s probably just mad because he’s plotting for one of his kids to marry into Lincoln’s family, but Lincoln has no kids to offer yet,” Camden said, standing up and grabbing his bag.

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