I can’t move. I can hardly breathe through the emotion in my throat. He joins me, and I reach out to him. “You wrote me a song? And you sang it. Someone better have videoed that, because it’s a moment I never want to forget.” I rise and step into his arms. “Thank you.”
Crew passes and pats him on the shoulder. “Don’t even think of taking my job.”
Garrett laughs into my hair.
“You were stunning,” I say. “What you did … Garrett, it’s the best gift anyone has ever given me. I only wish I had something for you.”
“Are you kidding?” He wipes under my eye, catching a tear. “You’ve given me the best gift of all, Reece.”
“What’s that?”
His finger traces the line of my jaw and he stares into my eyes. My husband, my lover, my best friend, gazes at me with inconceivable adoration and pulls me in for a kiss. Before our lips touch, he breathes, “You.”
Epilogue
Garrett
Seven years later …
“Happy housewarming,” Ronni says, handing me a bottle of expensive vodka before strolling through the living room to touch our four Grammys. Two for Reece and two for RA, but who’s counting? They were the first things Reece unpacked.
We moved in a few weeks ago. Liam and Ella chose the neighborhood first, then three years later, Crew and Bria bought the house next door to them. Since then, it’s been Liam’s mission to persuade their other neighbor to sell to us. It only took them a year to cave—and we paid a hefty price to get it. But like Liam always says, what’s the point of having money if you don’t use it to get what you want?
After Ronni walks out the back door, she looks left, where the fence has been removed between our house and Liam’s. He long ago removed the one between his place and Crew’s.
Ronni looks faintly aghast. “Must the three of you boys do everything together?”
“What do you mean, the three of us?” I say, nodding to Brad across the lawn. “I guess you didn’t see the for sale sign across the street. Brad just put in an offer.”
She laughs. “I don’t care if you own the company, we’re not moving IRL to Long Island.”
“That wouldn’t make any sense,” I say. “We have too many clients in the city. We decided to put a recording studio in the basement. After Brad moves in, we won’t be rehearsing at IRL anymore. We’ll do it here.”
“I need a drink,” she says, heading over to the outdoor bar.
Reece joins me on the back porch. I hand her the vodka. “From Ronni.”
She eyes the bottle strangely. “But she knows we’re whiskey drinkers.”
“That’s probably why she brought it. Haven’t you figured out by now she’ll never change?” I hand over her phone. “Maddox called when you were in the bathroom. He’s bummed he couldn’t be here.”
“I wish he wouldn’t feel bad. With where he is and what he does, it’s hard for him to get away.”
Even after all this time, she misses him immensely. “I’m sure you’ll figure out how to see each other soon.”
Liam’s four-year-old son runs over when he sees his ‘Auntie’ Reece. She laughs, picking him up. “Hey, Fen. Did you miss me? I haven’t seen you in two whole hours.”
“Mommy has a big tummy,” he says, sticking out his stomach.
“She sure does. Where is your mom? I want to borrow a needle and thread to sew on a button.”
“She’s with Lita.”
“Come on.” She puts him down and takes his hand. “Let’s go find them. I need snuggle time with your baby sister.”
I am in awe of the way kids take to her. Everyone loves Auntie Reece. They think I’m a damn cool uncle, but Reece is amazing. She’s going to make a great mom. She’s incredible with Liam’s kids, who are four and two, and Crew’s daughter, who’s three. Not to mention Brad and Rob’s kids.
I get a drink at the bar and talk to my parents, who have struck up a conversation with Brett and Emma, then wander to Crew’s pool, where he’s holding a wet Sylvie. “She swimming yet?”
“I can’t even get her to hold her breath.”
Rob swims over with three-year-old R.J. in tow. “You just have to throw them in. They’ll hold their breath. It’s instinct.”
Crew looks at Rob like he’s crazy. “I am not throwing my daughter in the water.”
“Fine. Then she’ll be the only kid at pre-K who can’t swim.”
Crew turns to Bria. “Babe, is that true?”
Bria rolls her eyes. “He’s messing with you, Crew. Not a lot of kids in this area know how to swim at three years old. We have one of the few houses with a pool.”
“You should put in a pool,” Rob says to me.
“Why? We can use this one anytime we like.”
Bria says to him, “We kind of see our houses as community property. Crew and I have the pool, Liam and Ella have the movie theater, and Garrett and Reece will have the recording studio.”
“What are you going to have?” Crew asks Brad, who is sitting beside the pool with seven-year-old Olivia.
Brad thinks on it for a second, then nods his head over and over like he has the best idea. “Man cave.”
“Yeah, baby,” Liam says, appearing with Reece and Ella.
Bria snorts. “You boys go ahead and build your man cave. The four of us will think of something else to build.”
Liam laughs, “What, like an arts and crafts room?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of a day spa,” Bria says. “We can hire gorgeous masseurs to pamper us.”
Crew climbs out of the pool and sits next to Bria, wrapping Sylvie in a towel. “The hell you will. The only one who’s going to be massaging you is me.”
Bria puts her feet on Crew’s lap. “Then you’d better get started,” she says, rubbing the baby bump that recently started to show. “My feet are already swelling.” She turns to Ella. “It’s so unfair that you’re three weeks away from delivering, and you don’t even have swollen ankles.”
“What can I say,” Ella says. “Pregnancy has always been a walk in the park for me.”
“I kind of hate you right now,” Bria says.
Bria hasn’t had the easiest of pregnancies. Sylvie was born by cesarean after three months of bed rest, and Bria was sick for the first four months of this pregnancy. We had to put production of our tenth album on hold. And now with Ella about to pop, we decided it was time to take a year off. No albums, no tours.
Reece just finished her sixth album and is also on hiatus. Her second and third albums went platinum, like four of RA’s have. She won’t tour again for two years, much to Ronni’s displeasure, but there wasn’t much she could say about it. Maybe that’s why she brought the vodka, because there’s little she can control in our lives anymore. We keep her on because she’s the best damn rep out there. She took IRL from a grassroots organization to a major record label. And as owners, we’ve got the bank accounts to prove it. We could retire and still live like kings. But we won’t, because music is our lives. It comes from our souls. I look over at Ella’s huge belly—but some things are still more important.
“Uncle Garrett, throw me in the pool,” Fen says.
I strip off my shirt and dive in. Fen jumps into my open arms and then I throw him repeatedly. When my arms become tired, I hand him off to Liam and swim over to Rob.
“Brad’s buying the house across the street?” he asks.
“Put in an offer this morning.”
“Hmm.” He slips into the pool with R.J. “I wonder if his offer will beat ours.”
My jaw drops. “You put in an offer on the house?”
“You know Kelsey’s been dying to move to Long Island for years. We thought it was time. And since she and Reece are best friends, it made sense.”
“You can’t afford a house like that,” I tease.
“Brother, with what you’re paying me to represent Reckless Alibi and IRL, I can afford two houses like that one.”
“Niles!” I yell acr
oss the yard. “Cut my brother’s salary in half on Monday. He’s making too much money.”
Dad walks over, laughing. “He’s making a lot more than he’d have made at my firm, even as a junior partner.” He glances at my house. “I’ve got some fine sons, that’s for damn sure. Look at the two of you.” He stands beside the pool, looking down at us with pride before leaving to find Mom.
“I’ll let Brad have the house,” Rob says. “He’s more than earned it. We’ll wait for another one to come up for sale on your street.”
“Let Liam know which one you want. He’ll work his magic and have you in by Christmas.”
Ella outfits Lita in water wings. “Liam, she wants a turn.” Lita squirms in her arms. Ella stiffens and looks surprised. “Someone take her. My water just broke.”
We scamper out of the pool. Liam takes his daughter and helps Ella to a lounge chair. “Now?” he asks. “Are you sure?”
She scolds him with a look. “Babe, I’ve done this twice before. I think I know when my water breaks.” She lies back. “I should have known. I’ve had heartburn all day. I thought it was from the green peppers I had in my omelet.”
Reece runs over. “Is this really happening? What can I do? Is it too early?”
“Someone get Brett,” Bria says. “He’s a paramedic.” She turns to Reece, putting an arm around her. “Thirty-seven weeks is not too early. Ella and the baby will be fine.”
“Get Kelsey too,” Rob adds. “She can help.”
“I’m having a contraction,” Ella says, squeezing Liam’s hand.
Brett and Kelsey run over. “Can you walk?” he asks. “We should get you to the hospital.”
Ella shakes her head. “No time. I feel pressure.”
“Pressure?” I ask. “What does that mean?”
“It means I was only in labor with Fen for four hours and Lita for one. You do the math.”
Bria looks mock disgusted. “See? This is why I hate you.”
“Can I take a look?” Brett says.
Ella nods.
Liam helps her discreetly remove her panties under the sundress. The rest of us stand back and let Brett assess the situation. He looks up. “I can feel the head. We can’t move her. Call an ambulance.”
“An ambulance?” Reece says, taking my hand. “You think she’s going to have the baby here?”
“She’s having it now,” Brett says. He barks orders. “Someone get the EMT bag from the back of my car. I’ll also need large towels, washcloths, a bucket of clean water, and rubbing alcohol and peroxide.”
Ella yells through another contraction.
Brett takes her hand. “Are you comfortable on the chaise, or do you want to lie down on the grass?”
She shakes her head and a bead of sweat trickles down her brow. “I don’t think I can move.”
“Might want to take the kids inside,” Kelsey says.
Mom and Emma corral the children and herd them away. The rest of us stay, scared but fascinated.
The needed supplies are brought. Brett tucks a few towels under Ella’s bottom and then digs through his EMT bag.
Another contraction hits. Liam takes her hand. “It’s okay, babe. You’ve done this twice before. This will be a walk in the park.”
“I don’t know what kind of park you think this is,” Ella says. “It’s still damn hard.”
He kisses her forehead. “I know. I’m sorry. You’re doing great.”
It amazes me what the female body is capable of. I squeeze Reece’s hand. “She’s going to be fine. Everyone is.”
“I just can’t believe it’s happening right here.”
“I have to push,” Ella says, turning red.
Brett shoves her dress up around her waist, and Liam and Kelsey each hold a leg. “Whenever you’re ready.”
The rest of us gather around the back of Ella’s chaise. She looks up at Reece. “It’s okay if you want to watch.” She glances at me. “You, too, Garrett.”
“Me? No.”
“You should watch,” Liam says.
“That’s your wife. I don’t know if I’d be able to unsee that.”
He laughs. “You only get so many chances to see a baby being born. Go ahead.”
Ella says, “Think fast. This baby is coming.” She pushes. Brett and Kelsey, looking calm and collected, encourage her.
I feel like I’m going to pass out.
Reece whimpers when the head comes out.
Three minutes and a few contractions later, Brett is holding a pink, screaming baby. There’s not a dry eye on the patio as he cuts the cord and wraps her in a blanket. He tries to hand the baby to Ella, but she says, “Give her to her mother.”
Reece steps forward. Brett carefully places our daughter in her hands. Reece kisses her on the head. I have to swallow the lump in my throat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more amazing than Reece holding our child for the first time.
I count every last finger and toe, then I sit next to Ella, who’s still being worked on by Brett. I take her hand. “How can we ever thank you?” I say, choking back tears.
“You provided the ingredients,” she says. “I just cooked her for you.”
“You’ve given us an amazing gift. Nothing we could ever do for you could possibly compare.”
She nods to Reece who’s holding our baby like she’s never seen anything so gorgeous in the entire world. “See that? That’s the look of a true mother. She already loves her fiercely. It’s all the thanks I need.”
We hear sirens in the distance. “They’ll take both of them to the hospital,” Brett says. “Just to make sure everything is good.”
“I don’t want to leave her,” Reece says.
Brett finishes with Ella and straightens. “You’re her mother. You can ride with them. I might even be able to convince them to let Liam go along. The rest of you can meet them there.”
EMTs appear, accompanied by my father. “That’s my granddaughter,” he says. “Be careful.”
They load Ella onto a gurney. Reece carries our daughter, and we follow them to the rig. They help Reece inside. “I’ll be right behind you,” I say. “And then I’m never letting either of you out of my sight again.”
She averts her eyes from the baby for a moment. “Always and forever?”
“No.” I shake my head and smile. “Longer.”
The End
Thank you for taking this journey with Reckless Alibi. For all of you who’ve been screaming at me to write a book about Maddox McBride – here you go! You can pre-order Texas Orchids here:
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SKC695K
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08SKC695K
Acknowledgments
To think this book makes a total of 18 and completes my 5th series is beyond exciting. I still have to pinch myself every day knowing I can walk 15 steps to my office and work in my pajamas (which I did even before the whole COVID thing, by the way.)
As always, there are many people to thank.
To my special editor who has been with me since the beginning, Ann Peters, thank you for your continued support. Also, a great big shout out to my copy editor, LS, at Murphy Rae Solutions.
To my beta readers, Shauna Salley, Joelle Yates, Laura Conley, Julie Collier, and Tammy Dixon—you keep me honest and on my toes.
Thank you to Susan Phelan of the Denver-based band, Ryan Chrys and The Rough Cuts. You’ve helped me get inside the heads of rock stars.
And finally, to my family. 2020 has been a hard year with canceled trips, virtual graduations, and everyone trying to live and work at home without killing each other. That we’ve survived all of this and are going on 9 months of a pandemic and still love each other is a true testament to our family. To my husband, thank you for loving me despite all the COVID pounds I packed on!
About the author
Samantha Christy’s passion for writing started long before her first novel was published. Graduating from the University of Nebraska with a degree in Crimina
l Justice, she held the title of Computer Systems Analyst for The Supreme Court of Wisconsin and several major universities around the United States. Raised mainly in Indianapolis, she holds the Midwest and its homegrown values dear to her heart, and upon the birth of her third child devoted herself to raising her family full time. While it took time to get from there to here, writing has remained her utmost passion, and being a stay-at-home mom facilitated her ability to follow that dream. When she is not writing, she keeps busy cruising to every Caribbean island where ships sail. Samantha Christy currently resides in St. Augustine, Florida with her husband and four children.
You can reach Samantha Christy at any of these wonderful places:
Website: www.samanthachristy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaChristyAuthor
Instagram: @authorsamanthachristy
E-mail: [email protected]
Reckless Reunion (The Reckless Rockstar Series) Page 30
