by A. D. Ellis
Several moments passed, and I felt as if I would pass out from holding my breath.
“We have the children in our possession. Suspect has evaded our officer and is heading up I-29 toward Canada. We’ll tail her for now,” the speaker spoke, but I could only focus on the fact that they had my boys.
“Are they okay? Are the boys okay?” I asked. “I need to talk to them.”
A call was patched through, so I could speak to Myles and Evan.
“Daddy, are you coming to meet us?” Myles asked.
“You bet I am buddy. How about I bring Cam and Declan and Justin with me?” I asked with hot tears streaming down my face.
“Yes!” Myles exclaimed. “Evan is sick. But the doctor said he will get better. They gave him a shot in his butt,” Myles giggled.
“I’m going to come meet you. You be good and stay with the police, okay? They are there to help you.” I didn’t want to scare him, but I needed him to know the officers were the good guys when he found out his mom had run off.
“Okay, see you soon, Daddy,” Myles chirped.
~*~*~*~
In the end, the authorities decided to let Stephanie attempt to cross into Canada because it would work against her. Taking the boys from school, abducting them out of state, leaving them stranded at the clinic, and trying to escape the country would all stack up in my favor against her in court.
Cam, my parents, his parents, Declan, Justin and I rented a big van and drove up to meet the officers who were transporting Myles and Evan back home. We were scheduled to meet them in Madison, Wisconsin. Officers reported that Evan was no longer running a fever or vomiting. The clinic felt he’d gotten some sort of stomach bug caused by bacteria. A strong antibiotic shot helped him on his way to feeling better.
Stephanie was in custody and charged with everything North Dakota could throw at her and would be transported back to be charged at home. My lawyer assured me that Stephanie would await trial and sentencing in jail due to the danger she presented to her children and her definite flight risk status.
The ten of us turned the trip into a mini vacation, letting the boys play Putt-Putt golf, spend loads of money in an arcade turning their points in for crappy prizes and sugary treats, visit a zoo and a children’s museum, and just relax. Six adults had never had their eyes glued to four kids like we did, and I had a feeling it would take a long time before any of us felt comfortable letting the boys out of our sight.
Cam and I both called into work to let them know we’d be taking the next week off. Mrs. Walters contacted us to say the boys would be excused from school for at least the week or however long was needed. She had several teachers ready and willing to come to the house and help with schoolwork.
Once we were back home, the ten of us spent as much time together as possible. The only times I stepped away from my boys was to speak to the police or legal advisors.
Steven Hiatt proved to be quite helpful in building a strong case against Stephanie. He sang like a bird in order to save his own ass. Said he’d realized she’d gone off the deep end when she took the boys from school and insisted on running away with them to Canada. He bailed on her around Chicago and made his way back home before going straight to the authorities.
In exchange for the information Steven provided and his signed promise to leave the state and never return, Steven was released and not charged. I breathed a sigh of relief when the police and my lawyer provided me with evidence that Steven was living three states away.
Knowing Stephanie was behind bars, and would stay there until her sentencing, was a huge weight off my shoulders. Once I knew she couldn’t get to the boys, I was able to let go and breathe a little easier.
Because the boys never knew they were in danger, I didn’t have to worry about any lasting effects of their abduction. They were sad when they found out their mother couldn’t join us on our vacation, but overall things went back to normal pretty quickly. They had adjusted so well to being just the three of us or just the six of us, that they barely questioned why Stephanie was all at once there and then gone again. I, on the other hand, started talking to a therapist to work through the nightmares losing the boys had caused.
Cam and I set to work building a life on the lake with our boys, our families, and our friends. I never would have dreamed that death and divorce, heartache and loss could lead to happiness and loving again. We didn’t ask for the situations we were put into. No one would choose to go through such painful experiences. But, Cam and I being able to love again, to live again, with the boys standing by our sides, made the hard times easier to bear.
Epilogue
Cameron
“We should get some sleep, we’ve got a big day tomorrow,” Kade whispered in my ear as he palmed my quickly thickening cock under the sheet. Several years had come and gone, but Kade never failed to turn me on.
“Yes, we should, and yes, we do. But something tells me someone is feeling a little frisky,” I said as I rocked my dick into his hand.
Kade rolled me gently to my side, his hand stroking my cock as his own hard length pressed into my body. “You’d think, after all these years, I’d get tired of this. But, I never do,” Kade growled in my ear as his cock pushed slowly inside. “Love how your body opens for me.”
I whimpered against the stinging stretch as Kade filled my body and his hand pumped my cock, a thumb flicking over the leaking slit.
Kade set a slow rhythm, one we would savor until our bodies reached a breaking point. And then we would wrap each other in an embrace and sleep. Resting for what life was bringing our way.
The next day and two subsequent weeks to come would bring a baby shower, a wedding, graduations, a retirement party, and a parole hearing. Proof that life never slowed down, the world didn’t stop turning. Good things come and go, bad things happen. But, there’s no stopping any of it. You can fight it or you can embrace it. Kade and I decided long ago to welcome life’s continuality with open arms. We experienced losses in life and love. We mourned for those we lost. We rejoiced in each other and our friends and families. But, most importantly, we lived life and learned to love again.
THE END
From the Author
THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope you enjoyed; please take a moment to leave a review. If you’re reading on a file/device that doesn’t take you to a review option, please consider finding the book on the platform of your choice and giving a star rating and a short review. It doesn’t have to be long and drawn out, just a few sentences about how it made you feel, what you liked/didn’t like. THANK YOU!!
If you are interested in my male/female contemporary romance series (Torey Hope) or my other male/male romance books, please check out my website to find information about all of my books. Or, search your favorite book platform for my name and see if something tickles your fancy.
A.D. Ellis
About the Author
A.D. Ellis is an Indiana girl, born and raised. She spends much of her time in central Indiana teaching alternative education in the inner city of Indianapolis, being a mom to two amazing school-aged children, and laughing at a precocious cat. A lot of her time is also devoted to phone call avoidance and her hatred of cooking.
She loves chocolate, wine, pizza, and naps along with reading and writing romance. These loves don’t leave much time for housework, much to the chagrin of her husband of nearly two decades. Who would pick cleaning the house over a nap or a good book? She uses any extra time to increase her fluency in sarcasm.
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Acknowledgements
This is always one of the hardest parts of finishing a book, but quite possibly the most important part! It’s so hard because I fear I�
��ll miss someone who has helped me out, supported me, been a listening ear, or offered advice and encouragement. If I miss listing your name here, please know it wasn’t on purpose, and I love you dearly!
A dear friend once again made this book possible. I’m not sure he understands how much his input means to me and how he shapes my stories with his words, answers, experiences, and heart. Thank you, Brett, as always. Don’t ever doubt your potential and how lucky people are to know you.
And, to Gage. You are truly an amazing person. Thank you, again, for all of your help and input. Not to get all mushy, but you have an incredible future ahead of you because you can do absolutely anything you set your mind to. And, I feel blessed to get to watch you reach the stars. Just be cautious of those dang pigeons.
To my editor, Stephanne, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sharp eyes and constant professionalism. You were a gift to me over 12 years ago, and you continue to be a blessing.
To my friend, fellow author, and cover designer, Andrea Michelle at Artistry in Design. Thank you for taking my vision and bringing it to life through your design. I love you!
To my dear beta readers. Your input, feedback, and encouragement has proven invaluable to me! I truly trust you all and value your opinions more than you’ll probably ever understand. Thank you to my newest betas as well. When I needed fresh new eyes who had never read any of these characters you were there for me and helped me so much!
To my Ellis Elite Private Discussion Group—THANK YOU! Those of you who list me in contests and comments and shout outs all the time, you’re amazing and I love you for always working to get my name out there! If I start naming people here, I’ll be sure to miss some; just know if you’ve ever shared my name or my books, it means the world to me and I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know!
To my READERS!! You are what keeps me going. You are the reason I write some days. When I don’t feel like I have it in me, I’ll get a message or comment from a reader about how a story of mine has touched them, and that will be the inspiration and motivation for me to write. As long as these stories are in my head, I’ll keep sharing them with you.
To the BLOGGERS who read and review and share my books!! You are beyond a shadow of a doubt some of the most dedicated and selfless people I’ve ever known! Thank you so much for being such a support to those of us who have stories to tell. I love BLOGGERS!
To my girls at The Indie Erogenous Zone. You are beyond fellow authors; you’re my support, my heart, my friends. There have been days I wanted to give up, but I had you to turn to; days when a bad review breaks my heart, but I talk it out with you. I truly consider you all my close friends and I wouldn’t want to be facing this crazy journey without you! IEZ4Life! T&F girls!
To my Juice Box ladies! Thank you so much for welcoming me into your crew and sharing your knowledge, experience, advice, and fun with me! Having some real-life authors/friends I can collaborate with is a great feeling. Dance parties, lunches, movies, videos, wine, painting, pizza…the list goes on and on! Thank you for letting me be a Juice Boxer!
Cheryl Brooks, thank you for working your magic on my blurbs.
To my fellow authors. Those of you who read my work, share your work with me, cross-promote with me, and offer advice and support, THANK YOU! You make this a little easier and enjoyable.
To my family and friends. I know most of you don’t understand my obsession with getting these stories out of my head and on paper, but you’re proud of me either way. Some of you get to read my books, some of you get to see cover ideas, some of you have to watch me lose myself in a story, some of you have to hear me vent about the hard parts of all of this; all of you love me and support me and for that, I am truly lucky and grateful.
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* * *
[PC1]Is this more of a prologue?
[PC2]Through the
[PC3]You could just say My partner for the past ten years,
[PC4]Does he consider calling a nurse if the guy is like dying right now? Is he panicked? Maybe trying to do one more thing to keep him alive? If not his character is fine. If he’s accepted the death, maybe add that here, if not why not fight?
[PC5]I read something recently, that said the alarms don’t blare in the rooms anymore. They blare at the nurse’s stations. Might check into this as maybe some hospitals do and some don’t. IDK.
[PC6]I pulled this loved because you use it in previous sentence and again in same sentence.
[PC7]Maybe he sees her come back out?
[PC8]Maybe have him go inside here. What’s it look like in there?
[PC9]And tell me what season it is here by saying the leaves are green, tulips are in bloom OR the leaves are on the grass and mums are covered.
[PC10]Going from babies to men, is sort of confusing. I’ll move the sentence and you can see if you like better.
[PC11]How does he feel seeing his friend this way? Helpless? Or even more adamant about staying at his side?
[PC12]Rearrange?
[PC13]Nice! And I mean, I like this.
[PC14]These are contradictory.
[PC15]Lots of names to remember. Would you consider changing Declan to something else since it’s so similar to Deacon?
[PC16]Before you continue, I’d explain where they are so we can visualize the setting. And is this in present time? Or is he remembering this convo?
[PC17]Does he wonder why he feels this way? Is he feeling guilty for relying on another man?
[PC18]Show us how he’s feeling. Does his gaze drop? Does he rub the back of his neck and frown? Give us a little hint of what is to come, but maybe they just don’t see it yet, but their actions show the reader..ya know?
[PC19]Could delete this since you basically have already said this in previous sentence.
[PC20]He catches up with her where?
[PC21]Playing devil’s advocate, he has been with Cameron a lot. And that’s not her fault.
[PC22]Insert where they are. Give the reader a setting to work from throughout this section.
[PC23]Is he feeling gratitude here toward Cam after everything the man is going through? Maybe a little guilt on burdening him with his problems when his hubby just died?
[PC24]Me too, because thinking of a guy she’s fucking as her dad. EWWWWW!!!
[PC25]He just said he could barely stand being in the same room with her.
[PC26]At her coldness? Because he shouldn’t be shocked too much because he knew she was cheating, maybe her indifference? She’s said she was messed up because of her parents divorce and didn’t want that then she turns around and does it anyway.
[PC27]A feeling this man would understand, yes?
[PC28]And Maybe Cam felt the same way? Because he hasn’t been touched either.
[PC29]Who is Don? Oh, it’s Cam’s dad.
[PC30]Hmmm…is that how custody really works? I mean he knows where she works, right? Why doesn’t he go there and talk to her?
[PC31]And he still hasn’t asked how CAM is. It’s making him come across very insensitive.
[PC32]Does he feel any sort of flutter of betrayal at having another man in his house? Does his have a what would Deacon think moment?
[PC33]Does he have a whoa, maybe I’m not rally joking moment and then he feels like what the hell?
[PC34]And how is that adjustment going?
[PC35]And word on Steph?
[PC36]Story time jump. First he’s in bed, now, he’s helping Kade. Is this now or in the past?
[PC
37]Does that thought surprise him? Does he wonder what that means?
[PC38]Their in his home right now, so I don’t get this.
[PC39]Did they have to explain to their parents this new arrangement?
[PC40]Does he think about this at all? Like huh? Could I be gay? Do I feel that way about Cam? Or could I?
[PC41]How does he feel about him saying “our” boys?
[PC42]So he’s interested in Kade, for sure. Wants to get physical with him and isn’t just flirting? How is he dealing with this realization in his head.
[PC43]Plus shouldn’t he wonder if his friend is ready since his husband just died? And isn’t he a bit curious as to what it means to be with a man? Curious about the differences? How it’ll feel?
[PC44]Even though he feels a little odd since his husband just died and this guy is his friend?
[PC45]Maybe add a transitional statement here, like more than ready to alter my thoughts, I maneuvered…
[PC46]And how could he be with her when he doesn’t know where she is?
[PC47]Good chapter. Funny and touching.
[PC48]Need to have him open the door and go outside. More transition here.
