by Unknown
I'm a little hurt. “Do you not want me and the kids at your house?”
“No,” he says. “That's not it at all! I just I think you should be with your husband and children under one roof. If you’re going to make this marriage work you can't start off by living on different streets.”
“You're right.”
“I know,” Tristan says. “I'm always right.”
“Always right about what?” Easton says. Tristan smiles and says,
“Your wife is homeless with your children. I told her she can't come back to my house. Do you have somewhere for her to stay?”
Easton looks pissed until he realizes Tristan just threw him a bone.
“She will be fine, Tristan. I just happen to own a home a few streets over from you. You will still have all the time in the world to be up my wife's ass as usual.”
“Sorry friend, not down with anal play, but I will come hang out at your house often. Besides, your pool is bigger and has a grotto. You know what they say, ‘what happens in the grotto, stays in the grotto.”
“Ewwwww! Tristan. You will not be cumming in the grotto, in my new pool, at my new house, ever! Am I clear?” I say.
“When are you breaking out of this place?” Tristan asks.
“I am here till the morning. I would sure love my best friend a whole bunch if my stuff magically popped over to my new house,” I say with a smile and batting my eyelashes.
“Your shit popped over this morning, and the womenfolk are unpacking as we speak.”
Easton and I start laughing. “I didn't know babe. I went to get changed at the penthouse—it's closer.
“What are we going to do with all the extra furniture?”
“It can all be returned, baby. I will have my brother take care of it.”
There was a knock on the door and the young girl from the theatre came in.
“Hi, Thea. Are you here to see your cousins?” She nods I hand her our son. “His name is Atticus.”
Thea smiles and kisses his head; she runs her cheek against his hair. She hands him to Tristan, who hands her one of the daughters.
“This little girl is named Artemis.” Thea gets tears in her eyes she whispers, “Pilar.”
“I know. Thea, I see it also.” Right behind her ear is a birthmark that is identical to one Pilar had behind the same ear.
Thea doesn't want to let her go, but she hands her to Easton before she picks up Asteria. She makes cooing sounds to the baby and hands her back to me. She pulls out her phone and points.
“I don't have my phone, Thea, but if you sign. Easton can translate, and I promise we will learn to sign.” She turns to Easton and signs and Easton translates.
“She went to Tristan's and there was a moving truck. She is unsure of where she is supposed to be.” Easton Translates
“Thea, you're staying with me. We are moving into Easton's a few streets over. Did they explain about us being married?” Thea nods.
“Is staying at Easton's okay with you?” She nods again.
“Okay. We are coming home in the morning. You can stay with my parents if you don't want to be in the house alone.”
She signs that she is fine alone and that she can use this time to get herself settled since all her stuff should arrive tomorrow. “Is it okay if I take the downstairs bedroom?”
“Actually, Easton and I were thinking you're seventeen, almost eighteen, and you might like your own space. Would you like the guest cottage? It has everything you will need, and it's ten steps from the kitchen door.” Thea is smiling from ear to ear. She signs she is so excited.
A new home takes some getting used to, being a new mother also takes some getting used to. Elena and my mom have been over helping me every day until I get a handle on the triplet’s schedule. Easton gets up alternating feeding, I can honestly say I have never been so tired in my entire life but have also never been so happy.
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The babies are almost a week old and they are already showing personality. Atticus gets angry and makes a weird face whenever one of his sisters cries. Asteria is so quiet, she looks everyone in the eye, never blinking, and Artemis is a drama queen already. If she isn't getting attention, she isn't happy. All three of the babies have the same ice blue eyes and black hair. They all have their father's deep dimples in both cheeks but they’re fair-skinned like me. Everyone is coming over for a family dinner and to spend some snuggle time with the babies.
Estelle is unusually quiet. She seems to be going out of her way to avoid Rhydian, and he seems to be going out of his way to crowd her space. I finally corner him in the kitchen,
“What is your deal?”
He looks pensive. “I'm in love with Estelle.”
“What? When did this happen?”
He rests his head against the wall. “The first time Easton brought her around, I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I didn't want to fall in love with her; I didn't even like her as a person. Fuck, Kennedy, when we thought she was dead, I fucking died inside. When Max said her name at your parent’s table, my heart was beating again for the first time in weeks. I was dead inside when I thought she was gone, and then there she was, even more beautiful than I could imagine and happy. Her smile; I had never seen her smile before like she did when she was at your parent’s. When I got her to come stay with me, I didn't want to be her roommate. I wanted to be her man but she just wouldn't let me get close.”
“I can't tell you what I saw when I died, I'm not gonna take the chance that I alter what's going to come, but if that's how you feel, then Rhydian, you fight like hell for her because I can tell you it will all be worth it, I promise.”
I walk up to my brother-in-law and give him a hug and a kiss on the nose, Easton walks in.
“Get your paws off my wife!”
Rhydian laughs, “Sorry brother, she came on to me, how could I resist?”
Easton punches him playfully in the arm.
Easton's POV
I got my girl back by default, but now I'm going to do everything I can to keep her happy and keep her mine. I look at our kids and I wonder how I could have ever had any doubt that Kennedy was all I would ever need. I seriously need to buy Estelle a car or a house, or maybe a yacht. The fact that she sent our marriage license to the courthouse even though I left Kennedy at the altar like a dumbass, means that when I looked at my kids’ birth certificates, next to mother it has married, and my name next to hers. Our kids were Kerrigan’s, thanks to Estelle.
Estelle has changed so much from the girl I knew as Stella. If you had asked me a year ago if I liked Estelle, I would have told you I hated her but now I love her like a sister. She has been a great friend to my girl. I hope my brother finally figures out how to tell her how he feels because I can't wait until she is a Kerrigan. My family is working on repairing the damage between them and Kennedy. I know Rose is worried she and Kennedy will never get back to where they were, but Kennedy is the most forgiving and understanding person I know. I see Kennedy opening up more and more to Rose. My dad and Liam have offered to walk on broken glass for what they said about Kennedy. They realize now that she wasn't unhinged, just a mother protecting her young. Estelle is hers, and when you fuck with what belongs to my girl, it isn't a pretty sight.
Liam is no different with his kids. He's so protective it’s actually causing issues between him and Rose. He doesn't want to accept that his kids are growing up.
The Brennan’s have welcomed me back with open arms. They know I love their daughter and she loves me and together we love our kids. Kennedy won't tell me what the girls showed her when she was on life support, but she said good things were coming for everyone and our love is what holds everyone together.
I watch Thea watch Killian from the hallway. She looks at him as if he hung the moon and he’s so stuck in his own misery he can't see what's right in front of him. He needs to figure it out soon she is only going to be here for about six months until she leaves for college.
I know Stacy had been sneaking around with Reed for a year. Everything ended a few weeks ago. He took a job working in the New York field office and according to Kennedy. Stacy thought it was serious, but Reed had other ideas. She was heartbroken when he told her he was leaving with only two days’ notice.
Michael seems to have a heavy heart. It’s been nine years, and he still hasn’t gotten over his high school sweetheart, Katie. She lives and teaches on the reservation where her father is the chief. My father and I are meeting him next week; to talk about buying the land we own next the reservation they want to extend the school.
I sit and I look at my family. My beautiful wife with my kids, and my siblings and Tristan and Estelle and Thea and I know that I couldn't have asked for more.
Kennedy came to Denver for a fresh start. When she set her sights on The Hope Theatre, that’s what started a whirlwind of change in my life and the lives of my family. She came here to find a life after tragedy, but she ended up finding hope in more ways than one.
About the Author & a Note to Readers
I live on the Southwest Coast of Florida with my husband and three daughters. I spend my time reading and shuttling my kids to and from activities. I'm probably a lot like you; maybe you always had a story to tell but you were too shy admit you’re a writer in your heart.
In my 30 plus years, I have had a lot of jobs; office worker, cable company employee, nurse, I even went to cosmetology school. While doing all of that, I filled notebooks with stories of these amazing families, or sexy shifters, even a few magical lands. Once I was finished writing, I would throw the notebook away. I never dreamed I would have a book on Amazon.
I wrote this book without adding one stitch of punctuation. Truth is, no matter how many classes I have taken, I just don’t comprehend where a comma should go. That stopped me for more than 20 years. I trusted two strangers I met on Facebook, see it’s always easier to share things with strangers behind a screen than family, who might judge.
This book was just two chapters I sent to those two strangers. They gave their time to a stranger with a dream to write, so my advice to you is, LIFE IS TOO SHORT. Find what you love and do it for as long as you can. Don’t be afraid to ask advice and beg for help. I hope Kate, Jeannie and Jeanne continue my journey with me.
Thanks so much for letting The Kerrigan’s have a little of your down time. If you loved them, let me know. If you hated them, that's ok, I didn’t write this book for you, I wrote it for us.
R-
Book 2 Estelle in Denver and Book 3 Katie in Denver will be available this summer.
Kennedy and Easton’s Playlist
The Rocketboys- Viva Voce ( Kennedy's Anthem)
Young Money-Bedrock ( Easton’s Anthem)
Natalie Grant- The Real ME
Josh Groban - Remember
Little Mermaid- Part of Your World
Gloria Estefan- Ayer
Carole King- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Carrie Underwood- Undo it
Enya- May it be
Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes- The Time of My Life
Colbie Caillat- Brighter Than the Sun
Christina Aguilera - Dirty
Garth Brooks - Friends in Low Places
Little Mix- Wings
Faith Hill- There You’ll be
Wicked- What is this feeling?
