The Surprise

by Alice Ward

  “Obviously,” Walt agreed.

  After Ethan’s last touchdown, everyone on the field seemed to agree with my uncle: the game was over, it was just a matter of waiting for the clock to wind down. Philadelphia made a valiant effort to lessen the gap, but to no avail. With forty-two seconds left on the clock, the Stallions gained possession of the ball and Ethan took a knee. The crowd erupted with cheers, whistles, and air horns. Painted fans rushed the field and Ethan’s teammates lifted him onto their shoulders. I knew I didn’t have a hope of reaching him in the chaos, so I watched from my seat.

  Ethan’s teammates set him back on the ground and dumped a cooler of Gatorade over his head. The crowd closed in and I lost sight of him.

  “Ethan’s probably looking for you,” Walt insisted. “I’ll brave the madness with you if you’d like to go find him.”

  I shook my head. “That would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Besides, I’m sure Ethan’s celebrating the win with his teammates. We’ll wait here and he’ll find us when the madness dies down.”

  I watched the sea of people in front of us, giddy with happiness. I thought about who I’d been before Ethan, how determined I was to settle down into a routine, structured life. Ethan was the opposite of everything I’d ever thought I wanted. And I was happier than I’d ever thought possible.

  Ethan emerged from the edge of the crowd and pulled himself over the stadium wall.

  “Excellent game, son,” Walt offered, patting him on his shoulder pad.

  “Thanks, Walt,” Ethan replied, his eyes on me.

  “I’m so proud of you.” I beamed at him before falling into his arms. He wrapped me in a bear hug and lifted me off the ground. I knew there were cameras on us, but I didn’t care. I slid one hand up the back of his neck and pulled his mouth to mine.

  We shared a long, passionate kiss before Ethan had to leave for after game interviews. The kiss went viral before Ethan finished his first interview. It didn’t bother me in the slightest.

  Epilogue

  Three Years and Nine Months Later

  Ethan peeked his head in through the patio doors and smiled at me as I iced cupcakes at the kitchen island.

  “Melissa and Dave just got here. DJ took one look at Eli and little Walt in the kiddie pool, stripped down to his diaper, and hopped in. I told Melissa I’d let you know they were here. Do you need any help?”

  I shook my head, bracing my sore back with one hand. A lot had changed in the last four years, and not just when it came to our house. I was seven months into my second pregnancy, and our little girl was taking a toll on my body. I could have easily hired a caterer, but we were celebrating our twin boys’ third birthday and I wanted to be the kind of mom who baked birthday cakes from scratch.

  “I’m just about to finish up. Is anyone else here?”

  Ethan shook his head and joined me in the kitchen. He tossed a handful of sprinkles into his mouth and started arranging the cupcakes on a large platter.

  “Not yet. Henry called about five minutes ago. They had a hard time finding Hugo’s floaties, but they’re on their way now.”

  “Walt sent me a text. He said he and Claudia have a huge surprise, but it may make them a little late.”

  An amused smile crossed Ethan’s face. “We don’t stand a chance against them. They’re going to spoil our kids rotten regardless of how much we protest.”

  “That’s what grandparents are for,” I reminded him with a grin.

  A few weeks before our boys were born, Ethan and I sat down and had a long talk with Walt and Claudia. I’d overheard Walt refer to himself as their great uncle, and I didn’t feel like the title fit. I thanked him for always keeping my parents’ memories alive, but pointed out that for all intents and purposes, he was my father. When I asked if the boys could call him Grandpa, he broke down in happy tears and agreed on the spot.

  Ethan set the last cupcake on the platter and stood behind me, wrapping his arms beneath my growing belly. I leaned back against him, letting him hold a bulk of my weight.

  “You’ve done a fantastic job, sweetheart. But I can take it from here,” he insisted. He kept one arm around me and reached for the tray with the other. “Come on. It’s time for you to get off your feet.”

  He led me outside, where we found more of our friends waiting. Linda and Henry had arrived with their two-year-old son, Hugo, and Ethan’s teammate Elijah was there with his three little girls. All of the kids were playing happily inside the cushioned splash pool we’d had installed next to the adult pool.

  The adults were scattered about the yard. I spotted Linda and Melissa on lounge chairs, watching the kids. They stood up and hugged me as I joined them.

  “You look fantastic, Emily,” Melissa told me.

  “I’m enormous,” I argued. “But thank you.”

  It had been a few months since Melissa and I had seen each other. Shortly after Ethan’s first Super Bowl win, she’d accepted a job with a national sports network. Her career led her to Dave Hudson, an investigative reporter who worked for an affiliate network. They married after less than a month of dating and welcomed their little boy a year and a half later. They lived in New York City, but they made it to Portland whenever they could.

  “Cut it out, Em. You’re the cutest little pregnant woman I’ve ever seen. You’re all belly this time,” Linda pointed out.

  “You’re right,” I agreed. “With the boys, my whole body swelled up like a puffer fish. This time, I just look like I’ve stuffed a half-dozen bowling balls down my shirt.”

  “You love it and you know it,” Melissa countered with a knowing smile.

  I cradled my belly and grinned back at her. “I do. I told Ethan last night, I’d have a dozen of them if I could.”

  I watched my sons laughing and running through the water as fast as their chubby little legs would carry them. The boys were conceived the night the Stallions won their first Super Bowl. They were identical, both the spitting image of their father who joined them in the tiny pool.

  “Who wants to play water tag?” Ethan called out. The water hit the top of his ankles. He’d have looked ridiculous if the scene wasn’t so adorable.

  The kids rushed him with shouts of “we do,” “not it,” and “where’s base?”

  “He’s really wonderful with them,” Linda observed. “How’s he settling into retirement?”

  I laughed. “He gave up football, but he’s hardly retired. If anything, he’s working more now that he’s concentrating on his investments full time. But having him home has been wonderful. I’ve been exhausted and he’s picked up all the slack with the boys.”

  Ethan played a total of four seasons with the Stallions, two of which led to championship rings. After his second victory, he decided to give the sport up for good. He wanted to have more time at home with our growing family, and we were thrilled to have him. Eli and Walt were daddy’s boys through and through, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  Dave and Henry joined Ethan and the kids, and my friends and I watched them with broad, content smiles.

  “I can’t believe the boys are three years old,” Melissa said. “In some ways, it seems like they were just born last week. But if you think about everything that happened right before then, it feels like a lifetime ago.”

  I nodded, thinking back to the hurdles Ethan and I had to jump to be together. We hadn’t seen either of his parents since the day they were sentenced to prison. Ethan spoke to the judge, urging him to keep Victor and Marsha out of society for the maximum amount of time allowed. The judge was persuaded either by the speech or the sheer volume of convictions against them. Victor was sentenced to ninety years in jail, Marsha sixty-five. There was a chance one of them would be paroled, but they wouldn’t be a problem for a long time. A majority of the Montez’s vast fortune was seized by the government and used to reimburse their victims. The balance was given to Ethan, at Victor’s request. We donated it to a local food bank.

  Susannah Cro
ss pled guilty to the charges against her. As Detective Dickson predicted, the prosecution allowed her to serve her time at a mental facility instead of prison. She was released after two years and settled down to a quiet life at her parents’ house. She sent me a moving, apologetic letter and took responsibility for what she’d done. Last I heard, she was starting an Etsy shop and saving to move out on her own. I wished her well and prayed she didn’t have a setback.

  The prosecution wasn’t quite as lenient with Kelvin Rhoads. He was charged with premeditated assault and attempted murder, both with special circumstances given the age of the victim. Prosecutor Nelson offered him a twenty-year sentence in exchange for a no contest plea, and Rhoads decided not to take his chances with a trial.

  Alfie and Amaya Hollis returned to The Day School for the second grade, after I quit to stay home with the boys. They never forgave me for what happened to their son. And after having children of my own, I didn’t blame them. I knew I’d always carry a twinge of guilt for what Alfie went through, but that guilt is what drove me to do better.

  When the boys turned a year old, I went back to work part-time as a substitute teacher at a school for special needs children. I planned to take the first year of my daughter’s life off as well, but I knew I’d always go back to the classroom. With Ethan working from home full time, we had the luxury of being able to tag team the childcare so our kids rarely had to be with a sitter. And when we did need a sitter, Grandpa Walt was always happy to fill the role.

  “Who wants cupcakes?” Ethan called out once the kids started slowing down in the water.

  The kids yelled “me” in unison as their fathers lifted them into their arms.

  “We have to light the candles and sing first,” I insisted, struggling out of the chaise.

  “Let me help you,” Claudia called out. I turned to greet her as she rushed toward me.

  “You’re just in time,” I said, accepting her arm. She pulled me to my feet and I noticed she was downright glowing.

  “What’s going on, Claudia? Does this have something to do with your big surprise?”

  She nodded and blushed. “Walt’s bringing her in.”

  Her?

  I looked up just as my uncle stepped through the open gate with a baby carrier in his arms.

  “What’s going on, Claudia?” I asked.

  “Is that a baby?” Ethan added, moving beside me with the boys. He set them on their feet and toweled them off, his eyes fixed on my uncle.

  Claudia nodded as Walt joined us. I’d never seen him smile so wide.

  “Emily, Ethan… everyone. I’d like to introduce you to Isabella Rylan Kinkaid.”

  “When did this happen?” I gushed, staring down in awe at the tiny baby girl. I could tell by her tiny fingers that she was two weeks old, tops.

  “I didn’t know you were even looking into adoption,” Ethan added.

  Walt sat Isabella’s carrier down on the chaise so Eli and little Walt could get a better look at their cousin.

  “We filed the paperwork a few years ago,” Claudia confessed. “We didn’t think we had much of a chance of getting a placement, being so old.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Melissa insisted. “People in their late forties have babies all the time.”

  Walt unfastened Isabella’s safety straps and lifted her from the carrier. I reached for her instinctively and he laid her in my open arms. Little Walt tugged at the bottom of Walt’s shorts.

  “I like your new baby, Grandpa. But can we have our cupcakes now?” Walt laughed and lifted both of the boys in his arms.

  “Yes. It is definitely time for cupcakes,” he agreed, turning toward the picnic table.

  “Will you light our candles?” Eli asked him.

  “Of course.” Walt winked at me and sat the boys down on the bench. The other kids joined them, and Walt and Claudia lit the boy’s candles. Everyone started singing Happy Birthday except Hugo, who couldn’t resist shoving his cupcake into his mouth.

  Ethan leaned against a nearby tree trunk and I joined him, still cradling Isabella. I leaned back into his chest and we watched our sons blow out their candles.

  “She’s beautiful,” Ethan whispered over my shoulder.

  “She’s a miracle,” I agreed.

  “This is a pretty spectacular life we have, Emily.”

  I shifted Isabella to my left arm and moved Ethan’s right hand over my belly, where our daughter was turning somersaults.

  “It’s amazingly spectacular,” I agreed. “And it’s only going to get better from here.”

  THE END

  Continue on to read another FREE BONUS, Alice Ward’s most recent release, The Gamble, that is included in this copy!

  A Bonus Novel

  THE GAMBLE

  Alice Ward

  CHAPTER ONE

  Talen

  The lights in the club were too bright, and the music blasted the hell out of my ears. The bass vibrated through my chest as I cursed my current location. Cursed my friend. Cursed myself.

  And I didn’t even know why I was here.

  Of all the times I’d been inside the Vegas Sunshine, this was the worst. It was late on a Thursday night, and I’d allowed Brandon to drag me to the outskirts of Las Vegas to pick up women. This wasn’t unusual for either of us. Our weekends began on Thursday nights, and we almost always found ourselves in some club, hitting on any available woman who passed by. I’d always enjoyed myself before. What wasn’t to like? Good music. Great drinks. Gorgeous women. It was everything I wanted.

  Until it wasn’t.

  I didn’t know why it happened, but something clicked inside me that night. As I sat across from Brandon at our usual table, my mind drifted. I stared in the direction of the dance floor, but I wasn’t really looking. Plenty of attractive women spread out before me like a delicious, sex-inspired buffet, but I didn’t see any of them.

  Instead, I thought about my life and the path I was on. I thought about my family and my obligations. I thought about my father’s company. I thought about the things I wanted for myself, and none of those things could be found inside the Vegas Sunshine.

  “Those two,” Brandon said, pointing across the room. I followed his finger, and my eyes fell on two blonde women leaning against the bar. Their heads were together as they whispered to each other. They were beautiful, their bodies spectacular. Both wore tight dresses that left nothing to the imagination. On any other night, I would have flown out of my seat to talk to them.

  “What about them?” I picked up my glass of bourbon and took a sip.

  “That’s them,” Brandon said. “Tonight’s conquests.”

  I scoffed at the old-fashioned label. “Conquests?”

  “Yes. Conquests. I’m thinking the wife story this time. Thoughts?”

  “That again?” I rolled my eyes. “Brandon, our money can get us any girl we want.”

  It was true. Between the two of us, Brandon and I were insanely wealthy. There wasn’t a woman alive who could reject our advances once they realized the depth of our bank accounts. It was shallow. Totally materialistic. But in my experience, following the money was lucrative for them.

  “Where’s the fun in that?” Brandon asked with a chuckle. “I need some excitement in my life. Frankly, so do you.”

  I shot him a look. “I have excitement. Plenty of it.”

  “Really?” Brandon scoffed. “Like what?”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I couldn’t argue with Brandon’s logic. Lately, I’d been a shut-in. While Brandon and I were notorious for hitting the town multiple nights a week, the past couple of months had been anything but interesting.

  When I didn’t answer, Brandon shook his head and downed his drink in one gulp. He set his glass on the table and turned to face me with a serious expression. “Ever since you joined that crazy father-son program, you’ve been a total bore.

  “Big Brother program,” I corrected automatically. “You know what it is.”


  “Yes,” he admitted with a dismissive wave of his hand. “What I don’t know is why you’re wasting your time with it. As your best friend, it’s my job to lighten you up from time to time. I’m just doing my duty here.”

  I took another swallow. “I see, and getting me laid is your duty?”

  “Absolutely,” Brandon said with a wink, then stood up and hurried across the room before I could stop him. Tossing back another drink, I watched him cut through the crowd until he reached the two blondes by the bar. They hadn’t moved, and when Brandon approached them, they both turned a sexy smile on him. Even from across the club, I could see the telltale signs of a hot flirtation beginning to emerge.

  I sat back in my seat and sighed. Brandon wasn’t wrong. About two months earlier, I joined the Big Brother program in Nevada, which meant I was spending a lot of time at the youth center. I had yet to be paired with a specific kid, but I was enjoying the training and meeting many of the program’s members. It wouldn’t be long before I was assigned my own little brother, and when that happened, I knew Brandon’s irritation with me would only grow.

  Brandon saw my venture into big brotherhood as a colossal waste of time, but I’d been drawn to doing it. My entire childhood was spent alone. My parents weren’t bad parents. They never beat me or were neglectful. In fact, as a child, I didn’t want for anything except their time and attention. Becoming a big brother was my way of giving support to kids who might not have it at home. When I thought back to my own time as a kid, I only wished for one thing — someone to give me their time. I wanted to be that someone for another kid.

  I couldn’t blame Brandon for questioning my actions. The last thing he expected was for me to become a different person overnight. He just wanted his wingman back. We’d been best friends since childhood. Every adventure I ever had was with him. I knew he only wanted to return to our past shenanigans, but I wasn’t sure I could give him that.

  When I looked up, Brandon was coming back through the crowd with a blonde on each arm. Fuck. He caught my eye and winked. I glanced away, considering an escape option, but I soon realized there wasn’t a point. Brandon and the girls were already too close. I took a breath and resigned myself to the inevitable encounter.