A Very Daddy Christmas (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems)

Epilogue I

Cora

“ T hey’re absolutely perfect,” Sebastian says, fawning over our babies.

“They are, aren’t they?” I mumble, unable to take my eyes off of them.

Perfect little bundles with pink skin, bright eyes, and tufts of black hair, their little fists curled outside of their little matching blankies—both baby blue—befitting two gorgeous boys. “We have three boys now,” I say, comfortable in the passenger seat, the babies safely secured in the back. “We need to even the score here.”

“Cora, I thought Riggs was the one with baby fever. Now you, too?” Sebastian laughs. He leans in and kisses my lips. “We’ll make more of them when you’re ready. I’m confident this batch is mine.”

It’s my turn to laugh. “We could get them tested and find out for sure.”

“Nah, the black hair is mine, the noses are mine. These are McKenna products, for sure,” he replies, glancing at them before starting the engine.

“They’re lucky to take after you,” I tell him.

“You’re going to be an amazing mom,” he says. “Dario loves you so much already.”

“And I love him. The kid grows on you, doesn’t he?”

“He’s a good egg,” Sebastian replies, then drives us away from the hospital and the downtown area.

I take it all in on the ride home, fully aware a surprise party is waiting for me. A surprise party I’m not supposed to know anything about, but Sherry is terrible at keeping secrets. I must admit I’ve enjoyed watching my men walking on eggshells as they’ve worked to keep me out of the loop and completely unsuspecting. It’s just too darn cute.

“Do you think they’ll be quiet like this all the time?” Sebastian asks once we’re home. He takes charge of the baby carriers while I lead the way up the front steps and through the door, laughing wholeheartedly.

“Oh, honey, that’s wishful thinking, at best. I’ve seen Eva through both infancy periods for the girls, and it was hectic. We’re going to need a sleeping and feeding schedule for these two little angels.”

As soon as I reach the living room, I attempt to look utterly surprised as I’m greeted by Waylan, Riggs, Dario, Eva and Carl, my nieces, and sweet Sherry.

“Welcome home!” they all say in cheerful unison.

There’s a banner in darling shades of sparkling blue above the fireplace to celebrate us. Cake and tons of food fill the table completely. Fizzy drinks. Tiny, colorful decor breathing a festive air into the room.

Sebastian proudly presents our two, still-sleeping sons.

“Oh, my gosh, they’re gorgeous!” Eva exclaims. She hugs me first, then goes over to admire my greatest accomplishment thus far. “Damn, girl, they are nothing short of perfection. And two boys… you’re gonna have it easier, sis, trust me.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Teresa scoffs and crosses her arms. She even pouts for good measure, while Aylin and Dario join Eva to look at the twins.

My men hug me and kiss me, then help me sit in one of the armchairs. I’m still very much exhausted, and I’ll probably need a few weeks to pull myself together, but for now, sitting down feels so good. It was all worth it.

“I’m kidding,” Eva tells her daughters. “It’s been a pleasure and an honor raising you, my princesses.”

Carl laughs. “We might even spring for a third, if you’re up to it.”

“Don’t you even dare think about it,” Eva shoots back.

I try not to laugh, given how hard they worked for their little slice of heaven. The guys and I are barely at the beginning of our journey, and I’m already overwhelmed. I am also lucky I have three men to help me raise my babies.

“Seriously, Cora, they’re beautiful,” Carl tells me.

“Thank you. I have so many mixed feelings right now,” I mumble.

Aylin giggles as she looks at me. “Don’t worry, Auntie Cora. We’ll be around to teach the boys a thing or two.”

“And I’ll be here, as well,” Sherry kindly reminds me.

Tears sting my eyes as I take everything in—a roomful of good people who have become integral parts of my existence. I can’t imagine my life without any of them going forward. Kind souls, fierce hearts, resilient folks, through and through.

“Admit it, you knew we’d be here,” Eva says at one point, while Waylan and Riggs take turns holding their sons. The boys are now awake, and we all know it’s only a matter of time before they drift back to sleep. Personally, I can’t wait for tonight—our first night at home, as a family. “You didn’t seem at all surprised.”

“Honestly, I was too tired to pretend to be surprised,” I laugh. “I’m sorry.”

Sebastian gives me a pained look. “But we kept it a secret.”

“Dude, she just had twins. We all knew she knew we’d be here,” Eva replies. “At least give the woman credit for not spoiling the so-called surprise.”

“I’ll act positively shocked at the next one,” I wink.

My men all look at me with wide, shiny eyes. “The next one?” Riggs mutters.

“I know, I told her the same thing,” Sebastian says, holding back a hearty laugh. “Let’s see how we fare with these three first.”

Dario is counting on his fingers, wearing the cutest little frown. “One, two… that’s the twins. Who’s the third?”

“You are,” Waylan says, kneeling before his adopted son. “If you still want that. The judge approved our adoption papers, buddy.”

“What do you say, Dario?” Sebastian asks the boy. “Are you cool with being a part of our family?”

The kid looks around. The heaviest kind of silence takes over the room, and I hold my breath for a long moment as I wait for him to say something. It feels like forever before Dario takes a deep breath and looks up at Sebastian.

“I think it’s fun to have three dads, two brothers, and a cool mom.”

“A cool mom,” I gasp.

“You bake cookies,” Waylan gives me a wink. “It makes you cool in Dario’s book.”

“You heard the boy, ladies and gentlemen,” Riggs laughs. “We got ourselves a big, happy family here.”

Dario gets shy pretty quickly, his cheeks burning red as he runs over and hugs me. “Oh, sweetie.” I take him in my arms. “Thank you for letting me be your mom. I’ll do my best, I promise.”

“I love you, Cora,” Dario whispers in my ear. “Don’t go anywhere, please.”

“I won’t, Dario. I promise,” I tell him, my heart breaking and growing three sizes bigger at the same time.

“How’s this for a happy ending?” Sebastian asks as he kneels beside me.

“Not too shabby, Mr. McKenna. Not too shabby at all.”

“We’ll give them another hour to enjoy the cake and the drinks,” Waylan says, his voice low so no one else can hear him. The twins are making their rounds with Eva and Carl, while Sherry and the girls gather around them. “And then we’ll send everybody home. How does that sound?”

“It sounds like the beginning of a perfect evening,” I say.

Riggs ruffles Dario’s rich, curly hair. “What do you say we do a movie and popcorn night after the party’s over? We’ll pop the kiddy champagne to celebrate, huh?”

“Yeah, movie night!” Dario cheers. “Can I make the popcorn?”

“This little guy really likes being in the kitchen,” Riggs tells me. “You’re rubbing off on him.”

“Share some of the blame, gentlemen, because y’all seem to enjoy kitchen time almost as much as me,” I quip. “In fact, I doubt I’ll ever be able to make a lasagna as good as Waylan’s.”

Waylan gives me a wry smile. “Man’s got to be good at something, right?”

“Oh, you’re good at plenty,” I laugh.

Sherry helps Eva put the boys in their carriers. They both look like they are close to dozing off again. Soon enough, the discomfort of being outside of the safety and familiarity of my womb will catch up, and my babies will be dealing with getting used to everything. It will be a pleasure, a pain, a joy, and an uphill struggle to raise them and make sure they have everything they need to handle whatever the future decides to throw at them.

“You haven’t told us their names yet.” Sherry reminds me.

Carl helps serve some of the cake on paper plates. A slice makes it over to me, and I indulge in the layers of vanilla and coconut cream, recognizing the grated lemon zest as my sister’s loving signature.

“Oh, this is ridiculously good, Eva,” I tell her.

“I knew you’d like it.”

“Names?” Sherry impatiently reminds me again.

I laugh. “We decided on Matthew and Scott.”

“Perfect,” my sister says as everyone gazes at my sleeping sons.

A ping comes from Waylan’s pocket breaks the spell. He reaches in and pulls out his phone. “Looks like sentencing has been announced,” he says. After months of rescheduling and recesses, of witnesses popping up and then vanishing, justice finally caught up with Orson St. James, George Hamilton, and Denaro.

“Fifteen years each for Orson and George,” Waylan says. “Denaro got thirty.”

“The Feds were looking to flip him, though,” Riggs says. “He might be able to cut himself a deal if he helps the Bureau do a bit of cleanup in Chicago.”

“As long as he’s as far away from us as possible, I don’t really care what he does,” I say.

Sebastian shakes his head. “He’s never coming anywhere near the state of Colorado, Cora. Besides, the building is yours. Orson and George are in financial ruin. The danger has long since passed. You’re safe.”

“I’m not just safe,” I tell my men and the handful of people who know the details of our peculiar love story. “I’m blessed.”

Extended Epilogue: Cora

A year can go by in the blink of an eye when you’re happy and busy all the time.

“Wow, you guys are ridiculously full for a Wednesday afternoon,” Sebastian declares as he comes into the bakery with our twins in the stroller.

Waylan and Riggs are right behind him, flanking a rapidly growing Dario. He’s already two inches taller from where he was this time last year and in desperate need of some new clothes, which is why Waylan’s carrying so many shopping bags. They’ve been at the mall all morning, which is good, because the twins are halfway into their afternoon nap already.

“Yeah, we’ve been picking up a lot of traffic with your campaigns,” I tell my men from behind the counter, my hands busy slicing open a croissant for an order.

Eva is packing up some pastries for another customer. “It’s good, though. I’d rather it be busy all day than what we had this time last year.” She pauses and gives Dario a bright smile. “How are you doin’, buddy? Y’all went shopping, huh?”

“I needed new clothes,” Dario sighs.

“He’s sad because his favorite hoodie won’t fit anymore,” Waylan chuckles. “But we got him a new one. It’s even cooler than the last.”

“It was a gift from his parents,” I whisper to Eva, well aware of the story behind that particular hoodie. “Dario, it’s okay, we’ll find another purpose for your favorite hoodie. Eva is really good with the sewing machine.”

“Oh, yeah, I could make it into a cool pillowcase,” my sister exclaims.

It’s enough to put a smile back on our big boy’s face. “Awesome!”

“Come on,” Eva says once she’s done with the last order. “Join me in the back for a minute or two. I’ve got some cakes I want you to try, Dario. Let’s take the boys, too. It’s pretty loud out here.”

“Thank you,” I whisper to my sister, then watch her wheel the twins and escort Dario into the back. It’s a big day for me, and I’m growing more nervous with every passing minute, especially as Sebastian, Riggs, and Waylan come closer to the counter. “Order up!” I call out, presenting a croissant sandwich on a plate.

One of the customers gets up from his table and rushes to get his late lunch.

“Thank you, Cora.”

“You’re most welcome, Shane. Let me know if you need another coffee,” I reply.

He gives me a slight nod and goes back to his table, where his pregnant wife is busy scarfing down a few honey and almond pastries I made especially for her.

Which reminds me.

“How are my guys?” I ask, whipping out the brightest smile I can muster.

Waylan sets the shopping bags down near one of the tables by the window. “Already tired, but we’ll power through the rest of the day until you get home, I promise.”

“Sherry’s back from her holiday next week, right?” I ask.

With Sherry away, the guys decided to take a break from work to look after the kids. Given how busy we’ve been at the bakery, they didn’t want me to overwork myself in any aspect of our life, which makes me love them even more.

“Yeah, and looking forward to taking over,” Waylan chuckles.

“You know, Sherry was interested in renting your upstairs apartment this year,” Sebastian says. “She wants to live on her own. I’m thinking it might be better for you, too. Those short-term leases may be profitable, but it’s a bit of a headache, isn’t it?”

“Definitely a headache,” I admit. “Whenever she’s ready, I’ll make it available for her. I’d rather have Sherry living there than complete strangers, anyway.”

Riggs takes his phone out of his jacket pocket, but something else falls out at the same time. “Shit!”

I stop and stare at the little black velvet box as it bounces and opens on the floor.

A diamond ring escapes and almost slides under the counter, but Sebastian catches it just in time. “Dammit, Riggs.”

“I know, I should’ve put it away.”

All three men stop and turn to gawk at me with a mixture of horror and embarrassment. Time stands still altogether as I try to understand what’s happening. We were supposed to go out to dinner tonight to a fancy restaurant downtown. They even got me a dress precisely for the occasion, and Eva’s taking care of the kids for us.

Looking at the ring now, I realize why they were so nervous about tonight.

“So, this is why you took so long at the mall, huh?” I mumble, my face burning pink and my heart already set in a galloping motion as I slowly move around the counter.

Sebastian nods. “I’m so sorry. It was going to be a surprise.”

“Oh, it’s still a surprise, don’t you worry about that, my love.”

Some of the customers are looking at us. A few of them know of my relationship with Sebastian. They’ve all heard the rumors about Riggs and Waylan being a part of it, too. Nobody has ever said a thing since the nightmare ended last year, though. I think they all know it’s true, but they’re better off minding their own business and letting us be.

Sebastian lets a heavy sigh roll from his chest as Riggs and Waylan come closer.

“We might as well do it now, if you want,” Riggs says, a wary look darkening his gaze.

I’m still staring at the ring. I could cry tears of joy and bliss right now because I know my men want to make an honest woman out of me. I knew they were waiting for the right time to do this, but I could never guess what the right time meant for them. Now they’re not sure how to proceed and it’s so damn cute.

Funny thing is, I have a surprise of my own.

“Do you really want to do it now, in front of everybody?” I ask, my voice trembling with emotion. “My God, that diamond is frickin’ huge. Sorry. I can’t stop looking at it.”

Waylan chuckles. “It’s something, isn’t it?”

“Can we pretend this never happened?” Sebastian frowns, inching closer. He puts the ring back in the box and gives it to Waylan. “Here, you hold it.”

“Gee, thanks,” Riggs grumbles. I try not to laugh.

“Cora let’s… yeah, let’s pretend this didn’t happen, and tonight, when we sit in our private dining room at the Champagne Room,” Sebastian takes my hands in his, squeezing gently, “we’ll do it then. The three of us. Officially. Where no one can see. So we can do it properly, the way you deserve to be proposed to.”

I take a deep breath and give him a reassuring nod. “Of course, my darling. You can propose to me at our special dinner tonight. I’ll pretend this never happened.”

“Perfect. You’re amazing,” Sebastian smiles and kisses me.

“And then, after the three of you propose,” I add, acting coy, “I’ll tell you I’m pregnant again. How does that sound?”

Silence.

Shock.

I can barely keep it together.

“What are the odds that we’re going to have twins again?” Waylan mumbles, looking as though he’s just fallen out of a centrifuge, his head still spinning.

“The twin gene is in my family line,” I reply. “Pretty decent odds. Though honestly, I’d rather we deal with just one more before we spring for a football team. But we’ll talk about it tonight.”

Riggs nods slowly, genuinely overjoyed and working hard to keep it cool. “Right, right. Tonight. ‘Cause you haven’t told us yet.”

“Just like we haven’t proposed yet,” Sebastian concludes.

I give him a playful wink. “Precisely.”

“Sounds like a pretty fair deal,” he says. “Until tonight, then.”

“Tonight.”

Our lives are about to change once more. For the better. For the happier. For the brighter. For everything I’ve ever dreamed of, still coming true, one day, one month, one year at a time.

I hope you loved A Very Daddy Christmas.

If so, then you’ll absolutely love Single Mom’s Christmas and Christmas with my Best Friend’s Brothers and Three Daddies Under the Mistletoe .