Because of Them (Because of Love #2)

Epilogue

AUDREY

5 years later

U nder the shade of the gum tree that grows in the corner of the yard, Henry and William bicker. Nothing serious, but enough that I turn my focus away from the half-constructed deck to face them. Hands on my hips, I’m about to call out when Michael whistles. Beside him, Noah shoves his hands over his ears.

“Boys, be friends or be apart,” he calls out to them, his deep voice bellowing across the lawn.

The boys jump apart, no doubt with red ears and wide eyes after being caught.

“How do you do that?” Noah asks.

“Comes with the territory mate, you’ll get used to it.”

Noah looks to the boys. He holds one arm across his chest, rubbing his upper arm with the opposite hand, and sighs. Turning back to the deck, he rolls his head from side to side and picks up a stray hammer.

In their corner of the yard, William and Henry stand an arms width apart. I can’t hear them, but from their stance there is no doubt they are whispering insults.

But that’s them, best friends who love to fight. Always in each other’s hair, calling names, wrestling, stealing toys. It’s exhausting but, apparently, all part of the joys of raising boys.

Satisfied their argument won’t turn physical—-at least not yet—I step off the patio and head over to the deck Michael is building. His hair, still longer than mine, is tied in a low bun underneath his cap and the collar of his grey polo is popped up to protect his neck from the blasting summer sun. He leans down over the corner of the deck and I reach around his middle to pull him up.

“Are you sure this will be done before Maisie’s birthday?”

Michael scratches at the back of his neck, hesitating before he answers. I don’t have a lot of confidence in his answer when he nods shyly and looks away.

“You promised her.”

“I know.” He clips his measuring tape back onto his toolbelt. The denim fabric has faded over the years, and I’ve had to repair a few of the pockets more than once. But he still uses it every chance he gets. “I’ll get it done. Brendan is taking over more of the residential builds, so I’ll have more time.”

“Good.” He deserves it. More time. After his dad retired Michael stepped into the owner/manager position at full speed. In the past five years he has scaled the business to include more and more commercial builds, on top of the residential contracts that still flow through. I think, because he would never say as much, he was so proud of the way Noah’s hotel turned out, he wanted to keep that momentum going. Once he was in, he was all in. A bit like being a father. Sure, the start was a little rocky, but he was all in from the very beginning and I can’t fault him for that.

“Maisie’s party is in a few weeks,” I remind him. She’s having her tenth birthday party one month early, because Callum and Cassidy are taking her to Disneyland for her birthday. She’ll turn ten in front of Cinderella’s castle, and she still has no idea. I’m only a little bit jealous.

Michael wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. “I’ll finish the deck this week, then the boys can come landscape the garden beds, and then we can fill the pool,” he tells me. “Plenty of time.”

“Plenty of time, Audrey,” Noah pipes up. “I’m getting us some drinks. And sunscreen.” He disappears into the house.

Michael spins me around, reaching his arms around me to grab my ass. He squeezes playfully, nibbling at my ear. My heart flips, just like it always does when he holds me close.

Seeing us hugging, the boys run over and start to climb up Michael’s legs. They’re too big for this game now, but he plays along anyway, scooping them into his arms so they are squished between us.

The sweet embrace only lasts a second before Henry wriggles free and runs back to the tree. “I’m going to climb it!”

William jumps after him, “No, you said I could do it first!”

“You snooze, you lose Will!”

I relax back into Michael’s arms, watching our boys climb the tree, its narrow branches bowing under their weight.

Michael kisses the top of my head and whispers, “Did you know that it was this day, five years ago, that the boys first came home?”

Tilting my head up, I kiss him. It’s nothing like the hesitant kisses we once shared, or the frenzied clashing of our mouths we still enjoy. It’s just peace. And love.

“I know, look at them now.”

“Nah Audrey, look at us now.”