Thawed Out (Merry Everything #4)

Epilogue

EPILOGUE

K iren could smell the grill.

That was one of the best parts of coming up to the cabin. Flynn loved to grill, and he was good at it.

He put his Kindle down and wandered out onto the back deck to see the grill master in action, lingering at the back door for a second just to take it all in.

Flynn was laughing at the kids, who were playing catch while Ranger, their goofy-assed, fuzzy goldendoodle puppy barked and ran between them.

“Daddy! I catched the ball!”

“Daddy, did you see Ranger jump?”

“Daddy, can we have s’mores later?”

“Daddy.”

“Daddy.”

“Daddy.”

Look at his man. Flynn was in absolute heaven. Rested, fed, and surrounded by kids.

And sexy as hell.

He wandered out the door and right to Flynn for a kiss. “What’s going on the barbie?”

“I’m making turkey burgers with feta and cranberry for us and hot dogs for the beasts.” Flynn kissed him, smiling wide. “It’s a beautiful day, huh? I’m so glad we have this break.”

Two weeks to give Flynn a break after cramming for his test. Two weeks before Flynn’s normal clinic life began in earnest.

“It’s the best. We fucking earned this.” He kept an arm around Flynn’s waist and watched the kids. “They did too.”

“They did.” Flynn’s smile lit the world up, their family finally beginning to reap the benefits of what they’d all sacrificed for.

“Dad-Mom! Dad-Mom, come play with us?” Jasper ran up, their boy filthy from being outside and active and happy.

“You know it.” If you were still clean at the end of a summer day up here you were doing something wrong. He gave Flynn another kiss, then let Jasper grab his hand. “What are we playing?”

“Catch. If Ranger gets it, though, he just runs and tries to bury the ball. I thought he was supposed to bring it back.”

“We have to train him to bring it back. You know those treats that Daddy bought? That’s what they’re for.” He hadn’t trained a dog himself, but Flynn seemed to know what he was doing. He just played with Ranger and did whatever Flynn told him to do. “Ranger needs lots of training, but he’s just a new little guy right now.”

“He is. He’s a baby. Babies get frustrated, remember, buddy?” Flynn had been trying to get the kids to understand that puppies weren’t just small dogs.

“Like Cassie when she was a baby. I had to be careful of her head.”

“Right? And she wanted to put everything in her mouth, even things that were not good for her. We have to be careful with Ranger too.” Jasper was such a smart kid, and he remembered everything. Sometimes to a fault. “He needs to get to know us for a while.”

“And he needs to have fun with games so he’s not frustrated, right?” Flynn smiled at Jasper, waved them off. “Go play. Lunch in five, okay?”

“Lunch in five! Let’s go buddy.” Jasper tugged on his arm, and he followed along, glancing back at Flynn one more time to give him a smile.

“Cass! Hot dogs for lunch!”

“Hot dogs for lunch!” Cassie repeated making Ranger bark.

“No hot dogs for dogs,” Jasper said seriously.

“Catch, Dad-Mom!”

Her aim was off, and he had to dive for it. He took a roll in the dirt and came up muddy.

“Sorry!”

“I’m good, girlie.” He tossed the ball back, right over Ranger’s head.

“You’re muddy!” Her giggles filled the air.

“He’ll wash, baby girl. No worries.”

“Catch!” He tossed the ball to Jasper who caught it neatly and tossed it underhand to Cassie. She half caught it, dropped it, then picked it up and cleaned all the dirt of it with her shirt.

“You want the ball, Daddy?”

“Daddy is next to a hot grill. Do you think that’s safe?” He asked patiently.

Ah, patience, one of the many things that came back after their parents dropped a fat check on them.

Patience. Sleep. Libido. The ability to think. All those fun extras.

And Flynn’s smile. That was the best thing of all.

“No…” Cassie shook her head. “You catch.” He did catch it this time without having to get even muddier.

Ranger came bounding over, bouncing on him and stealing the ball as he was about to throw it.

“Ranger! Bring it to me, boy,” Jasper begged, and he’d be damned if the dog didn’t do it.

“Good job, Jas! Tell him he’s a good boy.” Kiren glanced over at Flynn and gave him a thumbs up.

Jasper gave Ranger scritches, and Cassie came over to help. There wasn’t a single member of his family who wasn’t happy right now. It wouldn’t be like this every day, but he’d take it for now.

“Come on and wash up, you hooligans. Food is ready, and I’m starving.” Flynn smiled over at them, and Kiren saw them – all the reasons that he had thrown the divorce papers in the trash.

“Yay, Daddy!”

“Food!”

“Woof!”

His future was there, in that smile, and Kiren knew it, to the bone.