Page 132 of Last Fall

Epilogue

ERIK

After the Happily EverAfters

Our tripto LA served to terrify everyone, not just Tony. Not only did that dickhead stay away from Zoe but the entire San Francisco team seemed to lay down andgiveup.

I even hit two home runs offSanchez.

Playing in The World Series was a dream come true and the pressure was every bit as intense as I feared. But we barreled through, winning in game seven with a walk-off home run by our exhausted pitcher, ChrisKaine.

The city celebrated us. I absorbed every incredible secondofit.

But in a very small way I was glad when the excitement finally died down and I got back to lifewithZoe.

“I think this is it,” she said, spinning a circle in the middle of our new living room. It was on the same street as Marie and Greg. Close to the Daniels sisters but somewhere we could startfresh.

“I think so too.” The house was very similar to the Hamilton’s. Modern, but built to look historic. There were hardwood floors, alcoves and a fireplace. There was a large room in the back that would be a perfect home officeforZoe.

“Where’dSylviago?”

I held up the keys. “Sheleft.”

Zoe’s eyebrow shot up. “Excuseme?”

Perks of being friends with the right people. “The house is ours if we want it. I told her we wanted it. So she gave me the keys and said she’d start thepaperwork.”

Her eyes narrowed. “How did you know I’dsayyes?”

The same way I knew she’d say yes when I asked her to marry me in about ten minutes. There were no doubts. Zoe and I were meant to be. Just like she was meant to live in this house. I knew it when we looked the house up when Sylvia emailed over the listing. It was confirmed when we drove up and Zo’s face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. When we walked inside and she audiblysighed?

Yeah. We were getting thehouse.

Being close to Greg and Marie suited me just fine. Getting a little distance from Zoe’s nanny days seemed really important. I liked the vibe of the neighborhood and could picture kids running around the backyard at our familybarbecues.

So it was a win inmybook.

“Yousmiled.”

She rolled her eyes, wandering back into my arms where I liked her best. “You act like I neversmile.”

“You do.” I kissed her once on the lips. “But you have a lot of different smiles. There’s the fakeoh my god I hate being here but I’m supposed to smile so I’m smilingsmile.” She laughed at that one. “There’s your work smile, your sex smile.” I kissed her hard that time. “You have a different one for the kids and one for when we’re hanging out. But,” I stepped back and framed her face with my hands, “you only smile with your lips and your eyes and sigh at the same time when you are really, trulyhappy.”

She did exactly that as she looked upatme.

“See? You’re very happy right now.” I knew mywoman.

“So we’re really buying ahouse?”

“We’re really buying a house.” And spending the rest of our lives together. Happily ever after and all that good stuff she made money writingabout.

True to his word, Brian’s team dug up a treasure trove of information on Tony, who was now locked in a very lengthy criminal trial. He wouldn’t be getting off and he would most definitely be spending a very long timeinjail.

The past was no longer a shadow looming over our lives. Buying a house was the perfectnextstep.

Then she got that glint of mischief about her that always spelled the best kind of trouble. “We should pick where we’re going to have sex ineachroom.”

“We can start right here.” I gathered her up and she wrapped her legs around mywaist.