Page 15

EPILOGUE

F ive months later . . .

“Bonnie? Do you want to come and check what I’ve done with the shop?” Betsy asked as she walked into the trampoline park that Bonnie was in the midst of creating.

It was going to be amazing. There were huge trampolines cut up into sections with pads between them. And a big foam pit for Littles to jump into.

Bonnie was bouncing up and down. She went up high into the air and did a flip before landing. Her landing wasn’t the best and she fell onto her butt.

“Wow! That was amazing.” Betsy clapped her hands as Bonnie sat up with a smile.

“Thanks. I need to fix the landing, though.”

“Bonnie!” Titus yelled as he stormed across the trampolines. “What do you think you are doing? You could have hurt yourself!”

Bonnie sighed and rolled her eyes at Betsy who held back her giggles.

Titus was . . . well, overbearing was a nice word for it. A total mother hen in a large, menacing package.

But he grew on you . . . kind of.

“I’m sure whatever you did is amazing!” Bonnie said. “You need a raise. Titus, give her some cash.”

Both of them gave Bonnie exasperated looks.

“I don’t need a raise,” Betsy told her. “This is my job.”

“I’m not giving her cash. You can’t keep giving away cash or you’ll go broke.”

Bonnie just shrugged with a smile as she stood and bounced again. “Sheesh. You guys need to chill. Do some bouncing.”

Betsy’s phone started ringing and alarm filled her as she saw it was Zippy’s school.

“I have to go take this. It’s Zippy’s school.”

Bonnie gave her a worried look and waved her off.

Betsy stepped off into the corridor and took the call.

“Hello? This is Betsy McClain.”

“Ms. McClain, this is Mrs. Pearson. I’m Principal Burns’ personal assistant. I’m afraid to tell you that there has been an altercation at school.”

“Is Zippy all right?”

“She’s fine. The small boy she punched in the nose isn’t so fine.”

What? What had happened?

And why did this woman sound so judgy?

“You’ll need to come down and see Principal Burns.”

“I’ll be right there.”

As she drove to the school, Betsy called Ink and left a message. She knew he had a meeting with some big clients this morning so he was probably still busy, but hopefully he’d get her message.

Pulling up to the school, she jumped out of her car and rushed inside. She glanced down at herself, aware that she was wearing one of the outfits from LittleLand. It was a dress that was cinched in at the waist and flowed out. There were small daisies all over the white material.

It was actually one of Millie’s creations and one of her favorites.

Oh well. It would be fine.

She walked into the waiting area for the principal’s office and saw a young boy holding his nose. A woman and man who were likely his parents sat on either side of him. They scowled as they saw her.

“You ought to be ashamed of your daughter’s behavior, hitting our Eliot,” the woman said.

“And what did your Eliot do to get punched?” she asked.

Eliot looked very guilty.

Betsy marched up to the desk where an older woman eyed her with suspicion. “Where is my daughter?”

“Foster daughter,” she said.

Betsy leaned over the desk. “My. Daughter.”

“In with Principal Burns.”

Betsy marched into the office without waiting for the old bat at the desk.

“Why, I never!” Mrs. Pearson said from behind her. “I’m sorry, Principal Burns.”

The older man waved her off. Betsy actually liked him. He’d always seemed kind and fair.

Zippy turned to Betsy. “Mr. Burns, you didn’t have to bring Betsy down here.”

“Actually, I did,” the principal said. “You hit another child, Zippy. That can get you suspended, if not expelled.”

Oh hell.

Betsy walked to Zippy, crouching next to her. “Are you all right, Zippy?”

“Yeah. Eliot is all talk. He can’t punch. He had his thumb on the inside of his fist. Rookie mistake.”

“So he tried to hit you?”

“Yeah. After I told him what a jerk he was. That he was a bully and that he smelled.”

“You didn’t say he tried to punch you, Zippy,” Mr. Burns said.

“No one asked.”

“Why did you call him those things, sweetheart?” she asked.

“Because he was being mean to Grace. He called her four-eyes and said she was dumb. Grace isn’t dumb.”

No, she was very smart. And Zippy’s best friend. They were an unlikely pair. The fierce tomboy and the quiet, shy girl.

Betsy stood and turned to Mr. Burns. “This is a clear case of self-defense. It seems this Eliot started it all. If anyone should be suspended, it’s him.”

“Yes, well, he’s the one who is injured though. And I can’t have children punching each other without punishment.”

“Then I hope he’s being suspended too.”

Mr. Burns looked uncomfortable.

“Eliot’s parents are big deals. They donate lots to the school so he thinks he can get away with anything. And Grace’s family doesn’t have much so he always picks on her because he knows she won’t say anything.”

Mr. Burns gaped at Zippy.

“Well, that’s just not right. Is it, Mr. Burns?” Betsy said quietly. “My daughter shouldn’t get punished for sticking up for her friend. And because she knows how to throw a proper punch.”

The door slammed open and in walked Eliot and his parents.

“Well,” the man said. “Are you expelling this degenerate?”

“How dare you!” Betsy said.

“What’s a degenerate?” Eliot asked.

“This brat!” the woman said, glaring at Zippy. “She shouldn’t be here. A foster child!”

Betsy stepped in front of Zippy. “Zippy has every right to be here, Mrs. . . .”

“Monterey,” Mr. Burns supplied.

“Mrs. Monterey,” Betsy said. “And it turns out your son started all of this by picking on Grace.”

The other woman sniffed. “So your foster child says.”

“My daughter,” Betsy said firmly, “does not lie. Pretty sure you can’t say the same.”

“How dare you! Mr. Burns, I want this child expelled!” the woman said. She turned to her husband. “Roger, make it happen.”

“Of course, dear.” Roger eyed Betsy. “Clearly you should take your daughter and leave. You don’t fit in here. You’d be better suited to one of the more . . . regular schools.”

“We aren’t leaving.”

Roger stepped forward. “Yes. You are.”

“Hey! Get away from my Mama!” Zippy moved between them, glaring up at Roger.

Betsy gasped as Mr. Burns stood and started to speak to Roger. “Mr. Monterey, you can’t come in here and threaten people.”

“Who threatened my fiancée?”

They all looked over to the doorway and Betsy sighed in relief as she saw Ink there. Both she and Zippy moved over to him and he wrapped them up in his embrace. “Someone want to tell me why my woman and kid are being threatened?”

She was gratified to see Roger turning white. Even his wife looked somewhat intimidated.

Mr. Burns sat. “It seems there has been a mix-up in who instigated the issue today. I suggest you all sit down.”

They stepped out of his office thirty minutes later. Mrs. Monterey sent her an angry glare as her husband ushered her and their son away to his car.

Both children had been suspended. Zippy for one day and Eliot for three.

Betsy turned to Zippy and hugged her tight.

“What’s going on?” Zippy asked. “What’s the matter? Why are you crying? Is it ‘cause I punched Eliot? I’ll try not to punch him again, okay?”

“No, no, it’s because you called me mama,” Betsy said, feeling her eyes fill with tears.

“Uh, shouldn’t I have?” Zippy drew back to look up at her worriedly. “Are you upset about it? I thought you said that you wanted me to live with you guys forever?”

“No, of course I’m not upset!” she cried. “And we do want you to live with us forever.”

“Um, Brown eyes, you kind of sound upset,” Ink told her, eyeing her with concern.

“These are happy tears!”

Ink and Zippy shared a look.

“Happy tears?” Ink asked.

Zippy shook her head. “When I get older, I’m not gonna cry when I’m happy. It makes no sense and it’s confusing.”

“Sorry . . . I just . . . it’s the first time I’ve heard you call me mama and it meant so much. Especially as, well, we were saving it for a surprise for this weekend, but . . .” She looked at Ink and he nodded at her. She crouched down in front of Zippy.

“What? What is it?” Zippy asked, sounding worried which was the last thing Betsy wanted.

“It’s a good surprise,” Betsy said hastily. “The adoption papers came through.”

Zippy knew that they were trying to adopt her. Thankfully, they’d already been dual-licensed for fostering and adoption. Zippy didn’t have any other family who wanted to take care of her.

Which meant that she was theirs.

“You . . . does that mean I’m really yours?” Zippy glanced from her to Ink.

Ink crouched too. “You’re all ours, Zippy. Forever.”

Zippy threw herself at them, placing an arm around them both. Betsy let out another small sob, holding the little girl tight.

Finally, she drew back and wiped at her eyes. “Well, it took long enough.”

Ink chuckled while Betsy grinned.

“It sure did,” Betsy agreed. “I’m really glad I get to be your mama forever.”

“And that I’ll get to be your dad,” Ink added. “If you want to call me that.”

Zippy nodded. “Yeah, well, I told Midnight that everything would work out. She was worried.”

Midnight the cat had slotted right into their house. Bandit was obsessed with her, he followed her around and sulked when she wouldn’t pay attention to him.

“Midnight didn’t have to worry,” Ink told her. “There was no way we were ever letting you both go.”

“I think we should celebrate,” Betsy said.

“Yeah! Can we go get ice cream? I worked up a real appetite with that punch.”

“We can go get ice cream,” Ink said, wrapping an arm around both of them. “Punching little idiots should always be rewarded with ice cream.”

Dear Lord.

She knew she should explain that punching people wasn’t the right thing to do. And shouldn’t be rewarded.

But she was too happy to care.

And she really wanted ice cream.

Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you enjoyed this novella about Betsy, Ink, Zippy, Baron and Royal. I know everyone is dying for Baron and Royal’s story . . . but we have a few more stories to get through before then.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Laylah xx