Page 82 of Hell Bent (Portland Devils #5)

EPILOGUE

Alix

On a Saturday morning in late March, I finished toweling my hair dry while Sebastian stuck his wallet into his back pocket and said, “Well, that was fun. Ready to go do this thing?”

“Yes,” I said. “Now that you’ve relaxed me.”

“Although going back to bed could be fun, too,” he said.

“I kinda like this both-not-working thing.” He got up close behind me, pulled my hair aside, and kissed the back of my neck, and I shivered.

It was hard to believe I could still shiver, honestly.

We’d gone for an early-morning run with Ben and Lexi in a misty evergreen forest like a fairy tale, and then Sebastian and I had taken a shower.

Unfortunately for the steadiness of my gait, Sebastian had shaved my legs in there.

I’m not joking. He shaved my legs. Very slowly.

Very carefully. With lots of foam and steam.

While he was down there, he’d done a few other things, too, and then he’d carried me out of the shower and set me on the bathroom counter.

Until he’d told me to get on all fours on the bathroom rug, that is .

We’d used the heck out of that bathroom, and since I’m sharing? He’d used the heck out of me, too. It was amazing how kinky a man could get while still being gentle. Going back to bed sounded very good. But it was a special day, so we didn’t.

We were fully dressed and eating French toast, and Sebastian had just looked at his watch when my phone rang. I glanced at it and said, “My mom.”

“We’re meeting the lady in less than an hour,” Ben said, his leg jiggling.

“I know. I’ll be quick.” Then I said, “Hi, Mom,” and even remembered to grab my coffee before heading into the bedroom. Lexi was sprawled across the bed on her back, all four paws in the air, snoring, and when I sat down beside her, she sneezed.

“Do you have a cold?” my mother asked.

“No,” I said. “That was the dog. She’s having a rest and was sneezing in her sleep. Now she’s jerking her legs and whimpering, because she’s dreaming. That’s not me, so you know.”

A short silence, then, “You’re at Sebastian’s, then.”

“I am.” I considered saying, “I haven’t been back to the trailer in weeks,” but I didn’t. Either because she’d be happy to know that, or because she’d be upset. “What’s up?” I asked in a brisk enough tone, I hoped, to convey that I didn’t have a lot of time.

She said, “I came up to Portland yesterday to meet with a potential new client. Very last-minute, but that was the window he had. There’s a surprising amount of tech money up here.

You don’t realize it at first, because they’re all wearing hoodies and jeans and sneakers.

Worse than the Bay Area. At home, they at least wear designer sneakers.

The closest to brand-name they get up here is Patagonia. ”

“Well, Patagonia’s nice,” I said. “I have a few Patagonia items myself.”

“I’m aware,” she said, her tone bone-dry.

“So you’re here?” I asked, since I didn’t much want to get into my Patagonia wardrobe and its deficiencies.

“At least wear some color, darling,” she’d have been wailing in about two minutes, “not just different shades of brown and gray. And before you say it, sludge green is not a color. It’s sludge. ”

“Dad and I are both here,” she said innocently.

“It turned out to be a good thing, as we ended up hosting quite a lively dinner with the client—whom I signed, by the way— and two of his partners, who are nearly there. We’re going to meet with them again tonight, with their partners—romantic partners, not business partners, which is so awkward.

Why can’t people just get married and use the terms everybody understands?

Anyway, we have the day, and as you’re not working now, I thought we could have lunch. ”

I said, “We have a sort of … eventful day planned here. In fact, we’re going house shopping.”

A long silence at the other end of the phone. “Oh?” she finally managed.

“Yes,” I said.

“Oh,” she said. “How … fun.”

“Hang on a minute.” I headed back to the great room—we needed a place with some separation of spaces—pressed the Mute button, and told Sebastian, “My parents are in town.”

“Oh, no,” Ben said. That was why the Mute button was good. “But we have everything set up.”

“My mother is a surprisingly expert house shopper,” I said, “even though she’s lived in the same house for thirty-five years.

She’s always going around with some fabulously wealthy and clueless client, is why.

She’ll find all the mold and drainage issues and notice that the gutters need replacing.

She’ll pull up the rugs and check the condition of the floors and tell you the cost to fix everything.

She’ll look in every basement and every outbuilding, and she recognizes the smell of mice.

The woman is not swayed by window dressing.

We don’t have to invite them along, but they’re only here for the day, so … ”

Sebastian said, “It’s fine.” Ben opened his mouth, and Sebastian said, “I don’t know one single thing about buying a house. We can use the help. And it’ll be good for us to spend time with Alix’s family, too. We’ve only seen them once, and she didn’t hatch, you know. She’s a person.”

I pushed the Mute button again and said, “Mom? Do you think you and Dad could come with us? We could use your help. Neither of us is very experienced at house shopping.”

“Of course,” she said, back in her happy place.

“Great,” I said. “I’ll give you the address of the first house, and you can meet us there.”

Two hours later, we pulled up outside our fourth house, and my parents pulled up behind us. Not far from the Pearl District, in the hills near Washington Park. It was a beautiful area, and was zoned for one of the public schools Ben liked best, but …

“It’s so interesting, Sebastian,” my mother said, coming to join us as the realtor waited at the front door, “that you like these older homes better. I find that my clients prefer newly built homes, at least if their wealth is recently acquired.” In other words, “If they’re nouveau riche and have no taste. ”

“But then,” Sebastian said gravely, “Alix is a princess.”

Ben said, “We looked at all new houses last week. Suburban houses, down near where Harlan Kristiansen lives, because that has good schools, too. His sister Annabelle says it’s kind of snobby, though, because everybody’s rich, and anyway, it was boring. ”

“Which part?” my dad asked. “The houses, or the area?”

“Both,” Ben said.

“It was,” Sebastian agreed. “Ben and I are city people.” He surveyed the current house, which was up a fairly impressive flight of stairs. “I’m not sure we’re castle people, though, despite Alix’s princesshood.”

Ben said, “We can look, I guess, since we’re here.”

When we got inside, I saw what Sebastian meant.

I saw it more when the realtor said brightly, “Such a lovely home, and so historic. Over ten thousand square feet. Seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, so you have space for absolutely everything. A game room, a home theater, a gym, entertaining in the most lavish style … and just look how beautifully it’s been restored.

Come see the kitchen. The heart of the home. ”

“Very nice,” my mother said, when we were standing in your basic operating room.

Shiny white cabinets, gray countertops, gray floors.

“Gaggenau appliances, I see. Very stylish, and they’ve mounted the dishwasher higher so you don’t have to bend.

The only dishwasher brand that allows that, and it makes so much sense. ”

“The primary bath and closet are done in the same materials,” the realtor said. “So sleek and modern, and room for your entire wardrobe.” Ha. Room for twelve wardrobes, if you were me. “And with three stories plus the finished basement, you won’t be on top of each other.”

“I’ll say,” I muttered.

My mother was flipping through the disclosures, saying, “New HVAC, new electrical, new plumbing, new roof, clear pest report … there’s not much wrong here.”

I didn’t say anything, because I couldn’t be the decider on this. Ben said, “It has a little bit of lawn, at least. Not enough for Lexi to really run, but I guess she could poop there. ”

Sebastian looked at me and said, “Give me your opinion. You aren’t doing it, and it’s driving me nuts. I told you, I’ve never lived in a house.”

“You really want to know?” I asked.

“Are you kidding? You’re part of this deal. Of course I really want to know.”

“So do I,” Ben said, “because so far, I’ve hated all of them. Man, I thought buying a house would be cool.”

My mother said, “You’ll be living here too, I take it, Alix?”

“Yes,” I said. “Oddly, I find the trailer has lost its charm compared to living with Sebastian and Ben and Lexi.” We hadn’t told anybody but my grandmother yet about the engagement.

Superstition, or maybe we were just waiting for the ring to be done.

It was Fabergé, the setting looked like stars, there was a diamond on either side of the gorgeous emerald but absolutely no row of diamonds around it, and we were having it made in gold instead of platinum.

And, yes, I wanted it on my finger. Sue me.

I didn’t want a Porsche 911 Turbo-S Coupe, but I wanted that ring.

My mother didn’t say anything, just pinched her lips a little, and Sebastian said, “Is this actually a marriage question? I hate dancing around stuff. If it’s a marriage question, let’s answer it.” He looked at me, and here we were.

Ben looked between us and said, “Seriously? Awesome.” The realtor tactfully decided to check out the basement or something.

I said, “Yep. We’re doing it. Even though I just ran out on my fiancé in December. Sebastian likes to live dangerously.”

“Because he was a weenie,” Ben said. “The other guy.”