Clutch Player Bonus Epilogue

BONUS EPILOGUE

The following summer…

Jared squeezed Emily’s hand in anticipation as they waited in line to ride the Wicked Warrior, an old-fashioned, but recently built wooden roller coaster in an amusement park about two hours away. The riders were screaming like crazy, which promised a good time. They’d booked the honeymoon suite in a hotel for the weekend just for the hell of it. They were still newlyweds, after all, even though their honeymoon happened last month in Italy.

“This line is taking forever,” he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

She gazed up at him, love shining in her beautiful brown eyes. “As long as I’m with you, that’s all that matters.”

His heart squeezed. “Ah, Em.” Ever since they’d gotten engaged last Christmas, Emily had been so mushy with all the feelings words. The lump in his throat made it difficult to speak, but he managed to say, “I love you so damned much.”

She beamed. Her long hair up in a high ponytail made her look young and carefree. “I love you too, Dr. Romantic.”

She was teasing. He still wasn’t great at that stuff. He leaned close to whisper in her ear, “Did I or did I not remember to pack your best slutty outfit?”

Her cheeks flushed pink. “It’s called lingerie,” she whispered back.

“I packed it, didn’t I? You said if I was thoughtful, that was romantic.”

“True. Some guys go the flowers and candy route…”

He tsked. “Amateurs.” He lifted her hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles. She wore a diamond engagement ring—he’d bought one the day after Christmas—and a gold wedding band. It gave him a quiet thrill every time he looked at them.

Finally, it was their turn to ride. They took the very front car, both of them loving the wild view up front. The bar swung into place; they looked at each other and grinned. The car moved around a bend and onto the track that would pull them up the hill. The clack of chains and pulleys rang out as they ascended.

Emily entwined her fingers with his. “Jare?”

“Yeah.” A gentle breeze blew, the sound of riders screaming on another ride close by drifting over to them. It’d been a long time since he’d been on a coaster. He’d missed it.

“We should talk.”

That sounded serious. He glanced at her as the car ratcheted up higher, all sky and a great fall below. “Now?”

She laughed. “Yeah.”

The car was almost at the top of the hill. “What?”

She grinned. “Guess.”

He had no idea. She seemed happy, though. “Did you get promoted to supervisor?” Her boss, Jane, was retiring at the end of the year.

“Nope.” She smiled her cat-that-ate-the-canary smile, which meant she’d gotten something she really wanted.

They reached the top of the hill and made a slow tilt forward as the other cars caught up. And as they were teetering there, about to make the plunge, it hit him. What she really wanted. What they both really wanted. “You’re pregnant?”

“Yes!” She threw both arms in the air as the car plunged forward, racing down the hill.

He grabbed her hands and put them firmly on the bar as they raced sideways and flew over several small hills that gave them sudden pops of airtime. Holy crap. A pregnant woman shouldn’t be on a roller coaster. Especially not his pregnant woman!

“Woo-hoo!” Emily hollered as the wind blew loose tendrils of hair back from her face.

“What the hell are you doing on a coaster?” he hollered above the other riders’ screams and the roar of the coaster. They had to get off this thing.

And then the ride was over. It was one minute of pure hell.

“Emily, are you crazy! What the hell are you doing riding a coaster?”

“Calm down, it’s a junior coaster.”

“With pops of airtime!”

The bar slid away, and he helped her out of the car and guided her, one hand protectively on her lower back as he steered her toward the exit. “That thing was dangerous,” he said through his teeth.

“It was a five on the ten thrill scale. Come on. There was only one hill and it was thirty-three feet.” He didn’t care that it was a small hill or that it was the least thrilling of all the coasters he’d ever been on. The important thing was the baby. His baby. Holy crap. He was going to be a daddy.

“No more coasters.” He had to get her back to the air-conditioned hotel room stat. First they’d stop at the drug store for some prenatal vitamins and a large roll of bubble wrap to keep her and the baby safe. “How are you feeling?”

“Great!”

He grunted. At least she didn’t have morning sickness yet.

Once they cleared the exit, Emily threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Are you happy?”

He wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll be happy once we’re back at the hotel.”

“I mean about the baby.”

“Yes.” His throat nearly closed as it suddenly hit him how much he loved her. How much he already loved the baby. How she’d just given him the best gift of his life.

He hugged her, careful not to squeeze too hard. “Yes, I’m very happy. Thank you.”

“Thank you, baby daddy.”

He pulled back and gazed at her for a moment, overwhelmed with all he felt. “Em.” He dashed at his wet eyes with a fist.

She put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him tenderly. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “Let’s go on the log flume next.”

He dug in his heels. “No way. We shouldn’t have come here today. Didn’t you see the signs? Pregnant women shouldn’t ride.”

“I’m only five weeks. The baby is the size of a jelly bean. It’s fine.”

“We’re going back to the hotel.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He walked quickly toward the park exit before she could convince him otherwise. He wasn’t so good at saying no to her, but he was a daddy and his job started now.

“What happened to Dr. Fun Time?”

He sped up to a near run. “I’ll give you a different kind of fun. In a nice, safe, stable bed.”

“Slow down! I’m going to trip!”

He slowed and briefly considered carrying her. But what if he tripped in his rush to the exit? The cargo was too precious to risk it.

She sighed. “You’re going to baby me, aren’t you? Just like Vince did with Sophia. What did you call him? An overprotective nut.”

“Excuse me, Mrs. Reynolds, I happen to be a doctor well versed in the nature of the human body.”

“So, yes.”

“Bet on it.” He sped up again.

She laughed. “Stop for a minute.”

He stopped his speedy walk to the exit, and she threw herself in his arms, peppering him with kisses like she always did. He cupped her cheek and gave her one long kiss before pulling away and resuming their exit from this dangerous hellhole. “We need to get you out of the sun and keep you properly hydrated.”

“Yes, Dr. Romantic,” she intoned.

He was pretty damn thoughtful, wasn’t he? “I’ll let you hold the TV remote when we get back to the room.” Another generous romantic gesture.

“Swoon!” Emily said on a laugh.

“Get ready for a lot of swooning in your future.” He’d be extremely thoughtful of her and her delicate condition. He might even let her hold the remote at home too. When the game wasn’t on.

“I look forward to it,” she said with a cheeky grin.

He came up with another romantic thing. “I’ll tie your shoes when you’re too big to see your feet.”

“Thank you,” she said a little less enthusiastically, so he tried to top that one.

“And hide the scale so you don’t worry about your weight.”

She pursed her lips. “How…thoughtful.”

Definitely less enthusiastic. Maybe he was getting off track. He scooped her up, cradled in his arms, and walked at a cautiously safe pace to the exit. “You’ll be the most beautiful, sexy pregnant woman on earth. You’re already the most beautiful, sexy wife on earth.”

She giggled and snuggled her head into his chest. “Oh, Jared, you’re the best husband.”

His chest swelled with pride. Next stop, family man. Talk about an adrenaline rush! He couldn’t wait to share this next adventure with the woman who showed him every day the meaning of true love. He gave himself a mental slap upside the head. He was one sappy lovesick fool.

And damn happy about it.

***

Don’t miss the next book in the series, A Tempting Friendship, where Angel finally makes his move on his longtime friend Julia.

Copyright © 2016 by Kylie Gilmore