Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
EPILOGUE
EROS
Many Years Later
When I open my eyes, I don’t find the pussy I want. Instead I find Scooby Doo, the black cat I got for my wife years ago. He is lying on my chest, glaring at me. I glance over at the clock and see that it’s early. Too early for my wife to be out of bed. I’m guessing that’s why Scooby is pissed. Lev is his person. I’m just the spare human.
“All right,” I tell him. He jumps down off the bed. I don a pair of pants and don't bother to button them before I exit our bedroom. I first head upstairs. It’s a habit. I poke my head into the first room to see that my son is still fast asleep. He’s holding his stuffed horse close to his chest. I quietly close the door before checking on the princess. I thought girls were supposed to be daddy’s girls.
Don’t get me wrong. She gives me cuddles, but she and Lev are twins, and my daughter always wants to be with her mama. I swear between her and Scooby Doo, I should have a complex.
When I open the door, I find her lying sideways on the bed, her blanket and pillows on the floor. I step in and move her, not that it will last long. I kiss her on the head before heading downstairs, Scooby at my feet the whole way. The only reason he’s sticking around is because he knows I’m in search of Lev. If he could open doors himself, he wouldn’t even bother.
When we stay in the city, Lev sleeps later, but when we come back home to the ranch, she’s up early, and I always know where I’ll find her if she’s missing from our bed. The second I open the front door, Scooby is dashing out onto the porch. Lev lifts her head to face me, her sketching pad resting on her lap. The rising sun coming over the hill casts a soft light around her.
Damn, my girl is breathtaking. I’ll never get over what a lucky bastard I am for being the one she fell in love with. Not like she had much of a choice. After I laid eyes on her, there was no way in hell I could ever let her go.
“Morning.” She gives me a soft smile.
“Morning, darling.” I make my way over to her. I notice two coffee cups on the table, indicating that my mom has already visited. Dad and she are always up at dawn.
When we’re here, Mom will often swing by early to sit with Lev. I’m so thankful for the relationship they have with each other. My mom treats Lev as the daughter she never had. I love that Lev gets to experience what a real mother-daughter relationship should be. I know it’s helped her heal in a lot of ways.
I don’t sit in the other chair. I pick her up and take her seat, putting her into my lap. “Missed you.” I kiss her neck. I don't particularly enjoy waking up in bed without her, but when she's here, inspiration strikes, and I would never stop her from doing what she loves.
“I was going to slip back, but you cowboys always rise early.” Lev turns in my lap to straddle me. “And I couldn’t sleep. I’m excited.”
“When is everyone getting in?” I ask.
We frequently travel between here and the city, but our son will soon be starting school. Lev wants him to go to school here. It’s a small town, and she wants to try life out here. To be close to Mom and Dad. I don’t care where we live, honestly.
I think my pull to the city was to find my Lev. Once I had her, it didn’t matter. She was my passion and one I wasn’t moving on from or that was fleeting. I can do my work from anywhere, and so can Lev. She has created a few makeup-related apps herself, but recently, she has been focusing more on drawing. Kate can handle everything in the city. I am not worried about it.
“I think Kate said around noon.” Everyone is coming out for the yearly Valentine's party Lev puts on. Caleb and Gabriella will be here with their little ones, along with Kate and Noland, who finally got her to give in to him.
Once Kate got it through her head that Noland didn’t want to change her, she finally folded. Kate didn't want a child or a traditional-style relationship, but she believed that was what Noland needed. It was one of the few times she was wrong because all he wanted was her. Lev played a crucial role in bringing them together in the end.
I can’t help but smile when I remember the Lev who turned her nose up at love. Now she’s a matchmaker and throws an annual Valentine's Day party.