Deceiving Lies

Epilogue

Two and a half years later . . .

Rachel

“BABE, DO YOU HAVE KENNEDY?” I called as I went from room to room with Kira.

There is no way to keep track of twins that are running all over the place while you’re trying to get ready to go somewhere. I swear, if she is getting in Trip’s food again . . .

“Kash! Do you know—”

“Where this beautiful monster is?” he asked as he rounded the corner with Kennedy in his arms. She was missing her shirt.

I stopped and blew out a thankful breath that at least she was only missing an article of clothing instead of being completely naked, or covered in baby powder again like last time.

“Where’s her shirt?”

He shrugged and held her up to blow a raspberry on her stomach. “I don’t know. I was hoping you knew.”

“I don’t.” I looked at Kira in my arms and shook my head as I smiled at her. “Your sister is crazy, absolutely crazy!”

Kira just smiled and set her head down on my shoulder as we began walking through the house, looking for Kennedy’s shirt.

“Your daddy better be happy at least one of you is calm.”

“What? Kennedy’s just having a little fun.”

I shot him a look. “She can’t keep her clothes on. Are you going to keep saying that when she’s sixteen and still doing the same thing?”

His face fell into a look of pure horror. “Oh no. No, no, no. That’s it. You’re going to homeschool them. Both of them! And they’re not allowed near boys until they’re thirty. And . . . and . . . and from now on, they only wear dresses. Ugly ones that are three sizes too big.”

I laughed and leaned in to kiss Kennedy’s big smile. “You take after your daddy. The crazies.”

“I’m so serious, Rach. They’re never allowed out in public without me.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Don’t act like that! You’re the one that said she was going to be taking her clothes off when she was sixteen.”

I rolled my eyes and pointed at the discarded shirt on the ground so he could bend down to pick it up. “She’s not even two, calm down. I was just saying that so I could make a point. And I’m not homeschooling them, or making them wear ugly clothes, so you can work at getting over that right now.”

He set Kennedy down and pulled her shirt back on before pointing at it. “You keep this on. Always. Even if boys tell you to take it off when you’re older. You don’t listen to—” He cut off and hung his head when Kennedy zoomed away again with Trip chasing after her.

“You’ll have a lot of time to tell her that when she’s older . . . when she’ll understand it.”

Looking up, he made a face at me before leaning forward and grabbing my hips. “I’m so glad you’re going to be a boy,” he said to my large stomach, and placed a kiss on it. Standing up, he pulled me as close as my stomach would allow and kissed me thoroughly until the shrill laugh of Kennedy filled the air.

“Naked baby.” I pointed as she ran through the living room and into the kitchen. “You catch her and I’ll finish getting Kira ready?”

“Oh, so you get the easy one tonight? Why?”

“Uh, yeah . . . because I’m Rachel.”

Kash smiled and kissed me hard once more. “The last time we had this conversation, it ended in you slapping me. So I’m just gonna keep my mouth shut.”

“Good choice.”

He winked and took off after our crazy daughter. “Kennedy, clothes stay on, baby girl.”

Once I had Kira ready, and we got Kennedy to keep her clothes on, we got all of us in the car to head over to Richard and Marcy’s for their New Year’s Eve party. Mason and his family were all going to be there along with some family friends, and I was ready for the time to hang out with everyone . . . and to have extra eyes to make sure Kennedy kept her clothes on.

We’d gone to California for Christmas, and while I wouldn’t suggest flying with two toddlers, it was so worth it to see my family again. Candice was still being Candice. I’d figured she’d start settling down after college, but she didn’t show any signs of stopping anytime soon. She was working at a physical therapy place, and loved her job . . . as well as half the men she worked with. But she was happy, she was enjoying her life the way she wanted to, and I was happy for her.

For the first time, I’d taken Kash and the girls to my parents’ graves. I still wrote to them daily whenever the girls went down for a nap, and writing to them was still something that made me feel closer to them. But I’d wanted my family to be able to talk to them too. Not that the girls really said much that made sense yet, but I was happy we’d all gone, and knew it was something we would do when we visited California again.

Kash grabbed my hand, and pulled it toward him to kiss the inside of my palm when we were a couple minutes from his parents’. I smiled over at him and curled my hand around his to squeeze it, and his eyes flashed on my pale blue nails. Kissing them, he smirked at me before bringing our hands down to rest on the center console.

“I wonder what color he’ll send this time.”

I didn’t have to look at his eyes to know there was no lingering doubt there. After Kash had given me the option to leave with Trent, and we’d talked about everything I’d been feeling, he seemed to understand how I viewed Trent. Nothing more than my protector, and friend. A month after Trent had left, I knew for sure that Kash was finally okay with him.

Every month, on the fourth, a small package was delivered to Kash at the police department. And every month, I was waiting anxiously for him to come home with it. It was always a bottle of nail polish with a card that only ever said two words. “I’m fine.” The only time it ever changed was on the Fourth of July. Along with the polish, there would be a new journal for me, and somewhere in the middle would be a letter from him giving me more insight into his new life, without ever giving away his name, location, or job.

That first month, Kash had been confused but had finally pieced it together by the time his shift was ending. He’d read my journal from when I’d been kidnapped, and remembered everything Trent had bought me, and was honestly appreciative that Trent was—in a weird way—letting me know he was safe. I wished there was a way for me to thank him, but there was never a return address, and every month it was somehow sent from a different state. Besides, he was already risking a lot; it could put him in danger if we tried to get in touch with him. So I would be happy with my monthly gift from him. At least Kash and I could be happy for him and his new life, based on the two letters.

With a soft smile, I squeezed Kash’s hand and said, “Few more days and we’ll find out, I guess.”

After putting the car in park, Kash looked at me seriously and whispered, “I’ve got fifty on orange.”

“Silver,” I whispered back. “And you’re on.”

He laughed and kissed me swiftly before getting out of the car. After we got Kennedy and Kira out of the car, we made our way inside the house, and everyone rushed over to take the girls.

“Oh, we haven’t seen you in so long!” Marcy crooned at Kennedy as Richard took Kira.

“Mom, it’s been a week and a half.”

She leveled her signature glare at Kash, before smiling and raining kisses all over Kennedy’s face. “Don’t start with me, Logan. A week and a half is a long time to go without my favorite girls.”

“Rachel!” Maddie screamed, and ran toward me.

Kash stepped in front of me and blocked my stomach. “Calm down, turbo.”

Maddie rolled her eyes and pushed him aside as she bounced up and down on her toes, her left hand going in front of her face as she squealed.

“Oh my God! Congratulations!” I grabbed her hand and looked at the ring on her finger before pulling her in for a hug. “When did he ask?”

“Christmas!”

“Congrats, and nice rock, Aaron,” I teased as I pulled Maddie’s new fiancé in for a hug.

Like I hadn’t known. I’d gone with him to pick out the ring.

“She loves it. Thank you,” Aaron whispered into my ear, and I winked when he pulled back.

I listened to Maddie tell me all the details of the proposal as I accepted hugs from her parents and other family friends. After we’d said hello to everyone, Kash pulled me into his chest and ran his hands over my swollen belly, and I continued talking to Maddie as he talked to Aaron.

Maddie and I had grown incredibly close over the last couple years, and I was so happy to see her with Aaron. Too many guys had burned her before. Aaron had swooped in at the perfect time, and was beyond perfect for her. He was the biggest sweetheart I’d ever met; and though he seemed pretty calm for Maddie’s overexcited personality, they balanced each other really well.

“Where’s my brother?” she suddenly asked.

Kash shrugged. “I don’t know, he said he’d be here. But I haven’t seen him since before we left for California.”

“I haven’t seen him since before Aaron and I got engaged. He keeps saying he’s busy, I want to show him my ring!”

Looking up at my husband, I nudged his stomach with my elbow. “Call him, babe.”

Keeping one hand on my stomach, he pulled out his phone and brought up Mason’s number.

Kash and Mason were still in the gang unit, and things were going as well as they could in that field. Mason was at our house more often than not and loved playing “Uncle Mase” to the girls. Like Candice, Kash and I had been hoping he’d settle down soon . . . but girls came and went from his apartment just as often as they always had.

“Mason’s bringing a girl,” Kash spoke directly into my ear so no one else could hear us.

Apparently I’d spoken too soon.

“Like . . . ?”

“Like a girlfriend.”

“No way!” I hissed and looked up at him. Kash looked just as surprised as I felt.

A shriek filled the living room and I turned to see Kennedy running as fast as her little toddler legs would carry her.

“Jesus,” I whispered and pointed. “Naked baby.”

Kash laughed and kissed the back of my neck. “You are homeschooling the girls.”

“Whatever you say, Kash.” I winked and watched him take off after Kennedy.

Marcy walked up next to me and handed me Kennedy’s forgotten clothes. “How do you keep that girl in these?”

“We haven’t figured out a way yet. Where’s Kira?”

“Sleeping in Rich’s arms.”

I turned until I spotted them, and smiled at my daughter and father-in-law. They were so cute together.

“Okay, well, I’m going to help Kash with Kennedy, be right back.”

Taking the clothes from her, I walked through the halls until I heard Kennedy’s belly laugh and found Kash blowing more raspberries on her stomach.

“I caught the monster.”

“Your mom collected all her clothes.”

After we got her dressed again, I lifted her onto my hip and walked out toward the living room. Marcy was waiting at the entrance of the hall and made grabby hands at Kennedy.

“Come back to Ya Ya, sweet girl, let’s go hang out with Poppi and Kira.”

Handing her over to Marcy, I giggled when Kash pulled us back into the hall and pressed us close as his mouth teased the sensitive spot behind my ear.

“I don’t think so, mister.”

“I can’t help it . . . this is the one time we’re not chasing after our girls and someone else is watching them. And, fuck, Rachel, you look so hot. Swear to God I’m keeping you pregnant all the time. We’re going to have a football team.”

I laughed and elbowed his stomach. “Whatever.”

“Don’t ‘whatever’ me, Sour Patch. You know you’re sexy as hell.”

I rolled my eyes and turned to kiss him before whispering against his lips, “Liar.”

“Never.”

He captured my lips and I moaned into his mouth when his tongue caressed mine.

“Naked baby!” Maddie called and I let my forehead drop onto Kash’s chest.

“Homeschooling those girls, woman.” He kissed me again before taking off after a squealing Kennedy.

I walked to the front of the hall and scooped up a tired-looking Kira as I enjoyed the view.

Maddie and Aaron were talking quietly in a corner. Close friends were gathered in clumps around the living room and kitchen—some talking to their group, others laughing at the circus that was my family. Richard and Mr. Gates were wiping back tears as they laughed over Mrs. Gates, Marcy, and Kash chasing after Kennedy and looking for her clothes. Soon Mason and this mystery girl would be here, and she would get the crash course in meeting everyone while we all individually interrogated her.

I loved my family, and I loved our life. Kash and I had gone through rough times at the beginning, but life was good and I prayed it would stay that way. There was never a dull moment—there were plenty of laughs, and plenty of happy and sad tears. He and I still fought like there was no tomorrow, and pancakes were made a few times a week . . . but we loved each other fiercely, and we helped each other through everything. Most importantly, there were never any lies.