The Will

Epilogue Forever and Completely

“It’s done?” Jake asked.

Arnie nodded, smiling, “It’s all there.”

Jake looked at him and then looked down to the envelope Arnie had just handed him wondering how something so huge could be contained in an envelope.

“Dad!”

He heard Ethan shout and moved his gaze in that direction.

Ethan, in his little man tuxedo, was racing toward him and doing it so fast he wasn’t able to control himself so when he arrived, he slammed into Jake.

Jake stood steady, steadying his son by doing it, and put a hand to his boy’s shoulder.

Ethan was staring up at him and his voice was excited when he asked, “Is that it?”

Jake looked down at his son, memorizing the expression on his face, hoping like fuck he never forgot it.

“Yeah, bud, that’s it,” he confirmed.

“Cool,” Ethan breathed, jumped away and declared, “I’m gonna go get Con and Amber. Can we do it now? Can we?”

They sure as fuck could.

“Absolutely,” he replied and he didn’t have the full word out before Ethan sprinted away.

“This is perhaps the most beautiful present there ever was,” Arnie stated and Jake turned his eyes to the man. “I’m honored to have played my part,” he finished.

Jake smiled at him and replied, “Still plannin’ on payin’ the bill.”

At that, Arnie shook his head, “Oh no, Jake. My present to you. And Josie. And your children on this joyous day.”

Before Jake could protest, Arnie clapped him on the arm and quickly walked away.

Jake watched him for a beat then he turned his head and took in the expanse.

There were white tents to either side of the back of Lavender House, these and the tables set out in the sun were decorated with bouquets of sprigs of lavender taken from the bushes around the house, white roses and lilies of the valley.

The sea glinted in the sun.

The garden had been planted but there wasn’t much there but rich dark dirt broken up by green shoots.

And the wisteria over the arbor was in full bloom, but many of its purple petals had detached in the slight breeze, drifting confetti across the space. In fact, forty minutes ago, when he kissed Josie there after she was declared his wife, a breeze blew up, scattering petals everywhere.

He hadn’t seen it. He was busy kissing his wife. But Alyssa told him about it, showing him and Josie a picture Junior had taken on his phone, declaring it, “Effing awesome.”

And from what he saw in the picture, Jake had to agree.

He turned his eyes back and saw that Ethan had found Amber and was pulling her away from Alexi, boy Taylor, girl Taylor and Kieran Wentworth. This meant Ethan had pulled Amber from Alexi’s arm, which was wrapped around her waist. He tore his eyes off that and saw Kieran’s arm the same around Taylor.

It was then he grinned.

Girl Taylor was a stunning, loyal, sweet young woman any guy would be lucky to have.

But still.

That was all Josie.

He watched his daughter in her lavender bridesmaid’s dress and his youngest son move across the grass and he looked in the direction they were going.

There he saw Conner in his tuxedo lounging in a white chair at one of the tables. Sofie was sitting close to him and Con had his arm slung along the back of her chair.

Sofie reminded Jake a lot of Josie so Jake was unsurprised when they finally got their shit together, got tight and kept tight. Conner was happy. Sofie was happy. Alyssa was ecstatic. And Junior had managed to hold his shit. Like Jake when it came to his daughter having a boyfriend, not enjoying it much, but he’d done it.

Conner would be going to Boston University in a few months, which would totally fucking suck.

Luckily, Jake knew without a doubt he’d be coming back a lot. To see his old man, his family and his girl.

Right then, he saw Conner had his arm on Sofie’s chair but his eyes were aimed at his brother and sister.

He knew it was time.

They’d planned this.

All of them.

Therefore, before Amber and Ethan made it to him, Jake watched as Conner turned his head to his girl and said something in her ear that made her smile.

Then he kissed her briefly, got up and looked to his dad.

Jake jerked up his chin.

Conner nodded and started to make his way to Jake.

That was when Jake again scanned the space but he knew where she was.

Still, in doing it, he saw Donna sitting with Alyssa. Alyssa, also in a bridesmaid dress, was talking. Donna was smiling.

She’d pulled her head out of her ass and it took her a while but she put in the effort and got results.

Conner and Amber didn’t stay at her house but they saw each other and often.

Not done, Josie had then instigated part two of her plan and got it to the point where Donna came over for dinner (rarely, but it happened, mostly on special occasions like birthdays and Easter).

Josie had given his boy and girl their mother. Donna did the work; he had to give her credit for that. She’d sucked it up and made it happen.

But Josie instigated it.

His eyes kept going through the guests talking, drinking and eating the fancy shit from silver trays that waiters were carrying around.

As they did, he saw Bert. Troy. Mickey. Coert. Pearl. Junior. Reverend Fletcher and his wife Ruth. Girl Taylor’s parents. Boy Taylor’s parents. Nearly every member of his gym. All his bouncers and their women. All his dancers and their men. A bunch of his kids from the junior boxing league and their parents.

He also saw, mingling with the townies, the makeup artist Jean-Michel DuChamp, the supermodel Acadie and the front man for Bounce, Lavon Burkett. Not to mention, some big name designers Amber had freaked when she found out they were coming and more recording artists that all his kids had freaked when they found out they were coming.

And last, he saw Josie standing close to the cliff, the sea her backdrop, her face bright with a huge smile as she stood listening to Amond.

Taking her in yet again, he noted her gown was un-fucking-believable. He thought it right then. And he thought it an hour ago when she walked out of the house on Tom’s arm, both of them moving to him, his boys standing at his side, Alyssa and Amber having just made the same journey.

The designer Josie worked for made the gown especially for her.

It was white and hugged her from shoulders to knees. Sleeveless, v-neck, a deep vee in the back exposing a lot of skin, the dress flared out in a wide but elegant puff of netting at her knees.

But the white body of the gown was covered in a deep lavender lace that bled into the netting that had some pieces of the lace stitched into it.

She looked what she was.

Pure class.

Pure style.

Total beauty.

Except her hair was up.

It looked fucking gorgeous but he’d be taking it down the first chance he got.

His attention was taken from his wife when his kids huddled close.

He looked to Conner. “Con, do me a favor, get a pen.”

Conner reached into the inside pocket of his tuxedo and pulled one out. “Already got it.”

Jake smiled at his boy.

“Dad! Let’s do this!” Ethan demanded impatiently.

Jake looked down at his youngest.

Yes.

He was impatient.

And this was for him as well as Josie. It was for Jake, too. And it was for Conner and Amber.

But mostly, it was for Josie.

And Ethan.

And what his boy and his woman wanted, Jake wanted to give to them.

Therefore, Jake looked up and shouted, “Yo! Slick!”

Josie turned her head his way and even from the distance, he saw the fall of her grandmother’s diamonds and amethysts sparkle at her ears.

With the help of his daughter, it was his diamonds and amethysts that sparkled at her neck and wrist.

The huge ass diamond he’d planted on her finger Christmas day right in front of his kids was also his. As was the band set with diamonds he’d planted on it that day.

Josie had taken Amber on a girl’s trip to New York so Amber had seen her dress. She’d also gone with Jake to pick that shit out. Last, she’d given Jake’s necklace and bracelet to Josie during preparations because Amber, Alyssa nor Josie would allow Jake to see his woman prior to her walking down the aisle.

He found this annoying. He liked tradition at Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween.

He did not like sleeping without his woman.

But he couldn’t fault their strategy. That gown she wore was amazing but it was even more amazing him seeing her in it for the first time as she walked to him in order to become his wife.

He jerked up his chin again to communicate he wanted her ass moving his way.

He couldn’t see her roll her eyes but he knew she did it.

Then he watched as she said something to Amond and he swallowed a bark of laughter when she started coming his way, got tangled in the netting around her legs or got the heel of her freaking expensive shoe stuck in the grass and she started to take a dive.

Amond luckily caught her but Jake saw her mouth move and he knew she’d snapped “drat.”

Cute.

Klutzy.

His woman.

His wife.

After averting what would be considered a wedding disaster, Amond clearly thought it necessary to escort Josie across the grass because he did this.

“You summoned?” Josie asked when she arrived and Jake grinned at his wife then transferred his grin to Amond.

“Thanks, man,” he said.

“Grass stains would not go good with that dress,” Amond replied.

This was true and Jake again swallowed laughter but his kids didn’t. He had to do it yet again when he saw Josie roll her eyes.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her close and told her, “Kids wanna give you our wedding present.”

She lost her annoyance immediately and smiled bright, looking to Conner, Amber and Ethan.

“How fun,” she declared.

She had no idea.

Amber bit her lip.

Conner smiled at his father.

Ethan jumped forward, grabbed Josie’s hand and tugged her toward the house, nearly shouting, “Come on!”

Josie turned happy, but curious, eyes Jake’s way before she let herself be pulled into the house.

Ethan had one of her hands, Jake the other, and he felt Conner and Amber follow them in.

Jake tossed a grin at Amond as they went.

Amond grinned back.

Ethan led them to the family room.

That room looked no different. Neither did the living room, dining room, kitchen, light room, den, greenhouse or the guestrooms.

However, since they moved in after Christmas, Amber’s room, Conner’s room and Ethan’s room had all been changed to be precisely what they wanted. Josie saw to that.

And Jake and Josie’s room at the top floor had not one single fucking flower in it. It was decorated in gray, cream and a beige color Josie informed him was taupe. It was stylish. The sheets fucking heaven. It felt every night like he was climbing into bed with his woman in a five star hotel. And with his kids a floor away, the house built sturdy and strong, if they closed the door, they could get as loud as they wanted when he fucked her.

Jake loved it.

Josie did too.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Ethan demanded when they all stopped, huddled close and Jake didn’t move.

Jake looked down to his son, held his eyes and said quietly, “All right, bud.” He handed him the envelope and finished, “Do it.”

Jake watched as the excitement leached from his boy’s face and anxiety replaced it.

Conner saw it too, and being a good kid growing into a good man, but definitely a good brother, he stepped in.

“Okay, Josie, we talked, all of us”—he indicated his sister and brother with a jerk of his head—“about what to get you and Dad for your wedding. It was Amber’s idea. She talked to me. We talked to Eath. Eath was all for it in a big way. So then we had to talk to Dad so he knows about it.”

Josie, her hand held tight in his, had her eyes glued to Conner through this and when he stopped speaking, she said, “All right, sweetheart.”

“Dad had to talk to attorneys,” Amber put in and Josie looked to her, her eyes widening. “And, well, someone else.” His girl looked down to his son and then back to Josie. “She agreed.”

“So here it is,” Ethan butted in verbally at the same time jerking the envelope to Josie.

Josie stared down at the envelope before she took it, asking softly, “What is it, sweetheart?”

Jake gave her hand a squeeze before letting it go and encouraging, “Open it.”

Her eyes came to his before they slid through his kids and then she turned her attention to the envelope.

He felt his chest get tight as he watched her open it. He felt his children get tense as they watched her do it. And then he saw Josie’s entire body go still when she slid the papers out and saw what was written at the top of the first sheet.

“It’s me,” Ethan whispered, his voice now croaky, and Jake felt his own throat scratch as he looked down at his son. “We’re givin’ you me for your wedding.”

Josie said nothing. She just stared down at Ethan.

When this lasted awhile, Jake put his hand to the small of her back and got close.

“Adoption papers, baby,” he said something he knew she knew because it was right there on the papers for her to see. “Sloane agreed. She’s signed them. You just have to sign them and Ethan’s your boy.”

As beautiful as this was, Jake was conflicted about it.

It was truth that in the last nine months Josie had been more mother to Ethan than he’d had in eight years from Sloane.

But it still stuck in his craw remembering his call to Sloane to broach the subject of her giving up all legal claim to her own son. It stuck in his craw the memory of her trying to hide the relief in her voice through the fake uncertainty she used to ask, “Are you sure, Jake?”

In the end, he knew down to his bones it was her loss and he knew precisely how huge that loss was.

And her loss was his wife’s gain.

And his son’s.

And Amber’s and Conner’s.

And last, his.

He knew Josie felt this, all of it when Jake saw the pink move into her cheeks, her throat convulse, the wet hit her eyes, eyes she didn’t tear away from Ethan.

Finally, her voice husky, she whispered a question, a question that Sloane didn’t ask. That being how Ethan felt about it.

“Are you sure, honey?”

Ethan’s reply was, “Can I call you Mom?”

It was then Jake knew his son knew what he’d been missing.

And was happy with what he got.

So maybe it wasn’t so bad when a kid got put on this earth with a shit mother that he got to choose the one he wanted.

Josie knew Ethan was happy too and Jake knew that when the papers fluttered to the ground as Josie covered her face with her hands and almost went down when her legs went out from under her.

Jake caught her and hauled her into his arms, hers closing around his shoulders as she shoved her face in his neck and her body shook against his with her tears.

He held her close and stroked her back as he heard Ethan ask in confusion and some fear, “Does that mean she likes it?”

Amber’s breath hitched so it was Conner who answered.

“Yeah, Eath, bud, she likes it.”

Josie jerked out of his arms and turned to Ethan, dropping down to her knees and taking his face in her hands.

She yanked him close and said, “No, I don’t like it, sweetheart. I love it. Because I love you. So it makes me very happy. I’m delighted it makes you happy too. And I’d be honored if you’d call me Mom.”

Ethan lips quivered then he fell forward, Josie caught him in her arms and Jake had to reach out, claim his daughter and hold her close because she was now sobbing loudly.

Conner let this go on for a while before he asked with fake exasperation, “Crap, are you gonna sign the papers, or what?”

Still holding Ethan close, Josie looked up at Jake.

“Darling, I believe I need your assistance. I don’t think I can get up in this dress.”

At that, finally, Jake allowed himself to laugh.

Conner did it with him.

Ethan, probably not knowing why he was doing it, still joined in.

Amber sniffled but through it giggled.

But Josie simply stared up at her husband and raised her brows.

Jake let his girl go and helped his woman to her feet.

Conner retrieved the papers from the floor and got out the pen.

The second he did, Josie snatched both from him, strode to a table by the window, and without further delay, she signed them.

When she did, Amber burst into loud tears again and Conner looked to the ceiling but did it pulling his sister in his arms.

Ethan hugged Josie around her middle.

Jake got close to his wife and their son, put his hand to his boy’s head and his arm around his woman’s waist.

It was then it happened.

He looked to Con, saw his son’s gaze on him and he read it in his eyes.

He felt his daughter looking at him and he saw it there too.

He looked down at his youngest to see Eath looking up at him and he saw the same.

And finally, Jake looked into his wife’s face and it was shining from her eyes.

Fuck.

Fuck.

It was right there. He was getting it from all of them.

Christ, they’d never quit believing he could make miracles.

Jake felt suddenly raw. Humble. Grateful. Honored.

Loved.

And his family being in the moment, it was lost on all of them that outside, the breeze blew wisteria petals like purple confetti through the air and the lavender bushes swayed in a way that could only mean the very heavens sighed.

* * * * *

There was a knock at the door to their suite and Jake, finally shrugging off his fucking suit jacket, thanking fuck this was the last time he was getting married, looked that way.

Josie was in the bathroom. She’d gone there almost the minute she walked in.

She had a shit ton of suitcases.

This was because, the next day, they were driving to Boston and flying first class to take their honeymoon in Paris.

Along with the jewelry, this was his wedding present to his wife.

But the bag Josie took in the bathroom was a lot smaller and separate from her suitcases and Jake looked forward to seeing what she had in it because he figured whatever that was was his wedding present.

He also figured Josie would give him a good one.

He tossed his jacket over a chair and moved to the door. Looking through the peephole, he saw what he expected to see.

Room service.

But when he opened the door, he saw what he didn’t expect to see.

There were strawberries, a bowl of whipped cream and chocolates, as he’d ordered.

But there was not one bottle of Dom Perignon that he’d also ordered.

Instead, there were two.

He looked to the guy who had his hands to the tray.

“Only ordered one bottle of champagne,” he said, not minding having two but he wanted his wife to have good champagne, not get slaughtered on it.

“The other is a gift,” the guy replied.

Amond.

He found this acceptable so Jake moved out of the way, the guy wheeled the cart in and Jake gave him a tip.

He put out the do not disturb sign, locked the door behind him and picked up the little card that was resting against one of the champagne buckets.

On the outside, it said Josephine and Jake.

He slid his finger through the flap, opened it and pulled out the card.

Then he froze as he read:

Be happy.

Henry

Fuck.

The man had been invited to the wedding. He was not over it so he didn’t come. He’d been gentle with Josie telling her this but that didn’t mean she wasn’t disappointed.

Jake got him. If Josie was marrying another man, he’d be on another continent to get away from that shit.

Which was where Henry was.

But the champagne was a solid gesture that would make Jake’s wife happy.

Even so, when he heard the door open behind him and he turned and watched his woman walk out in figure-skimming, all lace ivory nightie through which he could see little ivory panties, her hair down and curling around her shoulders, he tossed the card to the tray.

He’d tell her later.

Now, it was Jake who was going to make her happy.

So he set about doing that and started by walking across the room straight to her.

The instant he moved her way, her pretty blue eyes got soft in that way he knew now from experience was when she was thinking about how much she loved him, and she smiled.

In the end, it was Josie that made him happy.

A while later, he figured, as he licked the last of the champagne from between her breasts and heard the purr glide up her throat, he hadn’t done half bad.

* * * * *

In what would soon be the demolished garage at Lavender House, Jake moved a box from a shelf.

When he did, he watched a white envelope become dislodged from behind it, fluttering to the ground.

It landed face up and Jake saw the writing.

It was then he froze.

He was in the garage cleaning it out. It had to go because they needed the space. The architect had designed a garage that would fit perfectly with the house, not altering the look too much, not altering the feel of the place at all, and it would allow them to enter through the pantry. It was going to be three cars so Amber, and then Ethan, would not have to walk through the weather to get to the house or scrape their windshields.

This had been Josie’s idea. Jake had wanted a two-car garage.

But Josie wanted three so he was going to give her three.

First, the old garage had to go.

So, while Josie was in the garden with Ethan, Jake was in the garage, beginning the clear out, something that Conner would help him with after he got off work.

Jake stared at the envelope on the floor even as he went down in a squat and set the box beside it.

He knew the writing on the outside, writing that said only, Jake, and he felt his heart thump as he reached out and nabbed it.

He straightened, turning the envelope so he could open the back.

Then he pulled in a breath as he pulled out the paper inside.

He had to pull in another one, sharper this time, when he opened the paper and started reading.

Jake,

I knew you’d eventually get around to giving Josie a decent garage so she wouldn’t have to get wet or trudge through snow.

“Jesus,” he muttered, even as he kept reading.

So I put my message to you here because I also knew it would be you that would be dealing with the rubbish.

Other things I knew were that she’d make you happy. And I knew you’d make her happy.

I tried very hard to convince you that you could do that, as you know. But where I failed in life, I knew I’d succeed when I’d gone for when I gave you the most precious gift I had to give, I knew you’d take care of it at the same time you’d make that so.

I knew this because you and your children made me happy. Very happy, my lamb. When I found you, Conner, Amber and Ethan, me, a woman who at one point felt she had nothing, suddenly had it all.

Thank you for giving that to me.

Thank you for making my precious girl happy.

Thank you for being all that’s you.

I love you, my Jake, always.

Forever and completely.

Lydie

Jake stared at the words and cleared his throat.

Then he read them again.

And again.

And once more.

Then he put the letter back in the envelope and walked out of the garage.

Through the abundance of lavender, Jake saw his wife and son in the garden across the way.

He didn’t go to them.

He went into the house and up to their room. He put the letter on his nightstand to share with Josie later. When they were alone. When he could give her what she needed when she read it, and he could take what he needed from her when he re-experienced it.

He left the room, walked down the stairs, through the house and outside.

The minute the sun hit his face, he heard laughter coming at him from the garden.

He looked that way and saw his daughter had come home. She was there with boy Taylor, girl Taylor, his wife and their son.

And Josie’s head was tipped back, the sun shining in her hair, the breeze drifting through it so tendrils floated around her face. Her hips were encased in short-shorts, her long legs golden with tan. One of his old t-shirts hung loose at her top, her grandmother’s wellingtons on her feet.

She and the kids were laughing, loud and long. Ethan was even doubled over with it and boy Taylor was repeatedly smacking his leg, on which, for some reason, the kid was wearing pink jeans.

Jake had no idea why they were laughing and he didn’t give a fuck.

They were laughing.

They were together.

They were happy.

That was all he cared about.

That was all he ever cared about.

And he had it.

On this thought, it happened.

He watched his wife put a hand to her hip and lift the other to pull her floating hair back. She held it at her crown, but even with this effort, tendrils were flying around her still laughing face.

She was in Maine, in short-shorts, an old tee and Wellingtons, but it was a live-action recreation of the picture he’d had for years.

And that live-action kept going when she caught sight of her husband and her laughing face beamed so bright, Jake could feel its light all the way across the expanse. She took her hand from her hip to lift it to her lips and blow him a kiss.

A dream come true.

His.

Fuck.

Beauty.

He sent a smile her way then, still smiling, Jake Spear turned toward the garage in order to get back to work.

His wife and kids needed something.

Or more to the point, he needed to give his wife and kids something, that being keeping them protected from the elements.

So he had to set about doing that.

And, as always, he did.