Page 158 of The Last Second Chance
“Patience, wife. We have a picnic lunch and then you can have your way with me.”
“Mmm, lunch. Okay. Food then sex.” Joey glanced around them at their family. Aurora and her nephew Isaiah took turns chasing Waffles in and out of the slowly swaying couples. Her parents were dancing next to her sister and brother-in-law and laughing about something. Gia was sitting on Beckett’s lap holding one of the twins while Carter and Summer stole a quick dance.
Phoebe and Franklin shared a sweet kiss and a laugh about something. “Isn’t it amazing that your mom found a love like that twice in a lifetime?” Joey asked, nodding at them.
“I think it’s amazing that we did,” Jax said, as he lowered his mouth tenderly to hers. She responded by biting his lip.
Epilogue
Father’s Day
Beckett toreinto the paper wrapping of Evan’s gift.
“Geez, destroy my impeccable wrap job, why don’t ya?” Evan grumbled from the picnic table. With as many events as they’d been hosting on the ridge where John Pierce’s ashes had been spread, the Pierces finally decided to put up a small pavilion with picnic tables and a fireplace and grill. They christened it with a Father’s Day picnic.
“Next time wrap it with duct tape,” Jax suggested, as he stole a bite of Joey’s hot dog. “He hates that.”
“Noted,” Evan said with the amused smirk of an official teenager.
Beckett tossed the paper to the ground. He held a coffee mug that he couldn’t stop staring at.
He turned it around so everyone could see it.
World’s #1 Dad.
Evan paused, his brown eyes serious for a moment. “You’re a really good dad. Aurora and me, we’re pretty lucky.”
Jax could see his brother’s throat working furiously, knew it must be one hell of a lump in there.
Beckett pulled Evan to his feet, ruffled his hair, and then yanked the kid in for a hug.
“Oh, man. You’re gonna cry, aren’t you?” Evan’s voice was muffled against Beckett’s polo shirt.
“I’m not gonna cry. You’re gonna cry,” Beckett croaked, making a valiant effort to not choke on emotion.
“Happy Faver’s Day, Bucket. I made you dis.” Aurora scampered up behind him holding up a crayon drawing. “Dat’s you an dat’s me,” she said, pointing to one stick figure and then the other.
“Shit.” Beckett swore brokenly.
From a glance at the paper, Jax assumed the one with the giant head was Beckett and the one with the big foot was Aurora. The art must have moved his brother, because Beckett grabbed the little redhead and lifted both her and Evan off their feet in a bone-crushing hug.
“You’re suffocating me.” Evan sounded a little winded.
“Mama, Bucket said—”
“I know. I know,” Gia sighed. “Bucket said ‘shit.’” She laughed and launched herself into the hug, smashing the kids between her and Beckett.
Carter grinned up at them from his position on blanket, a twin in each arm and Meatball curled up against his side. Jax had seen his brother angry and brittle after battle. He’d seen him ecstatic at his wedding to Summer. But he’d never seen contentment smooth out all of Carter’s rough edges as it had now with his son and daughter in his arms.
Beckett finally released the kids and Gia in a pile on the ground. He furtively wiped a hand over his eyes. “It’s just allergies,” he muttered.
Evan swiped a hand under his nose. “Yeah. Allergies.”
Gia pulled her husband in for another hug and wrapped her arms around his waist. Beckett dropped a kiss on the top of her red hair.
“Great. Now Mom’s crying, too,” Evan said, rolling his eyes.
“Shut your face,” Gia ordered.
