Page 46 of Coming to Grips
Epilogue
Two Years Later
Kyle sits in the truck, staring at the hospital. He’s got no reason to fear walking into the building this time, but bad memories die hard. With a deep breath, he exits the truck and walks across the parking lot. What’s it say that he parked as far from the door as he could?
The sun is high and shining brightly. Scattered fluffy clouds dot the September sky. The American flag and Texas flag snap crisply in the wind.
“There you are,” calls Chase, drawing Kyle’s attention to the sexy figure hurrying toward him.
Chase throws his arms around Kyle right there in the middle of the parking lot, kisses Kyle’s neck, and says, “Hey, stop freaking out. I’m going to be with you the whole time.”
Kyle buries his face in Chase’s neck, feeling lightweight now, despite their location. There was a time when he’d never have believed that Chase and he would be together, much less married.
He and Chasemarried!It’s been the best year of Kyle’s life.
Chase pulls from the embrace and links his fingers with Kyle’s. “C’mon, let’s go check on Carrie. It won’t be long now.”
Kyle grins. “Okay.”
They reach the hydraulic entrance doors and Kyle’s steps flag, but Chase says, “I love you,” and tugs him through. He never gets tired of hearing Chase say those three words. He likes “let’s go to bed” a lot too, but “I love you” never fails to melt him like a Chocolate Kiss on top of a peanut butter cookie.
In the elevator, Chase crowds him into the corner, cupping his face, kissing him deep, only pulling away when the ding signals a floor stop. It’s their destination and a frisson of disappointment swirls through Kyle. Chase steps back and adjusts his fly, then waggles his eyebrows as if he knows exactly what Kyle’s thinking. He probably does. “Later, babe; just wait till I get you home.”
Kyle shifts too, smiling. Celebratory sex. Oh, yeah. “Can’t wait.”
Once they’d worked their shit out, Chase had embraced their relationship and hot man sex with a vengeance that had taken Kyle by surprise. Not that he’s complaining; not complaining at all.
Chase’s mom, Denise, appears in the corridor outside the open elevator doors. “There you two are—” She gives them the eagle eye and slams her hand on her hips. “Were you two making out in the elevator?”
Chase’s face goes red, but he’s grinning.
Kyle laughs. “We sure were.”
“You boys need to grow up. You’re about to be dads.”
“Not growing up if that means I can’t show my man my love when the opportunity presents itself,” says Kyle. He hooks an arm around Chase’s neck and plants one on the side of his head.
Chase hugs him again. “You’re trying to miss the birth, aren’t you?”
“Not a chance, Ace. Let’s go meet our kid.”
They follow Denise to the birthing center hand-in-hand. After washing up, they don the surgical gowns they’re handed and join Carrie in her suite.
Kyle licks her face. “Hey, Momma, how you?”
She laughs through her breaths as the contraction wanes. “As well as can be expected, asshole, while trying to push your bowling ball of a kid out a hole the size of a golf ball. Be nice to me.”
They’d gotten so lucky that a co-worker of Denise’s had a daughter who’d gotten pregnant and hadn’t wanted to keep her baby. The timing had been perfect, and Kyle and Carrie get along like a house on fire. They have the same sense of humor, a lot of the same tastes, and, best of all, the same dark brown eyes. After multiple meetings, they’d come to an agreement and drawn up paperwork for an independent adoption, and here they are.
“It won’t be long now,” says the obstetrician. “The baby’ll be crowning with the next contraction or two. Carrie says you two are allowed to watch if you want.” He looks from Kyle to Chase.
Chase’s face has gone cherry tomato red and Kyle laughs. Of the two of them, only Chase has had an up-close-and-personal experience with a woman’s vagina. Why he’s embarrassed, Kyle has no idea. First of all, this is Carrie. And second of all, there’s nothing remotely sexy or sexual about this—he’s seen enough creatures give birth to know that, at least.
But Chase nods and Kyle nods back. Kyle doesn’t have much desire to look at a woman’s private parts, either, but for the birth of his kid, he’ll make an exception. They might not be able to go this route if they decide to have more kids.
Twenty minutes later, Chase is holding a squalling, squirming eight pound, three ounce baby boy. He holds the baby for a mere minute before handing him to Kyle. “Your son, Dad…” he says softly, hazel eyes shining with happiness.
Kyle looks down at their kid. A kid he never knew he wanted. Didn’t want until Chase started gazing longingly at pregnant women and baby strollers. They’d gone round in circles about it for a while.
