The cameras keep flashing as the little car purrs to life, and I pull us away from the curb. The noise quickly fades, leaving only the two of us—and Callum’s hand, warm and sure as it finds mine across the gearshift.
Epilogue
Callum
It’s been a year since we shared that fateful kiss on her doorstep. And a few months ago, Millie finally moved in, to Fergie’s—and my—utmost pleasure. Her arrival had a positive impact on my sleeping habits for two reasons: first, it’s a lot more reassuring to have her next to me. And second, Fergie has retired his fire alarm clock. He still uses it once in a while, mostly when Millie is cooking, since she tends to scorch our meals a bit. Her dad did warn me about that.
“Hey.” She hops downstairs, her hair still damp, curling slightly at the ends. “You’re good to go already? Are we leaving early?”
“Nope.” I give her a quick kiss on the forehead, but she wraps her arms around my waist to draw me close. I slide my hands from her shoulders to caress her cheeks, gazing into her eyes. My lips almost twitch into a smile, and I do my best to contain it. I can’t give her any clues about what’s happening today.
So instead, I kiss her slowly, deeply, lingering just long enough to make her sigh.
“I just had a couple of things to take care of,” I add when we break the embrace. Or rather, some very special social media posts to make. I’ve gotten good at it now, especially when it comes to slideshows and videos, like the one I made for Princess. Unfortunately, while my post did drum up a lot of attention, it didn’t help in finding her a permanent home. However, it did inspire other athletes like Trevor Chapman, the baseball player or Talon Everhart, the swimmer, to do the same, which eventually paid off.
We sit down to breakfast at the kitchen island, and even if I can’t wait for tonight, I savour every second we spend together. It’s crazy how much better everything is thanks to Millie. And I’m not just talking about my social media presence.
“Penny for your thoughts?” She leans over her cup of tea, her blue eyes searching mine.
“Just thinking about how amazing you are, that’s all.” I wink, and she shakes her head, but her smile gives her away. “What? It’s true.” From the corner of my eye, I notice a cupboard ajar. “Did you give Fergie extra snacks last night?”
She freezes, then looks at me. “No.”
I tilt my head. “Millie? You didn’t close the cupboard door.”
She glimpses the evidence in question and winces. “Darn it.”
“You can’t let him walk all over you like that,” I say with a sigh. “He will be an insufferable brat if we give in to his every demand. You know that.”
“I know, but he’s so cute. It’s so hard to resist.”
I laugh. “Well, it’s also hard to resist kissing you every time we cross paths at work, but I manage. If I can achieve that level of self-control, surely you can too.”
“It’s that hard, huh? I don’t have that problem.” She feigns looking away, struggling to hide her smirk.
“Really?” I set down my cup and walk around the counter, closing the distance between us. “You don’t struggle with the no-kissing-at-work rule?” I murmur into her ear.
“No,” she fights out through bursts of giggles. “I really don’t. Fergie, however, is a lot harder to resist.”
I press my lips together to keep from laughing and hold her gaze. “What if I was wearing my kilt?”
Her eyes widen for half a second, then she shakes her head. “That would indeed change things, but you would never wear it to work. How many times have I asked? There’s no way you’ll let the guys see you in your kilt.”
I flinch. “They would tease me until the end of time.”
“Exactly.” She pivots on the stool, then plants a sweet kiss on my lips. “So, I can’t exactly practice my self-control now, can I?”
I laugh as she stows her plate in the washer and goes upstairs to get ready. Now, more than ever, I cannot wait for tonight.
My phone pings as we cross the parking lot to the training centre, and I glance at it with a sigh. It’s a new message notification from the group chat—“Regents After Dark.” Yeah, that’s really the name they chose.
Archie: Today’s the big day, Softy Callum. You ready?
Finn: Probably not.
Archie: Oh, come on. He’ll do great.
Finn: All pro-love now, are you?
