Lucky Like Us

Epilogue

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SAM AND TYLER arrived at his home in Colorado. Expected to join Elizabeth there in another week, he and Tyler had closed their case early, thanks to the help of Tyler’s psychic ghost, Morgan. The racket from his family rolled all the way out to the porch. When he stepped into the house, the sweetest family scene greeted him. Toys littered the floor, the smell of good food cooking, including his wife’s baking, wafted on the air, and the noise that only a family can make.

His sister, Summer, rocked her baby by the huge stone fireplace. His newest niece, Rose, lay on Summer’s chest sleeping with her little mouth open. Lily and Jacob, Summer’s other two children, sat at the long farm table in the kitchen with their father, Caleb, decorating cupcakes with Jenna’s boys, Sam and Matt. Jenna was supervising the children from the head of the table with Jack sitting beside her, helping little Sam put candies on his cupcake in the shape of a happy face. Jenna was decorating a cupcake, a comical sight because at eight months pregnant she barely reached the table while she sat in the chair. Beautiful in her pregnancy, she glowed.

The real beauty, though, stood in the kitchen with a baby held in one arm nursing under a blanket and a pie in the other hand she’d just taken out of the oven. The Muffin Man rubbed at her legs and purred loudly, hoping for a treat.

Elizabeth looked up when the screen door at the front of the house banged shut. She’d been staying at their home in Colorado on her maternity leave, and she was enjoying a day of baking and playing with all the children. All six of them. She put the pie down to cool and smiled at her husband and Tyler, who came in behind him.

“You’re home. You weren’t due back for at least a week.” Happy to see him, her heart quickened.

Everyone in the house shouted one kind of greeting or another at Sam and Tyler as they made their way into the house. Sam headed straight for her.

“Morgan helped us tie things up faster.”

“Tyler, what are you doing here?” Elizabeth loved seeing him. He came to the new restaurant at the Merrick International building in San Francisco often.

“You said you’d feed me a home-cooked meal any time I wanted. I was hungry, so I came along with Sam.”

“You eat at the restaurant all the time.” Elizabeth had made sure Tyler always had a seat, no matter how busy things were, and never got a bill. He was family.

“Sam said he was taking his family leave, and I had a few days’ vacation coming to me, so I thought I’d tag along and see my best girl.” He stepped away from Sam before he got jabbed in the ribs by an elbow. Elizabeth smiled. Some things didn’t change. Those two were always joking with each other.

“I think Tyler’s in love with Morgan. He came here to hide out from her, if that’s even possible. She’s got him all tied up in knots.” Sam winked at Elizabeth. She waited for Tyler’s denial, though it had become very obvious something was brewing between Morgan and Tyler.

Jack almost dropped his cupcake. He coughed to cover the smile on his face. Tyler had come to the ranch to hide from Morgan. Jack wondered what Tyler would say if he knew Morgan was their neighbor.

Jack wanted to tell them he’d seen Morgan, had actually run into her that very day. He’d promised her he wouldn’t tell them and hated lying, but it was important. Her prediction correct, Sam and Tyler had arrived unexpectedly.

“She won’t tell me where she is, or how she knows how to get in touch with me,” Tyler grumbled. “It’s like she’s invaded my head and knows my every thought. It’s getting downright creepy. Sometimes all I have to do is think about her and she calls me.”

Sam chuckled, “It’s getting creepy? It’s been creepy since the beginning.”

Tyler shrugged and headed for the table to shake hands with Jack. “Might as well decorate a cupcake and play with the kids. I’m not thinking about Morgan anymore,” he said, mostly to himself.

“Sure you’re not,” Sam teased. “Give it up already. We all know she’s all you think about.”

Sam laughed when Tyler opened his mouth to say something nasty back to him, but Jenna stuffed a cupcake in his mouth. All the kids laughed along with the adults. Tyler good-naturedly ate the cupcake and swallowed the comeback.

Sam finally made it into the kitchen and greeted his wife, “Hello, sweetheart. How are my girls today?”

Elizabeth kissed him for a long moment. He hadn’t been gone that long, but she’d missed him every moment he was away, like he’d missed her.

“We’re good. Grace is not living up to her name, however. She’s a little piggy and has been nursing non-stop. I think it’s her way of protesting your absence.”

Sam lifted the blanket to peak at his daughter. Sure enough, she sucked away at her mama. Her little fist rested on Elizabeth’s breast next to her mouth. Her eyes were closed, completely content against her mother’s skin.

“Who could blame her?” Sam bent his head and kissed the swell of his wife’s breast above his daughter’s face. He kissed Grace on her forehead. When he met his wife’s eyes again, he gave her a look, telling her she would be all his tonight when they were alone. She blushed and he leaned in and kissed her lips, holding her and their daughter in his arms.

They’d been married more than a year when little Grace came into their lives. True to her word, he and Elizabeth were married exactly three weeks after her release from the hospital. They spent those three weeks making love and planning their wedding. He’d been so happy the day he and Elizabeth had gotten married in the midst of Jenna’s flourishing garden, surrounded by their family with her father presiding over the ceremony. The day Grace was born, he was sure he couldn’t get any happier. Today came close, seeing everyone spread out in his house. It wasn’t the first time Sam had taken stock of his life and counted himself blessed.

“I love you, sweetheart,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion.

Sam’s eyes grew serious and she leaned her forehead to his. “I love you too.” Leaning back, she tried to lighten Sam’s mood. “So do you really think Tyler has a thing for Morgan, even though he hasn’t seen her in more than four years?”

“I think there’s something there. She calls him direct now. No more messages at the Bureau. Of course, Davies has her name flagged in the system, so if she does call the main number she’ll be put through to him. Davies doesn’t want to admit she’s the real deal, but I don’t think he can ignore all the help she’s given us, either.”

“Maybe Tyler will be lucky like us.”

He took in the room filled with their family. Sam held his wife and daughter close. “If he finds the kind of love we share, he will be lucky.”