The Silver Fox (Red's Tavern 3)

A laugh bubbled up inside me, and I nuzzled harder into his skin. “Yeah. Stop questioning it. Because I’m the one who’s lucky here.”

“Rock,” he said, leaning back a little on the pillow and looking into my eyes.

“Yes?”

“Will you be my fake boyfriend forever?”

I was smiling so hard it almost hurt. “I would love to be your fake boyfriend, for a very long time. But then maybe also your fake husband, one day? Have a fake house together. Take fake trips with you. And grow fake old next to you, too.”

“I think we’re going to be very, very good at faking it,” he said.

“The best ever, boyfriend.”

Epilogue

Perry, Two Months Later

“Welcome back, you beautiful people!” Sadie said, beaming as I walked through the double doors of the Golden Goose Inn with Mom.

“You remember us?” Mom said with a wink.

“The Erickson family reunion was the biggest event we’ve ever had here at the inn,” Sadie said. She crossed over from behind the front desk, coming to give each of us a hug. She had on her glasses and a slim suit, just as I remembered. Sadie ran the Golden Goose Inn like a tight ship, and I was more impressed by it now than ever.

It had been over two months now since the reunion, but stepping back into the inn made it feel like it was years ago.

So much had happened in two months. And so much was going to happen today that my heart was already beating a double rhythm in my chest.

“Where’s your better half?” Sadie asked me.

It still made my chest flutter a little to hear him referred to that way. To think that I even had someone who could be called my “half” at all.

Surreal. The best kind of surreal.

“Rock’s on his way,” I said.

“Mom,” a voice came from the entrance, and when I turned around, Cameron was walking in, arms outstretched for a hug. Chloe, Cooper and Dayna weren’t far behind, all with big smiles on their faces.

Everyone exchanged hugs.

“You look great,” I told Cam. “New clothes?”

He nodded, doing a little twirl. “Got the blazer on sale this weekend. Thought I needed something a little fresh.”

Truthfully, Cam had never looked better. His light brown hair was in a perfect swoop, and he looked healthy and happy. He was starting to come up from underwater after his divorce, and I was achingly proud of him.

“I think we’re ready to head out back to the table, right?” Mom said.

“Let’s go.”

We were all meeting at Golden Goose for a big lunch. I looked over my shoulder at the double doors before heading back toward the courtyard. I knew Rock was close by, but already, I wished he was here.

“Holy shit, it looks even better now than it did two months ago,” Cam said as we walked out into the back courtyard.

“It looks like paradise,” Mom said.

“Whoa!” Chloe said, her eyes going wide as she spotted a cluster of cherry blossom trees at the edge of the patio. She, Dayna and Cooper sprinted over, gawking up at the explosion of pink flowers above.

“Our groundskeeper has been doing an incredible job,” Sadie said, smiling as she surveyed the courtyard. “If you see him, you can thank him personally. Take your time, enjoy it, and whenever you’re ready we’ll have the first course of lunch ready.”

“Look at this place,” I heard from behind me, and my heart squeezed inside me. I turned to see Rock walking out, carrying something in one hand as he gazed around the courtyard. He was wearing one of his many baseball caps, in my favorite light grey T-shirt of his.

“You made it,” I said, leaning in to give him a hug and kiss. He’d been up in the city for a few days, and it felt incredible to hold him again.

“I did,” he said.

“Bed’s been lonely without you,” I said close to his ear.

“Well, my spot better be ready for tonight.”

“God, yes.”

“Rock!” Cooper said, running over. “What’s that?”

Rock held out what he’d been carrying in his hand. “This is a real-life fire helmet,” he said.

“Wow,” Cooper said, staring down at it.

“Fire helmet?” Chloe said, walking back over from the cherry blossoms.

“Now, I could only manage to snag one of these from the station, because it’s developing a small crack in the side. So you three are going to have to share it, okay?”

“I want to wear it first,” Cooper said, pulling the helmet from Rock’s hands.

“I’m next!” Dayna shouted, running over.

“It’s so cool,” Cooper announced as he put it on. The helmet was far too big for his twelve-year-old head.

“Glad you guys like it,” Rock said.

“Uncle Perry, I’m glad you’re not forever alone anymore,” Chloe said, giving me a toothy grin. “Rock is the best.”

“He really is the best, isn’t he?” I said.

“I think your Uncle Perry is the best.”