Million-Dollar Consequences

Epilogue

Ablack stretch limo pulled to the edge of the street and, amid about a million people—or so his brother had claimed—Isaac, Meghan, Max and Kendall exited the Dolby Theatre and angled for the vehicle.

Flashes lit up the night like fireworks as they climbed into the spacious seats. Once everyone was settled and the doors were closed, Isaac knocked on the darkened window, signaling for the chauffeur to drive.

“How’s it feel?” Kendall asked.

“Heavy.” Max handed her the statuette he’d won for best short documentary. His submission had barely made it in on time to be considered, but surprise, surprise, Kendall had hustled the package in just under the wire.

She tapped the empty nameplate. “Why isn’t your name on this?”

“I was supposed to give it back to be engraved. Didn’t wanna.” Max shrugged. Next to Isaac, Meghan laughed.

“Well, when we do have it engraved,” Kendall said, “it should read ‘Max Dunn, documentarian, former child actor, father.’”

“Father?” Max gave his wife a shell-shocked blink.

“Yeah. What do you think?”

“What do I think?” Max enclosed his wife in his arms and seared her with a gaze that said he would prefer to be alone with her. “I think it’s great.”

“Our babies will have a cousin!” Meghan leaned in and hugged her sister, with some difficulty as she was navigating around a large belly.

Thank God she’d come to live with Isaac in California, because there was no way she could have flown in her state. He wouldn’t have wanted them to miss tonight for anything. Especially—

“Did you say babies?” Kendall asked with a grin.

Meghan feigned innocence. “Oops. Did I say that out loud?”

They’d waited to tell everyone that they were having twins—one boy, one girl. In two weeks’ time everyone would know, anyway.

“I’d hoped for your sake they were twins and not one really big baby.” Kendall pulled her sister into another hug.

Max slapped Isaac’s knee. “Show-off.”

“You’re one to talk. You beat me to winning an award.”

“I’m older. I go first.”

“You’re only seventy-two seconds older.”

“Still older.” Max grinned, but Isaac felt nothing apart from immense gratitude. He wasn’t jealous of his brother. Max deserved an incredible life. And thanks to Kendall, he had it. That Isaac had been as lucky was a blessing he’d never seen coming.

“Not sure how often they give out the award to actors who portray superheroes, anyway,” Isaac said. But award potential wasn’t why he’d taken the role in the Charles Howard film. He’d done it because he loved what he did. With Meghan at his side, he felt as invincible as a superhero, so he might as well have the screen credits, too.

“Oh!” Meghan exclaimed.

“Oh?” Kendall repeated. Then she looked down at the floor where a puddle was rapidly forming. “Oh. Oh! The hospital! Let’s go. Her water broke!”

Isaac stared at Meghan, whose eyes were wide with shock, her hand cradling her belly. It was happening. He was about to meet his children for the first time.

“Isaac!” Kendall shouted.

“Right, I’m on it.” He slid the darkened partition aside and instructed the driver to head to the hospital as fast and safely as possible.

“Did you just say ‘step on it’?” Max asked with a chuckle as the limo swerved into another lane. “What are you, eighty?”

“Shut up. I’m excited.” Isaac moved closer to Meghan and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She was doing her best to breathe through what he guessed was intense pain. He kissed her slightly sweaty forehead. “Don’t worry, Squire. I’m not the only superhero in the family.”

She blew out a breath, her gaze locked on him. She was his strength, he was hers. She squeezed his knee, resting her head on his shoulder. “I hope...I survive...this.”

“I’ll be there the whole time.” Caught up in the excitement, and possibly in the middle of a car chase given the limo’s speed, Isaac continued his speech. “I’ll be around making every moment from here on out the best ones possible. They’re going to add up to happily-ever-after—a seemingly unending one.”

Kendall’s smile was watery. Max nodded proudly, his arm around her.

“Well, this labor...better not...be unending... Or I’ll never forgive you.” Meghan shot him a glare.

“Goddamn. I love you, Squire.”

“I love you, too. Now shut up.”

He did, kissing her in between her heavy, uneven breaths.

“Max?” Kendall, who watched her sister warily, asked with a fair amount of concern. “You don’t think we’ll have twins, do you?”

Meghan’s next breath turned into a laugh, and then into a wail of pain.

“Plenty of time to worry about that later, California.” Max snuggled a worried-looking Kendall close. “For now, let’s enjoy the ride.”

Max nodded at Isaac as if to say, Good job, brother. I knew you’d pull your head out of your ass.

Isaac’s returned nod was the obvious response. I learned how from watching you.

You’re welcome.

Hell, yeah, he was. Welcome and one lucky bastard, even with Meghan’s fingernails digging into the side of his hand. Soon he’d watch his son and daughter come into the world and then they’d all go home and build a life together.

Whether in Dunn, Virginia, or Los Angeles, California, or on a set somewhere in Canada, home was where his wife and kids were.