Mile High with a Vampire by Lynsay Sands

Epilogue

“Jet’s here!”

Quinn smiled at that excited shout from her son and the clatter of his feet as he rushed downstairs and out the front door.

“Man, Parker doesn’t get that excited when I come over,” Pet said dryly, placing glasses onto the tray already holding a pitcher of iced tea.

“Eh. You’re old news,” Quinn teased.

“Hey!” Pet protested.

“Oh, you know I was joking, sis. Parker loves you to bits,” Quinn said with a chuckle, stopping to hug her briefly before continuing on to the window to look out at her son and Jet as they met on the walkway. Parker would be thirteen soon and had shot up the last couple of years. He was five-foot-four now, four inches taller than her, but still more than a foot shorter than Jet. She had to look up at them both, Quinn thought as she watched Parker chattering away. Jet was grinning, his arm around the boy’s shoulders as he listened to whatever her son was telling him and steered him up the walkway toward the house.

“Jet is really good to him,” Pet commented, stepping up next to her to watch as well.

“He’s good to both of us,” Quinn assured her.

“Yeah, but he gives Parker a lot of attention and affection,” Pet said quietly. “Which is pretty impressive for a new life mate with his brain in his pants.”

“Pet!” Quinn protested on a laugh.

“Well, it’s true,” she insisted. “Trust me, Santo and I have been there and done that, and the way you guys manage to control yourselves to make sure Parker doesn’t feel like a third wheel is impressive.”

Quinn smiled crookedly and admitted, “It’s hard sometimes. New life mate brain is no joke, but Jet wants to be sure Parker feels loved and secure. He’s a good man.” She was silent for a minute as Jet stopped indulgently to look at something Parker was showing him on his iPad, and then said, “He’ll be a good dad.”

“Are you two thinking of having a baby?” Pet asked with surprise.

Quinn shook her head. “Jet doesn’t think we should do that until Parker is older and on his own. He says we have all the time in the world and he doesn’t want him to feel like an outsider in his own family.”

“Wow,” Pet said solemnly. “He really does care for Parker.”

Quinn glanced at her in question.

“Abs says he’s always wanted kids, so for him to put it off for Parker’s sake . . . Again. Impressive.”

Quinn nodded, and then blurted, “He wants to adopt Parker after the wedding.”

“Oh? And how do you feel about that?” Pet asked.

“I think it would be wonderful. He’s already more of a father to Parker than Patrick was. He takes him fishing and to games. He’s even let him ride with him on a couple of his shorter flights. Jet calls it ‘take your kid to work’ day,” Quinn said with a smile, and then grimaced and added, “I suspect he’s been giving him flying lessons and letting him take the helm or whatever it is in a plane, but they both deny it,” she added dryly.

Pet nodded, but asked, “Have you asked Parker if he would like Jet to adopt him?”

Quinn shook her head. “No. Jet wants to broach the subject with Parker himself. He plans to do it tomorrow when they go to that soccer game with Santo and Tomasso.”

“Football,” Pet corrected her. “It’s called football here in Italy.”

“Whatever.” Quinn waved that away. It was all the same to her. Football, soccer, baseball . . . Hell, they all had grown men chasing balls around a field of some description. She watched Jet finish with whatever he’d been looking at on the iPad and turn a serious look on Parker. Clasping his shoulder, he said something, and then Parker threw his arms around the tall man and gave him a hug.

“God, I love those two,” Quinn breathed.

“And they love you,” Pet said, wrapping an arm around her and hugging her tight to her side before adding, “And so do I.”

“I love you too,” Quinn assured her, leaning her head to the side until it rested against Pet’s. But then she straightened and shook her head. “If you’d told me five years ago that I’d give up the career I worked so hard for and end up a widowed vampire with a flower shop and a younger pilot for a life mate—” She shook her head.

“I know, right?” Pet asked. “Who would have imagined you a flower shop owner?”

“Yeah, that’s the shocking part,” Quinn said dryly, bumping her with her hip.

“Well, come on, Quinn. Sixteen years of med school and internships and you toss it all aside to arrange flowers?” Pet said with amusement.

“I find it soothing,” Quinn said with a shrug. “And flowers make people smile. I like that.” She paused briefly, and then said, “I’m not saying I won’t go back to surgery someday, but right now I’m happy with my little flower shop.”

“And I’m happy you’re happy,” Pet assured her.

“Thank you. I’m happy you’re happy too,” she responded with a grin, and then peered out at Parker and Jet. They were starting toward the house again. She stared at them, a well of love bubbling up within her, and marveled, “I’m so lucky. I mean, I hated Patrick for so long for turning me, but in the end, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Yeah,” Pet agreed. “It almost makes me like the asshat. But then, it’s always easier to like assholes when they’re dead and can’t insult you anymore.”

“Pet! You’re awful,” Quinn laughed, and pushed her away. “Go on, take the iced tea outside before everyone comes looking for us.”

“Yes, ma’am. Are you coming?” Pet asked as she collected the tray.

“In a minute. I’ll just greet Jet first.”

Pet nodded and headed for the door leading out onto the back patio, saying cheerfully, “I’ll come wake you two up if you aren’t out in half an hour.”

“Thank you,” Quinn called with amusement, and headed for the door to the hall just as Parker rushed in.

“I told Jet about the barbecue and everyone being here. See you outside, Mom. Love you,” he called out as he hurried through the kitchen to the back door.

“Love you too,” she called as the door closed behind him, and then continued on out into the front hall. Her smile widened when she saw Jet toeing his shoes off and tugging at his tie. He looked so handsome in his pilot’s uniform, she thought as she moved into his arms and reached up on tiptoe to kiss the corner of his mouth.

“Mmm, there’s my beautiful lady,” Jet breathed, his arms sliding around her. Hugging her close, he said, “Guess what Parker was showing me just now?”

“I give. What was he showing you?”

“An article on adoption,” he announced with a grin.

Quinn pulled back slightly, her eyes widening. “What?”

“Yeah. He wanted me to know it was all right with him if I wanted to adopt him after we marry,” he said, almost beaming.

“Oh, honey.” Quinn hugged him tightly, and then pulled back to ask, “What did you say?”

“I told him that was something that I had planned to talk to him about, and I’d be proud to call him son,” he said solemnly.

“Oh,” Quinn breathed, and hugged him tightly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. They were silent for a minute, and then he said, “I hear we have a houseful of guests.”

“I’m afraid so,” she admitted, pulling back to offer an apologetic expression as she explained, “Pet said that Santo wanted to try your barbecue to see if he wants to get one, and I said anytime. The next thing I knew, tonight was the night and Abs, Tomasso, Mary, and Dante were invited. Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he admonished. “We always have fun when the group of us gets together.”

“I know, but I’m sure you’re tired after two long-haul flights in a row, and you know they’ll stay late and really I just want to drag you upstairs and—” She kissed him hungrily rather than say what she wanted. Jet moaned and started to kiss her back, but then stopped and pulled away.

“We have company,” he reminded her on a groan.

“Pet said she’d wake us up in half an hour if we weren’t outside by then,” she told him huskily.

“Oh, well, then.” Breaking into a wide grin, he scooped her up and started up the stairs to the bedrooms on the upper floor, asking, “Have I mentioned that I think your sister is awesome?”

“No, but I’m pleased you think so,” she said on a laugh, and truly was.

“Damn, I’m a lucky man,” Jet breathed as he reached the upper floor and started up the hall.

“Not as lucky as me,” she assured him, leaning her head on his shoulder.