Curves For The Agent Cowboy

Chapter 37

The air felt different — softer somehow, touched with spring warmth and the promise of renewal.

A week had passed since the night the rain washed Vivienne out of their lives, and the quiet that followed was almost disorienting. The group had spent those days moving, rebuilding, and finally breathing again.

The new neighborhood was peaceful — tree-lined streets, tidy lawns, and the faint sound of children playing somewhere down the block. Kerian and Catalina's new home sat on the corner of the cul-de-sac, freshly painted in soft gray and white trim. Across the street, Maire and Jack's home was almost identical, close enough that Catalina could see her mother's porch swing from her front window.

Nick and Jantrece's house was only two doors down, and a little ways further, a larger, more fortified property stood — Erica and Jonathan's new "workspace," disguised as a quiet home but humming with hidden technology and encrypted networks.

It was a neighborhood that looked ordinary. Safe.
But underneath, every soul there knew better — peace was only borrowed time.

Catalina sat on the porch swing, her hands resting on her belly, eyes half-closed against the morning light. The world was still, her heart full — for the first time, she could hear laughter without fear that it might be the last.

The sound of a familiar car pulling up broke her reverie. A blue SUV rolled into the driveway next door, and the passenger door opened to reveal Jantrece, radiant despite her own six-month pregnancy, stepping out carefully with the help of Nick.

From the back seat, a small bundle of curls peeked out — little Penelope, clutching a stuffed unicorn and blinking sleepily.

Catalina rose, smiling. "You made it back!"

Jantrece grinned as she waddled toward her friend, hand instinctively resting on her belly. "Barely. Your goddaughter ate every cookie Nick's dad had in the house, and I think I gained five pounds in sympathy."

Kerian, coming from the side of the house with a wrench in hand, chuckled. "Sounds like you both survived the great cookie raid."

Nick shot him a dry look. "You can laugh now. You didn't have to convince a toddler to stop redecorating my father's fishing trophies."

They all laughed — the kind of laughter that felt like healing.

Later that afternoon, the family gathered again — Jack and Maire joining them for coffee and quiet conversation on the patio.

Erica and Jonathan arrived too, straight from their new headquarters, Jonathan holding a folder of papers and a smug grin.

"Got news," he said, setting the folder down. "Brian just called."

Jack raised a brow. "What kind of news?"

Jonathan's grin widened. "Kerian's back in the system. Completely hidden. Your father, Kerian — he finished the encryption himself. Not even a ghost could find you now."

Kerian let out a slow breath. Relief, gratitude, and the faintest smile touched his face. "Guess I owe the old man a drink."

"Or three," Erica added with a smirk. "He's been glued to his laptop since the arrest. Said if Vivienne's people try again, they'll run straight into a wall of code."

Catalina's hand slipped into Kerian's. "That's good, right?"

"It's perfect," Kerian said softly, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "Means our family's finally safe."

Across the yard, Maire and Jack exchanged quiet glances — pride and lingering worry mingling behind their smiles. They knew better than anyone that safety was never permanent. But for now, it was enough.

That evening, the neighborhood came alive with the sound of small comforts — barbecue smoke drifting, soft music, and laughter echoing across the yards.

Catalina sat beside Jantrece on the porch swing again, both of them barefoot, both comparing how big their bellies had gotten.

"I swear," Jantrece teased, "if you have twins, I'm demanding joint godmother rights."

Catalina laughed. "One is enough. I think Kerian's already rehearsing bedtime security patrols."

Jantrece smirked. "Of course he is. The man probably has a baby monitor rigged with facial recognition."

Catalina giggled, leaning back. "You joke, but that actually sounds like something he'd do."

Kerian, hearing them from across the yard, lifted his coffee cup in mock salute. "Operational safety doesn't take days off."

The laughter that followed was bright and unguarded — a sound of new beginnings.

The sun dipped below the horizon, and one by one, the lights in the neighborhood flickered on. Nick tucked Penelope into her bed while Jantrece said goodnight to Catalina, promising to stop by the next morning for breakfast. Erica and Jonathan headed back to their place to finish a security sweep.

Inside her new home, Catalina settled on the couch, a cozy blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Kerian sat beside her, his arm draped across the backrest, watching her with that same quiet intensity he always did when words felt too small.

"You happy?" he asked softly.

She turned to him, smiling tiredly. "Happier than I've ever been."

"Good," he murmured, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "Because I plan to keep it that way."

She giggled, but then suddenly gasped — hand flying to her stomach.

Kerian's expression shifted instantly from playful to alert. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes widened. "I—I think..." Another sharp breath. "Kerian, my water just broke."

For a split second, silence — then chaos.

Kerian jumped up, grabbing the hospital bag they'd packed days ago. Maire's voice echoed from across the yard as Jack rushed in from the porch. Erica's phone call to the hospital was already connecting.

Catalina clutched his hand, half laughing, half crying. "Guess the baby's ready for their debut."

Kerian looked at her, all fear melting into awe. "Then let's go meet them, KittyCat."

And as the car pulled out into the quiet, lamp-lit street, the world seemed to hold its breath — on the edge of a new life, and a new beginning.