Flames of Courage Stand alone book

CH 15 The end

Blake's POV-

Five years later

I'm sitting in the living room reading a report on my laptop when I hear shrill voice yell. "Daddddy!!! Grand pop is here! I can see him. Can I open the door please?" I look at entry way seeing my beautiful blonde hair blue eyed son stare out the window. "Sure but stay inside you don't have your shoes on." I yell back.

He lets go of the blinds to runs to unlock the door and open it for Gideon, who walks in with hands full of food followed by Mark with hands full of wrapped presents. Gideon goes to the kitchen and Mark drops the presents in the entry way to pick up Zachary. "My my I think your getting heavier my little Zacky."

Zachary shakes his head. "No Grandpa your just old." Mark grabs his heart. "Oh no I am not little man. I'm not even fifty five yet, you little heathen." Mark cried as Gramps pushes him out of the entry way and Zachary practically jumps out of Marks arms into the Chiefs.

Mark laughs. "Now Gramps he is old." Zachary shakes his head. "Naw uh he can hold me forever huh Gramps your really strong? huh tell Grandpa how you threw me on my bed and then we jumped on it till we got sleepy but not tired jus sleepy right gramps." Gramps laughs and carries him to the couch to sit with him on his lap while I close my laptop and put it away.

I laugh as Gramps mock whispers. "That's suppose to be are little secret." Zachary nods. "Oh yeah just like when you give me ice cream before dinner when I stay the night with you huh Gramps we have all kinds of good secretes."

Gramps laughs again. "Yeah kiddo just like that." We all laugh as Gideon comes back in the living room. "Where is Masen?" I nod upstairs. "He is changing Tyler, he decided to spit up all over his Christmas outfit and Mas is having a little melt down over what to put him in for his first Christmas. Zachary and I are staying down here where it's safe, huh son?"

All the men including Zachary nod in understanding. You can say Masen is a little bit of a drama queen when it comes to the kids everything has to be picture perfect or he feels like a failure because Mark and Gideon did such an amazing job raising him.

I hear a knock on the door and Zachary runs and opens it. "Hi Grandma!! Guess what me and Gramps have a secret." Elise smiles and picks up Zachary. "Is that so. Well look out this cute outfit I got your baby brother, can you read what it says for me?" Zachary nods. "My first Christmas?"

Elise claps. "That's right where is Mas and Tyler?" I nod toward upstairs again. "Changing Tyler now. why don't you run upstairs and show him that outfit, I think he will love it." Elise nods and Zachary follows her upstairs talking her ear off about a girl at school who pushed him off the slide.

I get up. "Can I get you guys anything to drink maybe a beer? I know I'm going to need one." Everyone nods and I grab five bottles out of the fridge and open them all before going back to the living room where Mas and Tyler have finally come downstairs dressed in there best.

I hand Mas a beer and he passes me baby Tyler. I kiss and poke his little nose as he swipes at my hand before Mark swoops him out of my arms. "Come to Grandpa my little baby boy, look at those brown eyes you are going to be a looker for sure."? Mark coos at the baby.

We spend some time while dinner is cooking catching up on each other's lives. Mark has decided he wants to retire to be a stay at Home grandpa, so he can watch Tyler and Zachary, when he gets out of school when Masen goes back to work in January. Gideon is still working and I don't think he will ever retire, he loves his job just like Masen does.

Elise catches us up on her love life, and tells us that finally a guy has scored a second date after a couple losers she felt like giving up but now is excited to go on a second date. We all smile and laugh as she tells us about her new beau. I look across the room and smile at Mas. I can't believe this is our life and how lucky in love and in family we are.

Masen excuses himself to get the food ready and I get up to help. I follow him into the kitchen and wrap my arms around him. "We are so lucky babe." I say before kissing beneath his ear.

Mas smiles brightly. "Of course we are, we have had Zachary for almost three years now and Tyler for about two months everything is perfect." I smirk. "I don't know I still want my baby girl you know then I think we will be prefect?"

Masen slaps me on my shoulder before pulling away and grabbing the food out of the oven. "Well then you can stay home with the baby next time if you want another so soon I can't wait to get back to work I think I'm going crazy with just Tyler for company all day."

I laugh. "Oh no, sweetie not too soon how about when Tyler turns three, I think that is a nice age difference." Mas huffs blowing his bangs out of his face. "We are going to need a bigger house then, I think we already out grew this one, you gave up your office for Tyler's nursery. Maybe it's time we look into something bigger?"

I nod while pulling all the side dishes out and putting them on the table. "Yeah having my office again would be nice, but let's wait until after the holidays before we start looking for anything."

Masen nods while cutting up pieces of the turkey for Zachary so it can cool down. Masen looks over his shoulder at me. "And we should probably wait until after our wedding anniversary trip to Hawaii in February too."

I nod then gasp. "Hey!! How the hell did you find out about that? I swore your dad to secrecy. Damn I wanted it to be a surprise." I pout as Masen wipes his hands and hugs me. "Oh sweetie it wasn't dad who told me you. You bought air line tickets on your debit card."

I nod. "Yeah so?" Masen's scoffs. "Do you really think I wouldn't look into an almost a thousand dollar purchase made I thought it was fraud at first."

I shake my head no. "I didn't know you checked up on our finances like that it's not like I spent our whole savings not even a tenth, I thought you wouldn't notice. But wait then how did you know we are going to Hawaii?"

"Ok Dad did spill that part." Mas says while laughing. I storm out of the kitchen to see Mark holding Tyler. "You are so lucky you are holding my son right now Mark." I seethe.

Mark hands Elise the baby and jumps up with his hands I the surrender jester shooting death glares at Masen for his betrayal.

"No no, you yell at that sneaky husband of yours he tricked me into telling him. He was all like oh I'm so excited to go on vacation I can't believe Blake is taking me somewhere so romantic for our anniversary, I have no idea what to pack. Of course I said, well it's Hawaii some boards shorts and underwear are all you really need and he starts jumping up and down screaming I knew it I knew it." Mark has the decency to look contrite about the whole thing. 

Masen laughs while wrapping his arm around my waist. "Calm down babe I did trick dad into telling me, don't ruin Christmas over it. I'm still excited and I know our trip will be amazing." I nod somewhat mollified.

After dinner we open presents and gramps records the whole thing while I hold Tyler. Zachary goes crazy for all his new toys and he is excited that he gets to open Tyler's for him too since he is to small and that's what big brothers are for after all he tells us.

As I sit here looking around I can't help but to think back to all those years ago when I was so scared of this new life I was starting with Masen. Everything was so easy it had me worried. Well even through everything I guess I really can say that with a healthy amount of courage everything has and still is just easy for us.

Alright guys I have started a new book, Jacobs Truth it will be Jesse from Titans Strength brothers book. It will be manxman and I'm so beyond excited to collaborate with grimkitty06 again on this new story. We will be having cross over characters in both our stories in the near future so keep your eyes out. Thanks for reading :)