Hero Ever After

Bonus Content

Hero Ever After Bonus Epilogue

I blink against the flash of the cameras and the bright lights as I grasp Liam’s hand and he helps me out of the stretch limo. The LA heat rolls over me and I’m thankful for the flowing champagne colored silk dress that the stylist chose for me. I’m not prepared for the excited noise of the crowd and the shouting of the reporters. My heart thuds in my ears.

Bean jumps out of the car and stops to stare at the bright lights of the theatre. “Wow, mama, wow. Do you see that?”

I’m not sure if she means all the cameras and reporters, or the crowd of people, or the theatre all lit up. “I see it baby. It’s incredible.”

“Daddy, do you see all these people? They really like your movie.”

Liam looks as if he’s been struck. He kneels down eye-level with Bean with his heart in his eyes. She started calling him Daddy a few weeks ago, and he still hasn’t gotten over it. Every time she says it he gets a dumbstruck look on his face.

“I sure hope they do,” he says in a low voice.

“Don’t worry. They do,” Bean says with complete certainty.

Liam’s eyes crinkle in a smile and he looks up at me and winks. No matter what any reviews say, Bean will always believe in him.

He stands and straightens his form fitting red carpet tux. My stomach does a little flip. He looks like a movie star. Okay I know that sounds stupid, but he really looks like a movie star. He looks like his old self, the Greek god model that graced a thousand magazine covers. But when he winks at me, I just see him, the man that made us waffles and eggs this morning dressed in his pajamas with messy morning hair.

He holds out his hand and his smile is intimate and assured. All my nervousness at the crowd and the reporters fades away as I look into his eyes. He smiles and I grin back. I take his hand and then grab Bean’s. We turn and walk toward the theatre.

“Liam over here! Bean give us a smile!” The photographers call out and try to catch our attention. My heart gives a hard thump and I try to steady myself on my incredibly high and narrow heels. Liam turns toward the reporters and Bean gives a delighted wave. The cameras flash in the dim evening light. Bean’s in her very own Skyhawk superhero costume, which includes a neon leotard, a cape, and as an homage to our incognito carnival night – a hot pink wig. She’s adorable and the reporters know it.

Liam squeezes my hand.

“Ginny, how does it feel to be married to America’s heartthrob?” a female reporter calls from behind the barricade.

When Liam hears the question he turns and gives me a grin. It’s been six months since we married in our private backyard ceremony, and the newspapers and magazines have been dying to get an interview. This is the first time we’ve been seen together in “public”. It’s a special occasion. It’s the premier of Liam’s new movie and his return to Hollywood stardom.

The reporters go quiet to hear my answer. “It feels like…” I turn to look at Liam and then down at Bean and back at Liam, “it feels like I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”

All the reporters laugh and shout more questions, but I’m looking at Liam. He understands what I mean.

“I am the luckiest woman in the world,” I whisper to him.

He leans in, “and I’m the luckiest man.”

We move toward the theatre, behind us another limo pulls up. Enid, Clark, and Liam’s agent step out. I glance back, and then do a double take. Liam’s agent is sweating and tugging at his collar. It looks like Enid is raking him over the coals. I think she’s enjoying herself immensely. And from what I remember about how Liam’s agent treated him, I’d say this is the chicken’s come home to roost.

Inside the theatre, after the photos and the short interviews and the craziness of the red carpet we settle down to watch the film. But only fifteen minutes in, Liam leans over and whispers, “come with me.”

I wrinkle my brow but he nods toward the back exit. I look over at Bean, she’s next to Enid, completely absorbed in the movie. I signal Enid that I’m going to step out and point to Bean. She nods her understanding.

Liam and I quietly exit the screening, trying not to draw too much attention. Liam ducks us through side corridors and halls until we come to a small coat room in a quiet hallway. He pulls me inside and locks the door.

I laugh at the heated expression on his face.

“Don’t you want to watch your movie?” I ask.

He runs his hands down my hips, “I’d rather watch you.” He backs me into the door and presses his mouth against mine. “You should dress like this more often.”

“So you can take it off me?”

“Exactly.”

I laugh and he kisses me again. Soon I’m not laughing, in fact I’m not able to do anything but grab Liam’s shoulders and hang on as he kisses me down there. I cry out and his fingers dig into my hips.

“You’re so beautiful.”

I gasp at the way his tongue runs over me and a low warmth spreads through me.

“Liam…”

Then he lifts me, places my legs around him, and sinks into me.

“I love you,” he says. He moves in me. “I love you.”

“I love you,” I whisper back.

He drives into me until neither of us can speak. We can only hang on to each other.

Thirty minutes later, Liam straightens my dress and adjusts my shoulder straps. I smooth his tux and try to fix his hair.

“You’ve missed half your movie,” I say. “I’m sorry. You really shouldn’t have…”

He presses a kiss against my mouth and cuts me off. “Do you know what the best part of all this is?”

I shake my head. “What?”

“Someone once told me, the best kind of man is one who finds himself, then loses himself, then finds himself again, because then he knows what’s really of value. That’s you, Ginny. And Bean. I value you. All the rest of this is gravy. You’re what matters.”

I press my hand to his cheek and I decide to give him the gift that I was going to wait to give until tonight. I swallow and my heart gives a little flip. “You’re going to be a dad.”

He raises his eyebrows, “I am a dad.”

My heart melts.

“Again,” I say.

He looks at me and then comprehension dawns. He picks me up, I wrap my legs around him and he spins us around. I laugh and then he’s kissing me, he’s laughing too, and then the kisses become more and well…we don’t make it back to the movie until the closing credits.

But Liam doesn’t mind, and neither do I.

When the lights come on Bean turns to us and says, “that was the bestest movie I’ve ever seen. You were amazing Daddy, and you flew and I knew you could and then when the bad guy was going to get you I wasn’t scared because I knew you’d win, ‘cause I always believe in you, and so does mama and – ”

She keeps going, telling Liam about how much she loved the movie. While she’s talking, Liam scoops her up, grabs my hand and we head out of the theatre.

“This is the bestest day of my life,” Bean says.

Liam stops, and looks at us both, a whole world of love in his eyes, “kiddo, it only gets better from here.”

I squeeze his hand, “that’s right,” I say, “better and better and better.” And it does.

Playlist for Hero Ever After

As you probably know, each book I write has a playlist that I put on repeat while I write.

Here are the songs that set the mood for Hero Ever After. It’s a short list this time.

Feel Again – OneRepublic

Wanted – OneRepublic

Birds – Imagine Dragons

That’s it for this one!