Leveling The Field (Gamers #4) (15 page)

Epilogue

Ethan hunched over the handlebars of his cart and sighed. Lissa stood in front of a row of Crock-Pots, her hands on her hips. “So, this one would go with my parents’ kitchen, because it’s blue, but this one is programmable.” She turned to him. “What do you think?”

He just stared at her, and she rolled her eyes. “You’re a Grinch.”

“I dislike crowds,” he huffed.

She smiled. “You’re so cute when you’re grumpy.”

“How about I be extra grumpy and we get out of here and get naked?”

She laughed. “There are small children around, you weirdo, stop.”

He pursed his lips as Lissa turned back to studying the Crock-Pots. They were shopping for Christmas presents. Ethan would have ordered everything online at the last minute, but Lissa wasn’t having that. She said she needed to “see things in person” before she purchased them.

So that was why he found himself pushing an already full cart around Target, with Lissa in the lead.

She finally grabbed a box and tossed it into the cart, then scanned the list on her phone. “Okay, my parents down. Let’s do yours now. I’m thinking a Keurig. They have room on their counter, and they never make the whole pot of coffee.” She bit her lip. “What do you think?”

“I think,” he began but then stopped as he took time to take in the moment. He was shopping. For his parents. For the first time in years. He was with a woman he loved with all of his heart, a woman who had convinced him to better his life.

He was bitching about shopping and how his feet hurt, and he hadn’t realized just how special this was. How years ago he didn’t have this. He had people he loved to shop for, and that meant something. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, and his voice was hoarse as he said, “Yeah, I think that’s a great idea.”

Lissa studied his face and then stepped beside him, placing her hand on his arm. “You okay?”

He nodded. “Yes, i-it just kind of hit me now, how I haven’t bought my parents a Christmas present for years, and now I’m here with you. Shopping for our families. That I’m in a relationship with a woman as special as you, who notices and thinks about what kind of present my parents would appreciate.” He shook his head as Lissa’s eyes widened. “Fuck, I love you.”

Her lips trembled. “Are you seriously making me cry right now? In Target the week before Christmas?”

She smacked his arm and he started to laugh. “I’m sorry!”

“You jerk!” she huffed, but her tone was affectionate. “Stop, stop it right now. I don’t want to cry in front of the Crock-Pots.”

“I love you,” he said again.

“I love you, too,” she said. “Now let’s go pick out a Keurig.”

…

Lissa watched as Ethan shoved the last of the presents they’d bought that afternoon into the hall closet. “Did they fit?” she called from the living room. She’d moved in about a month ago. Ethan had asked her the day after they agreed to get back together, and she’d managed to hold him off for a while. He’d finally put his foot down, because he wanted her there all the time. And to be honest, she wanted to be there.

He shut the door and made his way toward her. “We bought a lot of things.”

“Yeah, well, you’re a star now, making big bucks.”

He rolled his eyes at her, but it was true. Ethan as the face of
Gamers
was just about the best thing that had happened to the magazine, and to Ethan. He could still be a grumpy guy sometimes, but on camera, he really came alive.

He sank down on the couch beside her. “Look who’s talking?”

Not only had they already received all the funding for the first Rona Kingsman scholarship, but Lissa’s studio business had picked up. “I’m not as famous as you.”

He shrugged. “I only care about being famous to you.”

She laughed. “Oh, you’re famous to me all right, baby.”

He grinned. “So, remind me again of the holiday schedule.”

She held up her hand and ticked off her fingers. “Christmas Eve is with Grant, Chloe, Sydney, Austin, and Marley. Christmas morning is with my parents. Christmas afternoon and evening is with your parents. The day after Christmas is my family reunion.”

“Who holds family reunions the day after Chistmas?”

“The Kingsmans,” she answered. “And I already told them you’re coming and the kids are excited.”

“Oh God,” he muttered. “Am I going to have to sit at the kiddie table?”

She swung her legs up so they rested on his lap, and then reclined on the sofa. “If you do, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

He rested his hand on her feet. “Oh, really? Hmm, actually I really want you to have to make something up to me. I’ll volunteer to sit with the kids.”

She laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”

He began to massage her feet as he kept his gaze on her face. “The holidays will be busy for us this year.”

“Yes,” she said on a moan as he hit a knot in her arch.

“And you know what?”

“Hm,” she answered, her eyes closing.

“I’m grateful for that.”

She opened her eyes. “Yeah?”

He smiled. “Yeah and I promise not to be a Grinch. Much.”

She sank down further into the couch, with a smile. “Sure, whatever you say, Ethan. I’ll love you anyway.”

A chuckle reached her ears. “Yeah, I know.”

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Acknowledgments

This series has been such a joy for me. The idea for the first book came to me on a whim, and I couldn’t stop writing it. I had fun challenging myself with a different story structure and adult themes. And I loved being an Entangled author!

Thanks so much to my editor, Heather Howland for working with me on this series. For caring about these characters as much as I did, and for working with me through countless edits until we got it right. Also, thanks for encouraging me to write about glitter!

Thanks to my agent, Marisa Corvisiero. Having you in my ring is so so comforting. You know me and this business and on top of that, you’re fun to hang out with!

Thanks so much to Nana Malone for talking me through some aspects of this book and for introducing me to Curly Nikki! I have spent way too much time on that blog!

Thank you to my writing friends, because I could not do this without you. Thank you to my Mobsters, who have been champions for Ethan from the beginning.

And thanks to my family, who put up with my absences while I’m knee-deep in characters and conflict. I love you!

About the Author

Megan Erickson
worked as a journalist covering real-life dramas before she decided she liked writing her own endings better and switched to fiction.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two cats. When she’s not tapping away on her laptop, she’s probably listening to the characters in her head who won’t stop talking.

For more, visit
www.meganerickson.org
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Reviews help other readers find books. We appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Thank you for reading!

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