Epilogue

Epilogue

The short, wintry month of February had become the long, still wintry month of March. Tracy woke up to find herself rolled up in the blankets. "Spanky," Luke whispered. "You stole all the covers again."

She laughed quietly before arranging the comforter so it was on her and her husband. "What time is it?" she yawned.

"A quarter after 6. Going somewhere, Wife?"

"I return to the office today."

"Oh, that's right."

"Yep," she said, enthusiastically.

Tracy Quartermaine couldn't wait to start working again. Lounging around in the mansion all day long, while sounding great at first, had become dull.

"I still have some time though before getting up," she noted, snuggling against Luke's chest.

"Good."

Tracy smiled a genuine smile though Luke couldn't see it from where he lied. "I've been thinking," she murmured. "About everything that's happened."

"You have?" Luke was a bit worried where the conversation was going to go next. Seemed like the worst things happened the moment one of them brought up the progress their relationship had made.

"I have." Tracy sat herself up, propping herself up with pillows. Luke did the same.

"What's going on?" he asked, still concerned.

"Nothing, I just—" She paused. "Who would have thought our lives would've ended up like this?"

She never saw it coming. How could she? Tracy Quartermaine was a rich, well-mannered business woman. Luke Spencer was – Well, in her eyes, a bum. A drunken loser, with no good qualities.

Fortunately, she was wrong about him. The man was strong, adventurous, and determined. Even affectionate when need be. And when he disappointed her, when he hurt her, he always fixed it. The truth was that Luke Spencer made her feel more alive that she ever felt before. She loved him more than she ever loved any man. She couldn't have asked for someone better to spend the rest of her life with.

"Yeah," Luke chuckled. "Who would have thought?"

He certainly never did. After all, it was just another scam for him – An easy way to make 15 million dollars. He never expected to actually enjoy the marriage. Luke wasn't thinking about the perks either. Of course, he loved the maid-service and the free booze. Who wouldn't? But he loved his wife, in all her spunky glory, even more.

Tracy Quartermaine challenged him in a way that no other woman had before. She invigorated him. She was tough, ambitious, courageous, and damn loyal. Luke couldn't have asked for someone better to spend the rest of his life with.

Quietly, Tracy asked her husband, "Do you have any regrets about what happened with us?"

"No, not at all. Why would I have regrets?" he replied.

"'Cause I know you have no interest in being a father again." It sounded a little ruder than she wanted it to. She wasn't trying to be harsh, just realistic. "And quite honestly, I had no interest in becoming a mother again, but well, I'm not mad that things turned out like this."

"Either am I," Luke said, surprising the hell out of his wife.

"What?"

"Tracy—," he began, turning himself so that he was completely facing her. Tenderly, he took hold of her hand. "Tracy, you asked me about regrets. Let me tell you that the only regret I have is hurting you—You are my wife. Lila Joy is my daughter," he spoke in a gentle tone. "And I love you both with all of heart – or whatever I have left of one."

Tracy laughed, "Ohh, I think there's more left of it than you think. I love you too," she added right before the two shared a long, heated kiss.

The moment of passion ended when the alarm started to buzz obnoxiously. "Turn it off," moaned Luke, his mouth still over Tracy's.

"I'm trying," she said, fumbling around the nightstand.

"Got it."

"Good."

He ran her fingers through her hair, continuing to kiss her fervently, as the couple picked up where they left off. Luke paused, briefly, to rip off the shirt he had slept in.

Meanwhile, Tracy lied on the bed, unable to take her eyes off of the handsome devil that was her husband.

Having just tossed his shirt to the floor, Luke lowered his head, put his mouth over his wife's, and kissed her intensely again. He nibbled at her ear before moving his lips to her neck. The warmth of his breath and his soft kisses caused her to release a pleasurable moan. She could get used to starting her mornings off like this.

Next, Tracy tugged at his pants. (The flannels he wore to bed were so much easier to pull off than the slacks he usually had on). Luke began to unbutton her blue silk nightshirt, not expecting the shrill sound of the alarm to kill the moment.

"Damnit," both husband and wife muttered simultaneously.

They sighed in disappointment.

Tracy extended her arm and turned off the alarm. "I do have to get up," she said, almost sadly. "Got to be out of the house within the hour."

Luke nodded, knowingly.

"We'll resume tonight," she assured him. "Does that sound good to you?"

"That depends," he joked. "Can we bring out the trampoline?"

Playfully, she tossed a pillow at him. "Oh, Luke!"

o0o0o0o

It was a little after one in the afternoon as Tracy stared as the spreadsheets in front of her.

"You look like you could use a break," a voice said, standing in the doorway.

Tracy glanced up and saw her handsome husband.

"Luke, what are you doing here?"

"I brought you some lunch," he removed a brown paper bag from behind his back. "I promise that it's not from Kelly's."

"Good," she laughed. "'Cause that hamburger that one day was a one time deal."

She remembered the day vividly. It was November 1st. Reluctantly, Tracy confessed to Monica that she was craving a hamburger. Monica, in turn, passed the message onto Luke, who treated his wife to lunch at the local diner.

During that lunch from heaven, Luke said what she needed to hear; that what the two of them shared was real, that he could not ask for anyone better. He had repeated himself, just to be sure that Tracy realized he was serious. And she believed him.

A lot had happened since then; some good things, some not-so-good things, most notably, Luke's unexpected departure, which resulted in his wife's near-death encounter. But, both of them were willing to put that behind them. It was better to remember the good things…

Like the lunch at Kelly's, like the Thanksgiving pizza, and their night under the moonlight. Like the Christmas Eve proposal, and the Christmas morning pillow fight, and the mistletoe kiss. Like the moment she woke up to find her husband (with their daughter in his arms, at her bedside), and the afternoon at the Haunted Star, and this morning, and now…

"Earth to Spankybuns, earth to Spankybuns…" Luke noticed she had been daydreaming. "Whatcha thinking about?"

She smiled. "I'm thinking how thoughtful it was for you to bring me lunch and how it better be good because I am famished."

Luke chuckled. "Oh, I assure you. It is delectable; kind of like me," he winked. "But, before you eat, I have something else for you…"

"Bring her in!" Luke yelled towards the door way. Within a second, the nanny wheeled Lila Joy into the ELQ office… "I thought you might be missing the little munchkin, so I had Mackenzie bring her in."

Tracy just smiled at her little girl.

"I hope it's okay, Mrs. Spencer," the timid woman said. "I knew you were working and wasn't sure if bringing in the baby would disrupt you."

"You didn't disrupt me at all," Tracy told her, still looking admirably at her gorgeous baby. Then, she looked up. "However, would you mind giving the three of us some alone time?"

"Not at all. I, uh, won't be far," she said rather quickly before walking out and closing the door behind her.

"I think she's afraid of me," laughed Tracy.

"Well, you are quite the powerful woman, you little pink popsicle you. Very powerful," he repeated. "Especially in the bedroom," Luke added with a boyish smirk. "I haven't forgotten about the other night. Or the night before that. Or yesterday afternoon in the—"

"Luke," she warned with a slight laugh. "I don't think the baby needs to hear about our little escapades."

"Oh, Spankybuns, she won't ever know. Just like she won't ever know about witnessing what could have been our first little escapade. Remember that day?"

He was referring to the day not so long ago on the Haunted Star, where he learned that his amazing wife had gotten the casino back for him.

"How could I forget?" She smiled. Despite losing her balance, she did have a wonderful time that afternoon. "So, what is this all about?" she said, changing the subject.

"What's what about? I'm your husband. You're my wife. Lila Joy is our little girl. I thought we could all be together for lunch."

She examined him closely.

"I got something on my face?"

She continued to look at her husband, wondering what he could possibly be up to, or if he was up to anything at all.

"I was serious about the no regret thing," he said, hoping to reassure her.

"I know. I just don't want you doing something that you normally wouldn't do just to please me, like ohhh," she sighed, "arranging this get-together."

"Spanky, this wasn't about pleasing you. It was about pleasing me."

"What?" She arched an eyebrow.

"I wanted to see you. I missed you."

Tracy was touched by his genuine words. She hadn't even been gone long, and he missed her. She tried hiding her warm and fuzzy feeling with her words, "That's a bit sentimental for you, isn't it?"

"Well, it's the truth. Tracy," he said, walking close to her, before kneeling down to her level and taking her hands. "I like what we have together. No, scratch that. I love what we have together. I love you. You are a strong, determined, and devoted woman, Mrs. Spencer, whose mere existence thrills me like no one else's has before. You are brave and beautiful. Oh, you are so beautiful," he stressed intertwining her hair in his fingers. "Tracy, you make me happy. You know that, right?"

She could barely move. She couldn't remember the last time someone said something that amazing to her. Tracy didn't want to let the tear in her left eye fall but she couldn't help it. Luke used his thumb to wipe it away.

"I hope that's the good kind of cry," he said.

"I'm not crying," she insisted, clearing her throat. "And for the record, you make me happy too."

"Whew! That's a relief!" he joked.

Tracy continued. "You understand me, Luke, like no one else has before. You are ambitious and audacious. You make me laugh, and you make me feel alive. You can be such an ass, but damn, if I don't love you, anyway."

"Have I just been insulted?" he laughed.

"You can also," she went on, "be a wonderful, wonderful gentleman. Luke, you're someone that I don't ever want to have to live without."

"The feeling is mutual," he said.

At that instant, the baby gurgled.

"Aww," Tracy looked over. "We leaving you out, sweetheart?" She stood up from her chair, walked over, and lifted Lila out of the stroller. "Here we go. Here we go…"

Luke was no longer kneeling on the ground and pulled up a chair at his wife's request.

"So, lunch time?" Luke asked, lifting the bag from the floor.

"Lunch time," she repeated, holding the baby in her arms.

She moved her papers to the side to create space and a picture of her sons caught her eye. In that moment, Tracy Quartermaine Spencer realized she all she ever wanted: The CEO position at ELQ, two fabulous sons, a daughter who would give her a fresh chance at parenting, and a husband who loved her.

She closed her eyes briefly and pinched herself to make sure it wasn't a dream. But when she opened her eyes, she was still sitting at her desk. She saw the picture of her sons and the faces of her husband and daughter. And she knew that she had finally found what she had been searching for her entire life—true happiness. --

THE END.

...

Thanks angel for keeping me focused for the bed scene! And for the color blue! And for the sleep shirt vs. nightshirt vs. nightgown vs. pajama silk sleep shirt discussion, LOL.

-- Dialogue/similar dialogue came from Carrie.

...

Special thanks to Carrie for helping me wrap this "novel" up.

And BIG THANKS to all those who read this over the last two years and five months. Your reviews and comments here and on the LoveFest were all GREATLY appreciated. And thank you for being so patient. You all are awesome! :)

MsQ