BONUS EPILOGUE
Paige - twenty-five years later
My baby was getting married.
My only son, leaving me. Since the moment they’d announced their engagement, I’d been slightly beside myself. He was only a baby in my eyes; he should be traveling the world, focusing on his job, getting experience, making some real money.
“Paige, she’s a good girl.” My husband’s arm wrapped around my waist. “When you find the one, you just...know.” Stone whispered at our son’s wedding rehearsal, trying to soothe my rattling nerves into submission.
He was right.
I knew Maggie was wonderful, she looked at my sweet boy like he was her sun and moon. She was good for him. Grayson had been a little sad before Maggie, set adrift before her, and now, she was his center.
“Maggie is amazing. I’m fortunate that she loves him the way she does. They’ll take care of each other, but he’s so young. 25! He’s still a baby.” I tried my best to chase the frown from my face for their sake.
“Paige, it felt like a damn lifetime before I found you. They’re lucky they won’t be wasting any precious years. And if you think he is young, she is only nineteen. If Connie was getting married at that age I would kill the fucker.”
I laughed at Stone’s protective tone. He didn’t have a problem with his son getting married that young, but God forbid if any man looked at his Connie. He’d already scared off every boyfriend our daughter had brought home since she was sixteen. She got wise quickly and stopped bringing her date home after too long.
“Connie is picky. She wants someone just like her Daddy. Those are pretty big shoes to fill. I don’t think you need to worry about her getting married anytime soon.”
Stone chuckled and kissed the top of my head. “Little Bird, you don’t get it do you? Grayson found the spitting image of his mother. He had a strong example of what a life partner should be, he was just lucky enough to find her early.”
In that moment, words of wisdom carried on his lush lips, I looked at my husband, really looked at him.
In the twenty-five plus years we’d been together, his hair had grown silver, his laugh lines a little deeper, and his hands more calloused and rough than they’d once been, but one thing remained the same. Stone Garrett, my wonderful husband, was still my match in every way. The man who made my heart beat, who put a smile on my face every morning and kissed my eyes closed at night leaving me with a sense of peace, thankful for the beautiful life he’d given all of us.
“I love you, Stone.”
“I know.” His lips dusted my temple. “I know because every damn day you give me breath. One look at you and I know that my life is perfect because I have you beside me. The way I figure it sweetheart, if our boy is half as lucky as me with his wife he is winning the game of life. There has been nothing in this world that has made me whole like you and our kids.”
With that admission tears started rolling down my cheeks and I grabbed my handsome husband and right there kissed him with all the passion in my soul.
It was the same feeling I’d felt all those years ago.
Stone Garrett was fucking sexy as hell and I wanted him to bang my brains out against the wall.
“We can go home soon right?” I winked at my handsome man.
“Yes, yes we can, Mrs. Garrett.” His gravelly voice sent shudders rolling against my skin. “Just so you know I’m hard as a fucking rock and I’m dead-set on pounding this sexy pussy all.night.long.”
Another shiver by Stone swallowed me whole, my mind looking forward to the rest of the night with the man that still lit my soul, and my body, on fire.
My husband.
THE END.