Epilogue
Candy slowly walked her lineup, inspecting each of her men and women at attention. She made sure her scowl was stern. No easy offs here. A giggle was heard somewhere back in the line. She growled and a few more giggles erupted. Clearing her throat, the laughter stopped.
So far, the group had been fairly clean, a few smudges here, some sticky stuff there. Then she came to the male she knew would be the downfall of mankind.
“Junior Private Dubois,” she said, stopping in front of him.
“Yes, ma’am,” he squeaked, standing with his shoulders back, chin up.
“Boy, you are a complete mess. Look at you. Mustard on your face, ketchup in your hair. Juice all over you.” She shook her head. “Knowing who your father is, I would have expected as much.”
The boy looked up at her smiled. “Does that mean I win?”
Candy stepped back and saluted. The young boy returned the salute. “Junior Private Dubois, lead the battle cry.”
The kid took off running, yelling “Chargem” and cannonballed into the decorated red, white, and blue community pool as the other neighborhood kids fell in behind him, screaming and laughing.
“Candy!” One of the moms waved her over to one of the food-packed picnic tables in the town’s park. “Come sit down before a baby falls out of your womb.” She rolled her eyes. Never had she sat so much in her life. Just because she had the whole pregnant thing going, didn’t mean her feet had to be up all the time, but she had to admit with each passing month, she did find reclining nicer and nicer.
Melinda, Parish’s mate, handed her another hot dog with relish. Since getting pregnant, she’d never craved meat as much as she had the past several months. She suspected that had something to do with her mate’s part of the pregnancy.
“Who won?” Melinda asked.
“No,” Kari cut in, pulling away from her mate Bryon. “Let me guess.” She turned to Candy. “Does the winner take after his father?”
Amerella turned to Frank. “See, Mr. Dubois, I told you your son was a walking laundry detergent advertisement.”
Frank feigned surprise. “My son?”
“Yes,” Amie said, “your son when he’s an animal. My son when he acts civilized.”
Frank snuggled up to her and whispered into her ear. “You didn’t mind the animal last night, all uncivilized.”
Candy settled onto Josh’s lap and joined in the laughter. She’d gotten to know all the shifters and their mates after Josh had taken her to his hometown shortly after her retirement from the military. She suddenly had a large family and was overwhelmed with love and support she hadn’t known possible.
All her life, being what it had been, she had never been a girly girl. But now, she had gained full confidence in being a woman and all she wanted it to entail. The women showed her how to apply blush to bring out her cheekbones, and she showed them how to paint their faces so they blended into the forest when playing paintball against their shifter counterparts.
They also had infamous sausage parties where Candy learned important skills her mate very much appreciated and which had gotten her in her current physical state.
“So, Mrs. Tumbel,” her mate nibbled on her neck, “how is your first July Fourth in civilian clothes feel?”
She wiggled farther into his arms. “Pretty good. Except I feel like a bloated whale.”
“But you’re one damn sexy bloated whale,” he said, rubbing his hands over her extended belly. He pressed his filling cock into her backside. God, she loved the feel of him hard against her. A whistle came from the sidewalk. They turned to see Colonel Dresden in his dress uniform and cane. The fruit salad on his chest was impressive. Candy hadn’t seen many as highly decorated as he was.
When he stepped onto the grass, she wiggled out of her mate’s arms and stood at attention, salute extended. The crowd quieted and several men and women also came to attention. Even all the kids in the pool clung to the side with one hand and saluted like she’d taught them.
As the colonel came to stand in front of her table, he returned her salute. He said, “I’d forgotten how many in this town have served their country in one way or the other.” He shook hands with her mate. “Director Tumbel, good to see you again. And all your team.” His eyes gleamed at her. “Well, Sergeant Tumbel, seems you’re well on your way to having your own platoon.”
Candy nearly choked. “Maybe the smallest platoon that ever existed. Three the first time out the chute may be the only time out the chute.”
Josh smiled. “Two girls and one boy. She’s used to having lots of boys around. She’ll want more.” Her brows rose to her hair line. Josh cowed a bit. He’d better, she thought.
The colonel smiled. “Director, I have something in the back of my car I need you to get. Now might be a good time.”
“Yes, sir.” Her mate kissed her cheek. “I’ll be right back.” Candy watched him hurry away, wondering what Dresden had brought with him. The colonel helped her to sit on the bench and joined her after shaking hands with the rest of the ALFA team.
“Men,” Dresden addressed the guys at their table, “again, the president sends his gratitude and thanks for your work that night of the dedication. He’s had a special plaque commissioned for the event with your names that will be in the old building since that’s where it all began.”
“The department dedication plaque is in the new building, right?” Candy asked.
“It is. It looks lonely, and over the years more will join it,” Dresden confirmed. He glanced the guys. “How are the new recruits coming? I haven’t been over to see them yet.” He shifted on the bench and frowned, his hand on his cane. “Don’t get around as much as I used to. Getting old.”
Parish answered, “They are doing great, sir. We have a full class. First time in years. Several females also.”
“Good,” Candy said. “No more pilfering from different departments.” She looked pointedly at Kari. “Even if the best one happens to be elsewhere.” Candy winked at one of her new best friends. “You know, girl, these men would’ve made such a mess of that whole thing without you.”
The men groaned. They knew Candy and her “woman gung-ho” attitude. And she loved to tease them all with it. Just as a reminder that the weaker sex usually wasn’t.
Those sitting on the opposite side of the picnic table from her and Colonel Dresden looked behind her. Candy turned to see what had their attention. Walking with Josh were several adults and a few children.
She recognized the two older ones right away. They were her aunt and uncle on her mother’s side. Then her eyes fixed on the younger woman with a little girl on her hip. The woman was the spitting image of her mother before she’d died. One of the men looked like her father in the wedding picture that once hung in her childhood home.
Tears sprang to her eyes. Shaking hands covered her mouth as she glanced at Dresden smiling beside her. He nodded, not saying a word. He didn’t have to. She knew who these people were. Not able to sit any longer, she got to her feet and met them a short distance from the table.
She stared into the faces of two people she realized she’d loved and missed for the past twenty years. She gathered her little brother and sister into her arms and cried.
Josh stepped away, back to the table, to let his mate have a private moment with her family. He sat next to Dresden. “I guess her father passed away?”
“Yes, not long after Candy took the kids to her aunt’s. Police report says alcohol poisoning. Bastard drank himself to death.”
Josh sighed. He wasn’t sure if he wished the prick had done that sooner than he had, for Candy’s sake. Didn’t matter. The past was the past, and his woman was stronger for it.
“Oh,” Dresden said, “before I go, I wanted to let you know what we found out about the body you discovered under the house.”
“Oh, yeah,” Josh said, “who was it? Anybody important?”
Dresden said, “Ever hear of a guy named Hoffa?”