Epilogue

Holly

12 Months Later

 

 

I woke up to our bedroom basked in sunlight and had to cover my eyes with one hand as they adjusted to the brightness. I rolled over, reaching out one arm to wrap around Jax but found his side of the bed empty.

Blinking in the brightness, I peered around the room.

The alarm clock on his side of the bed read that it was already nine in the morning.

“What the hell?” I breathed, rolling back over and swinging my legs off the side of the bed. I rubbed sleep from my eyes and hurried to dress in my pajamas. I tied up my hair and relieved my bladder before slipping out of the bedroom and padding down the hall.

I checked Angelie’s nursery first, finding it empty. The yellow walls made the room appear to glow. I smiled and basked in the simplicity of looking into my daughter’s bedroom. My favorite rocking chair sat in the corner, covered in pink pillows and blankets. Her dresser was decorated with dozens of photos, my favorite of which was one of Jax holding her in the hospital for the first time.

I sighed and went to Luke’s bedroom. It was empty, too, and a bit messy. I reminded myself to have him clean it later.

Frowning, I went downstairs and found Jax working frantically in the kitchen. I hovered just out of sight in the doorway and watched the scene unfold with a smile and a full heart.

Jax was holding Angelie in one arm and had her balanced on his hip. She was sucking a soother and seemed content to be working in the kitchen with daddy. He was wearing his sweats and a loose, gray T-shirt. His hair was disheveled, and it was clear he hadn’t had a chance to shower yet this morning. His jaw was covered in dark stubble, and he looked handsome as ever, despite the fatigue in his eyes.

My mind raced with dirty thoughts. I still hungered for him the same way I used to, and it always surprised me. With Kent, I had lost the attraction soon after moving to Philadelphia. I knew that was probably because the resentment had started around then, but I never truly believed I could love someone as much as I loved Jax and still be so attracted to them.

He was a god, and he made me feel like a queen with his constant compliments and sweet kisses. How he treated me in the bedroom helped, too, of course.

I was the luckiest woman alive.

Everything that had happened last year only made me more grateful for what I had now. I had almost lost Jax to the hell he endured at TJ’s hands. We had peace of mind knowing he was locked up in a prison out of state, and Dani was keeping her eye on his case to make sure there was no funny business involved. She was keen on keeping him behind bars for as long as possible. She had let us know that he had already had some missteps in prison, so likely wouldn’t be up for early parole. This had been music to our ears.

Since then everything with the Black Hearts had been calm. They kept to themselves like they used to, and the MC was able to get back to the simple life. Ryder still ruled over all of them with the same gruff attitude, but he had a soft spot now for Jax, who had saved their necks back at the mansion.

I had heard the story dozens of times now- enough so that it felt like I had been there myself.

I was glad that I wasn’t, and so was Jax. He never wanted me to see that side of him. Although even if I did it wouldn’t change how I felt. He was mine, and I loved every bit of him.

Ruthless fighter included.

Luke was sitting at the kitchen island sipping on some orange juice as he watched Jax make a total mess of the kitchen. “She’s not going to be happy you messed it all up,” Luke said.

“Yeah, yeah. She won’t care,” Jax said over his shoulder. “I’m not good in the kitchen like your mother. I don’t know where everything is.”

Luke shrugged his small shoulders. “She hates a messy kitchen.”

“So you’ve said. Many times,” Jax muttered.

He adjusted Angelie on his hip before attempting to break an egg on the edge of a bowl. The entire egg shattered, sending pieces of shell straight into whatever it was he was attempting make. Based on the pan on the counter and the spatula and whisk, I was assuming it was pancakes.

“Bloody fucking hell,” he growled, looking up at the ceiling like there was something up there that could help him.

“She would also be mad if she heard you swear,” Luke said.

I held in my giggle. He was such a good boy and had been keeping Jax in check all year.

“Yeah, well, she’s not here, is she?” Jax said.

Luke finished his orange juice. “Yeah, but she’s a mom. She knows stuff.”

“You gonna be a narc?” Jax asked.

“A narc?” Luke repeated.

“Yeah. A tattletale.”

Luke shifted in his seat. “Maybe.”

Jax laughed.

I cleared my throat.

Jax spun around, eyes wide, and I noticed the wet stain down the front of his shirt and the thigh of his pants. I covered my mouth and tried not to laugh. “What on earth is happening in here?”

Jax shot Luke a scathing look as the little boy began laughing. “Nothing,” Jax said hurriedly. “I just wanted to do something nice and make you breakfast in bed this morning.” He turned back to the counter, and I saw his shoulders slump. “It would appear I need more practice in the kitchen before that dream can come to fruition.”

I padded into the kitchen and stopped beside Luke at the counter. “Morning,” I said, ruffling my son’s hair before planting a kiss on the top of his head. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good, Mama.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” I told Jax as I slipped onto the stool beside Luke.

“Sometimes. I had grand plans,” Jax said with a frown.

“Grand plans, huh?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. “It’s already nine. What kind of grand plans did you have?”

Luke answered before Jax had the chance. “He was going to give you a present.”

“A present?” I asked, looking from Luke to Jax, who looked like he was a balloon who had just been maliciously popped by my seven-year-old. I laughed at him. “What sort of present?”

Jax shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”

He was distressed, I could tell. I got up from my stool and took Angelie out of his arms. I kissed her cheeks and cooed at her before looking back up at Jax. “You all right? You seem a bit flustered.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m all right.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, not believing him at all.

Jax wiped the flour from his hands on the dishrag draped over the handle of our oven and turned to face me. “This mess doesn’t factor into my grand plans. You’ll have to meet me halfway and picture a plate of hot pancakes and a mug of hot coffee on a tray that I would be bringing up to the bedroom.”

“Okay,” I said with a laugh. “Jax, what’s this about?”

He came and stood in front of me, rubbing his hands nervously on his thighs. Then, his hand slipped into his pocket, and he dropped to one knee.

I took a step back and covered my mouth. Angelie giggled in my arms.

“Holly Whitton,” Jax said, looking up at me, “I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. You give me purpose. You make me a better man. And if you’ll have me, I promise to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Will you marry me?”

I squealed. Angelie cried. Luke looked at us like we were insane.

“Yes!” I cried, and Jax popped open the ring box.

I was floored by the beauty of the jewel concealed inside. It sparkled and danced in the box like a living thing, catching all the light in the room and reflecting it outward. I covered my mouth.

“It’s beautiful.”

Jax plucked it out of the box and told me to hold out my left hand. He slid the ring onto my ring finger, and I found myself staring down at it, happier than I had ever felt.

“I’m sorry it wasn’t more romantic,” Jax said. “Maybe next time when I plan something, I shouldn’t shoot for grand.”

I laughed as tears welled in my eyes. “This is perfect. Honestly.”

“You’re getting married?” Luke asked, looking back and forth between Jax and me.

I nodded. “Yeah, baby, we’re getting married.”

He slid off the stool and came and hugged my legs. Then he hugged Jax, and I thought, for a moment, my heart might explode out of my chest with love.

“Come on,” I said, “Someone better make you boys breakfast before your stomachs try to eat themselves.”

“Jax made a mess, Mom,” Luke said.

Jax threw his hands in the air. “So quick to throw me under the bus, huh?”

Luke got back up on his stool and grinned as I grabbed a rag and began cleaning, still balancing Angelie on my hip. There was no way I would be able to make pancakes in the disastrous state the kitchen was in. I looked over at Jax after peering into the bowl full of eggs, flour, milk, and eggshells. “At least you tried.”

He groaned.

“Go shower. I can handle this. It’s the least I can do to repay you,” I said, flashing the ring on my hand.

Jax chuckled and shook his head. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. How about I put Angelie down for her nap. Then I’m coming back, and you can teach me how you do what you do. I want to learn. Maybe one of these days, I’ll actually be able to bring my wife breakfast in bed.”

“Wife.” I smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

He took Angelie out of my arms, who reached for him and played with his scruff as he cradled her. “Okay, time to go have a nap. You going to be a good girl and fall asleep nice and fast for Daddy?”

“Good luck!” I called as he made his way upstairs.

I could hear him humming to her as I began washing dishes.

“Momma?”

I turned to Luke who was still sitting at the kitchen island and turned off the kitchen tap. “Yes, sweetheart?”

“Does this mean there’s going to be a wedding?”

I grinned. “Yes. We’ll have a wedding.”

“When?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Soon, I hope. Maybe when the weather gets nice and warm again. We could do it outside. What do you think?”

“Outside would be nice. Do I get to be part of the wedding?”

I dried my hands and went to my son. “Of course, you do. You know, in a way, Jax is kind of marrying you too. He picked us to be his family. Cool, right?”

Luke nodded. “Cool.”

“There’s one job I bet would be perfect for you on the wedding day. Do you know what a ring bearer is?”

Luke shook his head.

“You would be the one who brought the rings to Jax and me right before we say ‘I do’ and make it official. You would get to wear a nice suit and carry a fancy pillow that the rings would be on. Does that sound like something you would want to do?”

Luke nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then it’s done. You’ll be our ring bearer.”

“Ring bearer, huh?” Jax asked as he returned to the kitchen. He came to stand behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist before pressing his lips to my cheek. He nuzzled his face into my shoulder, his stubble tickling my skin, and I giggled and tried to pull away. He pulled me closer to him, and I could smell his lingering cologne.

“Get a room,” Luke hollered at us.

We both turned and looked at him.

“Where did you learn that?” I asked.

“Auntie Kim.” Luke shrugged.

“Of course.” Jax chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and resumed wiping down the counters. “Your aunt is going to get you in a lot of trouble one day, little man. Better watch it. Speaking of Auntie Kim, I should call her and tell her we’re engaged!”

“She may have already known I had this morning planned,” Jax confessed.

“Oh really? So the two of you have been plotting behind my back?”

“Not plotting,” Jax said. “Planning. There’s a difference. And she was a lot of help with the ring selection. I had no clue what I was doing. She gave me the green light when I picked this one out.”

“She knows my taste,” I smiled.

“She’s also coming over tonight for a surprise engagement dinner that you’re not supposed to know anything about.” Jax checked that Luke wasn’t looking before squeezing my ass. “So when people arrive you’ll act surprised, right?”

“I can try,” I giggled. “Who else is coming?”

“Not telling.”

“Axel? Ellie? Hanna?”

Jax scowled at me.

“Ryder and Dani?”

“Nose down,” Jax said.

I smiled and shook my head. “I’ll make sure they have no idea you told me. Pay attention now,” I said as I reached for a clean bowl. I grabbed the eggs from the counter and pulled two out of the carton. Then, gently, I rapped it on the side of the bowl. The shell split down the middle, and I flicked the yolk into the bowl.

“How the hell—”

“Heck,” I corrected.

“How the heck did you do that?” Jax asked. “You’re a witch.”

I laughed. “Practice. Lots of practice. Pass me the salt?”

“Sure thing, fiancée.”

He kept his hand on my hip as he reached for the salt, and I told him how much to pour in. I wanted to capture the moment in my memory forever. It was sweet and simple and everything I had ever wanted with Jax since I was just a teenager.

I sighed and closed my hand over his on my hip.

All that time and all that waiting had been completely worth it.

 

The End