Epilogue

One Month Later…

Mandee

Dad’s healing well, and him and Janice are happy together. He seems to be getting more and more comfortable with her and me in the same room, which is good since she is always there.

The changes at the bar are becoming easier for him to swallow, as well. Fondue Fridays are a packed house every week. We make more money that night than we do the entire week.

Gray sings every week, and watching him, listening to him, I know why Xavier Steel won’t let up. He has so much talent. I heard him tell Xavier that he was happier now than he has been in his entire life. He didn’t plan on going anywhere but home.

Home is changing.

We are moving into Phoenix’s old cabin, right next to Mags’, and Gail will be on the other side of us. Right now, she’s at Gage’s place. It’s tense, but they are working together to try to save Falcon Construction.

When we are there, Grayson watches them with a smile. Their mother made mistakes in the name of love, but there is no doubt she loves her boys. None. And she was smart enough to have Mags in their lives while she was doing what she felt she needed to for them.

When she met their father, she was being evicted and skipping meals because, when she had the choice to feed her or Gage, she always chose him. She is a beautiful woman, and when a man with charm and money made promises, she believed him.

She told Gage she would never regret the decision, because she wouldn’t have had her other boys. She said she wished she’d had more, because as many mistakes as she has made, as many choices she had been forced into, nothing was more wonderful than seeing the men they had become.

Phoenix isn’t exhausted because she’s riding cowboys. She’s pregnant. I think I’m happier than she is, but I’m not the one throwing up. She’s going to be great mother.

Not that we don’t spend every minute together, but Gray and I have a night a week where we dress up and go out dancing. And he gives me red Gerber daisies.

The book of my mother’s words and advice on love, he’s read it, several times in fact.

“It’s so easy,” he said once in utter confusion.

“What is?” I asked.

“Love. Love is so damn easy.”

“Not for all people,” I tell him.

“Then they need to find their Mandee,” he says as serious as a heart attack.

I am so happy. So, so, so, so happy that Mom sent me to find my angel who happened to be a Falcon. And he was here the whole time.

§

One Month and Two Weeks Later…

Grayson

Love...love is something I never felt I could afford. Now I know it is all I need.

I sleep every night, no need to wander. I wake up to bacon, blowjobs, a smile, a kiss, and knowing that, no matter what has happened in my past, my future is going to be full of moments like these.

Her dad and I have talked a lot. I read the book. Hell, I still look through it. And he’s given me his blessing, with no threat of bodily harm like I’m going to fuck this up. I won’t.

I’m investing my money, living off the interest, and writing songs. None are finished because, as soon as I start one, she does something else to inspire another.

I finally got Xavier Steel to back off, but also asked that, when I have some of my music finished, to take a look at it. Now he’s a pain in the ass about that. I don’t give a shit.

My father, is a protected piece of shit right now. He’s across the ocean causing chaos and there isn’t shit we can do, but figure it out. Mom, Detective DeAngelo, and Gage are handling most of it. I like him, told Mom I thought he was kind of sweet on her. She told me she didn’t have time or desires for that sort of nonsense. I call bullshit, but right now her focus is with the business, and she and Gage are working things out, that way anyway. I see respect building, even see Gage look at her like he hurts for her. I knew he does, but he needs to bury some baggage and she needs to keep showing him she’s sorry.

Right now, nothing can bring me down. If there’s a fight to face, I know it’s going to end with her smiling up at me.

Tonight is Fondue Friday and, as we clean up, I ask Gage to get Phoenix out of here. I have plans. He immediately asks if I’m going to ask her to be mine. I tell him she already is, just going to give her a ring and hope to set a date. He gets Phoenix out of there in a hurry. She doesn’t fight too much. She’s tired...and knocked up.

Mandee is in the office, getting the deposit she forgot. She doesn’t leave it overnight anymore. Her and I drop it off together.

I grab Glory and begin playing “You Won’t Ever Be Lonely” by Andy Griggs

As I sing, she walks out, her hand going to her chest as she stands in front of me and sways to the music.

I try my damnedest to finish, push through the want to just ask her already.

But I don’t.

I set Glory down and pull the box out of my pocket, get down on one knee, and open my mouth to ask. Before a word comes out, though, she smiles, big and bright and beautiful, causing me to stall for a moment, caught up in her.

“Yes.” She nods.

“Gotta ask you—”

“Yes.” She smiles bigger, stars and clouds.

“Will you—”

“Uh-huh.” She nods furiously.

“Will you marry me?” I all but yell, and then laugh.

“Yes, yes, yes!” She says.

“Gimme that hand.”

She does, and I slide the ring on it.

She looks down, and her stars and clouds are joined by rain, but I know they’re happy tears.

“Mom’s?” she sobs out. “And you added...”

“We got love like that.” I stand up, holding her other hand. “The forever kind.”

“We sure do.”