Epilogue

I’ve come to the point in my life where I need a stronger word than ‘fuck.’

-Text from Freya to Ridley

Freya

I hurried inside the building, worried that Ridley would be mad at me.

I waved at various guys as I made my way to his new office, smiling when I saw the sign beside his door.

Ridley Walker - Sheriff

That still sent goosebumps down my spine.

Ridley was an awesome man, but I hadn’t wanted him to run for Sheriff.

The good citizens of this county, however, had.

He was a good man and a fine cop and everyone loved him.

No one had a problem with the fact that he was a part of a motorcycle club.

They didn’t care that he was rough and brisk.

They only cared that he cared about them.

I peeked around the door and smiled when I saw Ridley.

He was holding Cori in his arms, feeding her while he had a phone tucked in between his chin and his shoulder as he jotted down notes.

He didn’t look the least bit pissed, though.

“No. Yes. No,” he said. “I already told you we weren’t cutting the budget. If we cut the budget, then that means we have to cut something we need. You’re not cutting it. I won’t take no for an answer.” He paused. “Do you really want me to tell you what would happen if you cut it?” Another pause. “Listen here, you little fucker.”

I giggled, causing Ridley to look up.

He narrowed his eyes and gestured to Cori with his chin.

I looked at him like I didn’t know what he was talking about, causing his eyes to narrow even further.

I grinned full out then, backing away from the doorway slowly.

His next words stopped me in my tracks, however.

“Excuse me while I go beat my wife.”

I hurried forward, looking at him incredulously. “You did not just say that to the mayor!”

He grinned and said, “Yeah, I really just said that, Sir. I was kidding. Gotta go. Bye.”

I laughed, full out.

There was nothing else to do.

“You’re incorrigible,” I told him, walking forward and holding my hands out for Cori who’d fallen asleep while drinking.

“She doesn’t like the bottle. Took me forever to get her to take that.”

I was breastfeeding, and of course she wouldn’t like the bottle. That would mean I’d get a little peace and quiet for myself.

I didn’t, though. Ever.

Instead, it meant that she was practically chained to my breasts.

Ridley was the only one who could get her to take the bottle, which was why he had her in the first place.

“I know. I’m sorry,” I said. “How’d the meeting with the mayor go?”

He glared at me.

“That good?” I asked, pulling Cori to my shoulder and patting her back.

She let out a soft belch and sighed, causing both Ridley and I to smile.

He stood up, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair.

It’d been a whirlwind year since we’d met, and we’d kind of fast forwarded our life together.

My eyes lit on the ring I’d given to him at our wedding.

Although it’d been at the courthouse, due to Ridley’s inability to wait for a real wedding to be planned, it’d been romantic.

At least to me.

Ridley had gone above and beyond anything I ever expected him to do, making sure all my friends were there.

He’d had Kelsey on Skype so she could witness the ceremony as well.

I’d finally gotten the chance to meet Ridley’s grandfather, who’d insisted on walking me down the aisle.

As he liked to say, it was his ‘right as the oldest man in the room.’

I gladly welcomed his arm as he walked me into the room and had given me away.

“Are you leaving, Sheriff Walker?” the new receptionist, who I hadn’t seen on the way in, asked.

I smiled at her, and her eyes fell on me and immediately went wary.

“No, Ms. Snider. Just going out to lunch,” Ridley said as he walked out the door, not waiting for her to reply.

“So,” I said, looking at my husband. “You have a twenty-year-old college co-ed as your receptionist?”

He looked at me, then nodded.

“Yep,” he said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because she’s the granddaughter of the old Sheriff, and he made me promise to take her on.”

“As long as she doesn’t expect you to do any more than that,” I muttered darkly.

He stopped me, pulling me into his chest.

Cori squirmed at the pressure from her father’s chest on her back and immediately let out a grunt of annoyance at being uncomfortable.

“You’re mine. Forever and always,” he said. “Some twenty-something blonde has nothing on you,” he said, pulling me even closer with a hand on my ass.

“Oh yeah?” I asked, pressing my lips against his.

He kissed me softly, then nodded.

“Yeah,” he agreed.

“Get a room!” a man called from behind us.

I turned my head slightly to see Wolf, his son at his side, heading towards us.

Then my eyes widened even further to see Hannah, and Hannah’s daughter, trailing behind him.

And behind Hannah and their kids was Raven, a woman who I only knew the bare bones about. A woman who was in hiding until some trial she testified at was over.

She was what I would consider a ‘man hater.’

Or, at least, her ex, anyway.

She never had anything nice to say about the man, and I couldn’t blame her. Not after hearing the little bit about the man that I’d been told.

But her eyes, those beautiful green ones, were staring totally and completely adoringly at Wolf.

However, the moment he turned towards her, her eyes shifted to the ground, a blank expression sliding into place on her pretty face.

Uh-oh.

Hmmmm.

“’Sup,” Ridley said, offering his hand to Wolf.

Wolf took it, returned the shake, then turned to me and Cori.

“Trade me,” he said, passing Nathan’s hand over to Ridley.

Ridley took Nathan’s hand, then bent down and swooped him into his arms, and immediately acted like he was going to drop him, eliciting a squeal from the boy.

I smiled, handing Cori over to Wolf without protest.

All of The Uncertain Saints adored Cori, and it was heartwarming to see all those big, strong men become little softies in the hands of a little girl no bigger than their hands.

And as I turned, studying my husband, I couldn’t help but think I’d lucked out.

I’d been handed two of life’s greatest gifts.

A black butterfly fluttered past in my line of sight.

The sight of it so rare, that my eyes were transfixed on it.

It landed on the top of Cori’s head, just for a few short seconds, before it flew away again, almost as if it’d never been there to begin with.

My breath caught, and my eyes followed the butterfly’s movements until I couldn’t see it anymore.

And I looked up to the sky, and smiled at my brother.

Butterflies had been his favorite, and I’d teased him mercilessly. Black butterflies in particular.

I love you. I looked up at the sky. And I miss you.

Ridley threw his hand around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest as he caught the look on my face, dropping his head to press his lips to my forehead for a few long seconds before returning to the conversation that had been going on around me.

Me? I ignored the conversation.

Instead, I basked in the greatness.

The perfectness.

My perfect greatness.

Then I took a deep breath and expelled it, doing so easily, contentedly for the first time in a long time.