Epilogue
__________
Three months later
December
“Come on! Cut the ribbon, would ya?” Wolfe shouted, needling Reagan as she stood on the front porch of the new bar. “We’ve been waitin’ a long damn time for this.”
Reagan laughed, as Wolfe had expected her to.
Beside her, his cousin watched Reagan closely. The man was so far gone it was amusing. Or rather it would’ve been if Wolfe didn’t know exactly how the man felt.
These past few months had been … well, amazing was one way to put it. Although that was probably an understatement.
“Y’all ready for this?” Reagan asked the crowd that had gathered in the parking lot.
Wolfe was pretty sure half the town was there despite the fact that it was unusually cold for winter in Texas.
A chorus of cheers erupted.
“You sure?” Reagan asked, cocking her head to the side.
Lynx laughed, then moved closer to his woman.
Wolfe waited along with everyone else.
Finally, Reagan leaned down and snipped the ribbon that was tied between two cedar posts that supported the overhang covering the wraparound porch. Lynx had mentioned that Reagan had always wanted a wraparound porch, so it had been added at the last minute. Wolfe knew his cousin would go to any lengths to make that woman happy.
Lynx gave a whistle and everyone cheered.
It had taken them three months to get the bar built, and the day had finally come to open the place. Granted, it probably would’ve been built even sooner than that had his cousin not decided that he wanted to start building his own damn house while they were in the process of erecting the damn bar.
It seemed to have worked out for everyone though.
Well, maybe not everyone.
There were still a couple of pissy people, but as Lynx said, you couldn’t please everyone all the time. Wolfe had to agree. Truth was, it didn’t fucking matter if everyone else was happy. Decisions were made, lives were changed, and people were smiling. All was right in their world and those who didn’t like it could fuck off.
Glancing around, Wolfe set his sights on the two people he’d been waiting for.
While the rest of the crowd stood patiently waiting for the doors to open, Wolfe wound his way around the horde to the spot where Rhys and Amy were standing beside Rhys’s truck.
“You’re seriously workin’ tonight?” Wolfe grumbled.
“Someone’s gotta keep you crazy-ass Caines in line.”
True.
Rhys tugged Amy close and kissed the top of her head. “You don’t let our boy get in any trouble tonight.”
Wolfe laughed.
Amy chuckled. “I’ll try. But I can’t make any promises.”
Not caring who was standing around watching, Wolfe closed the distance between him and Rhys. He stood there, toe-to-toe with the man he loved, while the woman they loved smiled up at them.
“So, sheriff,” Wolfe said, keeping his voice low. “You gonna kiss me or what?”
The blush that stole over Rhys’s face had Wolfe’s dick twitching. God, he fucking loved this man.
Wolfe glanced down at Amy. “That was the agreement, right?”
“Technically,” Rhys said, clearing his throat. “I agreed to kiss you in public when Lynx announced—”
Wolfe interrupted him. “Wait for it.”
“Oh!” Lynx’s booming voice sounded from behind them. “And one more thing! We’ve got some celebratin’ to do tonight.”
Wolfe cocked an eyebrow, never looking away from Rhys.
“My girl said yes, y’all! Reagan’s gonna be my wife!”
And the cheers shot to a deafening level.
Wolfe merely grinned, waiting.
Rhys shook his head and Amy laughed.
“Come on,” Wolfe goaded. “What’ve you got to lose?”
Surprising him, Rhys leaned forward. Wolfe’s breath halted in his lungs when the sexy sheriff grabbed his shirt and jerked him closer, crushing his mouth to Wolfe’s.
Hot damn.
He fought the urge to take the kiss further, but it wasn’t easy.
More cheers sounded.
Amy giggled and Rhys pulled back, both of them glancing down at her.
“I think they’re happy for you,” she said sweetly.
“For us,” Wolfe clarified, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off her feet. He pressed his lips to hers and grinned against her mouth when she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Yeah. It was safe to say, they were holding things together just fine.
Lynx shook some hands as people passed by him into the bar. He kept one arm wrapped around Reagan, not wanting to let her get too far. They had been counting down to this night for so long it was almost hard to believe that it was finally here.
Granted, three months wasn’t a terribly long time, but when it came to getting the bar opened up, it seemed like an eternity.
“Congratulations!” Darrell Jameson said, smacking Lynx on the arm.
“Thanks, man. Go on in, grab a beer. You and your lady’re drinkin’ free tonight. This place wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”
Darrell nodded, then took his wife’s hand as they slipped inside.
A couple more people passed by, congratulating them both before heading inside to see the new place.
Lynx tried not to look obvious as he glanced around, scanning the area for one specific person. He wasn’t sure how well he was doing, especially when he caught Reagan watching him.
“What’re you up to?” she asked, pinching his side.
Lynx laughed, trying to pull back but still refusing to let her go. “What makes you think I’m up to—”
“Congratulations.” The deep, raspy voice had them both turning.
And though he had known this was going to happen, Lynx felt the emotion slam through him. He couldn’t help it. His eyes teared up and his lungs stopped working momentarily.
“Oh, my God,” Reagan choked out. “Oh, my God!”
Lynx met his father’s eyes, trying to remain steady on his feet as the man he loved more than life stood there in front of them. It was the first time Cooter had ventured out of the house since…
“You think I’d miss this, honey?” Cooter asked, smiling at Reagan. “Not a chance.”
Reagan threw her arms around Cooter, and Lynx’s old man held on to her for a minute, probably giving her a little privacy to cry. Hell, Lynx was still hovering on the edge of tears himself.
“Thanks, Dad,” he mouthed.
Cooter nodded, then released Reagan when she pulled back. He leaned down and looked into her eyes. “You good, honey?”
Reagan laughed. It was a watery sound, but it was a laugh nonetheless. “I’m good. I’m so glad you’re here.”
She squeezed Cooter’s hand, then stepped back.
Lynx wrapped one arm around her shoulders and tugged her into his side. “Go on in,” he told his father. “Have a beer. Calvin’s in there somewhere.”
Cooter nodded and their gazes held for a second longer. Lynx was so proud of his father. So fucking proud.
Being in love with Reagan, Lynx knew the kind of love his father had felt for his mother. He didn’t want to ever imagine the pain Cooter had gone through, but he understood exactly what had driven the man to lock himself up in his house all this time. That sort of loss… It was unbearable.
Reagan turned her face into his chest when Cooter headed inside. Lynx hugged her tightly.
Someone cleared their throat and Reagan pulled back.
Lynx found himself looking down at Billy Watson. Two steps away, Tammy stood by his side. Neither was smiling, which he didn’t find surprising. Considering Tammy was four months pregnant and the pair had endured what might’ve been called a shotgun wedding at the hands of her father, Lynx didn’t imagine they had much to smile about. He had heard that Billy had attempted to pay Tammy off to get her to claim the baby wasn’t his, which had sent her into a fit of rage. Couldn’t blame her for that.
Needless to say, Tammy’s father hadn’t been happy about any of it, but they had come to the decision to keep the baby and to get married. The best part was, Billy and Tammy were living with Tammy’s parents in Austin. Looked as though date night had brought them back to town.
“Congrats,” Billy said, his tone defeated.
“Thanks,” Reagan quipped, leaning in closer to Lynx.
“I promise,” Tammy said, looking directly at Reagan, “he won’t be causin’ any trouble tonight.”
No, Lynx didn’t figure he would.
The pair moved into the building and Lynx turned to Reagan. “You ready to get this party underway?”
She nodded, then shot him a sexy smirk. “I’m lookin’ forward to midnight.”
“Midnight?” That was closing time. He cocked his head, trying to decipher her meaning.
“Keep thinkin’ on that one,” she said sweetly. “And get back to me when you figure it out.”
With that, the sexiest woman on the planet spun around and headed into the bar.
Damn. He hated to see her leave, but he fucking loved to watch her go.
Midnight
“You ’bout done in here?” Lynx asked, watching Reagan as she pushed in one of the chairs before flipping off the overhead light.
“Not quite,” she told him as she moved toward the bar. “I need help with somethin’.”
“What’s up?” he asked, following her around behind the bar.
She turned to face him, that sexy smirk from earlier back on her face. “Thought maybe we could christen this place tonight.”
The impact those words had was like a punch to the gut, stealing his breath. However, this wasn’t a bad feeling. Not by a long shot.
Gripping her waist, he hefted her up onto the bar, coming to stand between her legs.
“I like where your head’s at,” he told her, sliding his hand beneath her hair and pulling her in for a kiss.
The thunk of her boots hitting the ground had him chuckling as he pulled back. He noticed she was already unbuttoning her jeans.
“Hot damn, girl,” he rasped. “Lemme help with that.”
A few minutes later, he had her naked, her bare butt planted on the bar top, tits beckoning him. She took his Stetson from his head and propped it on her own.
The woman didn’t know how fucking hot she looked just like that. Hell, Lynx wasn’t sure he could look away long enough to do this moment justice.
“I’m not sure this is what Wolfe had in mind when he designed this bar,” Lynx said, his hands cupping her breasts as he lifted one to his mouth. He laved her nipple with his tongue, watching her face as he did.
“Not sure if the health inspector would be too happy about it, either,” Reagan said, her eyes bright as she watched him.
Lynx released her nipple. “What he don’t know won’t hurt him.”
“True.”
“Now, where was I?”
Reagan lifted her breast toward his mouth. “Right here.”
Damn, this woman knew how to drive him absolutely crazy.
Leaning in, Lynx grazed her nipple with his teeth, then sucked her into his mouth.
Her moan echoed in the empty room.
He fucking loved that.
When her fingers slid into his hair, holding him to her, Lynx gave her his full attention. His hand slipped between her thighs; his thumb trailed between her smooth, slick lips.
He released her breast from his mouth, then hooked her knees over his forearms. “You’re wet for me.”
“I am,” she agreed. “I always am.”
He met her eyes for a second before dipping his head down and sliding his tongue through her slit. Reagan leaned back, propping herself up with her hands, which practically offered her pussy to his eager mouth. He didn’t waste time.
“Lynx… Oh, God…”
Listening to her sexy moans, Lynx ate her like a starving man, working her close to the edge and then backing off until she was practically bucking against him.
“Quit teasin’ me,” she demanded.
Grinning to himself, Lynx went full throttle, lapping at her pussy, then sucking her clit until she was screaming his name.
She was breathing hard when he stood up.
“So, how ’bout we try that again?” he suggested.
“Try what?” she asked, her chest heaving.
Lynx helped her down from the bar and spun her around.
“Stand right there,” he told her. “On that step.”
Reagan did as he instructed.
“Now put your hands across the bar,” he insisted, helping her to curl her fingers around the outer edge. “And don’t move.”
“Okay, but what are we gonna try again?”
Lynx freed his cock from his jeans, then lined up behind her. He ran the sensitive head of his dick through her slickness, then pushed inside her.
“Fuck…” he hissed, the pleasure almost too much to bear.
When she started to push back against him, Lynx stilled her with his hands on her hips.
“Hold on, girl,” he whispered against her ear. “This time, when you scream my name, I’m gonna make it fuckin’ count.”
Reagan giggled, but that died off quickly when he thrust into her.
He fucked her right there in the bar until they were both out of breath.
And when she screamed his name that time…
Fuck yeah!