Epilogue
Logan
One year later
Vibrators race across the bar, one pink and one blue.
Banner bounces as much as her belly will let her when the pink one wins. “I told you she’s a girl!”
Julianne shakes her head. “I demand a rematch. I swear, you’re carrying a boy.”
The other women chime in with their opinions, including Holly and Greer and Sofia, Banner’s friend from New York, with her weird little dog, Jordana.
Nicole went all out for Banner’s baby shower. Pints and Pins, which she bought from Ben with a loan from my wife, is decorated with pink-and-blue streamers. Of course they’re not playing normal baby-shower games because that would be way too boring for my wife.
And yes, even eleven months and twenty-five days later, I still love saying my wife.
The only person of note who’s missing is Banner’s mom. She apparently had some kind of important experiment running and couldn’t be bothered to attend her only daughter’s baby shower. Not that Banner’s parents came to the wedding either, which ended up happening on Friday and not Wednesday after the cabin shootout. We’ve invited them down for the baby’s birth, but I’m not holding my breath there.
Emmy is currently incarcerated in a women’s prison after taking a plea bargain and providing information to end most of the meth trade in Gold Haven. They expect she’ll serve about fifteen years before getting out.
My shop, which she admitted to burning down out of spite, was up and running faster than I would have thought possible, courtesy of Creighton Karas’s crews. Now business is booming, and even with triple the space, we still have a waiting list.
Banner tried to pay for the rebuild, but I wouldn’t let her. That’s when she decided to make the loan to Nicole for Pints and Pins instead. Nicole, for the record, was not trying to buy drugs to sell to make meth. She had a cold and an expired license the night Banner and I saw her at the pharmacy.
Ben came forward as Memphis’s anonymous tipster. He said he’d seen too many things happen in this town over the years, and he was sick of waiting for Timmons to get off his ass and figure it out. Now, he’s officially retired and living in Florida.
Other people might have been changed by inheriting $30 million, but all Banner asked for was a woman cave to be built behind our house to hold her office. It ended up becoming a full-blown warehouse on the property to hold all the inventory she keeps in Gold Haven. She’s since hired two full-time employees for shipping and administrative stuff, and Blush is already making a profit. She also started the Myrna Frances Memorial Scholarship at five different community colleges to help women who want to take business classes, one scholarship for each year Mrs. Frances was in her life.
To say I’m proud of her would be an understatement. To celebrate the one-year anniversary of her company, I surprised her with a fully restored cherry-red SS convertible with blush-pink pinstripes.
“Rose, do not put that in your mouth.”
I turn to see Creighton Karas talking to his daughter behind me, which never ceases to amuse me. The man can run an empire, but his baby girl has him wrapped around her finger.
Holly has just started to show with their second. I can only hope to be so lucky.
“You about wrapped up, Bruce?”
All the women turn at my question as they prepare to start another vibrator race across the bar.
“Logan! Are you early?” Banner looks toward the clock on the wall.
“I’m an hour late, actually.”
She smiles and waddles toward me. If she knew I even thought the word waddle, she’d crucify me. Even though I’d explain it’s the most beautiful fucking waddle in the world.
“They’re placing bets. Holly put fifty on a girl. Greer put fifty on it being a boy.”
“Fifty dollars?”
Banner laughs. “Fifty thousand.”
“Jesus Christ,” I whisper.
“Don’t worry, the loser has to contribute it to her college fund.”
“Still a her?”
Banner rolls her eyes. “Of course. There’s no way I’m wrong about this.”
“I guess we’ll find out soon, won’t we?”
I grab her hand and lift it to my mouth to press a kiss against it. She wouldn’t let me replace the ring from the arcade with a diamond, so I had a white gold replica made and swapped it out. Her finger is too swollen to wear it at the moment, so it’s in the safe at home.
Banner smiles. “We might be finding out sooner than we thought. I think I’ve been having contractions for the last two hours.”
“And you didn’t call me?” My voice is calm, even though my head feels like it might explode.
“I was having fun.”
“Bruce . . .” There are a million things I could say right now, but instead, I lift her into my arms and head for the door.
“We’ll see you all at the hospital later,” I yell.
“Don’t forget to take your shower favors!” Banner calls over my shoulder. “They’re my newest bullet vibrators and cock rings. I can personally attest to them being amazing.”
Only my wife.
The best decision I ever made was to take that Road Runner to New York City myself.
* * *
Seventeen hours later
“Mr. Brantley, would you like to hold your daughter?”
I meet Banner’s tear-filled eyes over the head of the tiny infant lying on her chest.
“Absolutely. Come here, Rogue.”
The End
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