Epilogue
Lou finally came home, five days later when Everly did. Her prognosis was good, she was getting stronger each day and was expected to regain most of her strength and mobility with physical therapy. Her physical therapist was a young hunky guy, new to McKenzie Ridge, and about to be broken in quickly by Lou and her dirty old lady friends.
As for Everly, she was put on bed rest for six weeks while the injuries she sustained during her fall healed. Unfortunately, bed rest included no sex, which Doc was okay with, Everly…not so much. They made due, though, grateful for the second chance they were given.
The couple decided they would get married right there in McKenzie Ridge, just as soon as the bed rest had expired. Once the doctor gave his blessing, they would wed. More importantly, with raging pregnancy hormones, they could celebrate their wedding night properly with hot steamy sex. Everyone had their priorities and Everly’s were of the naked and wild variety.
Megan went to work on preparing a dream shotgun wedding that would be magazine worthy if she had her way. She would be planning a baby shower for Doc and Evie’s little boy too. He was to be named Rocco Jagger Charles, RJ for short. Doc promised endless sex to get his way on the name. If she was being honest, Everly liked it so it was a win win for her.
Party planning was in season because Meg had two other baby showers to plan. Sam and Dawson were expecting their third baby, a little girl due a short few months after Rocco. McKenzie was booming with babies – the other baby shower was for Morgan and Beck.
Morgan had opted out of Everly’s rescue because she knew it would be too much for her and the pregnancy. She was newly pregnant and twins were on the schedule. The three ladies gave Megan baby fever and she hoped that she and Colton would be next.
“You guys are like a bunch of fricken bunnies. This town is only so big, you’re all going to have to move.”
“Bets on Jessie being next? Any takers?” Doc teased.
“Screw you, Doc. I hope your baby is bald.”
“Most babies are
bald.” He retorted.
“Then I hope he hates Batman, and music.”
“Those are fighting words, Jess.”
“Yeah, well so is jinxing me with a kid.”
Blake watched from the corner, wondering just how serious Jessie was about that statement. He wasn’t into having kids but practicing how to make them was something he could handle. When she caught him watching her, he shot her a wicked wink to which she flipped him off.
The engagement party that two of the group’s couples were supposed to be having had become more of a homecoming because one of the couples was missing. Carigan and BJ had left for San Francisco so BJ could sign the necessary papers to sell his half of his restaurant to his business partner. They made it a day before heading straight to Reno where they were married.
Something about tragedies and near-death situations prompted expedited forever’s. Life was beginning to feel like it was on fast forward and everyone wanted to grab their piece of happiness. BJ and Carigan planned to take their time getting back to McKenzie, enjoying their honeymoon all over the Pacific Northwest.
They stopped in Portland to welcome her parents’ home from Ireland, only four of her brothers were there, finally home from McKenzie. Their last stop was in the San Juan Islands off the Puget Sound – Beck had set them up at his lavish home that sat on a ridge, of course, in Deception Pass.
Stone had moved into the small guest house that sat in the back corner of Lou’s property where Everly once lived. The sale of his large Texas ranch was underway, as was the purchase of Sugar Pine Stables where he was already moving his best riding bulls, including Ol’Twister, for breeding and show horses that he couldn’t say goodbye to. Retirement looked good on him, and he was happy to be back in McKenzie, he was home
. There might even be a second chance at love for him there too.
The happily ever after’s were falling into place, for all but one. Lydia. The party had finally died down and everyone went home when both Everly and Lou needed to rest. Lydia had put her son, Jax, to bed for the night and as tired as she was, couldn’t go to sleep herself. She was really good at putting on a happy face during the day when she was around other people – she felt safe in McKenzie – most of the time.
After the ordeal she went through with her now deceased husband, living on the run, and in fear for her life and the life of her son…she struggled with feeling safe at night, when it was dark, and she was alone. When it was dark, and quiet, she was left with her haunting thoughts. Every sound, every shadow, it all spooked her. Her routine now was to stay up late, until she couldn’t fight sleep and she would finally succumb to dreams over nightmares out of sheer exhaustion, albeit with the lights and TV still on.
She was nearing that time of night, ready to head to her room when there was a knock at her door. It was well after midnight, and she wasn’t expecting anyone. None of her friends would ever think to come by so late with a little one in the house. It just wasn’t like them in general.
Paranoia rolled in, and adrenaline had taken over. Going to the hall closet, she reached for the gun she had hidden on the highest shelf, out of Jax’s reach. Turning off the safety, she slowly went to the door, jumping when another knock came, harder and louder.
She stood there a good minute, recalling what she had been taught about handling and firing a weapon. She was taught how to shoot by the very man who protected her on the run, and then ran from her when their journey came to an end. Declan O’Reilly was easy on the eyes, delicious in bed, but bad for the heart.
With her hand on the door knob, she waited for a third knock before throwing the door open, startling the person on the other side of the door, banking on the element of surprise.
A sharp gasp escaped her when she saw who was standing at the other end of a bullet. Declan O’Reilly. He was back and standing on her front step with his hands up in surrender.
“We have a problem…”
THE END