EPILOGUE
SHANNON
As far as weddings go, we weren’t going to win any competitions. I wore a simple, flared A-line dress, Gabe a dark, navy suit. He had joked at first he was going to show up in camo. “Not. Going. To. Happen,” I replied.
Matt was Best Man. I went without a maid of honor, though I had the kids all involved in various ways—even if Percy refused to play ball when it came to handing over the ring.
Did I mention we had the ceremony at the city zoo? Well, not the zoo proper, but on the premises looking out over the harbor, giraffe heads in the background, curious peacocks parading around us. I needed special permission to get my animal friends access, but they were generally well behaved. You should have seen the Swoonfest 2017 when Gabe took Buffy out of his suit pocket and perched her on his shoulder.
There he was, the man of my dreams. Well, not exactly. I never imagined I’d end up with a guy like Gabe, the very definition of a man’s man, a patriot and hero. I didn’t think I’d be with him let alone married to him—for real, this time.
When I mentioned how proud his mother would be in my vows, I saw that tough exterior start to crack, but he managed to hold it together for his SEAL buddies taking up the front row.
He wanted me to have a dream wedding, no expenses spared, but that’s not me. It never has been. I’m a simple girl at heart. Give me a book, a quiet corner, and I’m happy—doubly so when Gabe is around.
Sometimes he’ll wake restless, tossing and turning in his sleep fighting off foes unseen. I calm him down as best I can. I was surprised when he opened up about Triss, but I’m finding we’re still learning to trust each other, Gabe working out precisely how much to share with me lest he weigh me down with his own demons.
Often I’ll catch him staring into the distance, thoughts adrift. I know he still thinks about Triss. I don’t mind. I think it’s important for him to know that even though she’s institutionalized, she’s okay. He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if anything happened to her again, or me. That’s Gabe for you, always the perennial protector.
I suggested he look for a job when we get back from our honeymoon. He doesn’t need the money, but I think it would help him adjust back to normal life, or as normal as it can be for an ex-SEAL. My god, the acronyms I’ve learnt off his SEAL buddies… I’m a walking, talking tome of military jargon these days.
Dad would have loved him, loved having a son-in-law in the Special Forces. I remember Dad telling me once that SEALs are another breed, forged from a different material. “The stuff they make a man go through to get in,” he told me, “you wouldn’t wish upon any man. They strip you down, like an onion, layer by layer until there’s barely anything left. Then they build you up, working their way to perfection.”
I don’t know about perfection, but Gabe’s pretty damn close. And the sex… Where have you been all my life? I’ve come so hard at times I was seriously concerned for my life, like the little beast that my heart was just going to give up beating. Two, three, four times in one day—Gabe and his ‘weapon’ never seem short on stamina.
Lately I’ve been thinking about my own future, where to go to from here. The answer? I have absolutely no idea. PETA? A vet? I ticked off potential options one by one, even considered becoming a marine biologist until I realized it would be another four years of study. No, those college days are done. I’ve got no idea what’s around the corner, but with Gabe I really don’t mind. We have each other and for now that is enough.
It’s the last night of our honeymoon on Lord Howe Island. Gabe promised somewhere exotic. He didn’t disappoint. He took my love of wildlife into account, and my distaste for crowds. This is a little-known island to the rest of the world, but thanks to its isolation and varied landscapes, it’s rich in animal habitats. It’s home to over two-hundreds species of birds alone. Thirty-two species breed on the island… and maybe thirty-three now given the use our hotel bed’s been seeing over the last few days.
I run my finger over Gabe’s lips as we lie in bed, an ocean breeze fanning the curtains out by the balcony. “This is paradise.”
“You don’t miss the kids?”
I smile. “Sure, I miss them. You think Matt’s survived?”
Gabe laughs and takes hold of me, pulling me on top of him. His cock’s hot and hard trapped between his abs and my sex.
He moans in delight, taking hold of my ass and squeezing. “I really can’t be thinking about my brother right now.”
“No?” I tease, grinding on him.
He takes charge, flipping me over. “You have to do what I say, I’m afraid. I outrank you, remember?”
I run my nails down his back. “What if I’m the enemy?”
He smiles, pressing my hair behind my ear on the pillow. “Then watch out. I’m coming in hot.”