Beautiful Collide (Saints Of Redville #3)

EPILOGUE – MOLLY

“You’re going too fast, Wilde.”

Hudson looks at me, eyebrows raised and a cocky grin pulling at his mouth. “Too fast? That’s rich coming from the woman who insisted we eat a ten-pound burger two hours ago.”

“I’m still recovering,” I groan, sinking further into my seat as I rub my aching stomach. “I can’t breathe.”

He laughs, shaking his head as he grips the wheel of his Mustang. The car hums beneath us, the open road stretching for miles ahead.

It’s perfect.

The kind of perfect I never thought I’d have.

Yet here I am . . .

On a cross-country road trip with my husband, Hudson Wilde, checking off every ridiculous bucket list item we can think of.

“Where to next?” Hudson asks, glancing at the notepad crumpled in my lap.

I scan the list. “Item #17: See the world’s largest ball of twine.”

Hudson snorts. “That’s not even a bucket list item. It’s a cry for help.”

“It’s iconic. We have to see it.”

“And what exactly are we going to do when we get there? Stand and stare at it?”

“Yes. And take a picture to prove we were there.”

Hudson rolls his eyes playfully, but I catch the way his smile lingers. It hasn’t left his face since the day we packed up his car and hit the road.

A chime from my phone interrupts the moment.

I glance at the screen. Incoming FaceTime Call from mom Aka Mary Wilde.

She insisted I call her mom. It was weird at first, but now I love it, and wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Your family has impeccable timing,” I swipe the phone to answer.

The screen fills with Hudson’s mom, her warm smile stretching wide as soon as she sees us. “There you guys are. I was starting to think you were avoiding us.”

“Never,” Hudson grins, turning his head toward the camera for a brief second so his mom can see his face. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, honey. And hi, Molly!”

“Hi, Mom.” I wave, smiling back at the familiar faces. Hudson’s dad and his sister Anna. Before I can even ask how they are, they start to bombard us with questions.

“Where are you guys now?” Anna asks.

“On the road, heading to Kansas,” I reply.

“We’re seeing a giant ball of twine,” Hudson chimes in.

“Umm what?” Anna’s face fills the screen.

“It’s Molly’s idea,” Welp it looks like Hudson has clearly decided to throw me under the bus.

“It’s a classic road trip stop,” I argue. “It’s in all the travel books.”

“Which book is that? Because I’m going to need you to never give it to mom and dad.”

I shake my head at Anna’s words, before looking over to Hudson.

How did I get so lucky? Not only to be married to love of my life, but also to have this wonderful new family.

His mom clears her throat “Well, don’t forget to send pictures. We’re keeping a scrapbook of your honeymoon adventures.”

“We’ll send them,” Hudson promises before hanging up. “You realize my mom loves you more than she loves me, right?”

“I can’t help it if I’m her favorite Wilde.”

He groans, but there’s no hiding the happiness in his expression.

The air around us grows silent for a few minutes before Hudson’s hand reaches over to squeeze mine.

“You’re quiet,” he says after a moment, his voice low. “What’s on your mind?”

I tilt my head up to look at him. “I’m just… happy. Really happy.”

“Good. You deserve to be happy, Hex.”

“Even if I’m planning to make you stare at twine?”

“Even then.”

It doesn’t matter what we do, or where we go, all that matters is that we have each other.

For the first time in my life, I feel free. I feel whole.

And I feel loved—truly loved.