Extended Epilogue
OLIVIA
T wo whole years.
It feels like only yesterday that I triggered Mrs. Jackson’s alarm when I snuck into her house like a thief in the night, fleeing deadly danger from my past. Now, I’m married, sharing my life with three amazing men and the mother of beautiful fraternal twins.
We’re sitting in front of a podium just outside the fire station, surrounded by friends and family. It’s a special occasion, and all of the firefighters have donned their ceremonial uniforms for it.
“My God, they look good in their uniforms,” Chloe whispers in my ear.
“Don’t I know it,” I reply with a giggle.
Members of the fire house stand proudly as the county’s fire chief pins the brass bugles to Dax’s collar. The sun shines generous golden rays upon him as he smiles, honored and overwhelmed by this new distinction .
Beside him, Leo and Beck shine with pride for their best friend, their brother-in-arms. Luke is at computer camp for another week and was a little sad that he couldn’t be here, but he’s loving the experience. We’ll celebrate together when he gets back.
“Congratulations, Captain Dax Chesterfield,” the fire chief says.
Immediately afterward, one of the young Truck candidates rings the fire station’s ceremonial bell.
“Congratulations!” Leo exclaims.
“Way to go, Captain Chesterfield!” Beck chimes in.
A wave of applause thunders across the crowd, emboldened by the firefighters themselves. My heart fills with pride and love for my husband.
In the eyes of the law, I’m Olivia Chesterfield. In the privacy of our close-knit circle, however, I’m Olivia, wife of Dax, Leo, and Beck in equal and adoring measure. Mother to Anabelle and Anthony, both comfortable under the shade and about to doze off in the stroller beside me.
Chloe and Carlos have gotten closer, especially over the past year. I’m pretty sure he’s going to pop the question soon enough. I already helped him pick out the perfect ring for her.
Everywhere I look, I see hope renewed.
I see the joy in living. Life was never meant to be easy. I know that, but it is meant to be spent among the people who love me the most. My tribe. My family.
“Cheers for Captain Chesterfield!” I shout, as we all stand and offer another round of applause .
He’s overwhelmed and so cute when he’s blushing. Dax rarely blushes, but this is truly a special moment. He worked hard to get to this point, and I know it means the world to him.
“This is the highlight of his career in the fire department, isn’t it?” Chloe asks, watching as Dax’s fellow firefighters take turns shaking his hand and congratulating him while the local reporters snap plenty of photos for tomorrow’s newspaper.
“It is, and it’s well deserved,” Carlos says. “I can’t think of anyone better to lead the Ember Ridge Fire Department, to be honest. Dax is a team player; he’s fair and well respected by his crew. He keeps a cool head and is never reckless. They haven’t lost a single firefighter since…”
“Since the warehouse fire,” I finish, picking up on the hesitation in his voice. “Yes, I know. It’s a good thing.”
“And one of the reasons he was considered for the promotion to begin with,” Carlos replies. “We’re looking at a safer community now that he’s in charge.”
By the time it’s our turn to congratulate my husband, the twins are sound asleep, not giving a rat’s ass about all the people talking and laughing around them. They’re heavy sleepers, and not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for that particular advantage.
They can be a handful, too. Two handfuls, for that matter.
However, I love them more than anything in the world, and Lord knows I’m enjoying watching them grow into the most amazing little human beings. In the meantime, I’m trying to focus on the present—the ceremony and the conversation we’re going to be having very soon .
Finally, we reach my husband, and I’m able to kiss Dax and hold him tight for a moment, while Carlos and Chloe stay back with our kids.
“Congratulations, Captain,” I tell him. “These men are lucky to have you leading them. You know that, right?”
“Fair enough, but we’re still the luckiest men in the world to have you as our wife,” Dax replies, his hands resting on my hips.
I wonder if he can tell.
Not yet. It’s too early.
“You know he’s going to get the traditional hazing, right?” Beck warns, stifling a devilish grin. “Every captain has to go through it, even the interim ones.”
“Again with that?” Dax rolls his eyes.
Leo laughs. “It’ll be over quick if you go with the flow.”
“Should I be worried?” I ask.
They chuckle in mischievous unison.
“Not at all, my love,” Dax says. “It’s a silly tradition. The part that sucks is that I’ll never see it coming. I’m not supposed to.”
“That’s half the fun,” Beck replies. “It could happen tomorrow, two weeks from now, or a year from now. He’ll never know when to expect it.”
“What’s it about?”
Leo shakes his head. “We can’t tell you. It’s a fire station secret.”
“I’m your wife.”
“But you’re not a firefighter. We love you, but some things are sacred. We have to respect Ember Ridge’s long-standing traditions,” Beck insists.
“You look gorgeous, by the way,” Leo says, measuring me from head to toe. “It’s giving me all sorts of ideas.”
That was the whole point of the summer dress I’m wearing. It flows in delicate shades of pink, hugging my figure in all the right places. The cleavage is a deep V, made all the more flattering by the string of pearls around my neck. My hair flows freely over one shoulder.
I chose this dress because I know how much Dax loves me in it.
It’s his special day, and I wanted to make every moment of it worth remembering. I know he knows it. I can see it in his eyes as he looks at me.
“Well done, Captain,” Carlos says as he comes over for a quick handshake.
I move to the side and lean into Dax, loving the feeling of safety I get from his tall, muscular figure.
My men are aging like fine wine. They keep saying they’re the luckiest on earth to have me, but I insist that I’m the lucky one.
“I look forward to working with you on behalf of the sheriff’s office,” Carlos adds.
“Though I hope we see as little of each other as possible under official circumstances.”
“Bold words just as wildfire season is about to start,” Dax replies with a bitter smile. “But thank you, Carlos. Sorry, I mean, thank you, Sheriff.”
The star does look good pinned to Carlos’s chest. He wears it with great distinction, serving proudly and righteously, day in and day out, never complaining. I can’t think of a better man to lead the local police force .
“Right back at you, Captain,” he says with a playful wink.
Chloe stands nearby with the stroller. Carlos looks at her, his expression morphing into one of anxiety.
“Dude, you’re sweating bullets,” Beck tells him.
“What?”
“Out with it already.”
“Out with what?” Chloe asks, completely oblivious and looking absolutely adorable in her pale green skater dress and lime-green stiletto heels.
“Dammit,” Carlos says and turns around to face Chloe. “Here goes nothing,” he says with a sigh, then takes out a red velvet box as he bends down on one knee.
I see the color drain from Chloe’s face.
For a moment, I’m worried she’ll turn him down, though I know she’s as nuts about him as he is about her. At the same time, the people around us realize that something important is about to happen. Gradually, they shift their attention to Carlos’s trembling voice.
“Chloe Jackson, you know what is about to happen. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how deeply, madly, and sweetly I love you,” he says.
“You barged into this town with a devil on your heels, and you have changed my life for the better. I never imagined I’d say such things, feel such things, but here we are.
I can’t imagine what my life would look like without you in it.
We’ve grown stronger, better, happier together, so would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? ”
“Oh, my God,” she mumbles, tears glazing her wide eyes .
“I want to be your husband, your partner, your best friend,” he adds with a soft smile.
“Waking up next to you every morning makes my day already perfect, no matter what lies ahead. Falling asleep with you in my arms is everything I need. You’re my home, Chloe.
Let me spend the rest of my days being yours. ”
“Carlos, you crazy bastard,” Chloe says, laughing as she points a finger at Dax. “This man just got his captain’s bugles and…”
But she quickly loses her train of thought, visibly touched by the proposal.
“Is that a yes?” I chime in, eager to get a positive conclusion for my darling friends.
“It’s an absolute yes!” Chloe exclaims as everyone around us cheers with joy. “An irrefutable yes, an overwhelming, resounding yes.”
“Thank fuck,” Carlos says, then laughs and slips the diamond ring on her finger before taking her in his arms and kissing her like there’s no tomorrow.
I melt with sheer happiness as I watch Chloe embrace her future husband, her elation mirroring mine as I hold Dax close, as Beck and Leo move in to flank us, together as a family.
The rest of the world doesn’t know what we’re about, but we do. Our closest friends do. And that’s all that matters.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” Chloe laughs as she kisses Carlos over and over again.
As if summoned by the noise of more celebration, Anabelle wakes up. Her eyes peel open, and she giggles with delight. Anthony, however, wakes and fusses.
“Ah, the gremlin is awake,” Beck laughs as he gently picks our boy up to soothe him. Leo takes Anabelle, and I can’t help but melt a little bit more as I watch them.
“You guys are naturals,” Chloe says.
“Eh, two kids are a breeze when there’s four of us,” Leo quips.
“Three kids,” Leo says. “You’re forgetting Luke.”
“I’m not forgetting Luke. He’s fourteen and practically self-sufficient. He’s our little man of the house already.”
“It’s going to be four, actually,” I cut in, finally finding the courage to break the news to my husbands.
Leo, Dax, and Beck stare at me, their eyes wide and sparkling, their mouths close to gaping. I still find them handsome, even when they’re in shock. My heart tingles as I await a response.
Chloe snorts a chuckle. “Wait, what?”
“I’m pregnant. Luke, Anabelle, and Anthony are going to get a new baby brother or sister in oh, about eight months, give or take.”
The looks on my husbands’ faces fill me with the same kind of bliss I felt when I saw the plus sign emerge on the pregnancy test just a few days ago. The prospect of growing our family, of adding even more laughter and joy to our home, seems to be precisely what we need.
“You’re pregnant again?” Dax manages, a smile generously blooming across his face. “Dammit, woman, you’re really reaching for the top prize here, aren’t you? ”
“Well, you wanted a big family, didn’t you?” I reply.
He takes me in his arms and lifts me off the ground. “Yes, and you sure delivered.”
I look around at all of us, glowing, laughing, about to bring another little human into the world.
We are happily raising our children and spoiling each other rotten. We’re making the most of every day that we get to spend together. Not every day is perfect, but I’ll be damned if I’d change anything about us.
Not one damn thing.
I hope you loved Olivia’s love story.