Epilogue I
Robyn
W ere it not for this baby bump of mine, I probably wouldn’t have noticed the months gone by since we survived hell itself. But here we are, gathered at the clubhouse once more on a sunny, albeit cold, morning. It’s Sunday, and it’s Christmas Eve.
“Is Santa coming tonight?” Kyra asks, working her way through a gingerbread cookie and a glass of warm milk.
“She looks like a tiny queen in that chair,” Samson chuckles.
“It’s a fine piece of woodwork you made her,” I say with a warm smile.
He built it himself, and it looks sturdy, yet elegant. I knew Samson liked to dabble in wood crafts, but I had no idea he was this good. The chair is his first Christmas gift for us—the one gift we’re allowed to open before tomorrow morning that is.
“And yes, young lady, Santa is coming tonight,” I tell my daughter. “Tomorrow morning, we’re all going to come downstairs and find lots of presents under the tree.”
“What a beautiful tree,” Knox declares as he comes over to the bar.
Diesel and Jagger are right behind him, each carrying a plate of holiday-themed hors d’oeuvres from the kitchen. Shay serves a fresh batch of cinnamon and clove tea, while Samson gazes adoringly at Kyra.
“You’ll make a fine grandaddy, I’ll tell you that much,” I giggle softly.
The sparkle in Samson’s eyes fills me with a different kind of warmth. For the first time, I feel like I’m truly at home, among family. They’re the best kind of family too.
“You’re right, Knox. It is a beautiful tree,” Jagger quips, perhaps thinking we didn’t hear it the first time. All I can do is laugh.
“Fine, if you want a medal for decorating that tree, you’ve got it. I’ll have one made for you three, I promise,” I tell them.
My men take turns planting a kiss on my cheek.
“You’re more beautiful with each passing day,” Jagger tells me.
“And bigger,” I say.
“Bigger is beautiful,” Diesel quips, “especially since that’s our little Rider growing in there,” he adds, gently caressing my belly. I can feel his touch as though it’s skin on skin, even through the soft cashmere of my sweater.
Kyra gives me a pleading look. “Mommy, can I have another cookie?”
“Only if you promise to take your afternoon nap. You skipped yesterday,” I reply.
“Okay,” she sighs, sounding downright disappointed.
Knox gives her a playful nudge. “Don’t worry, princess. I’ll tire you out. We’ve got a few more decorations to put up around the clubhouse, and I need your help to do it.”
“Really?” She sounds so hopeful and excited.
“Yeah,” he says, then adds another cookie to her plate while I help myself to pig in a blanket. It tastes absolutely delicious.
“Shay, did you make these?” I ask her.
She nods once. “Family recipe. Like it?”
“I’m going to need it,” I say with a laugh.
Jagger gives me a wink, then heads over to the tree. “Nah, but for real, it looks amazing.”
“My God, you are really tooting your own horn, aren’t you?” I reply.
“Okay, fine. You did a marvelous job,” Samson grumbles. “Now quit bragging.”
But Jagger keeps staring at a particular ornament. It catches my eye, so I leave Kyra with Samson and Shay for a moment as I walk to Jagger’s side to investigate.
“What’s that?” I ask him, pointing at the ornament.
“I don’t know,” he says in a low voice.
Diesel and Knox join us, equally enticed. It’s a small box wrapped in velvet and decorated with a bright red bow.
“You didn’t put it there?” I ask.
Jagger gives me a long look and shrugs.
“I wonder what it is,” Diesel says.
I look at him, then reach for the ornament. “Are you sure none of you put it there?”
But they don’t answer. For a moment, I feel worried. Maybe someone else left it. Who, though? One of the other club members perhaps. It could be a gift. As I carefully remove it from its branch, I marvel at the velvety feel of the box, and I damn near forget about the rest of the world. I inhale the conifer scent as I analyze the ornament carefully, turning it over in my hands a few times.
“What is it?” Knox asks.
“It looks like a box,” I say. “Should I open it?”
“Call the bomb squad,” Diesel quips.
I give him a sour look. “Ha-ha. Really funny.”
“Open it,” he chuckles softly.
The softness of his gaze has me wondering. My heart skips a beat as I slowly open the box and lose my breath at the sight of a gorgeous diamond ring. It looks so delicate, so intricately crafted. It’s something a woodland fairy might wear, the tear-shaped diamond capturing every speck of gold in the room.
“Oh, my God,” I whisper, realizing what’s about to happen.
I turn around. Before me, my three men are all down on one knee.
Behind them, the handful of Rogue Riders present hold their breaths, smiling and gasping, waiting for the words to pop out.
My eyes sting.
“Guys…” I manage.
“You knew this was bound to happen,” Knox says with a huge grin. “We wouldn’t have it any other way, Robyn. You’re the one for us. You’re it.”
“We love you. You love us. It makes sense,” Diesel adds.
Jagger gives me the softest smile. “Marry us, Robyn. We’re meant to be together. We’re stronger together, happier, better.”
“Yes, I’ll marry you,” I say it again.
“Good, because we want to spend the rest of our days making you the happiest woman on earth,” Jagger replies and then kisses me.
He tastes like eggnog and nutmeg, like sweet heaven with a deliciously dangerous edge, and he was there for me when I needed him the most.
“Who knows, we might even have more kids,” Knox says, smooching my cheek until it turns pink. “You did mention you want a big family.”
“Can we wait for this little guy to pop out first?” I reply, crying tears of joy as I lose myself in their embrace.
“Don’t worry, baby,” Diesel says. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”
“Yeah, we do, don’t we?”
“Mommy’s getting married?” Kyra cuts in, her eyes as wide as saucers.
Samson runs a hand through his thinning hair. “How do we explain this one, fellas?”
“We’ll figure something out,” I say, then nod at my daughter. “Yes, honey. Mommy’s getting married and you’re going to be my flower girl.”
“YAY!” she screams and throws her little fists up in the air.
Samson can’t take all that cuteness, so he sweeps her out of her chair and twirls her around the room as the joy of Christmas and the purest kind of happiness wash over the clubhouse. I had secretly hoped for something like this, but after everything that’s happened, I figured why rush anything?
We were just lucky to be alive and still together.
And now, we’re even luckier as we look forward to the next happiest day of our lives.
“It’s going to be good; I know it,” Jagger whispers.
Around us, the celebration swells as Shay brings out the champagne.