Epilogue
John
Seventeen Years Later
“Granddad,” Sunny shrieked from upstairs. “I can’t find my earrings.”
“There’ll be there somewhere, sweetheart,” I called up. “Look again.”
I leaned both hands on the counter, looking my three-year-old great-grandson in the eye, and declared, “Sunny’s losin’ the plot.”
“Sunny oozing pot,” he parroted.
I barked a laugh, remembering the one time when Sunny did ooze pot, and we found her with her head down the toilet bowl, puking her guts up. She’d mixed booze and smoked some bud, then had what Mason called a ‘whitey’.
Needless to say, she never oozed pot again.
“Danda? Nico ooze pot?” he asked me, smacking himself on his cute three-year-old little belly.
“Nah, kid,” I muttered. “Better stick to chocolate milk. I know it’s Granddad’s house, Granddad’s rules, but that’s a step too far.”
The running joke between the grandkids was that I force-fed their rugrats pure sugar cane. They weren’t wrong. I took pride in shoving as much fast food, fizzy pop, and Haribo down their necks as humanly possible, but hey, I was a Grandpop; that was my job. Spoiling the little ones was my religion, and nobody could convert me. If they didn’t like it, they could always look after their own kids.
Sunny came sprinting into the kitchen, wearing her long, white, strapless wedding dress. Her chestnut hair was loose and curled down her back, and her face had been made up to accentuate her huge, grey eyes and her puffy pink lips. “I can’t find my earrings!” she screeched. “They’re my something old, borrowed, and blue. What am I gonna do?”
“Cancel the wedding?” I suggested.
“Oh my God,” she cried. “I’m gonna have to cancel the wedding!”
“Sunny ooze pot,” Nico announced sagely, giving her some serious side-eye.
Tears sprang into my beautiful granddaughter’s eyes, and she sobbed, “My wedding day’s ruined.”
“What’s ruined?” Elise asked, fastening her bracelet as she walked into the kitchen.
“I can’t find my earrings,” Sunny wailed.
“Sink drawer,” Leesy told her. “I found them in the downstairs cloakroom yesterday and thought I’d better put them somewhere safe.”
“Oh my God, thank you!” Sunny yelled, running to the drawer, then sprinting back out of the kitchen.
My mouth hitched at the sight of my woman in her pale blue dress.
Leesy still didn’t look a day over forty. Her figure was perfect in her silken, floaty dress that wrapped around her waist. The year we got married, she gained twenty pounds, and I loved it. Her blonde hair had been twisted into a complicated knot at the back of her head, and her lips were luscious and glossy.
“She’s like a hurricane,” Duchess mused, her eyes on the door that Sunny had just disappeared through. “She leaves devastation in her wake.”
“Well, look at who her dad is.” I deadpanned. “That one had more than his fair share of moments when he was her age.”
“Have you heard from Kai?” she asked quietly.
My heart sank. “Not since a week gone when he packed his bike up and rode off into the sunset.”
“Always thought it would be him,” Elise whispered.
I gave her a tight-lipped smile. “We all did. But Kai didn’t treat her good, Leesy. Sunny’s kind and understanding, but she’s nobody’s fool. He flaunted other girls in her face, pushed her away, and broke her heart a million times over. There’s only so much a girl like Sunshine will take.”
Her eyes met mine. “I don’t like the idea of them losing the years we lost.”
I lifted Nico from the counter and placed him gently on his feet before turning back to my wife and cupping her face. “We can’t live their lives for them. They’ve gotta make their own way in life, and that includes making their own mistakes.”
Elise peered up at me through her eyelashes. “I need to go and get my shoes on, or we’ll be late. Make sure Sunshine’s okay. Bowie will be here soon with the car. She needs to be ready.” Her eyes lowered to Nico. “You wanna help Nanna with her shoes, sweet boy?”
I dropped my hand and turned for the door. “On it.”
“John,” Leesy called, making me stop in my tracks.
I craned my neck and gazed at my beautiful wife.
“Tell Sunny if she wants to jilt him, we’ll take her to Bora Bora for a month to lay low. She’s making a huge mistake. She doesn’t love that asshole.”
Lips twitching, I gave her a loose salute and admitted, “I know,” before turning and heading for the guest room.
My granddaughter had asked to come here the night before her wedding because Bowie’s place was a madhouse. They had six kids altogether, so it was manic and noisy as hell. Sunny, Molly, and Kady were all close like sisters, so they stayed here together to help Sunshine get ready, the same way they did during all their milestones.
And I loved it.
I approached the room where the girls had congregated and smiled at their familiar laughter. Today was bittersweet. I wanted all my grandchildren to be happy, but I wanted to keep them young and little, too. The last twenty years of my life had been spectacular. Seeing all my boys—and girls—overcome their insecurities to become the men—and women—they were always meant to be, filled me with so much pride and joy that it hurt to breathe.
I never wanted to let them go.
Raising my hand, I rapped on the door, only cracking it open when Sunny called for me to enter. I stepped inside, taking in Sunshine’s ethereal beauty, and my heart squeezed tight.
“Your dad will be here soon,” I told her, dipping my chin. “You look gorgeous.”
Sunny beamed at me. “Thanks, Granddad”
I glanced at Molly and Kady. “Can I have a word with the bride-to-be?”
“We’ll see you downstairs,” Kady almost sang in her melodic voice, heading for the door.
Molly gave me one of her ‘oh my God, Dad,’ looks. “Don’t make her cry. You’ll ruin her makeup.” Reaching out, she squeezed my arm comfortingly before disappearing through the door.
My gaze went back to Sunshine, and I cocked my head. “You’re the most sought-after hair stylist and makeup artist in Wyoming, Sunny. If you cry, can’t you fix it?”
She laughed, flashing her dazzling, white teeth at me. “Of course I can.” Her beautiful smile faded when I spoke my next words.
“I told him to handle you with care.”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I whispered. “Never thought he’d dim your light. Not him.”
She bowed her head.
“He loves you,” I went on.
“If he loved me, he wouldn’t keep hurting me,” she breathed.
“Funny that,” I murmured. “In my experience, it’s usually the ones we love most that we break the hardest.”
A single tear ran down her cheek.
“You were my first grandchild, Sunshine,” I reminded her. “Not my oldest, but my first. I’ll never forget the day your mom brought you to that first barbeque. You looked up at me with those big, silver eyes, and I fell deep for you. Would’ve handed you the world if you’d asked for it. Would’ve fought wars for you.”
Her hand touched mine. “You did fight a war for me, Grandpa.”
My throat heated. “Your nanna owns my soul, Sunny, but on that day twenty years ago, you kickstarted my heart. I want you to know that I’m always here for you, whatever happens.”
She smiled through her tears. “I love you, Granddad.”
“You, too, sweetheart.” I jumped slightly as I heard the front door slam. “Sounds like your dad’s here, sweetheart, but before you go, tell me truthfully. Do you love him?”
Her forehead furrowed. “Who?”
“Err. The man you’re about to marry?” I questioned.
Sunny giggled. “Oh, him,” her smile faded, “he loves me, Grandpa. That’s enough.”
“That’s just it, honey,” I replied. “It’s not enough. You deserve the world.” I dipped my chin so she could see the seriousness of my next words. “Wanna come to Bora Bora with me and your nanna?”
Her head reared back. “Who’d look after the salon?”
I waved a nonchalant hand. “I’ll give you enough cake to see you through a month or two.”
She rolled her eyes. “No, Granddad, but thanks.”
“Right,.” I held the crook of my arm out for her. “We better get you married then.”
She slid her hand through and looked up at me, her eyes sparkling. “Let’s go.”
My stare fell on the asshole laughing with two of his buds as he waited for my granddaughter to arrive. He looked very pleased with himself, but then, if I was thirty years old, not Sunny’s grandpop, and managed to get her down the aisle, I’d have been pleased with myself, too.
The church was packed.
The groom’s side was filled with country club types who looked down their noses at us. The bride’s side was filled with good people who happened to belong to a motorcycle club.
Cash turned to me. “Wonder if Bowie’s managed to talk some sense into her,” he hissed.
“Should’a let me blow his house up,” Kit drawled.
Kennedy snorted from his other side.
Abe nudged me. “It’ll be alright. Somethin’ will go wrong.”
My head swiveled to face him. “What?”
“You know our track record with weddings,” he muttered. “The second but last one got set on fire. The one after that, all those groupies crashed and started a fight with our girls.”
My lips twitched because he wasn’t wrong.
Five years ago, Cash finally got Cara to say yes, and she pulled out all the stops. They wanted a Christmas wedding, so to keep warm, they spent a fortune on a massive marquee. All was going swimmingly until they were saying their vows. Everybody started looking around ‘cause they smelled burning. Turned out Wilder, the little shit, had set fire to the thing.
In the end, they got married in the snow, literally. We were all fuckin’ soaked and colder than a witch’s tit.
Worst weddin’ ever until the booze came out, and we got to warm up.
Now, the other wedding was an eye-opener even for me. The groom—
“She’s here,” Abe whisper-shouted.
Pushing down my thoughts, I stood with the rest of the congregation and turned around.
The wedding march began to play, and Bowie appeared at the doors with Sunshine on his arm. He waited for their cue, and slowly walked her down the aisle.
My girl looked like an angel. Sunny had an ethereal look about her like you’d imagine a pixie or a fairy. Her long chestnut hair moved as if it had a life of its own, and her gorgeous smile lit up the room. Add on those massive grey eyes, just like her mom's, and she was a knockout.
Bowie finally got her to her destination, leaned down, and kissed her cheek, murmuring something to her.
“Oops,” Abe whispered when we caught Bowie shooting the groom a glare, obviously a warning never to hurt his girl. Then still glowering, he turned and took his seat next to Layla directly in front of me as the pastor began the service.
Leaning forward, I tapped his shoulder and hissed, “Couldn’t you talk her out of it?”
He turned and whispered, “She admitted she didn’t love him but would never humiliate him by jilting the scummy little fucker. She said she’d get bad karma.”
“Who’s gonna stop this shit show, then?” Abe demanded quietly.
Bowie, Cash, Kit, Atlas, and Abe all looked at me questioningly. “I’m not Prez anymore,” I murmured, sitting back and folding my arms across my chest. “I gave up bailing your asses out years ago.”
“She’s your granddaughter,” Bowie reminded me.
“She’s your fuckin’ girl,” I reminded him back.
“Somebody’s gotta do somethin’,” Atlas bit out quietly. “He’ll get to the part where we object soon.”
I scraped a hand down my face. “Jesus Christ. What a shit show.” I looked at each man in turn. “How about we all do it together?”
Every man thought about it briefly before nodding.
My shoulders slumped with relief. “Right. On my signal.”
As if on cue, the pastor's voice filled the church. “If any person here present knows of any lawful impediment to this marriage, they should declare it now.”
“Go,” I yelled, jumping to my feet. I froze, my gaze lowering to the other men, who all remained on their asses, looking up at me as if butter wouldn’t fucking melt.
My heart sunk down to my asshole, and I looked around, almost wanting to cower under all the death glares aimed at me.
“Assholes,” I hissed.
Crickets.
I tipped my head up and looked to the heavens, heaving a hard breath.
Bastards.
I went to open my mouth and stop this shit show of a wedding, when a deep voice growled from the door, “I fuckin’ object!”
I closed my eyes, and my shoulders slumped while I thanked God for saving my ass.
Whispers and mutters filled the church as everybody craned their necks to stare back at Kai, who stood in the doorway, looking like the biker equivalent of the dark avenger in his black jeans, Harley muscle tee, and Speed Demons cut.
“Oh my God,” Sunny exclaimed angrily. “I can’t believe you, Kai.”
Atlas cackled.
Cash hooted.
Kit’s lips twitched.
Bowie threw his hands up in the air and cried, “Praise the fuckin’ Lord.”
Abe choked out a laugh, looked up at me, and uttered the words that made my gut prickle.
“Here we go again!”
THE END