Epilogue
One Year Later
I leaned against the porch railing, watching the sun rise over the lake. The water shimmered with rippling reds and pinks, the colors so vivid they brought back the memory of my first date with Kenna—right here, on a blanket spread over this very spot.
Kenna had torn into my life like a wildfire, burning away the loneliness and loss, leaving something new and stronger in its place.
I drained the last of my coffee, the warmth lingering in my chest as I turned to head inside. The house still smelled of drywall and fresh paint, but with the boxes unpacked and Kenna’s touches everywhere, it finally felt like home.
It’d taken us longer to get it built than we’d expected—construction was delayed by a few months when Eva was hospitalized with life-threatening complications early in her pregnancy.
The entire club had rallied around her and Reaper, stepping up wherever we could so they could focus on getting their twins to term.
We hadn’t minded, though. Living together at the club’s property had given Kenna the chance to truly come into her own as an old lady.
Inside, Kenna was already dressed for the day in a short, off-shoulder floral sundress, her auburn hair falling to her shoulders in loose waves.
She clutched a clipboard in one hand, a purple pen in the other.
She moved through the kitchen with purpose, probably set on checking the flowers, the cake, or some other damn thing for the wedding.
I snagged her as she scurried by, pulling her close.
“Merrick!” she screeched at the disruption. Brisket woofed at me in a shared protest.
I plucked the clipboard from her hand and lifted her onto the countertop, pressing my body between her legs. I fluttered kisses along her collarbone, up her neck, my hands roaming her smooth thighs. I sucked in a breath when I realized she wasn’t wearing panties.
“I have so many wedding things to get done. I don’t have time for this,” she protested, but her breath hitched as I trailed my hands higher.
“The ceremony isn’t until seven. You have plenty of time for me to remind you who you belong to before this fucking goat rodeo gets started.”
She glanced down as I slowly pushed her dress higher, her eyes catching on the new tattoos on my knuckles—bold script that read “WILD” and “FIRE.”
“Besides, who knows if he’ll even show up,” I grumbled. “There’s still time for him to run.”
She laughed, shoving my shoulder. “He’s not going to run. Besides, it’s your job as the best man to make sure he doesn’t.”
I chuckled. “Or maybe it’s my job as the best man to be his getaway driver.”
Kenna smacked my chest. “You’d better behave today. No getaway stunts.”
“I promise,” I grumbled. “I just never expected Hatchet, of all people, to get married. Especially before us.”
She shrugged. “You haven’t asked me yet.”
I glared at her. “I asked you on our first date.”
“More like demanded.” She scoffed.
I pushed her dress up higher, kissing the inside of her knee, then trailing my lips slowly upward. “Will. You. Marry. Me?” I punctuated each word with a kiss. At the end of my proposal, I ran my tongue up her bare center, and she gasped, arching against me.
“You did not just propose with your tongue,” she panted. “Propose like a normal person. With a ring.”
I chuckled, my laughter vibrating against her, making her moan.
“Knock, knock,” a cheery voice called out as our front door opened. Brisket barked, his paws slipping on the wood floors.
Kenna scrambled to pull her dress down, but the flush across her neck and chest gave us away.
“Gross,” Merci complained, balancing two handfuls of bags in her hands. “Really? The kitchen counter? People eat there.”
“I know,” I said with a wry grin. “You’re interrupting my breakfast. Maybe you should try knocking.”
Kenna hopped off the counter. “Let me help you with those.”
“I’m just dropping these off, and then Jessa and I are heading to the airport to pick up Mom,” she said, setting the bags at the bottom of the stairs.
“I can pick her up,” I offered. “As long as my getaway driver services aren’t needed, I don’t need to do anything else today.”
“You need to pick up your tux,” Kenna reminded me.
“Right,” I said, scrubbing my hand over my face. “I can grab that after. When does she land?”
“In two hours,” Merci said.
“Consider it handled. Now get out of here. I was just proposing to Kenna when you walked in.”
Merci raised a brow, glancing at Kenna. “Proposing?”
Kenna laughed, shaking her head. “He wasn’t serious.”
“I’m completely serious,” I growled.
Kenna sucked in a sharp breath as I turned to stalk toward her.
“Goodbye, Merci,” I said, not bothering to look at my sister and not caring whether she was out the door by the time I got to Kenna.
“I know you have wedding planner shit to do. And I have an hour and a half before I need to go. So, I’m going to take you upstairs, and by the time I leave, you’ll have agreed to marry me. ”
“Merrick,” she said in exasperation.
I needed her to know I meant every damn word. I threw her over my shoulder, and she shrieked as I carried her up the stairs.
“Put me down. You can’t just manhandle me into marrying you.”
Despite her protests, I could hear the smile in her voice. She laughed breathlessly as I tossed her into the middle of the bed.
I slid the straps of the sundress down her shoulders. I kissed her throat, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what I really wanted from her. An answer.
“Stay here,” I commanded, pressing a kiss to her forehead before rolling off the bed. I crossed to the dresser and rustled through a drawer to find the velvet box.
She sat up, swinging her legs over the side.
I knelt beside the bed and took her hand. Her eyes widened at the sight of the ring box. She stared at the shimmering oval-cut sunstone inset on a gold band. The fiery orange and yellow gem reminded me of her radiant strength and fierce spirit.
“Marry me, Wildfire.”
She leapt forward, wrapping her arms around my neck and knocking me back to the ground. With her legs straddling my hips, she pulled the ring from the box and held it up in the morning light.
“This is beautiful. How long have you been holding onto this?”
“I ordered it a week after you moved in.”
“What?”
“I’ve always known you were the one. You insisted on waiting until we were settled, though, so I’ve held onto it. I don’t want to wait anymore. I love you.”
“I don’t want to wait either. But, after planning someone else’s wedding, I want to elope. Just us.”
“Whatever you want, as long as you’re mine.”
The bride and groom said their vows beneath a magnolia tree in full bloom, and a makeshift dance floor had been built over the spot where Kenna planned to plant a garden next spring.
Lights strung from trees hung above us, casting a warm, honey haze on Kenna’s floor-length champagne lace bridesmaid dress. Our family—the Lone Star Mavericks Motorcycle Club—milled about the yard, while Hawk and Brisket trailed behind guests, angling for treats.
“Show it to me,” Hatchet said, sliding between me and Kenna as he slung an arm over each of our shoulders.
“What?” Kenna asked innocently.
“The ring. I can’t believe Merci had to be the one to tell me this asshole finally proposed. I’m wounded.”
Kenna rolled her eyes. “It’s upstairs. Besides, it wasn’t a real proposal.”
“What do you mean it wasn’t a real proposal?” I growled, shrugging off Hatchet’s arm to face Kenna. “I asked you to marry me, I gave you a ring, and you agreed. And hands off my fiancée, Hatchet.”
Hatchet chuckled as I tugged Kenna closer.
“You asked as you were trying to paw off my clothes. It’s not exactly a story I can tell. We don’t need to announce it tonight. This isn’t our day. Let them have the spotlight.”
Hatchet shoved Kenna’s shoulder gently. “Tonight is about family and love. You’re family, and you’re in love. Go upstairs and put that ring on so we can toast,” he demanded. “If you don’t, I’ll tell everyone about your proposal, in detail, during my speech.”
“You wouldn’t.”
Hatchet’s wicked grin grew. “From what Merci told me, it was pretty scandalous. And I can be creative and fill in the other details.” He stroked his short beard, eyes glinting with mischief.
Kenna sighed dramatically. “You’re not going to let up on this, are you?”
Hatchet shook his head.
“Fine. You know, I would have never become involved with the Mavericks had I known you would all be so bossy.”
We chuckled as she stomped away, muttering to herself.
“Thought you’d never ask her,” Hatchet harped. “When’s the big day?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “After planning your circus of a wedding, she wants to elope.”
“You’re already in a tux and everyone’s here. Get married tonight.”
My brows jumped. I didn’t hate the idea.
Kenna approached, hand outstretched as if to prove to Hatchet she’d slid the ring onto her finger. The sunstone glittered as it caught the light of the nearby fire.
“Merrick says you don’t want to plan another wedding,” Hatchet said.
Kenna shook her head. “Between work and opening the center next week, I don’t have time.”
“Then get married now,” Hatchet schemed. “Everyone’s already here.”
Her jaw dropped. “What? No,” she protested. “I can’t steal your day.”
“It’ll be perfect,” he promised. “Then Merrick and I can remind each other of our anniversaries. My bride’ll loan you her ‘something blue.’ Merrick’s age covers ‘something old,’ and this bouquet works for ‘something new.’” He shoved the flowers into her hands with a smirk as he strode away.
Kenna’s wide eyes flicked to me. “You want to get married tonight?”
I smirked. “It’s a good idea. Almost everyone we care about is here.”
Before she could argue, Hatchet climbed onto a chair and clanged his fork against his beer bottle. “Listen up, assholes!” he bellowed. The bride glared at him. “I mean, wonderful guests. Shut up for two seconds.”
The crowd quieted.
“First of all, I want it on record that I never thought I’d choose marriage as a life sentence.”