Epilogue
EPILOGUE
WALKINS GLEN, ALABAMA – FOUR MONTHS LATER
“Mom really should start a wedding planning business. And your wedding can be her next gig.” Ella elbowed her brother, Beckett. “Your date is gorgeous. How come I don’t know her? She’s not from here.” And was this the first time she’d seen her brother on a date?
Ella’s gaze cut to McKenna, who was laughing at something A.J. was saying while they danced, and it was such a relief that her niece was doing well after everything that had happened. The family had immediately gotten her into therapy to manage any post-traumatic stress she might be experiencing, but McKenna seemed more concerned about a boy she liked in school than anything else. Normal thirteen-year-old-girl stuff, thank God.
And seeing McKenna was a reminder of Zoran’s son. Nikola had been adopted by a family in France. The DGSE had pulled some strings, and from what Ella had learned, he was also thriving.
Turning her attention back to her brother, Ella noticed his focus wasn’t on the date he’d brought to Savanna and Griffin’s wedding. No, his eyes were on Sydney Archer as she danced with her son, who was about half a foot taller than his mom. Sydney was mid-twirl when she looked straight at Ella and Beckett as though feeling their eyes on her.
Beckett coughed into a closed fist, shifted to the side, and faced Ella. “What were you saying?”
Ella smiled. Huh, interesting. “The wedding is beautiful. And maybe you’ll get married next, you know, since I’ve already tied the knot. It’s your turn.” She searched the crowd for her other two single brothers, Shep and Caleb. There was a far better chance Beckett would marry before either of those playboys.
“Yeah. Glad they decided to have their reception here,” Beckett answered in a low, almost distant-sounding voice, ignoring the other part of what she’d suggested.
Savanna and Griffin had wed at the local church. The only church in town. But Ella’s mom had transformed the ranch into a wedding site yet again.
Unlike Ella’s wedding, a white tent had been set up, with a makeshift dance floor in the center. And surrounding the dance area and band were round tables with cute cross-back chairs and centerpieces of in-season flowers in various shades of pink, arranged in silver vases.
Strings of lights overhead created a soft glow, which definitely played up the romantic factor. But Ella’s favorite part of the entire night . . .
Savanna’s smile.
Her beautiful best friend looked so happy. And she also looked stunning in the dress Ella had designed for her to wear, which would become part of what Ella was dubbing her “Walkins Glen Southern Wedding Collection.” Well, she was still playing around with the name, but Ella had been more than excited to design a gown for her best friend.
The silhouette was an ivory ball gown with a scalloped chapel train. The sweetheart neckline and Basque waist style looked perfect on Savanna. The fabric was made of tulle and lace, with a sequined net skirt, and pearls and crystals on the corset finished the look.
“Beautiful,” Ella remarked at the sight of the bride and groom on the dance floor. Savanna was absolutely radiant in her gorgeous dress and Griffin looked beyond elegant in his tux. And where’s my husband?
She found Jesse standing at the bar with a few of his Falcon Falls teammates who’d all come for the wedding. The team had taken several jobs since January, but none had been quite as dangerous or high risk as the one with Yuri.
Like Griffin and Savanna, she and Jesse were making things work despite the fact Falcon’s headquarters was in Pennsylvania. For the most part, Jesse was rarely in Pennsylvania. He spent most of his “off op” time at home with her, and he continued making furniture on the side because he was really damn good at it.
She’d moved into his house until they could build their own place. Jesse wanted a new home for the two of them to start a family. A fresh start.
His mom and dad were still separated, and in Ella’s mind, maybe that was for the best. According to Savanna, with the exception of romance books, not all stories had a guaranteed happily-ever-after. And so maybe, the story for Rory and Jesse’s parents wasn’t a romance. But Ella had to believe his mom would find her way to happiness eventually, whether that was with Jesse’s dad or someone else.
“I’m happy that you’re happy,” Beckett unexpectedly said, almost as if he’d read her thoughts too.
Ella pivoted her focus away from where Jesse was now belly laughing at whatever Jack had just said.
“What about you? Your happiness?” She angled her head. “McKenna wants a mom. She’s said that to me on more than one occasion.”
Beckett frowned, and his shoulders fell, but he remained quiet.
“Not everyone is like . . . her,” Ella softly said. Her. The “her” no one dared talk about in Walkins Glen. McKenna’s mom.
“I need a drink.” And Beckett’s broodiness was back.
“And maybe dance with your date?” Ella suggested, and he grunted in answer before parting ways. She should’ve known better than to bring her up.
She didn’t want anything to sour her happy mood, though, so she decided to have a little fun.
Ella went to her assigned table and snatched her phone. She scrolled through the sexy images she’d taken of herself while getting ready for the wedding earlier but hadn’t sent to her husband.
She opened her Instagram and sent User1231 a private story. Three, in fact, of her wearing nothing but pink lace lingerie and high heels.
Ella chuckled at the memory of how this game all started. Two weeks ago, she noticed a new follower on her Instagram page. User1231 had no profile image, no posts, and the only person they followed was Ella. For having been in the CIA, her husband wasn’t very stealthy when it came to social media. Or maybe he wasn’t trying to be in this case because it didn’t take her more than a minute to figure out that 1231 referred to their wedding date—December 31st.
So that night, she’d sent him a sexy text, and he’d nearly broken down the bedroom door to get to her.
He knew she’d never sext a stranger, so he realized she’d figured out he was User1231. But he’d played it up a bit as if he were clueless so they could have some of that hot angry-sex they both loved.
Ella looked over at Jesse reaching into his pocket and smiled when he caught his lip between his teeth as he viewed his message. He nearly dropped his phone when her dad sidled up alongside him and threw an arm around his shoulder.
Shit. Yeah, that’d be her bad luck to have her father catch a glimpse of her half-naked.
Her heart squeezed, though, at seeing her dad and Jesse together. He loved his son-in-law, and their relationship was the kind Jesse needed in his life.
Jesse shot Ella a quick look across the way that told her she was “in trouble” later while pocketing his phone and taking the shot glass Oliver handed him.
Ella smiled, loving every minute of her husband’s flushed cheeks, knowing he’d be making her cheeks, the other ones, red later for that.
She adjusted the halter of her pale pink bridesmaid dress, making sure that everything was where it belonged. No nip slips so far. Good.
Ella turned toward the dance floor, preparing to ask A.J. to dance, but before she had a chance, a pair of large hands settled on her hips. She turned and looked over her shoulder at her husband. “Hey, you.”
“How’s my gorgeous wife?” he asked in a deep voice, knowing full well that tone set her insides on fire with desire.
“I’m pretty amazing.” She turned into his embrace and draped her arms over his shoulders.
“You’re also a bad girl,” he murmured suggestively, his gaze falling to her cleavage. “I swear your breasts look bigger.”
She wet her lips, and he caught the movement of her tongue sweeping across her mouth as she did so, and he leaned in and captured her bottom lip, lightly tugging.
“Do they now?” she whispered after he released her lip. “You feel like having a close-up look to check for yourself?”
His hand slid down her bare back and cupped her ass, the fabric a flimsy barrier. “After those pictures you sent me, did you really think I wouldn’t be demanding an in-person viewing right now?”
“Mm. My studio?”
He snatched her hand a moment later, which she took as a yes.
Savanna caught Ella’s eyes as Jesse practically dragged her out and mouthed, “Go ahead.” Ella knew exactly what her best friend was referring to, and it wasn’t sex.
Once outside the tent, they hurried toward her design studio, doing her best not to trip in her heels with Jesse moving so quickly. But she knew he’d never let her fall. He had her. Always.
Jesse began working at the knot of his tie the moment they were alone, then left the skinny black material to hang loose around his neck as he twirled his finger as a directive to strip.
She eagerly obeyed, doing her best not to peek at the wrapped present on a nearby stool.
Down to her pink bra, panties, and tan thigh-high stockings, Jesse slowly ate up the space between them. He unbuckled and unzipped his slacks, then released the button.
“Perfect,” he rasped while stroking himself, and then within a second, he hoisted her up and set her on the steadiest of tables in the studio, and she locked her legs around his strong, muscular thighs, linking her ankles behind his back.
He pulled the fabric of her panties to the side while staring deep into her eyes. They’d stopped using protection pretty much the day she’d officially become his wife, and she loved feeling him raw and deep inside her.
“Ready for me?”
She leaned back on her forearms, keeping her gaze on him while tipping her hips up as an answer, and he plunged inside her, her chest lifting from the deep thrust.
He had one hand holding her hip while the other shifted the thin material of her strapless bra down to reveal her peaked nipple. “I swear your breasts are bigger. Maybe I had too much tequila.”
“Mm. Maybe,” she said as he lowered his hand down the center of her body to her clit. He smoothed the pad of his thumb in small circles there while making love to her, and she did her best not to cry out too loud from the orgasm that had her head spinning a few minutes later.
“Fuck,” Jesse hissed while coming inside her, dropping his head to her forehead and resting it there for a moment.
“Wedding sex,” she said with a laugh after he helped clean her up, and she secured her dress back on before anyone barged in. Her family didn’t have the best timing, especially her mom.
“What’s that?” Jesse tipped his head, studying the wrapped present on the stool.
“Oh. A gift. But I was going to give it to you on another day. You know, it’s their wedding, so I didn’t want to . . . you know.” What am I saying? Her nerves were tangling her words up, and did he understand anything she’d said?
“Another gift?” Jesse palmed her cheek and angled her head, drawing her lips to his. After a sensual kiss, he whispered, “You just gave me your ass the other night, you’re good for gifting for the next decade or so,” he murmured darkly, and her body heated up again at his words. And at the memory of that crazy night where she’d been surprised by the naughty and filthy things that’d come from her own mouth. But it’d been . . . insanely hot and perfect.
“We can wait, then,” she said, pretending to play it off as no big deal, knowing he damn well wouldn’t wait.
“Mmhmm. Sure.” He released her a moment later and went to grab the silver box and untied the bow.
“It’s my first time designing something that . . . small. The first piece for a new fashion line,” she said, her heart racing.
“Really?” He smiled and then lifted the lid only to drop the box a second later once he’d removed the small item from it. “Baby clothes?”
Her gaze fell to her abdomen, and she set a protective hand there. “Well, I’m pregnant, so I thought, why not?”
Jesse stumbled, his eyes falling to the floor for a moment as if in disbelief.
Shit, was he upset?
“You’re pregnant with my kid?” His words had stretched out so tight that they nearly snapped on delivery.
“Well, I think it’s your kid,” she teased, hoping she wouldn’t snap too while she waited for her husband to process the news she hadn’t planned to give tonight. But Savanna had said “go ahead,” so . . .
“You think, huh?” Jesse arched a brow and set the outfit down on the stool before coming toward her. “The baby is mine, that’s for sure.” He covered her hand with his and lifted his gaze to her eyes. “Just like you’re mine.” His eyes became glossy as he said, “You made me whole again, Ella Mae. And now you’re making me a father.” He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as a tear fell down his cheek. “And I promise I won’t be anything like my dad.”
She lifted her palm between them to cradle his face. “I know,” she whispered. “You’ll be the most amazing father, just like you’re the most incredible husband.” Tears now steadily streamed down her face, and he opened his eyes, and a smile snagged his lips.
“We can still have sex, right? We didn’t hurt the baby just now, did we?”
She chuckled. “It’s good for me, in fact. Plus, I think this pregnancy is making me all kinds of horny.”
“You’re already horny.”
“Hornier,” she teased, setting her hand to his chest now, finding his heart thrashing there.
“So, we should have sex again, is what you’re saying?” He waggled his brows, and she squealed when he scooped her back into his arms.
“Right now?”
“You object?” He lifted a brow.
“You love it when I play hard to get, so . . .” She wriggled free from his arms and tossed a saucy look over her shoulder. “Come and get me,” she challenged and started for the door.
And Jesse, being faster than anyone she’d met in her life, had her gently pinned to the door within a second.
“All mine.” He swept the back of his hand over the contour of her cheek while the palm of his other hand landed above her shoulder on the door.
Her handsome husband was right.
He was no longer the broken one. He was whole again.
And now, she was more than just whole. She was on her way to becoming a mother. And that middle place, happiness . . . was theirs.