Epilogue
EPILOGUE
2 Months Later
JADE
“Sweetheart, you look beautiful.”
As Niall’s lips brush the side of my neck, my breath catches.
Even though we’ve been together for months now, I never stop feeling that flutter of excitement whenever he touches me. I still get that same spurt of joy any time I hear his voice. When he calls me beautiful, or tells me he loves me, I can’t believe how lucky I am.
His hands move to my waist, gently turning me toward him. “You look more than beautiful,” he amends, his gaze drifting across my body and back to my face. “You’re incredible, Jade. I still can’t believe you’re mine.”
Happiness blossoms inside me, the sun bursting over the horizon and filling me with delicious warmth.
“Look at you.” Stroking my hand across Niall’s bristly cheek, I brush a kiss across his lips before adding, “You’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. And looking like this…”
In a nod to the occasion, Niall’s more dressed up than usual. Not formally—it’s still just a party in the barn—but he’s wearing tailored gray pants and a crisp white button-down with the sleeves rolled up enough to expose his very sexy forearms. I never gave much thought to a man’s forearms before, but Niall’s—they’re ropey with muscle and his golden skin is lightly dusted with dark hair and I can envision them vividly when they’re braced over me during sex.
His lips quirk. “Jade. You’re looking at me again.”
“What?” I widen my eyes innocently. “I was looking at your outfit. It looks really nice.”
He tugs me closer, so I’m flush against him, and I can feel his growing arousal prodding my belly. His voice goes low and rough. “You know what that look does to me. It makes me want to take you in the bedroom right now and strip this pretty dress right off you.”
His hand cups my breast, his thumb rubbing my tightening nipple. “Or. I could take you against the wall with your dress still on. Would you like that?”
An ache builds at my core and I squeeze my thighs against the pulsing need. “I would. But?—”
“You guys.” Shea walks into the kitchen, shaking her head at us. She’s smiling as she adds in a lightly scolding tone, “I know you two can’t keep your hands off each other, which is adorable even though Niall is my brother. But you have a guest who would prefer not to watch her brother making out in the kitchen.”
My cheeks go pink. “Sorry, Shea.”
Niall moves his hands to a more PG position. He chuckles. “You should make a noise when you’re coming, Shea. As a warning. Otherwise, you may see things you don’t want.”
I look at Shea. “He looks so handsome, though. Doesn’t he?”
She makes a little face. “I guess. For my brother.” Then she exchanges a quick glance with Niall before shifting her gaze back to me. “So. Are we ready to go? Do we have everything ready?”
Glancing along the kitchen island, I take stock one more time. Spinach and artichoke dip with crusty bread pieces arranged artfully around it? Check. A huge tray of lemon bars generously dusted with powdered sugar? Check again. Three pitchers of pink sangria with chunks of fresh fruit floating in them? Triple check.
“Yup,” I announce. “Everything looks good.”
“Okay, then.” Niall frames my face and kisses me one more time. Then he somehow grabs all three pitchers in one hand and wraps his free arm around my waist. “Are you two alright to carry the trays?”
“Of course,” I reply with a smile. “It’s not like the lemon bars are heavy.”
“I know.” His voice dips and he holds my gaze as he says quietly, “I told you. I always worry about you.”
Shea snatches up the artichoke dip and smirks at us. “Honestly. If you two weren’t so darn cute…”
Niall flashes his sister a teasing grin. “Get ready for this every holiday. Kissing Jade by the Christmas tree, at Thanksgiving, Fourth of July fireworks…”
“Okay, okay.” I intervene with a laugh. “I’m sure everyone is wondering where we are. And where the sangria is.”
So we all pile out of the apartment—not Niall’s apartment, it’s definitely ours now—and make our way out to the barn. And just like every time I walk through the Blade and Arrow building, I’m happy all over again to call it my home.
Home. A real home, with a man who loves me. A place with five other people who’ve become more than friends. In the few months I’ve lived at B and A officially, I feel like I’ve gained a new family.
Me. Niall. Xavier, who’s like an affectionate but annoying older brother. Erik, who has patiently taught me yoga and meditation to help me cope on the days I’m struggling. Smart and sensitive Matt, who’s dragged me into his pranks—the most recent one involving covering Dante’s apartment door with three layers of Saran Wrap.
There’s Dante, who might be the softest of all of them, and is now teaching me some of his mom’s recipes so I can make them for Niall. And Rhiannon, who’s become like a sister to me.
While I have this wonderful new family, I haven’t completely turned my back on my biological one. Not my father—aside from testifying against him in court, I have no plans to ever see him again. But I’m slowly building a relationship with my mother now that she’s been through a couple months of treatment.
It won’t ever be like what Shea and Niall had with their mother. Too many things have happened for that. There’s too much hurt. But I visit her every other week, and we talk. I tell my mother about Niall. My new job in Seguin. All the places in Texas I’ve visited. And she tells me about the books she’s reading. The painting classes she started taking.
It’s enough for now.
Not to say everything is perfect all the time. The pain slams into me at unexpected times. Niall and I will be at a restaurant and I get upset when I spot a father playing tic-tac-toe on a placemat with his daughter. I’ll go to the grocery store by myself and have to call Niall to help me through a threatening panic attack.
But it’s getting better. Thanks to Niall, and his team, and Henley, who I still have weekly virtual counseling sessions with. Sometimes Niall will join in, because he has his own residual feelings of guilt to work through.
Still. I’m a lot luckier than most. And I’m so excited about the future.
As we enter the barn, a huge smile spreads across my face. Even though I’ve been helping all week to decorate, the finished product is even better than I expected.
It’s fully decked out with lights and balloons and confetti scattered all over. There are dozens of refurbished chairs set around family-style tables. Games like cornhole and shuffleboard and ping-pong are set up along one long wall. The newly installed kitchen is a flurry of activity with Dante at the center of it, but he pauses from flipping burgers to call over, “Niall. Jade. Did Shea finally drag you out of the apartment?”
Xavier’s manning the bar, putting the finishing touches on his signature drink. It’s an orange mojito topped with a blood-orange wedge with tiny blade and arrow skewers poked through it. He raises one in our direction. “Bring that sangria over here. And then try a Longhorn Blade and Arrow. They’re quite good, if I say so myself.”
“How many of them have you had?” asks a handsome man with short brown hair and an intense gaze. His serious features relax as he grins at Xavier. “Any drink tastes great if you have enough of them.”
“Cole.” A raven-haired woman comes up beside him, smiling. She has an adorable baby resting on her hip. “Are you volunteering to take over bartending duty?”
Niall takes my tray and puts it on one of the long buffet tables, then wraps his arm around my waist and leads me over to the couple. He lifts his chin and gives the man a manly sort of handshake slash shoulder clap. “Cole. It’s good to see you.”
Cole—who I’ve heard about but haven’t met in person until now—gives an answering jerk of his chin. “Niall. Things are looking great here. And it looks like you’ve found something you weren’t expecting when you moved to Texas.” He holds his hand out to me. “I’m Cole Mitchell. This is my wife, Maya. And our daughter, Clara.”
As I take Cole’s hand, I say, “Hi. I’m Jade. It’s so nice to meet you. And thank you for creating this. Blade and Arrow… it saved my life.” Glancing at Niall, I add, “Well. It was Niall. If not for him…”
“This is my Jade,” Niall adds with a proprietary note in his voice. He kisses my cheek. “And I’m damn glad I was here when she needed me.”
“Are we talking about badass Jade?” Another man I haven’t met, but recognize from some of Dante’s photos, comes up to join us. He has black hair and icy blue eyes that sparkle with laughter. Tucked into his side is a petite redhead who gives me a bright smile.
“I’m Zane,” he announces as he holds out his hand. “This is Elle. And Jade, I’ve been so eager to meet you. After we heard all the things you did… You could join B and A and fit right in.”
Elle gives me a more serious look. “What you did was really amazing. So brave.” Her lips curve into a smile. “But I’m sure you don’t want to talk about that at a party. When you’re ready, though, I’d love to introduce you to the others. Georgia, Charlie, Hanna, Nora—they’re all excited to meet you.”
“I’d really like to meet Georgia,” I tell her. “She sent me this wonderful blanket, and these crafting kits… they helped so much when I was at loose ends.”
Zane gestures across the barn at two couples chatting. One couple consists of a huge man and a tall, pregnant woman with gorgeous caramel hair. The other is a dark-haired man holding the hand of a platinum-haired woman. “That’s Leo and Georgia, and Finn and Hanna. Two of our Blade and Arrow couples. Charlie and Rylan are touring the building with Erik. And Nora and Jackson will be getting here a little later. They just finished up a job in DC and had to take a later flight.”
Niall smiles. “It’s great that everyone could be here. I know you’re all so busy.”
Cole grins. “As if we’d miss the official grand opening of our new Blade and Arrow branch? No way.”
“Are you going to just stand around talking or eat some of this food?” Dante approaches our small group with a smile. “What have I been slaving over the stove for hours for?”
Niall’s eyes light up. “So you’re saying the burgers are ready?”
“I am.” Dante’s gaze moves to mine. “Thanks for bringing the dip. And the lemon bars. They look great. Almost like Niall had nothing to do with them.”
“Hey,” Niall huffs. “I can cook. And I helped, for your information.” A beat and then, “I shopped for all the ingredients. And I was there for moral support while Jade cooked.”
I hug him and press a quick kiss to his lips. “You were a big help.”
“Did I hear someone say Niall was a big help cooking?” T.J. joins our little semi-circle, Milena tucked into his arm. “I can’t believe that. I remember that time when he tried to make ramen and set off the smoke detectors. We all had to evacuate.”
“That was over ten years ago,” Niall laughs. “Are you ever going to let me forget that?”
Milena giggles. “Probably not.”
“Come on,” Dante says. “Let’s get some of those burgers before vulture Finn eats all of them.”
“Finn has an empty leg,” explains Maya with a grin. “I’m not sure where he puts all of it.”
Once we’re seated around one of the long tables, our plates laden with burgers and salads and five different sides, Niall leans close and asks me quietly, “Are you doing okay? I know it’s a lot of new people. If you need a break, just tell me.”
“It’s fine.” At his questioning expression, I continue, “I’m not nervous around any of these people. Everyone from Blade and Arrow in Sleepy Hollow—they’re great. I can’t wait to get to know them better. I really like all your San Antonio friends, too. T.J and Milena, Harley and Boone, and Cruz and Mickie… I can’t feel nervous around any of them.”
Shea leans in from my other side and says, “They’re not bad to look at, either. I mean, I know the Sleepy Hollow guys are all coupled up, but Erik? Xavier? They’re really?—”
“Shea.” Niall glares at her. “You’re not dating one of my teammates.”
Her eyebrows jump up. “But you can date my best friend?”
“She has a point there,” I add, nudging Niall with my elbow.
“Who’s side are you on?” he laughs.
“Um.” Looking between sister and brother, I offer, “I’m Switzerland?”
Not that I actually think Shea’s interested in Erik or Xavier. They’re good looking, for sure, but there’s only been one man I’ve seen Shea seriously interested in, and I’m still not sure she’s completely over him.
But we move past that to other topics, like my new job in Seguin and the recent security jobs Blade and Arrow’s been doing. I finally get to meet Georgia and thank her for all the lovely decorations and gifts she sent. And I talk to Hanna about all her wonderful photographs and arrange for her to take a series of the new Blade and Arrow property.
The entire time, Niall holds my hand or wraps his arm around my waist, and he leans in every so often to give me a kiss. And every time he does it, one of the women at our table makes a soft awwing sound, which is kind of embarrassing but also feels really nice.
As the eating part of the evening shifts into music and games, Niall squeezes my hand and asks, “Can you come with me for a second? I want to show you something.”
Still holding my hand, he leads me to the back of the barn, where the theater is set up. I’m guided into one of the front-row couches, and Niall grabs the remote to turn on the screen.
“What is it?” I tug on his hand. “Why are we watching a movie during the party? Is this some kind of Blade and Arrow celebratory video or something?”
“Not quite.” A nervous expression moves across his face. “It’s something special for you to watch.”
My chest goes tight, but it’s not a bad feeling this time. It’s more anticipation than nerves.
Then he starts the video.
My heart twists.
It’s photos of us. All the candid photos of me and Niall over the years.
The picture Shea took of me cheering after I beat Niall in Skee-Ball. But I didn’t see the look in his eyes then. The look that was so clearly more than friendship.
There’s Niall and I at Christmas, one of the years I celebrated with him and Shea. I’m handing him his present and the way I felt for him couldn’t have been more obvious.
Then there’s Fourth of July five years ago, when we took a selfie with the fireworks behind us. We look so happy.
As picture after picture goes by, I wonder how we waited this long. How we ignored something so blatantly clear.
And then there are the newer photos—hugging each other, laughing while we play cornhole in the barn, the one those tourists took of us when we went to Houston, and the selfie we took while cuddled in bed.
It’s beautiful.
“Niall,” I whisper, sniffing back tears. “This is so special.”
“Wait,” he murmurs. “It’s almost done.”
The last photo is my favorite. It’s a selfie from when we were walking around the property and we’re not looking at the camera—we’re just looking at each other with this absolute look of love and joy and wonder that we somehow found each other.
“That’s only a fraction of how I feel about you,” he says.
And then.
Niall drops to his knee.
Everything stills.
He holds out a small box and opens it with a trembling hand.
“Jade.” His deep blue gaze burns into mine. “I know this isn’t technically a surprise because I told you I wanted to marry you months ago. But I wanted to make it special. I want this proposal to mean something.”
My voice wobbles. “Niall?—”
“You’ve been in my heart for so long, Jade. Even when I thought you were better off without me, I couldn’t let you go. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And I wished…” His eyes go damp. “I wanted you so badly. Not just because I thought you were beautiful, although you are. It’s your heart. Your intelligence. Your bravery. And how stubborn you are.”
Swallowing hard, he takes a deep breath before continuing. “I love everything about you. You make me feel whole. And I’ll spend my life taking care of you, making sure you’re happy and safe—I know you can do it yourself, but I hope you’ll let me. And here… when I asked Shea for pictures and I saw them. Really saw them. I realized I’ve been in love with you the whole time.”
Tears well up, a few breaking free. “Niall. I’ve loved you, too. It’s always been you.”
“I thought this might…” He glances around before focusing back on me. “Proposing to you here. At your new home. The place you feel safe. Surrounded by all our friends. I thought it would be a good start for the rest of our lives. That is… if you’ll marry me? Will you marry me, Jade?”
“Of course.” I fling myself at him, peppering his face with kisses. “Of course I’ll marry you. There’s no question. You make me happier than I’ve ever been. And you protect my heart. With you beside me, I can handle anything.”
“So that’s a yes?” A hesitant smile tugs at his lips.
“It’s a yes. I can’t wait to marry you.” My gaze drops to the box, where a clear gem glitters. “Now, will you put that on my hand and make it official?”
Niall beams at me. “It would be my greatest pleasure.” And he slides the ring on my finger, then kisses my hand tenderly. “I’ll be the best husband, Jade. I can’t promise I’ll always be perfect, but I’ll do anything for you.”
As he lifts me in his arms, I kiss him back before replying, “And I’ll do anything for you. We’re partners.”
“We are.” Niall spins me around and kisses me again. “My fiancée. Soon to be my wife.”
Then he raises his head and announces loudly, “She said yes!”
Amid a chorus of cheers, I tell Niall quietly, “I love you. And I’d do it all over a million times to end up with you.”
My Niall.
My heart.
I knew everything would work out.