Epilogue
Samantha
Five Weeks Later
The day of the book signing had finally arrived. A lot of work had gone into the planning, and everything was going off without a hitch so far.
A lot had happened since the day Charlie was kidnapped and Ryder got shot. I was no longer married. I was now an old lady.
Once the divorce was final, Jack asked for a vote in church. It was unanimous, and I received my cut.
Derek had gone back to Arkansas, but he and Jack talked at least once a week. I wanted that for him. I wanted him to get to know his brother. To have a family.
As for me, I had forgiven Derek.
After saving Charlie’s life, combined with what Jack told me Derek had said about that day, I made a choice. A choice to let go of the past and move forward. Jack needed his family more than I needed my anger.
We had invited him to visit for the upcoming holidays, but he said he had too much work and would try to make it back after the new year. Charlie loved FaceTiming her uncle. That was the thing about kids, they loved easy. We could all learn a thing or two from them.
Derek had asked us not to tell him anything about his daughter. He didn’t know her name or where she was. He didn’t believe he deserved that. He also didn’t know she was missing. Nav was still trying to track them down.
The day after my divorce from Derek was final, Jack proposed. It was beautiful. He and Charlie presented what I thought was breakfast in bed. When I took the lid off my food, a small velvet box sat there instead.
It was actually Charlie who proposed. Asking if we could be a family that lived together forever. Of course, I said yes. There was no way I was giving up either of them. Or the little one we were now expecting.
I told Jack this morning. He couldn’t be happier. He had spilled the beans weeks ago that Beck and Blade were also having a baby. She was about a month ahead of me, but Jack was hoping they were both boys so they could grow up best friends.
I told him it could be a boy and a girl who grew up and got married. He said that would only happen if we had the boy and they had the girl, because his girls were never getting married. I chose not to remind him he didn’t get a say in that.
Beck, Rachel, and I, along with Lily, Mrs. Samson, and Grace, were helping keep everything on track at The Bookstore. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas had Chrissy and Tabby today, like I suggested. They brought them in now that it was later in the day.
The Silver Shadows were in charge of crowd control. King had told the guys they would be working in shifts to keep a brother, his family, and his business safe.
Ryder still hadn’t accepted his cut, much to the dismay of the club. Still, King considered him a brother. He was determined to get him patched in. Things were still strained between Ryder and Blade, but slowly getting better.
The book signing was an enormous success. Even bigger than I had anticipated. Never mind what Ryder had thought.
Rayne fell in love with our little town, but we were still trying to convince her to settle down here. When Ryder was in the hospital, we learned Rayne Perry was her pen name. Her real name was Ellery Livingston.
Ellie.
She was originally from New York but hated it there. With each small-town book signing, she was looking for a place to put down roots. We were all hoping she’d choose Diamond Creek.
Especially Ryder.
By the time the day was winding down, we had run out of signed copies of her newest release she had sent before the event. I had just brought Ellie a stack of books to sign when someone caught her eye.
“Sam, who is that?” she asked, looking at Jingles.
“That’s Jingles.”
“Jingles?” she queried, never taking her eyes from him.
I couldn’t say I wasn’t disappointed. I thought for sure things had improved between her and Ryder. But Jingles was a very handsome man.
“Yea, he got his club name because he’s so quiet he can slip in and out of places and never be detected. One of the guys said they should put a bell on him so he would jingle when he walked. Handsome, right?” I asked, nudging her with my shoulder.
“Yea,” she said as she continued to stare.
“You should see him in a suit.”
“A suit?” She turned to look at me. “He wears a suit?”
“Well, I’ve only seen him in it once, but I knew he was comfortable in it. Tailored perfectly to his body, and expensive, too,” I whispered.
“Son of a bitch,” she hissed, leaving the table she had been sitting at all day, and stomping over in his direction.
I stood there, stunned, as everything quickly unraveled.
Ellie stomped past Ryder. He must have noticed the look on her face because he handed Tabby to Zero and followed her.
She marched right up to Jingles, brave as can be, and stood before him. She was a tiny little thing, maybe five foot three, or four. While he was at least six foot one or two.
“You goddamn son of a bitch!” she yelled, just before she punched him in the gut. Hard, if the oomph was any indication.
Jingles’ eyes got huge when he looked down at Ellie.
Every sound in the room ceased.
No one moved until King stomped over.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? I loan you my men and this is how you repay my kindness?” he bellowed.
Jingles put his arm up, blocking King from getting closer to Ellie .
Ellie ignored King. She was still seething at Jingles.
I stood there, frozen, not believing what had just happened.
Ellie was so sweet, so shy and quiet. Sure, I had only known her a few months, but this seemed completely out of character.
“Is this where you have been? In Nebraska? For thirteen fucking years? You disappeared without a trace, you never said goodbye, you didn’t even leave a fucking note!” she screamed. “I hate you, Sebbie!”
Ellie kicked him in the shin and ran outside, quickly followed by Ryder.
“Jingles, what the fuck just happened, brother?” King asked.
“I think that was my baby sister,” he whispered, staring at the door Ellie just ran through.
That was when I noticed the number of people recording the incident. Ryder’s store was about to become even more well-known. We had no way of knowing then, how the repercussions of those videos would turn our quiet little town upside down.