Epilogue
EPILOGUE
MAVERICK
I wake up with Cadence's warm body pressed against mine, her soft curves fitting perfectly into the contours of my body. The early morning light filters through the curtains, casting a golden glow across her skin. No one could be luckier than I am. No one. It's not possible.
Just like every morning for the last three months, she makes a soft little mew and then presses deeper into me. And just like every morning, my heart cracks way the fuck open. It has to start feeling familiar at some point, but so far, every single moment with her feels like a gift. "Morning, beautiful," I murmur, nuzzling into her hair and breathing in her scent.
She turns in my arms, her sleepy eyes meeting mine. "Hey, handsome."
I trace lazy patterns on her bare shoulder, savoring the feel of her silky skin under my fingertips. "How did you sleep?"
She grins, pressing a kiss to my chest. "I had a dream that I was being poked by a stick all night." Her body shakes with her laughter, and I nip at her jaw in retaliation.
"It has a mind of it's own. You know that. Besides, it's your fault, being all sexy and snuggly. You never stay on your side of the bed." I pat the hand's width of space next to my hip, then wave at her empty side of the king-sized bed. "You're crowding me."
"I am so sorry," she says, not sounding sorry at all. "Let me just wiggle my way back to my side and give you your—" I muffle her crazy words with my hand.
"Hush your mouth, woman," I order, scowling at her.
Her smile presses against my palm, eyes shining at me. "How do you get more beautiful every day? How is that even possible?"
She doesn't answer, just wraps her hands around mine and presses a soft kiss to my palm. The reverent touch makes my chest feel tight. I tug her into my arms, and press my lips to the top of her head.
"You are so good at that," she says against my throat. "Making me feel like I'm…treasured."
"You are treasured, Cadence. More than you could ever know," I murmur, tightening my embrace.
She sighs contentedly, her fingertips stroking over my skin in a gentle caress that sends shivers down my spine. "I hope I make you feel the same way, Mav. That's all I want."
"You do," I assure her, my voice thick with emotion. "Every single day. The way you look at me like I'm the only person in the world. How you always know when I need a quiet moment or a good laugh. The little notes you leave in my briefcase to get me through tough days at work. Cadence, you make me feel loved in ways I never thought possible."
I kiss her deeply, pouring all my love and desire into it. She responds eagerly, her body melting into mine. My hands roam her curves, memorizing every dip and valley. The heat between us builds, our breath becoming more ragged.
Cadence's leg hooks over my hip, pulling me closer. I groan, lost in the sensation of her skin against mine. My lips trail down her neck, tasting the salt on her skin.
"Mav," she gasps, her fingers digging into my shoulders.
I've never felt happiness like this before. It's not just physical - though God knows that part is incredible. It's the intimacy, the trust, the knowledge that I've found my person. Three months ago, I was terrified of losing her. Now, I can't imagine my life without her.
Just as things are really heating up, barking erupts from the living room. Nan's voice follows, "Alright, alright you are spoiled rotten, you know that? This is my drink, not yours. You're a damn dog, Joey. Go eat that shit in your bowl."
Cadence and I freeze, then burst into laughter. The moment's broken, but I don't even mind.
"If we don't get out there, she's going to give her what she wants. She's learning awful habits."
"I know," I say, getting out of bed, tugging her out by her ankles, making her laugh. "She's got begging down to an art. We're all in trouble." I don't think Cadence planned on all of those puppies staying here, but once they were all weaned and healthy, they just started disappearing, one by one. Then we'd spot them with my brothers in fancy dog beds and bejewled collars. Cadence finally put her foot down, and made sure Joey, the little bouncing runt of the litter, stayed with us.
"Not me," Cadence says firmly. "I'm the only non-sucker in this family."
Holding my toothbrush in front of my mouth, I arch a brow at her. "Really? Funny, I'm pretty sure I caught you giving her bites of your steak last night at the table."
A guilty look crosses her face. "Um, nope. Wasn't me. You must have been hallucinating. I'll go get breakfast started!" She runs out of the room, and soon the women's voices and laughter carry from the kitchen.
I never imagined loving this so much. Having my own little family. Yeah, Cadence and Nan are their own little unit, but they've opened their arms and welcomed me in, making me feel like I'm a part of everything. There are still stories I don't know, and history to learn, but Nan teases me just as often as she does Cadence. And I get hugs and kisses from her too.
I had no idea how much I needed those hugs. How much I needed her to pat me on the cheek and tell me I'm a good kid.
But I did. Badly.
So when I make it to the kitchen in my suit, shoes on, I head for her, kissing her soft cheek and earning her smile in return. "Get on with you honey. Go sit down and eat."
Cadence's bare feet rest on top of my shoes as we eat. Nan pulls her chair up and leans back with a hot coffee and asks the same question she asks every morning. "What's on the schedule today, kids?"
"We've got a few adopters coming in this morning, then the rest of the day is free. I thought I'd do a little training with Joey. She needs better manners." Nan snorts, and nods at the puppy currently hopping across the living room, chasing her stuffy. Nan acts all tough, but she’s as big a sucker as we are.
"I've got a pretty light day at the office today. A couple meetings this morning, then a bit of paperwork. Fridays we try and keep the meetings to a minimum."
"You look a lot better honey. Those dark circles you had before weren't a good look on you."
"I'm feeling a lot better," I admit.
"You don't need to sound so surprised. I knew you'd be okay once you let go of some of that responsibility."
Cadence wraps her hand around my forearm, giving it a brief squeeze. It was an adjustment. The first month after turning over my cases to the Legal Aid non-profit were hard. As much as I loved my time with Cadence, it's like my body and mind couldn't adjust to the decreased load. I was so used to living under a mountain of pressure, that I felt a little directionless without it.
But over the last couple of months, it's gotten much easier. Now I appreciate the free time. It's so much easier to make plans with my family, and just relax. And I know my cases are being handled, because I check up on them. At first, weekly, but now, I think one day a month is going to be enough.
"I can see it now," I admit. "I couldn't picture life without all of that work, but now, I'm happy."
"I'm glad honey," Nan says with a small smile as she blows on her coffee. "I'm sure your stamina's a hell of a lot better now too, isn't it Cady?"
Cadence pats my back as I cough up a chunk of egg that tried to head to my lung. "Jesus, Nan."
"What. Just because I'm old doesn't mean I don't have needs. I keep telling you this!"
Later that morning, I close another file, and rest back in my chair. My staff are taking on more and more, so I can afford to sit here and daydream a little. And I don't feel even a little guilty about it. Sitting here, thinking about all the things I'm going to do to Cady to?—
My door flies open, and Nick stands there, hands braced on the trim. "This is getting out of fucking hand brother. It's time to do something about it."
"Fuck," I mutter, waving him in. I know exactly what ‘this’ is. He closes the door and drops into the chair on the other side of the desk.
"McKenna again?"
"Yes! That fucker is not going to sign those papers. And Ransom won't drop it. He's doubled the money. Then he doubled it again, and still nothing. And he keeps telling me not to go there in person. I'm fucking hobbled. I do my best work in person."
"I know you do. Ransom's been…off lately. Have you noticed?"
"Yeah man, I have. He's been quieter. It's not like him. And every time I mention McKenna, he gets all frosty."
"This is a fucking mess. McKenna is not going to sell. Every time we send a contract, it comes back fucked up. I mean, you gotta appreciate the guy's dedication."
"Yeah," Nick says glumly, propping his chin on his fist. "Though I still think the bag of dog shit was going a bit too far."
"Yeah, that one was gross. But I thought the dead fish was worse. I had to give my assistant a week off after that one."
Nick snorts then groans, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "But, can you blame the guy? We've been bugging the fuck out of him. Yeah, we've been persistent in the past, but when an owner tells us no this many times, we move the fuck on. But Ran won't let us."
"I don't think Ransom's seeing any of this clearly. Maybe he hasn't from the beginning. Maybe it's time we step in."
Nick sits forward and plants his elbows on his knees. "You're talking about going there, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am. I think it's our only option. We have to talk to this guy face to face and figure out what the fuck is going on. And then whatever we find, we have to help Ransom. I don't have enough information right now to even begin to help him. He won't fucking talk, which is weird, because he talks about everything, all the time."
"True. He would never let us get away with this kind of secrecy. He'd haul us into a room and get us so drunk we'd spill the whole story."
"Exactly. So honestly, he has to expect that this was coming, right? He knows we wouldn't just respect his boundaries, right? I mean, we don't do that. Or at least we don't for very long."
"Agreed. So we're going to Badger Falls, and we're going to talk to McKenna?"
"Yeah, we are. Right now. Get your coat and I'll meet you downstairs."
"Fuck yes!” Nick says, heading for the door. He opens it, then shuts it right away. “Shit. Don't let Ransom see you leave."
"It's kind of pretty out here," I say, staring out the passenger window. I don't know much about farming, but some of the grass is yellow, and there are big tractor thingys out in the fields. The countryside rolls past us, a patchwork quilt of golden wheat fields and lush green pastures. Weathered wooden fences zigzag along the roadside, separating plots of land that stretch into forever. In the distance, a herd of cattle grazes lazily, their black and white coats popping against the green grass. "I wonder what it would be like, to have so much space."
"It's a little too open, you know what I mean? Nice, but I'm used to buildings and noise. Do cows make much noise?"
"I have no idea."
"They don't look like they do. They seem pretty mellow. I wonder if farmers go out and like…pet them. Do you think they treat them like dogs?" he muses.
"Two thousand pound dogs? I don't know.
Nick hums, one elbow resting on the edge of his door, the other tapping his thigh. "We're coming up on the town. Look."
I focus back on the road as we crest a hill, and suddenly a little community is spread out below us. From this far away, I can't make out much detail, but something about it pulls you in. It looks like the cover of a picture book, or something from a Christmas movie. "What would it be like to live in a place like this?"
Something in Nick's face shifts. "Bree says it's pretty great. Everybody is in everybody else's business, but everyone takes care of each other too. Kinda like us I guess." He clears his throat. "She says it's pretty great to sit on your front porch and be able to watch the kids play. They'd spend the day wandering around with friends, exploring the woods, riding their bikes to the store. All things I don't think I'd ever be okay with my kids doing in the city."
The way he says it makes it feel like a pressing problem. "Are you thinking about kids?"
"Yeah, I can't seem to help it. I want to see Bree as a mother. She'd be so great at it."
"Yeah, she would be. And you would make a pretty great dad."
"I hope so," he says quietly. "I really hope so. Because I want it all with her. I want everything. And I need to make her happy."
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, turning to face him. "Why does it feel like we're saying goodbye?"
“Not goodbye man. Never. I’m just starting to see that maybe I might be headed somewhere I never imagined.”
Somewhere like the country? I’ll admit, as we passed, I’d crane my neck to look at every for sale sign I saw. Because an area like this? It’s exactly the kind of place Cadence could build her dream rescue. And I want to give her everything, including that.
But could I live out here?
If it’s with her and Nan, then the answer is yes. I’d need a helipad though. I’m not driving two hours to get to work every morning.
“Here we are,” Nick says as he turns on to what looks like the main street. It's cute, despite being worn down. Some of the buildings have fresh paint, and it's obvious that they're trying to spruce things up. His eyes scan the street, taking in the people walking on the sidewalks and the kids playing in the park in the middle of town.
It's exactly like a Christmas movie, only without the snow. Though the bite in the air makes it obvious it’s coming soon. And weirdly, I sort of want to see what this place looks like with snow on the ground and Christmas lights everywhere.
"There it is," he says, pulling into a parking spot with a smooth turn of the wheel. I follow his gaze to the garage across the street. At first glance, it's nothing special, just another small-town establishment. The weathered brick building stands squat and unassuming. Two large, roll-up doors dominate the front, currently open to reveal two hoists with cars on them. On the top of the building there's a simple hand-painted sign with "McKenna's Auto Repair" in chipped white lettering. It looks like it's been here, unchanged, for fifty years. We hop out of the truck, Nick holding open the back door for Goldie to jump out. She finally came home about a month ago. It was an adjustment, but she’s coming to trust all of us. Enough that she bumps her nose under my hand, demanding a pet as Nick attaches her leash. Slowly, we cross the empty road, stopping just off the sidewalk at the base of the driveway.
"Ransom's willing to pay over a million dollars for this? It makes no fucking sense."
"I know," Nick says grimly. "This is about so much more than this building."
"Stranger Danger!"
Nick and I both whirl around, coming face to face with a boy on a bicycle. He can't be more than six or seven, with a big gap where his front teeth should be. He points up at us with a suspicious look on his face. "Are you bad guys?" That finger shifts over to Nick's leather jacket and motorcycle boots. "You look like a bad guy. Do you have a gun? Are you going to rob the joint?"
Nick chokes, muffling his laugh with his hand. "Um, no, I'm not a bad guy. Just because I wear a leather jacket doesn't make me a bad guy. You watch too many movies."
He flicks his hand at Nick, dismissively, then pins his dark brown eyes on me. "What about you? You look rich. Are you? Or do you just dress fancy? I bet you're just a fancy dresser and you drive a piece of shit car home to your baby momma."
"Jesus,” I mumble to Nick, whose shoulders are shaking. “Who the fuck is this kid, and why do I want to somehow prove to him that I'm actually rich, and not just faking it?"
"I don't know man. And 'baby momma'? Seriously? Where did he even?—"
"Maxwell Jones, have you been watching that stupid show again?"
Nick and I spin again, and suck in our breath when we spot her. God, do they grow them special out here in the country or something?
She stands there, letting us look. She's got to be used to it. A woman like her? Over six feet, long dark hair in a simple braid. There's no makeup on her face, but she doesn't need it. Everything about her is striking, from the bold slash of her eyebrows to her icy gray eyes.
"Nu huh," the little boy says, eye twitching. The woman, apparently done with us, strides over to the little boy, crouching down next to him.
"Liar," she says, lifting her brow. "You have a tell, little man. Don't ever try and play poker. You'll lose your money and end up living under a bridge."
He wipes the back of his hand across his nose, smearing dirt across his face. "Don't matter. I like it under the bridge. Me n' Nikki built a fort under there. It's got lizards and frogs and everything."
"Sounds like paradise," she says dryly, rising to her full height. "Now I think you better head on home. Your mom is going to be looking for you. And make sure you take your shoes off before you go inside. You smell like shit, so you'd better check the bottoms real good."
The kid shoots a foot out behind him and cranes his neck, then does the same to the other one. "Yup. There it is," he says, apparently unconcerned. "Kay, I'm going. Can you message my mom and tell her I'm coming in hot with a shit situation?"
She nods, fighting a smile. "Will do."
"Thanks Aunt Blair. See you later." And he's gone.
What a weird kid. It's- Nick and I both stare at each other suddenly, eyes wide. "Blair?" Nick says, taking a step toward the woman.
She doesn't move, or react in any way. She just stares at us, giving us a chance to register the things we missed at first. Like the stained rag hanging out of the back pocket of her jeans. And the streak of grease on the side of her neck. It's her hands though, that give it away. The short nails and the line of black under them. Our hands look the same way anytime we work in the garage.
"Holy fuck," I breathe. "You're Blair McKenna."
She sighs, and shakes her head suddenly looking exhausted. But not so exhausted she couldn’t beat a man do death with a wrench if she felt like it.
"I'm guessing you're his guys? He sent you to get the paperwork signed? You're wasting your time. I'm not selling. Not ever. They will have to pry my cold dead body out from under a car when I'm eighty. That's the only way I'm leaving."
She steps forward, getting right up in our face, her eyes nearly level with ours. "Ransom's obviously too big of a coward to ever come back here, so you tell him for me, 'kay? NOT. FUCKING. SELLING. I don't care what deal he and my dad had. Now I'm done. You should go."
Then she turns, and strides back into the garage, the first bay door slamming down behind her. Then the second.
Nick and I turn and stare at each other. "Holy fuck," I say again. I've got nothing else.
Nick's face is stunned. "Ransom has a fuck of a lot of explaining to do."
Thank you for reading Maverick and Cadence’s story!
I would be ever so grateful if you’d leave an honest review, wherever you purchased this book.