Epilogue
Two weeks later
Waverly
“What time is she supposed to be here, baby?”
Finn wouldn’t admit it, but he was just as nervous as me. When he came home from the hospital, he reached out to Shannon immediately. They’ve talked at least once a day ever since, sometimes for hours at a time. She was a thirty-one-year-old physical therapist and lived in Texas.
“Her flight comes in at two.”
“Okay, good. You told everyone to be here at six for the cookout, right?”
“Yes, Finn. It’s going to be great. You’ll see.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” He pulled me into his arms for a quick squeeze. “I’ll go check in with Joel. See how the construction is coming along.”
“Don’t sit in front of the computer screen for too long,” I called after him.
“Yes, ma’am.”
His headaches were mostly gone, except when he stared at his laptop for more than a few hours at a time.
I worried until his follow-up appointment when the doctor assured us it was normal for the type of concussion he had.
Still, he pushed himself too hard, too fast. It wasn’t even necessary.
The building repair wouldn’t be finished for another two weeks. In the meantime, he worked from home.
A lot changed in our lives since that dreadful night.
Sloan and the kids moved into my house and I officially moved in with Finn.
It was a win-win situation, though I missed having the kiddos around all the time.
Especially Reagan. She’d really warmed up to me.
I’d have to plan a girls’ night with her soon.
I grabbed my cell off the kitchen counter and sent a text.
Me: Any news?
Duncan: Are you sure you want to know?
Me: No, but tell me anyway.
Director Ashland sent me a message last week that my father and his attorney requested a meeting with the prosecutor. After mulling it over, I decided I didn’t want to know the outcome, Then I changed my mind.
Duncan: He asked for a plea deal.
Me: What are the terms?
Duncan: Twelve years.
Me: Holy shit.
For once in his life, he was actually taking responsibility for his actions. Miracles never ceased.
Duncan: With the evidence they had, he was looking at twenty-five.
Duncan: Now you can live.
Me: Thanks. See you tonight.
Duncan: Later.
Finn
Shannon fit in perfectly, just like I knew she would. Noreen was already half in love with her and would probably try to convince her to move to West Virginia before the night was over. I wasn’t opposed to that idea, but she had a life in Texas.
“Thank you for the party, big brother.” Shannon lifted her glass of water in the air.
“Are you having a good time?”
“The best. Everyone’s been very welcoming.”
“I’m glad.”
“So…are you ready?” Her face split into an ear-to-ear grin.
“Ready for what?” Waverly curled her arm around mine.
“For this. Can I have everyone’s attention please?” I called out.
“Finn. What the hell?”
I stepped back and dropped to one knee. There was a collective gasp when I pulled her ring from my back pocket.
“Waverly, I knew when I caught you staring at me on that beach in Curacao that you were going to be mine.”
“I wasn’t staring.”
“You were staring, baby.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes, even as her lips tipped up at the corners.
“I love your smile and the way it lights up the room. I love your dedication to your job and your friends. But mostly I just love you. You’re the best person I know and you’re the only person I want to call my wife. Will you marry me?”
She didn’t make me wait. Dropping to her knees, she whispered, “Feck yes.” Then she kissed me. I tilted her head, taking the kiss deeper while cheers from our family and friends went on around us. When we finally broke apart, I slid the two-carat, princess cut solitaire on her finger.
“You did good, Finn.” Sloane beamed as she watched Waverly try to teach the twins how to play cornhole. Rogan gave up on aiming for the hole after a few minutes, choosing instead to throw the bean bag at his sister. “She’ll make a great mom one day.”
“We haven’t really discussed it. Neither one of us had the best examples of how a parent should act. But if it’s something she wants, we’ll try. Otherwise, I’m good being the cool uncle.”
“Trying is the fun part.” She waggled her eyebrows.
“Feck, Sloane.” I made a face. “That’s not something I need to hear about. You’re still a virgin in my eyes.”
She laughed. “Then how do you explain the twins?”
“Immaculate conception.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
We stood and watched for a few minutes until Rogan and Reagan took off for the house.
Waverly jogged to our side, scooting under my arm. “I told the kiddos they could go watch a movie if they wanted. Hope that’s okay.”
“More than. It means I can have another drink.” Sloane turned for the house, leaving us alone.
“Hey, future wife.”
“Hey, future husband. Thank you for tonight”
“It was perfect.”
“I wish Duncan had been here to see it.”
“Where is he anyway?”
“He said he’d be late.”
Duncan
I had no business showing up at Way and Finn’s party, not with how my day had turned to complete shit.
Just as I was leaving the office, my phone rang with an unknown number.
Normally, I’d let those go to voicemail, but for some reason, I answered.
Big mistake. It was Niall, my former handler.
He was the one I got my orders from when I was undercover.
He was also the one who ripped my world apart all those years ago.
When my cover was blown, I never expected to hear from him again, but apparently I wasn’t that lucky.
He called to warn me the group I’d been investigating eight years ago was ramping up for something big.
I’m not sure why he thought I’d give a fuck.
Those days were solidly in my rearview mirror.
Whatever his reasons, all it did was bring up old ghosts I thought I’d laid to rest.
So when I pulled into Finn’s house, I wasn’t in the best mood. But I promised I'd show up and I’ve only ever broken one promise.
Trudging up the stairs, a million excuses were already running through my head as to why I needed to leave early. I rang the doorbell and waited. A few minutes later, the door opened, but no one was there.
“You’re big.”
I looked down…way down. She was cute for a kid. Her dark hair was pulled back into two ponytails on either side of her head. She was hiding mostly behind the door, but I could see she was wearing fuzzy pink bunny slippers on her feet.
“And you’re short.”
Her ice-blue eyes widened. Fuck. I was scaring her. This was why I should’ve gone home.
“Reagan!” someone else shouted. Then I heard the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps running across the floor. The door opened a little bit wider and then there were two of them.
“Whoa,” the little boy said. “Who are you?”
“Duncan. I work with Waverly. Should you be answering the door?”
Apparently not, because the next thing I knew, the door was slammed in my face. I rang the bell a second time, figuring I’d give it two minutes before I took off. Thirty seconds later, I heard muffled voices on the other side of the door and when it opened, it wasn’t the kids standing there.
“I’m so sorry. They––”
My knees buckled slightly at the sight of her, and I braced my hand against the doorframe to keep from falling.
“Sloane.”
It was my ghost.
“They told me you were dead.”
“R-Rogan?” I hated that name on her lips, but it was the only one she knew.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“What the fuck?”
“Swear jar, Mom.” The same little boy from earlier came to her side.
“You’re a mom?”
She swallowed, looking between me and the kid next to her. “Rogan, go back in the living room with your sister.”
It was like a shot to the heart. I wonder how her husband felt about his name. Fuck. Did she have a husband?
“You named him after me?”
“I named him after his father.”
My heart threatened to beat out of my chest. It was impossible. There was no way…
“What are you saying, Sloane?”
“They're yours.”
Stay tuned for the conclusion of the On The Hunt series, Duncan and Sloane’s epic love story…Burned.