Epilogue
Chase
"Hey, are you ready?" Ashley looked adorable with her hair tied back, dressed in black jeans and the leather jacket I gave her for her birthday. It was part of her present, along with the brand new motorcycle she stood beside, and the helmet in her hand.
She was scared to learn to ride, at first, but she took to it better than I had.
Once I convinced her she really could accept an expensive present like that.
She was frugal, and probably always would be, and that was okay.
I wasn't. We balanced each other out. I'd never stop giving her expensive presents.
She deserved all the good things, and more.
"I think so," she said. "Where is this place again?"
I grinned. "It's a couple of hours from here. You'll love it. One hundred acres of fields and forests. There's a flat spot beside a lake to build on."
I'd had my eye on the land for years, in the hope it would come up for sale some day. Now it was, it was the perfect time to snap it up. I wouldn't play football forever. I wanted to look past that. This land would be the start of all of that.
Our forever home.
"I'll follow you." She jammed her helmet over her hair and swung her leg over her bike.
I'd never not find that as sexy as hell.
"Let's do it." I pushed my own helmet down, mounted my bike and revved the engine so the whole neighbourhood could enjoy the sound.
I glanced back over my shoulder to make sure she was following, then pointed the bike toward the freeway.
Toward our future.