Epilogue
Nine years later
I didn’t want Desert Peak to be taken away from me. From my family. This is where I grew up and I have so many memories and cherished moments with the people I love. I held onto this place for so long and I know that it’s not the place, it’s the people who walked around it. It is those who made me feel at home, accepted me into their home, and called me a son, a friend, or family.
I was born in the wrong place but maybe I wasn’t, not entirely, maybe my timing wasn’t right for whoever brought me into this world but I thank them for giving me away so I could have this life instead with people who love me unconditionally and call me their home.
This is my identity—I’m a man of many colors and they mark my heart every single day.
I grab my three-year-old son underneath his armpits and lift him over my shoulders.
“Give Uncle Dean a kiss,” his voice steals my attention when I veer my head to my side and see him lifting his cheek high and my son gives him a loud kiss.
I chuckle when he gives me one as well on top of my head and pretends there’s a noise coming out of that kiss too—he loves hugs and kisses and bikes which fill our hearts with joy. Yet whatever he may choose, I will support him either way.
“Leo, do you want to say hello to your cousins?” I ask.
“Yes!” He claps his tiny hands together. “Daddy, I wanna see Mommy.”
“I’ll call you when she comes.” I put him down.
When he sees Jim his eyes light up—I bet I have the same look on my face. “Papa Wilder.”
He heard me say it once and he refuses to call him grandpa but I think Jim likes it by the look of amusement on his face. Leo runs in his direction and Jim grabs him between his arms and lifts him to his chest.
This man is the reason I look into the eyes of the love of my life every single day.
He’s doing alright, managing his condition as much as he can and his girlfriend of eight years keeps him in line since she’s his hydrotherapy instructor—we couldn’t have been happier for him.
My eyes slide to my son again, Blakely says he looks just like me. A mini me with green eyes and black hair but he has her beautiful features and her radiant soul.
It’s our fifth summer together, four years after the first summer we met. My nerves are spiking up as the minutes slip by, riding on the road with Blakely’s arms fastened around me.
The garage is far behind us.
With sweaty hands inside my gloves, I slow the bike and pull onto the side of the road .
“Is everything okay?” the concern covers her tone but I stay focused on the little surprise I planned for her.
I get off the bike, turn, and straddle it back up. Facing her, I peel off my helmet and help Blakely take hers off and we take off our gloves too. I hang them on the handles and my hands grasp each side of her thighs, kneading her lush flesh under my fingers.
It calms me a bit.
“Blakely Wilder,” I beam when I stare at her, “I’ve been yours since the second that we met.” I slide the ring out of my front pocket. “Will you marry me and give me your last name?”
Her eyes well with tears and beam at me at the same time. “You want my last name?”
“I’d give you mine, you’d give me yours.”
“Yes, I will marry you.” She shoves her hand into her bra, looking for something in there as I arch my brows and chuckle to myself because she always stashes something in there. “If you’d marry me.” A ring toys with me between her index and thumb.
Looks like we had the same plan.
I smile from ear to ear. “I’ll marry you in a heartbeat, baby.” I kiss her lips and taste my forever over and over again.
I search for my wife who’s competing in a local motorcycle competition and is supposed to come up next. They’re about to announce her name but all we hear is a muffled conversation and mumbles.
“What is that about?” Lennon asks, she stares at the screen with me near the racetrack.
“Hey,” Blakely’s voice snaps me away from the widescreen as I spin on my heels and face her .
“What are you doing here? You have a race.”
“I can’t race.” She glances at Lennon next.
I narrow my eyes and swirl my tongue across my teeth. “Your period is late,” I state.
“I haven’t noticed until this morning so I asked Lennon to grab me a pregnancy test.”
A grin widens across my face.
I fucking love her.
That same old fire inside me burns only for her.
She’s pregnant, I already know that. Her curves subtly change around her belly and she is emotional more than usual like how she was with Leo. I have a good guess when we conceived our baby too, I came so hard inside her there was no way I wouldn’t have gotten her pregnant.
“I already knew you were pregnant.”
“Why didn’t you stop me?”
“It’s not my choice, you can do whatever you want with your body and I know you love racing and it’s just the beginning of your pregnancy so go.” I motion with my head. “It’s not a dangerous course, you’re going to be fine and your little cheerleading team is right behind you.”
“Are you sure? Our baby is way more important to me.”
“Only if you want to, I’d support your decision like you supported mine for seven years.” I quit racing when Leo was born and became an instructor. I hold the world record of winning eight championships in a row. Most importantly, she was there for every single moment. When I crashed and when I could’ve died, she stayed .
“I really want to,” she nods, her eyes looking torn.
To infuse more confidence in her, I shoot her a wicked smile and say, “Then go make us proud, mama.”
She gazes up at me with those love eyes. “Are you happy?”
“Ecstatic.” I kiss her lips and whisper into her ear, “I’ll devour you after you win.” I slide my hands around her waist and lift her off the floor.
“You better,” she whispers back with a wide grin.
“I love you so much.” I release her.
“I love you, champ,” She says before she skips to her spot merrily. The moments I coax a grin out of her are like tiny victories that make my heart swell.
Blakely always had so much love to give and when she thought no one cared or wanted her love, she sealed it in her heart but kept it for the ones she truly loves.
Desert Peak changed everything for her, we stormed into her life unexpectedly, plucked her sad heart out of the darkness, and gave it unconditional love and light.
She changed everything for me too.
Blakely swings her leg over the bike and straddles it and when the flag goes up, my wife is a force on the road and anywhere else. I’ll be forever grateful that she chose to come to Desert Peak that summer and change all our lives for eternity.
“Daddy, I wanna see Mommy.” I lift Leo over my shoulders so he can see his mom winning the race.
“You go, Blakely, damn that girl is fast!” Ronnie, Bradley, and Amber cheer from the side as their eyes are glued to the racetrack in our private spot—family only.
Our family is from all over the country but they’re here now.
“Show them what you’re made of, bitch.” Lai screams at the top of her lungs. “Sorry kids, Aunty Lai is crazy.” They all giggle.
I feel so fucking stupid as my eyes become glossy and blur my vision but I manage to clear my voice and get a grip on myself. “Go Mommy,” I join Leo as Theo’s hand taps on my shoulder.
“No abandonamos a nadie,” he says, his eyes fixed on the racetrack as well.
“Gracias.”
“De nada.”
“Besides, I want to beat your ass for a change,” Luka adds, squeezing my other shoulder and blowing a loud kiss to Leo who returns one of his own.
Frankie and Dylan play rock paper scissors with my son and every time they count, he bangs his little hand on top of my head. This kid lives in his own bubble.
“What did we miss?” my dad comes like a storm and shouts toward the racetrack, “You go, Blakely, show them how it’s done.”
“He had a lot of coffee on the way, his energy is off the charts.”
“Hey, Mom,” I bend a little to kiss her cheek and Leo kisses her forehead.
“Look at you,” Mom caresses his hand, “You’ ve gotten SO BIG.”
Leo giggles.
They all taught me what love means all those years ago, and witnessing all of their relationships gave me the greatest love of all.
When we love hard we also fight hard for the people we love.
I open the group chat. Everyone wished good luck to Blakely before the race started.
Blakely
Thank you for being here guys, I love you.
Dinner at our place later,
I expect to see all of you and your kids!
I slide the phone back into my pocket and grin at her as she walks back to us after another win.
“Mommy, you won.”
“I did.” They fist bump before she grabs him from me and holds him against her chest. “We have a surprise for you…”
She looks at me for a second, Leo catches that and looks at me too so I ruffle his shaggy hair.
“What do you say about having a little brother or a sister?” she asks, her eyes filled with affection.
Leo’s mouth slowly parts in an O-shape. “A baby sister?” He asks.
“Maybe,” I reply. I hope so, I would love to see a mini Blakely walking around the house.
“Yes!” He shouts. “I can give her my toys.” He fumbles with his words a little.
“I’m sure you can.” Blakely rubs his cheek with her finger. “You can share with your sibling and be a good big brother.”
He nods. Little streaks of tears skid down his face and Blakely brings him closer to her, hugging him and I wrap them both between my arms. “I love you, family.”
The end.
It doesn’t matter where you’re from, it only matters where you’re going. We all deserve a happy ending.