9. Epilogue
Epilogue
Jack
FIVE YEARS LATER
Lining up the last pane, I get it straight as Ryan grabs the electric drill. Using two of his tiny little hands, he struggles to lift it, so I help him and pop the screw in the drillbit.
“That’s it, bud,” I say encouragingly. “Now press the button and watch the screw hold this timber in place.”
“Bye bye screw,” Ryan giggles.
We stand back and press our hands to our hips. My side-kick, a four-year-old mini-me, beams with pride. A long fence runs the length of the yard, right up to the edge of the forest, encasing our cabin in a safe area for my two children to play in.
Ryan is excited, but Audrey is only nine-months-old, too little to understand just yet.
“You gonna test it out?” I ask, waving my finger at the big yard.
Ryan smiles, his eyes shining bright blue. Just like his mothers. He speeds off with a burst of pace, spinning in circles and enjoying the freedom of a safe, enclosed backyard.
My chest puffs out with pride.
The tall pines act as a natural border now, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. It’s the perfect sanctuary for our children to grow up in. Ryan’s swing set is set in one corner, the wooden sandbox he helped me build sits nearby, yellow trucks and shovels waiting to be played with.
We have everything we need on the mountain. Emma has taken over the vegetable garden and it’s blooming with amazing produce. She’s got a knack for decorating, even lining the garden beds with colorful flowers and plants I would never have thought to put in.
“Oh, the fence looks wonderful,” Emma says, sneaking up behind me. “Nice work, Daddy.”
I spin to face my beautiful wife, my hands instantly dropping to her swollen belly. Our third child is due in a few months, and with two ratbags already keeping us on our toes, I’m doing my best to ready the yard for our growing family.
I love being a father. It’s the best thing to ever happen to me.
Play time in the backyard, hikes up the mountain and teaching lessons of survival. I love it all. Even the dirty diapers and cranky bedtimes aren’t as bad as I imagined.
Before Emma came knocking on my door, I was living close to the edge. Reoccurring tremors, flashbacks that wouldn’t go away. The deep depression that gripped me meant every day was meaningless, there was no purpose to keep me going. For someone who was used to spending every damn day, fighting to protect something, someone, returning home to retirement just sent me into a world of darkness.
“Daddy, look! Watch me!”
But now, I have lights that shine so bright, I’m never looking back.
Ryan picks up the axe by the wood splitting log and both Emma and I shout out. I’m quick to run over and grab it from him, sending him in the opposite direction.
“I guess there is still work to do to make it safe,” I joke to Emma, watching Ryan skip off to play with his trike instead.
Emma shakes her head at me, and I pull her in for a cuddle. We make a great team. I’m completely smitten by this girl. Seeing her body grow my children, the way she’s handled each pregnancy and the labor that comes with it.
She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met.
Emma has turned the beaten-up old cabin I left behind into a beautiful family home. We’ve honored her family too, helping her heal from the scars of losing both parents so traumatically. Memories of her mother and father are everywhere, including the tiny ball of energy speeding fearlessly around the yard on his trike.
“Hawk and Grace called. They will be on their way soon,” Emma calls out. “They’re bringing some hot dogs for dinner.”
I smile. “Sounds great.”
We’ve made some great friends on the mountain, and Hawk and Grace are a great couple who have been through similar things to us. Turns out my old military buddy was driving the Ranger vehicle that sped past us that night all those years ago. He was on his way to a rescue nearby to his cabin. He saved Grace and, well, I won’t go into it right now, but it’s a great love story.
“Audrey is down for a sleep,” Emma whispers in my ear, sliding a teasing hand up my chest. “We could set Ryan up for some quiet time, and perhaps catch a minute alone…”
“God, I love your pregnancy hormones.”
Emma giggles and calls out to Ryan. After some convincing, she takes him inside and reappears by the back door, her golden skin glowing like my perfect angel. She’s wearing a white sundress that flows in the breeze, her blond hair falling messily around her shoulders.
Grinning, I pick her up and carry her to the woodshed. We place the baby monitors to one side, and I kiss her.
“How long do you think we have?” Emma asks, giddy with playful naughtiness.
I run my hands down her curvy sides, picking her up and placing her on a stack of hay. Her body is so fucking amazing, big full breasts and a sexy ass that I’ll never get enough of. She slides her hand up my neck, holding my head as I kiss her.
I move between her legs and kiss her neck, her collarbone, all the way down to the rounds of her tits.
“Not long enough,” I growl, sliding my hands up her dress, gripping her panties and yanking them down. “You’re so beautiful I could do this all day.”
She whimpers at my touch. “Mmmm. That would be so nice.”
It’s wishful thinking, and we both know it.
With a heated urgency making my cock hard, I fall to my knees. I still ache for this woman. I need her like I need air to breathe.
“I want to taste you,” I groan.
I slide my hands up her smooth legs and spread them. My thumb drags across her mound, and she whimpers at the slightest touch. A heated blaze burns in my eyes as I stare up at my woman. Her pretty face, perfect tits and even better round belly.
How the hell did I end up with such a beauty?
“Do you want my mouth on this pussy?” I tease the inside of her thighs with light touches.
She moans and grips my hair. “Yes. Please. ”
I swallow hard and locks eyes with her. Filled with lust and greed, her wide blue eyes are watching me as I lean forward and inhale her musky scent. My mouth waters and my whole body is clenched fucking tight.
A deep moan rumbles out of me, and I spread her folds. My tongue drags up her wet slit from top to bottom. Warm juice leaks onto my thumb and I suck it clean with a carnal groan. Emma watches me and I dive in, burying my tongue into her hole. She grips my hair as I move to her clit, lapping at the sweet tight bundle.
“Fuck, Jack,” Emma moans, grinding against my rough beard.
Hoisting a leg over my shoulder, I slide my tongue up her moist flesh, kissing and sucking every part of her pussy. She grips my hair tighter, pulling hard as I eat her to a shattering orgasm. She bucks harder against my mouth, and I add a finger to guide her through it. She’s coming fast until I’m drenched in her juices, savoring every last fucking drop.
I groan into her pussy, her juices driving me to the point of madness. I want more, I always want more. It’ll never be enough. She’s rolling and grinding her pussy over my mouth, my greedy girl getting herself another orgasm.
The more I lick, the more she gets.
I reach down for my cock, it’s aching with the need for release. Stroking, I bring Emma to the edge of another orgasm. One more and I’m ready to fill this glorious pussy with my cock.
Just as I ready myself to fuck her hard and fast, the baby monitor lights up. Audrey cries out and we both fall slack, unable to do anything but laugh.
“Five more minutes, please baby girl,” I beg, shaking my head.
Emma giggles and sits up on the haystack. “I’m telling you, she’s going to be impatient, just like her mother.”
I rise to my feet and help Emma finds her panties. “We’re finishing this later.”
Emma smiles and grabs a handful of my cock. She winks and promises to finish what we started as she runs back inside to check our baby.
Our life is different now, but I remind myself to make the most of these moments. I know better than most that not every man gets the chance to be with his family. Life can be cut short at any moment, and we need to cherish the moments we have – no matter how inconvenient they may seem at the time.
I’ve been given the best damn gift in the world. And I’m not about to waste it.
That's it for Jack and Emma! I hope you liked their story!
Misty Peaks hasn't even started matching up our wounded heroes yet! If you love our possessive, grumpy men, there are plenty more to come!
Want to know what happens between Hawk and Grace when he goes to rescue her?
Find out in the next book of the series!