Epilogue
Chris hopped out of his Jeep Rubicon and removed his sunglasses, blinking in surprise at the sight before him in the parking lot at his doctor’s office.
Today was his first appointment with Riley Logan, the therapist who specialized in veteran PTSD therapy.
What he hadn’t expected was to see the rest of Echo Team standing in the parking lot.
“What’s going on?” He’d fessed up to the guys about some of his struggles earlier in the week after they’d returned from the Caribbean but hadn’t mentioned his appointment. Chris had opted to hang back with his brother while they’d helped take down smugglers, including the Trott brothers.
Eli had chosen to stay at a hotel, but he’d come to the house every day.
He couldn’t start working out until his ribs healed, but he was good with animals and participated in Bear’s training while they got to know each other.
Their mom had returned home, and Chris wasn’t sure if he’d make the effort to reach out to her.
Though she’d emailed and called to apologize after the hospital, he needed time. Maybe twenty more years.
A.J. flicked the brim of his khaki cowboy hat and stepped forward, Wyatt alongside him. Roman and Finn flanked their sides a few seconds later.
Shit, are we getting spun up? Elaina would be disappointed. Trick-or-treating was Sunday, and the Halloween party was tonight at Liam’s house. The wives all said they had a surprise, too. Chris was slightly petrified about what they defined as a surprise, to be honest.
“No rolling solo, brother.” A.J. set a hand to Chris’s shoulder.
“Huh?” So, they were operating?
“We’re here to support you,” Wyatt explained, removing his sunglasses. “If you’re going to see this doc, well, we’ll see her, too. We have appointments after you. One by one, we’re going in.”
“What?” Chris asked in shock. Was he dreaming? No, this couldn’t be real. They were punking him. “You got Roman to agree to talk?” He scoffed. No way.
“We want to support you,” Finn spoke up, his eyes connecting with Chris.
“And I’m sure we’ve all got some shit we could work through.
” Finn used humor to hide his feelings just like Chris had done before Rory, so maybe he could use someone to talk to.
But Chris never expected this. “Plus, I heard through the grapevine this doc is hot.”
“Married to a Marine,” Roman said with a shake of the head. “Off-limits.”
Finn grimaced. “Shit, my bad.”
Chris folded his arms, still working on wrapping his head around what was going on.
“Bravo was going to come, but we couldn’t swing ten back-to-back appointments,” Wyatt added.
“But this is important,” he said while narrowing his eyes.
“Lost too many guys in the silent war that many fight once they’re back home, and I just .
. .” Wyatt was getting emotional. He reached his hand out, and the guys stood in a circle and all touched fists.
“Together,” Roman said. “We got you.”
And damn, are my eyes watery?
“Hooyah,” they said at the same time, the light shining down on them like a spotlight. One of hope, one that these guys and Rory brought into his life.
Chris banged on Liam’s en suite bathroom door at his D.C. home. “Come out. Let me see.”
“They can’t be bloody serious. I’m not opening the door,” Liam called out.
Chris went to the mirror over the dresser in the bedroom and looked at his Halloween costume. The so-called surprise the women had promised all the guys.
“What are we, cowboys from the YMCA song?” Chris fidgeted with the black cowboy hat and checked the buttons on his vest.
“They’ve been watching too much of that Yellowstone show,” Asher said after entering the bedroom and closing the door behind him. Asher had given Jessica a hell of a time about the outfit.
Supposedly, the two-step dance they’d all performed a few weeks ago at A.J. and Ana’s surprise wedding party had given the women the idea for the costumes. They’d had Elaina deliver the request since Elaina had the guys wrapped around her finger.
Cowboys. All ten of them were supposed to be in a cowboy get-up. The pirate idea Elaina had requested went out the window when she’d overheard about the idiot Trott brothers Roman had the pleasure of “taking care of” five days ago.
Of course, to A.J., this wasn’t much of a stretch from his typical ensemble. He’d actually provided the majority of the guys some of his clothes for the costumes. He wouldn’t share his hats, though. Apparently, they were sacred.
“Are we doing this?” Asher grunted. His faded denim jeans and boots were on, but he’d yet to change out of a plain black tee or put on a hat.
“I can’t come out of this bathroom,” Liam said in protest.
“It can’t be that bad,” Chris replied. “I mean, I look pretty good,” he added with a laugh. “And my future wife wants this as much as your wives want this.”
Wife. Damn. I’m doing it. Marrying Rory. They had yet to set a wedding date, but he’d snuck to the jewelry store and planned on giving her a little treat instead of a trick tonight, one in the form of a diamond.
His first therapy session with Dr. Logan earlier that day had gone surprisingly better than he anticipated, and he couldn’t wait to tell Rory some other interesting tidbits he’d learned from the doctor about how small the world actually was. And it really was.
Doctor Riley Logan’s husband, Ben, worked in private security with Jake Summers, Emily’s brother.
And Liam reminded Chris earlier that Ben and Jake, as well as some of their colleagues, actually went after smugglers now.
And the icing on the cake was Gia, the wife of their New York City acquaintance, Cade King, also worked with Ben and their team on occasion to help stop human trafficking. So yeah, a small, connected world.
Rory liked to say everything had come full circle, and damn, how could he not agree? Maybe Rory might even want to work with Ben Logan and his crew from time to time if she felt the urge to take down some bad guys.
Rory said she was happy with training canines, but he wanted to make sure she knew he’d never stop her from spreading her wings.
“Come out,” Asher urged and banged on the door. When it finally opened, Liam stepped out, his head hanging down and his hat about to fall off.
“Oh man, you got the chaps. I mean,” Asher said around a deep, throaty laugh, “at least you have jeans under there, and we’re not staring at your schlong.”
“My dick?” Liam looked up and cracked a smile. He shook his head and went over to observe himself in the mirror. He had on the same hat, vest, and boots as Chris, but the chaps . . . probably a special request by his wife. “Where’s Luke? He better be in this get-up, too.”
“Believe it or not, he’s out there and dressed up.” Asher jerked a thumb toward the hall. There was a knock at the door, and Chris opened up to let A.J. inside. “Why do I feel like this is all your fault?”
A.J. tipped his head back and belly laughed at the sight of the guys. “I gotta be honest, I think you’ll find it worth it when you head out to the backyard and see the women waiting for us.”
“Is Jessica in a naughty cowgirl outfit?” Asher raised a brow, excitement in his tone, and when A.J. nodded, Asher peeled off his tee and put on his western shirt in a hurry, ready to go see his wife.
Another knock on the door. Finn.
“Seriously, guys, I think I need to get married. I’m jealous. Not gonna lie,” Finn said straight away.
“You saw them?” Liam asked, attempting to peek into the hall as if he could catch a glimpse of his wife out there.
“I did. They’re outside dancing. Cowgirl boots and hats. Jean skirts even though it’s a bit chilly. And well, they’re your wives, so I won’t describe the rest of their, uh . . .” Finn looked to the ceiling as if suddenly pretending he hadn’t noticed the hot women outside.
“Roman see Harper yet?” A.J. asked Finn. “Maybe something will finally happen.”
“If nothing happened on a deserted island or in that luxurious prison resort of Carter’s,” Chris said, “I’m not feeling too optimistic. But I’m gonna go out there. You fools take your time. Looks like I have a date with a cowgirl.”
“Oh,” A.J. said while catching his arm, “Jesse is here. His outfit is real, so I wouldn’t joke about it being a costume.”
“Shit, thanks for the warning.” I would have. “He see Ella yet?” Another couple that Chris had no idea when or if they’d ever get together.
“I don’t know, but they’ll probably kill me when they realize Rory and I set them up,” A.J. said.
“Be right behind you,” Asher called out as he finished getting ready, and Chris and the others went outside where everyone was gathered.
Chris slowed at the sight of his gorgeous fiancée talking to Harper off to the side of the yard. Chris smirked when he noticed Harper’s tee beneath her open jean jacket, which she must have designed because it read in red letters: I survived Mona Island, and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.
Harper may have been chatting with Rory, but she kept tossing looks Roman’s way.
Roman was already dressed in costume, and he was talking to Bravo One.
And yup, both men had actually done it. They were in their outfits.
Wyatt’s twenty-one-year-old daughter, Gwen, was also dressed in a cowgirl outfit, and she was helping Luke and Eva take care of their baby, Easton, and their daughter, Lara.
“You know who that is? I mean, stupid question. She’s here, so of course, you know.”
Chris turned to see his brother standing next to him.
It would take some time for Eli’s ribs to heal, but he was tougher than he looked, and he didn’t let on he’d been hurt last week.
The bruises on his face and cuts were already healing, too.
Most hidden by his suede cowboy hat that was a little too big on him.
“Yeah, that’s Gwen,” he told Eli, then pointed to Wyatt talking to Natasha across the yard. “And that’s her dad. Echo One.”