47. Epilogue
Epilogue
WADE
T he truck rumbled softly as I pulled up the long gravel drive, the familiar crunch under the tires blending with the stillness of the crisp winter night. Above me, the sky glittered with stars, the kind of display you only got out here on the Flats, miles away from city lights. As I turned off the engine, I caught sight of the cabin, now fully finished and glowing with Christmas lights. They wrapped around the eaves, twinkling like the night sky, and through the large front window, I could see the warm glow of the fire reflecting on the polished wood floors.
It had taken nearly six months to get the place done—autumn slipping into winter, with the brothers and I working every spare minute between storms and harvest—but it was worth it. By New Year’s, the house was complete, every beam, floorboard, and coat of paint a testament to hard work and, let’s face it, Cal’s relentless eye for detail.
I sat for a moment, watching the scene through the window. Cal was at the center of it all, entertaining Tyler, Hunter, Eli, Shane, Jordan, Tyler’s brother Jamie, and friend Holden. His hands gestured animatedly as he recounted some story, his laughter ringing through even from here. The way he had them all captivated, you’d think he was hosting a sold-out comedy show. It was impossible not to smile at the sight.
Exactly a year. That’s how long it had been since Cal walked into my bar and flipped my entire world on its head. In twelve months, he’d gone from being the stranger who ordered a drink he hated and teased me mercilessly, to the man who filled every corner of my life with color, chaos, and love. Now, he was mine.
The past six months had been better than anything I could’ve imagined. We’d submitted the papers to become foster parents, a decision that felt as natural as breathing. We were waiting now—just waiting.
And yet, despite how fast everything was moving, it felt like I’d known him forever. Like my life had been leading up to this.
My thoughts wandered back to Christmas, our first together. Cal had fit into my family like he’d always been there. I could still see him in the kitchen with my mom, flour smudged on his cheek as he tried—unsuccessfully—to follow her instructions for pie crust. Every time he made a mess, I’d sweep in behind him, wiping the counters and muttering about him being more tornado than baker. He’d laugh, press a quick kiss to my lips, and carry on, completely unbothered.
“Wade, you’re like a Roomba with a romantic upgrade,” he’d said, grinning as I chased him around the island, trying to clean up his trail of chaos while sneaking kisses in return.
The memory tugged at my heart, and I exhaled, grounding myself back in the present. I wasn’t heading straight home tonight. Instead, I’d made a detour to the cemetery just as the sun dipped below the horizon.
It had been years since I visited Sam. Too long.
The graveyard was quiet, the kind of stillness that wrapped around you and didn’t let go. The sky was painted in the dusky hues of early evening, the last threads of sunlight slipping below the horizon. I shoved my hands deeper into my coat pockets, my breath clouding in the frigid air as I stood in front of Sam’s gravestone. The name etched in granite stared back at me, simple and unyielding, a stark reminder of everything I thought I’d lost.
“Hey, Sam,” I started, my voice catching in my throat. “It’s been… God, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it? I know I should’ve come back sooner. Hell, you’d probably kick my ass for taking this long. I guess… I didn’t know how.”
I crouched down, brushing away a thin layer of snow from the base of the stone. The cold seeped through my gloves, but I didn’t care. I stared at the name for a moment, my chest tightening with the weight of everything I needed to say.
“For the longest time,” I began, my voice steadying, “I thought I couldn’t move on. I thought… losing you meant losing everything. You weren’t just my partner, Sam. You were my home. The place I felt safe, where I could just… be. And when you were gone, I thought that home was gone too. Buried six feet under, along with every dream we ever had.”
The wind rustled through the bare trees, a soft, almost comforting sound. I let out a shaky breath, watching it fog in the air.
“I felt so guilty,” I admitted, the words spilling out like they’d been waiting years to be said. “Guilty for surviving. Guilty for smiling again, for laughing, for even thinking I could find happiness without you. And when Cal came into my life…” I paused, swallowing hard. “I fought it. God, Sam, I fought it so damn hard. Because how could I? How could I love someone else when I thought all my love was buried here?”
I ran a hand through my hair, the weight of it all pressing down on me. “But then I realized something,” I continued, my voice softening. “You weren’t just my home. You were my childhood home. The place where I learned how to love, where I learned what it meant to feel safe and seen. You were my foundation, Sam. You taught me to love without abandon, to give my heart fully. And because of that, because of you, I’ve been able to start building something new.”
I stood, brushing the snow from my knees. “Cal… he’s my new foundation. He’s messy and loud and has this knack for making everything around him brighter. He’s not you, Sam. No one could ever be you. But he’s mine in a way I never thought I’d have again. He’s helping me build a new home, one that’s grounded in everything you taught me, but that’s ours. His and mine.”
The stars began to wink into existence above me, their light faint but steady. I glanced back at the stone, my chest aching but lighter than it had been in years.
“Tomorrow,” I said, my voice stronger now, “I’m going to ask him to marry me. And I know you’d tell me to stop overthinking and just do it, so that’s what I’m doing. I’m taking the leap, Sam. I’m building a new home. And I’ll carry you with me, always. You’re part of me, and you always will be.”
I stepped back, my eyes lingering on the stone. “Thank you, Sam. For being my home when I needed it. For giving me the strength to find it again. I love you, and I’ll never forget you. But it’s time.”
The wind whispered through the trees again, like a soft goodbye, and I turned, walking back toward the truck. As I climbed in and started the engine, a weight lifted from my chest, leaving something new in its place. Hope. The kind I hadn’t let myself feel in years.
Now, standing outside the cabin, I took one last deep breath, letting the crisp night air steady me before I pushed open the door. Warm light spilled out, along with a chorus of laughter and the faint clinking of glasses. The scent of mulled cider mingled with pine and woodsmoke, wrapping me in instant comfort. I stepped inside, the hum of voices surrounding me, and there he was. Cal.
He was mid-sentence, animating some story with wild hand gestures, his honey-brown eyes alight with joy. When he saw me, his face split into a grin that could rival the Christmas lights strung along the walls.
“There’s my lumberjack,” he called, abandoning his tale to stride toward me. “Finally done being mysterious?”
“Just tying up some loose ends,” I replied, pulling him into a hug. The warmth of him, the press of his body against mine, chased away the lingering chill from outside.
I hung up my coat and kicked off my boots in the hall, pausing to glance at the picture wall Cal had insisted we create. The sight of it made my chest ache in the best way. Photos of his newfound family—the friends who were more like brothers—filled the edges, alongside newer shots of Cal and Kaine, both grinning wide, the vineyard glowing behind them. In the center of it all was the photo I hadn’t expected to see again: Sam and me.
The picture I’d once destroyed in grief now hung in a new frame, colors brighter, the image restored as though time hadn’t touched it. Cal had done that. When I asked him why, his response had been simple but profound: “Sam was your home, and I’m your foundation. You don’t have to choose, Wade.”
He didn’t realize just how true that was.
Shaking off the weight of the past, I rounded the corner to find Cal’s found family sprawled across the couches, their laughter filling the room. Tyler and Hunter were arguing over the correct way to lace skates, while Jamie and Holden chimed in with unhelpful commentary. Shane was dramatically reenacting something that had Tyler snorting into his cider, and Eli was trying—and failing—to look unimpressed.
The moment Cal spotted me lingering, he crossed the room and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the group. “C’mon, Wade. Don’t just stand there looking like a brooding romance novel cover. Take a seat.”
I snorted but let him lead me to an open couch. Before I could sit, Cal dropped into my lap, earning groans and wolf whistles from the group.
"Seriously?" Tyler teased, rolling his eyes. "You couldn't wait until you were in the bedroom to play koala?"
Cal smirked, leaning back in my lap as if to make himself even more comfortable. "Oh, please. I suffered a year of being your roommate, Tyler. I know way too much about both your and Hunter's sex noises. I could probably draw diagrams of your favorite positions at this point."
The room erupted in groans and laughter, Tyler turning an impressive shade of red as Hunter choked on his drink. "You did not just—"
"I absolutely did," Cal interrupted, his grin wicked as he tossed a pillow at Tyler. "Consider this payback for the time you brought a certain team mate home at two a.m. and thought blasting Into it By Chase Atlantic would make me not hear both of your cries of ‘Oh baby, Harder,’ or ‘Fuck me Babe.’"
Shane wheezed with laughter, practically falling off his chair. "This is why I keep Cal around. Pure entertainment."
I wrapped an arm around him, grinning as the group erupted into laughter and friendly jabs.
Shane leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eye. “So, Wade, how’s the new Line Back Jacks? Or should we start calling it Lumberjack HQ?”
“Boston edition,” I corrected, chuckling. “It’s been busy, but good. More than I expected, actually. It’s nice having a place I can run without killing myself with late hours.”
Cal shot me a look, his lips twitching with amusement. “He’s forgetting to mention the foot massages he receives as payment for all his hard work.”
The group howled, and I couldn’t help but laugh as Cal gave a smug shrug. “What? It’s called appreciation.”
The evening passed in a haze of good food, great company, and endless teasing. It wasn’t long before someone suggested heading out to the porch, where my brothers, William and Wylie, were already setting up fireworks.
The night air was cold but clear, the sky a perfect expanse of stars. As the first firework exploded in a brilliant cascade of gold, I caught sight of Cal leaning against the railing, his face tilted toward the sky. The light played across his features, illuminating him in a way that made my breath catch.
“You’re staring,” he murmured, catching me.
“Can you blame me?” I replied, stepping closer to slide my arm around his waist.
More fireworks lit up the sky, each burst reflected in Cal’s eyes. The sound of laughter echoed behind us, but for a moment, it was just us. This man—this chaotic, brilliant, beautiful man—had changed my life in ways I couldn’t begin to explain.
As the final firework painted the sky in hues of blue and white, I tightened my hold on him, pressing a kiss to his temple. The year ahead felt full of promise, and with Cal by my side, I knew one thing for certain: this was home. For the first time in forever, I was exactly where I was meant to be.
New Year's morning crept in with soft rays of light breaking through the curtains, and I lay there, watching Cal nestled into the pillows, his hair a complete mess and his face scrunched like he was plotting revenge against the sun. He looked angelic—if angels could also double as grumpy little terrors when they didn’t get their full eight hours.
I leaned in, brushing a kiss against his temple. "Rise and shine, pretty boy."
Cal groaned, burrowing deeper into the blankets. "Wade, it’s New Year’s. We were up until God knows when. I deserve at least another three hours."
I grinned, already knowing how to get him up. "How about we give our guests a wake-up call? Payback for all those years you had to hear their... late-night enthusiasm."
That got his attention. His eyes snapped open, brown orbs hazy but immediately mischievous. He rolled on top of me in one smooth motion, his bare skin against mine and his cock—very awake—pressing into my stomach. "You’re evil, Jack. I love it."
Before I could say another word, he was reaching for the lube on the bedside table, already slicking his fingers and prepping himself. The sight of him—biting his lip, his lashes fluttering, the way his chest heaved—was enough to have me hard and ready, but I wasn’t about to let him steal the show completely.
“Oh no, you don’t,” I said, taking over just as he was about to take charge. His laugh turned into a moan as I pressed my lips to his neck, my hands sliding up his thighs, round to his perfect globed ass to his tight needy hole, my finger sliding in as I prepped him properly, slowly, teasingly, adding more fingers till he was ready for me.
"Wade," he gasped, arching into me. "Stop teasing."
"You’re the one trying to start a symphony," I teased back, before letting him guide himself down onto me. His moan was loud, echoing enough that I was sure it would carry to the main house.
Cal’s eyes sparkled with wicked delight as he rocked against me, his head tilting back, his lips parting with dramatic flair. He wasn’t just moving; he was performing, every roll of his hips calculated, every cry of my name like he was on stage. "God, Wade, your pierced cock—it’s so good," he practically yelled, his grin cheeky and wild.
I chuckled even as my body responded to every bit of his showmanship. "Show-off," I muttered, gripping his hips and flipping him onto his back in one fluid motion.
The surprise on his face quickly melted into pleasure as I drove into him, my lips finding his, my hands exploring his body with the desperation of a man who knew exactly what he had. I bit his lip, then his neck, before taking a nipple in my mouth, relishing the way he shuddered beneath me.
“Wade!” His scream came loud and uninhibited as I pounded into him, hitting that spot I knew would undo him completely. Messy, desperate kisses mingled with moans that practically rattled the walls. I knew he was loud by nature, but this? This was next level, and I couldn’t help but smile against his lips.
When we finally came together, the crescendo of our cries was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of clapping from another room.
“Bravo! Bravo!” Hunter’s voice called out, muffled but unmistakably smug. “Cal finally got his man with a pierced cock! But unless you guys want an encore from us, you better get moving!”
Cal groaned, flinging an arm over his face. "I hate everyone in this house."
I laughed, pulling out of him and rolling onto my side. Cal immediately pouted, his hand lazily running over my chest. "But sleep," he whined. "You, me, your body weighing me to the good dreams."
I kissed him softly, running a hand through his messy hair. "We live the good dream, pretty boy. Now get up. I have a surprise for you."
His pout turned into a suspicious frown. "A surprise?"
I hummed, leaning in to nip at his bottom lip. "Yeah, not sure if you’ll like it, though."
He narrowed his eyes, sitting up but still looking reluctant. "Then why am I getting out of bed for this?"
I shrugged. "Do you trust me?"
He sighed dramatically, flopping out of bed and grabbing my flannel off the chair. "Fine. Only because I trust you. But if this is terrible, Wade, you’re on the couch for a week."
I smirked, tugging on my jeans and throwing him a wink. "Guess we’ll just have to see, huh?"
The cold air bit at my face, sharp and alive as I parked the truck at the edge of the tree line. I glanced over at Cal, his honey-brown eyes glinting with curiosity, and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He was practically vibrating with excitement—though his trademark sarcasm wasn’t far behind.
“Is this the part where you say, ‘Psych, I don’t love you,’ and chop me up into tiny pieces? Because taking me into a dark forest is giving killer vibes , baby.”
I barked a laugh, reaching over to brush a stray curl from his forehead.
“Though I love to eat you, darling, it’s in a completely different way—you know that. Now shush and trust me for a second.”
His smirk turned into a full grin, but he narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion.
“Trust you? The last time I trusted you, you tried to convince me to eat your family’s horrific jello salad.”
“Hey, it’s a Rossler tradition. Respect the lime jello,” I teased, pulling a blindfold from the glove box. “Now, put this on.”
His eyebrow arched. “You want me to blindfold myself in the middle of nowhere? Oh, sure, what could possibly go wrong?”
“Do you trust me, pretty boy?” I asked, my voice softer now.
His teasing faltered, replaced with that look he always gave me—the one that made my heart stop.
“Yeah, I do.” And with that, he obliged, letting me tie the blindfold over his eyes.
“Good.” I slid out of the truck, grabbing the bag I’d packed earlier and circling around to his side. I scooped him up bridal-style, and he let out a dramatic squeal, clutching at my shoulders.
“Well,” he said, giggling, “if I weren’t blind and in the middle of scary woods, this would almost be romantic.”
I chuckled, keeping my steps steady despite the nerves burning through me. The small velvet box in my pocket felt impossibly heavy, like a brand against my skin. The lake came into view, exactly as Cal had described it. Frozen and pristine, the surface glinting like glass under the soft pink hue of the morning light. It was breathtaking—just like him.
I lowered him onto a flat rock at the lake’s edge. “Okay, pretty boy,” I said, my voice cracking slightly, “take it off.”
He hesitated, then reached up to untie the blindfold. His gasp was immediate, his mouth falling open as his eyes darted across the lake and the surrounding snow-covered trees. “But how—how did you find it?”
I crouched in front of him, my voice low but steady.
“Darlin’, anything you want, I’ll do whatever I can to make it happen. That includes bringing you back to the place where you found peace when you needed it most.”
His eyes misted, his lip trembling slightly. “Wade,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
I scoffed lightly, brushing his tears away with my thumb. “None of that, Mr. Waterworks. Now, come on—let’s skate.”
I pulled his skates from the bag and handed them to him. Cal stared at them like they were a ticking bomb. “Wade…”
“No competition,” I said gently. “Just you, the ice, and me. That’s it.”
He nodded, swallowing hard, and got to work lacing up his skates with precision, his hands moving with a muscle memory that hadn’t faded. I did the same—though far less gracefully—and stood, wobbling slightly as I balanced on the frozen ground.
Cal raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Trust you? Can you even skate, Jack?”
“In a straight line,” I admitted, grinning.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You once told me you’ve never been straight in your life.”
“Touche,” I said, holding out a hand. “Come on, let’s see what you’ve got.”
His first glide onto the ice was effortless, smooth as silk. Mine? Not so much. But as I stumbled behind him, I watched something change in him. The hesitation melted away as he moved, his body finding its rhythm.
And then, just like that, he was flying.
Cal was poetry in motion, the ice bending to his will as he skated with a grace that left me breathless. For the first time, I saw the piece of him he thought he’d lost—the part of him that still belonged to the ice. And this time, I was the one crying, watching the man I loved come alive.
When he finally skated back to me, puffing and flushed, his hair mussed from the wind, I couldn’t help myself. I rushed toward him, dropping to my knees on the ice. Gravity helped with that part.
“Wade!” Cal exclaimed, trying to catch me, his worry obvious.
I shook my head, pulling the velvet box from my pocket. The red morning light danced behind him, a faint rainbow forming in the mist of the lake. My hands trembled as I held it out, looking into his wide, tear-filled eyes.
“Cal,” I said, my voice raw and unsteady, the words spilling from a place deeper than I even knew existed. “Will you marry me? You’ve brought a joy to my life unlike anything I’ve ever known. You’re my anchor—not because you hold me back, but because you hold me steady. You’re my home, my foundation. Let’s build something together—something that lasts.”
His breath hitched, and for a moment, the world around us seemed to hold its breath. Then the tears came—his and mine—as he nodded with such force I thought he’d throw himself off balance. “Yes,” he gasped, laughing and crying all at once.
“Yes. A thousand times yes.”
As I slid the ring onto his finger, my hands trembling, the lake seemed to glow even brighter, like it was bearing witness to a new chapter unfolding. The moment was perfect—beautiful, sacred.
Then, of course, Cal couldn’t leave it at that.
“Oh, and Wade?” he said, leaning up on his skates with an elegance I could only dream of achieving. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he tilted his head.
“Yes, pretty boy?” I asked, already bracing for whatever chaos he was about to unleash.
“Keep the blindfold for later.” His eyebrows wiggled, and before I could respond, he was off, skating a triumphant lap around the lake like he’d just won Olympic gold.
“I am engaged to a lumberjack Viking god!” he bellowed to the surrounding forest, his voice echoing into the stillness.
I groaned, a chuckle escaping despite myself as I covered my face with my hands, the heat rising to my cheeks.
“And he has a pierced cock!” he added, his shout loud enough to send birds scattering from the treetops.
From somewhere near the tree line, where I knew my meddling family had been hiding, a chorus of voices rang out in unison: “YOU WHAT?!”
Oh, this was my life now. A life of chaos, laughter, and a man who’d never let me live in peace—but who’d make every day worth it.
As I watched Cal skate back toward me, grinning like a cat who’d just raided the cream, I knew one thing for sure: with him, life would never be boring. And that was exactly how I wanted it.
The end.