Epilogue
Clover
Two Years Later
Everyone is buzzing with energy as I walk around, ensuring everything is in its place. I rub the beads of my bracelet between my fingers as I scan the clipboard to make sure I haven’t missed anything. Grinding my feet into the floor like my therapist taught me, I suck in deep belly breaths to ground myself and calm my nerves.
My shoulders relax slightly as Daddy walks toward me, a broad smile on his face. “It’s a packed house, sweetheart.”
I swallow the fear down and inhale deeply. One time. Two times. Three times.
“You okay?” Daddy asks, his brow furrowed with concern.
Nodding, I draw in one last deep breath and return his smile. “Yeah, just nerves.”
He wraps me in a warm embrace, being careful not to bump my belly. “You did good, sweetheart. Everything is going to be perfect. ”
I breathe in his peppermint scent, finding comfort in the familiarity of his arms and smell. “Thanks, Daddy. For everything. For believing in me and helping me with each step.”
Daddy pulls back, his eyes suspiciously watery. “Well, I’ve always believed in you.”
Smiling, I clasp his hand and squeeze. “I know.”
Someone hollers for him, and he gives me a quick peck on the cheek. “Break a leg, sweetheart.”
I laugh. “I’m not going on stage. Not sure if that still applies. You and Mom better grab your seats.”
“She’s already there with Joanne, Gunner, and all of your and Thor’s friends. I wanted to give you an extra hug and tell you how very proud I am of you.”
Emotion tightens my throat. “Thanks, Daddy.”
Giving me one last hug, he wanders back to his seat.
I scan the room. The actors and actresses are doing their last-minute rituals before curtain call. Some are running in place or doing jumping jacks. Others are working together, running their lines. The stagehands are scurrying around and making sure all of the props are in the correct spots. Tears fill my eyes, and I blink them back.
“Thank you, God,” I whisper, my heart filling with so much gratitude. I still can’t believe I was able to buy this place before it was bulldozed down and turned into a strip mall.
On one of the tables, I notice several prop daggers. Sighing, I grab a few, sticking them in the back pockets of my jeans and in the pockets of my blazer. Brianna is an amazing actress, but she’s always forgetting to make sure she has all her daggers on her. I’ll need to find her before the show starts.
Hannah, my assistant, catches my eye as she makes her way toward me, several people behind her. That’s when I recognize the woman following her and my heart lurches out of my chest.
Rubbing my suddenly clammy hands down my pants, I go to greet them.
Stretching out a trembling hand, I smile. “Mrs. Cotten, I’m Clover Mason. I’m so glad you all were able to make it. I’ve been so excited to meet you in person.”
Carrie Cotten, the inspiring author who made all of this possible, ignores my hand and draws me into a hug. “You call me Carrie. Oh my gosh, it is so good to finally be able to hug you.” Pulling back, she smiles at me, her blue eyes shimmering with tears. “This is . . . I have no words.” Her gaze roams the room before landing back on me. “It’s breathtaking.”
“None of this would be possible without your wonderful stories.”
A tear trails down her cheek and her husband quietly hands her a tissue. “I never dreamed of seeing my stories in the flesh.”
“Theater is just the first step. Hollywood is next.” I wink at her. “Daddy is excited to sit down and talk with you this week.”
Her hand comes to her flushed cheek. “I still can’t believe he wants to turn my little books into movies.”
“Just wait until you walk into the stores and get to see Cyrene, Astrid, Revna, and Isa as dolls for little girls, lunch boxes, backpacks, clothes . . . well, you get the idea.” She may think I’m kidding, but I’m not. This franchise is going to explode, and I can’t wait to watch it happen.
“I can’t thank you enough, Clover.”
I give her another hug. “Thank you for trusting me with your stories,” I whisper before Hannah leads Carrie and her family to their balcony seats—the best in the house.
After finishing Carrie’s medieval Viking and Scottish book series, I could not stop thinking about them. Soon, I’d written the script, combining the three books. It took me a while before I had the courage to contact Carrie and ask her to read it.
To my surprise, she loved it. And thus, the play The Lionheart Women was born. After Daddy read the script and saw our first full dress rehearsal, he asked what I thought about adapting it into a movie. I gave him Carrie’s books and told him to read those first, because they need to be more than one combined movie. They deserve to be a series.
After reading the books, Daddy agreed. He, Carrie, her husband, and I are having lunch tomorrow to talk through it all. I couldn’t be more excited for her.
And through it all, Thor has been by my side, encouraging me. Giving me the courage to go forward with my dreams. He also managed to sweet-talk his way into a leading role in the show.
Heading toward the dressing rooms, I run my hand over my stomach, wondering if Thor is still back here getting ready. I also need to find Brianna and give her the daggers before she goes on stage .
I flip one in my hand as I make my way down the hallway. Thor’s door is open and the lights are off. I frown. Maybe he’s practicing last minute with Brianna.
Nausea fills my stomach, but I push it aside. I’m not blind. I’ve seen the way she looks at him and hangs on every word. But I trust Thor and his eyes have only ever been for me.
Suddenly, my dagger is pulled out of my hand and I’m spun around, but before Thor can even blink, I have one of the extra daggers pulled out and pressed against his throat. “I have another,” I say, my lips tilting into a smirk.
Thor’s amber eyes dance with mischief. “Aye, ye do.” His arms wrap tighter around my bulging waist. “Lower yer weapon, Love, so I can kiss ye.” His Scottish brogue has gotten good since he’s been rehearsing for the play, and I’ll admit, he can get me to do just about anything when he uses it.
As soon as I remove it from his neck, Thor’s lips are on mine. I sigh into the kiss, but don’t let myself get carried away. Pushing him back gently, I place a hand on his chest. “As much as I love this, I need to find Brianna and you need to get in place.”
Thor grumbles, his nose nuzzling my neck as he peppers me with kisses. “The world can wait,” he murmurs, his warm breath sending fire throughout my body. “You sure you don’t want to play Revna? You’d be perfect.”
I chuckle even as my heart races faster with each kiss he presses against my skin. “I don’t think a pregnant Revna would go unnoticed.” At my words, his hand comes up, rubbing the swell of my rounded stomach. Warmth floods my veins at his gentle touch .
His gaze drops down to my stomach, but stops on the T-shirt I’m wearing underneath my blazer. “Don’t make me use my director voice,” he reads the words on my shirt, his lips tugging up into a smirk.
“See? I’m better behind the scenes.”
Leaning down, Thor laughs against my ear, his hot breath causing my skin to pebble. “Yeah, because you’re bossy.”
I poke him in the side. “You better believe it.”
“What if I like your director voice?” He places a kiss below my ear, and I grip his forearms so I don’t melt into a puddle right on the spot.
I clear my throat, trying to get us back on topic. “And speaking of being bossy . . .” I drag the word out until Thor has straightened, his gaze meeting mine. Pointing my finger at him, I narrow my eyes in warning. “If you dare give Brianna anything more than a stage kiss out there, you will sleep on the couch tonight. Or maybe in the garage.”
Thor doesn’t even appear fazed. “You’d miss me too much.”
“Don’t test me, Viking.”
Laughing, he leans down and kisses me, firmly and passionately. “You know my heart is yours.” Another kiss. “All of my kisses.” His mouth captures mine again, and I can’t help but cling to this wonderful man. “Every word of love I speak on that stage is for you alone, Clover.” His kiss is slow and languid as he takes his time to prove his words. “You own me.”
I hum into his kiss before pulling back and tugging on his beard. “And don’t forget it. ”
Thor chuckles. “I have the ring to remind me.” He holds up his hand, his wedding band flashing in the light. He lifts my hand, pressing a kiss to my finger over my matching wedding band and engagement ring.
Our romance was a whirlwind. After I was no longer Thor’s client, we started officially dating. He tried to hold off, but he proposed to me after a month. We eloped a few months later, right in time for Christmas. Thor surprised me with a Christmas honeymoon in Scotland. I’d just started compiling The Lionheart Women script, and he wanted to take me there for inspiration. I almost didn’t want to come home.
The last two years have been full of emotional healing for the both of us. Thor’s nightmares are fewer and farther between, and I’ve not had a panic attack in over a year. Though I still prefer spending my days at home alone with Thor, Anne with an E, and Diana, it requires a lot less effort for me to get out and do things. Thor and I go on frequent bike rides with the guys. Joanne and I have become close, and we visit her and Gunner several times a week. And true to my promise, Gunner and I are constantly finding new pranks to pull on Thor, who simply takes it in stride with a heart-stopping smile on his face.
There are still hard days. Days where my anxiety engulfs me and refuses to let go, and days where Thor can’t shake the horrible guilt and memories that haunt him, but together and with lots of prayer, love, and support, we’re slowly healing. And though we may never be completely healed this side of Heaven, we know that God is still good .
My eyes water as I smile at my amazing husband, and let him kiss me once more. Then, I bring his hand to my mouth, and place a tender kiss over his clover tattoo before stepping out of his arms. “Okay, give me your ring.”
He gasps, clutching his hand to his chest. “What? I never take this off.”
Planting a hand on my hip, I hold my other hand out. “It’s for the play. Hand it over.”
Grumbling, he pulls his wedding band off and reaches it to me. I smile and slip it onto my thumb. “All right, Mr. Payne. It’s time for you to get on stage and break a leg.”
“You’re making it awfully hard to leave. You know I love it when you talk bossy to me.”
Rolling my eyes, I push him toward the front. “We don’t have time for flirting. I’ve got to find Brianna and give her these daggers.”
I watch the story unfold from backstage. Aksel and Revna are in the cave, and I’m trying not to let the ridiculous jealousy run rampant. Rubbing my rounded stomach, I carefully watch every move and word from Thor and Brianna, praying that no one freezes up .
One of the pivotal moments of the show begins, and my chest tightens. Thor is looking at Brianna, getting ready to profess his love. Except, his eyes lift slowly until they lock with mine. To the audience, he still appears to be looking at Brianna. But he doesn’t break eye contact with me as he says, “I remember everything. I remember seeing you for the first time. I thought you were the most beautiful apparition.”
Tears fill my eyes, and I bring my trembling fingers to my lips as they continue speaking. I don’t hear Brianna’s response, my attention lost in Thor’s loving gaze.
“Do you want to run away from me now?” he asks Brianna, still staring at me. I shake my head and his lips lift into a smirk before he gives a stage kiss to Brianna. I can see from where I’m standing that his lips never touch hers.
“Good,” Thor says, lifting his eyes back to mine. “Because I do not mean to let you go. I think I will keep you locked in my arms for the rest of my days.”
The scene ends. The curtains close to the cheers of the audience. Thor is still watching me as he strides forward with purposeful steps. Even after all this time, my heart flutters at the handsome man who owns every part of me.
He doesn’t even hesitate before sweeping me into his arms, his lips crashing into mine. “Every word for you, Love,” he says into my mouth before meeting my lips once more.
And for a moment, I forget about everyone rushing around me, scrambling to get the set ready for the next scene as I wrap my arms around my husband’s neck, drawing comfort from his love, strength, and constant support.
“I love you, my Viking.”
Thor smiles against my mouth. “And I love you.”
The End