Epilogue
One Year Later
B eth shivered as she gazed at the Washington Monument from the steps of the church. The bright Christmas Eve moon shone above the tip of the tower.
She didn’t wish for snow this year. She didn’t wish for anything at the moment.
Kane and the VIPER boys were home unscathed from their latest mission. Triple X had already saved thousands of lives. Evangeline was in a court-mandated mental health facility. Henry Richardson awaited trial, and Valentina Chavez was working with the feds in exchange for asylum from the Diablos.
And this morning, she and Kane had returned from his family’s farm in West Virginia, where she’d gotten an early Christmas present. They hadn’t planned to visit again until after the new year, but Holly Jolly had gone into labor early, so they’d rushed out west. They got there in time to witness her gift, a beautiful foal she named Noel, come into the world.
Now, she couldn’t wait to wake up with Kane on Christmas morning. She may have gone over the top with a big tree in every room, but Kane took her demand that he woo her quite seriously and indulged her every desire. Now she couldn’t wait for him to get here with her parents and Gran. The three of them had gone on a cruise together. Kane left a couple of hours ago to pick them up at the airport.
Scarlett slid next to her and pointed to the monument. “That sight never gets old.”
“Still my favorite.” But Beth’s gaze wasn’t on the landmark.
Linc sidled to her other side and pointed to the curb. “About fucking time your man got here. Let’s get this church stuff over so I can have some moonshine.”
“Merry Christmas to you too.” She rose on her toes and kissed him on the cheek as she watched Kane exit the baby-blue Buick. As he opened the doors for her mom and dad and then helped Gran out of the car, her heart glowed as bright as the moon.
Nic elbowed Linc out of the way and wagged his finger at Beth. “Listen here. No sneaking away with cartel members into tunnels. I don’t want to be late for my date with the Santa’s helper I met at the mall yesterday with Gage and his daughter.”
“Promise.” Kane was the only person she wanted to sneak away with tonight, but she wasn’t in any rush. Everyone she loved stood outside the church.
Chris chatted with Hudson and his wife, Tessa, who held their baby boy in her arms. Gage stood close, alert as always, even when there was no imminent threat, as his adorable daughter Lucy made funny faces at the baby. Even Dr. Patience Fairbanks, VIPER’s surgeon, was here with her twin boys. Beth had gotten to know Tessa and Patience well and considered them dear friends.
Smiling bigger than the monument, Beth closed the distance between her and Kane and kissed him. As she whispered, “I missed you,” she turned to her father. “How was traffic?”
“Good, but not as good as the Buick. I drove until we stopped a few blocks back for wine. That baby drives like a dream.”
“Seriously? He only lets me drive it around the block.” She turned her pouty lips to Kane. “Not cool, cowboy.”
Kane laughed as he adjusted his hat. “Is that what you want for Christmas, sugarplum? To drive Gran’s car all the time?”
“No, I want to drive your car all the time.” Gran gave him the ownership papers on his birthday and said his grandfather would have been proud of him. Kane had teared up. Beth had full-on bawled.
Her heart skipped a beat as he tugged the lapels of her sugarplum coat and laid a kiss on her lips. Somehow, he’d found a replica to replace the one she’d lost in the fire. She’d be eternally grateful for that thoughtful gesture, along with everything else she found sweet and sexy and incredible about her man.
“Miss Beth.”
Madalynn scurried up the stairs ahead of her parents. Her body jittered like Kane’s leg under her deep-green jacket. “Can we play hide-and-seek after mass? I know we can’t go in the tunnels anymore, but playing in the church is just as fun.”
Kane ruffled the girl’s blonde hair. “Miss Beth already said yes to playing with me tonight.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple velvet box. The keys to the Buick dangled from his pinkie finger. “I’m hoping she’ll say yes to driving my car, and say yes to me, for the rest of her life.”
The first strains of the organ music pealed through the doors behind her as he flipped the lid open. A round diamond surrounded by amethysts caught the moonlight.
Kane took off his cowboy hat and handed it to Madalynn as he stepped back and bent his knees.
Beth pulled him up before he hit the stone and wrapped her arms around him. “Yes. Yes.”
He captured her face between his hands. “Are you sure you won’t regret that you didn’t give me the chance to properly ask you to marry me?”
“No regrets, remember?”
“You got that right, sugarplum. No regrets.”
The End