Epilogue
“If you don’t keep turning them, they burn dickhead . How hard is it to cook a fucking burger?” Boyd’s impatient voice rumbled out. It appeared that Seth was doing his best to ensure that everything on the BBQ was inedible. My stomach growled.
His remark earned him the middle finger from his brother.
I ginned from my position on Mason’s lap. We were sitting on deck chairs which had been set out by the meadow, close to the pool. This area now also had four large picnic tables which were a permanent fixture.
This had been no-man’s-land for many years, and now it had been claimed. By both our families. Gone was the rift between the McKenna’s and the Taylor-Joys and in its place was something better than a compromise. Our families were friends .
Mason had been considered a hero after saving me and my sister from the fire which had taken our house the previous year, and my parents could not thank him enough. The support we had then received from Melanie McKenna and her boys had been unparalleled.
I turned and glanced into the distance; the scaffolding on our newly built house was due to come down within the next month. We had moved back in over the last few days and there was still work to do, but it was safe and watertight.
Boyd prodded his brother in the ribs, “Come on, shift over and let me take over.”
“Get back, you’re fucking with my flow,” Seth moaned, punching his brother in the arm so hard that Boyd spilt his beer down his front.
“You little fucker, your flow is worth jack shit ,” the eldest out of the two spat and they started to play-fight, Seth jabbing at his brother with the BBQ tongues.
“Still as immature as fuck,” Nixon, my brother-in-law suddenly said. Jenna was sitting on the floor by his feet making a daisy chain and he was gently massaging her shoulders.
“They’re funny, they make me laugh,” Jenna purred sweetly.
Nixon smiled fondly down at her and smoothed her pale blonde hair over one shoulder exposing her throat. “Well, if that’s the case love. I won’t knock them the fuck out for disturbing our peace. ”
Mason chuckled before shouting over, “Come on you two, we’re fucking starving over here.”
I wiggled into the warmth of my boyfriend’s thighs; my hands were over his shoulders.
“If you keep doing that, we’re going to have to cut this party short,” Mason whispered into my ear.
“I heard that,” Nixon shot in with a stern voice. “That’s my sister you’re talking to with that potty mouth.”
I grinned, loving the fact that Nixon now treated me like a real sister. He was quite protective, which was of course part of his genes. Gone were the old animosities and I’d grown the hell up and realised that he was perfect for Jenna. She needed that strength and direction and he loved her without question. I’d spent years in ignorance, possibly partly jealous that Jenna had something I didn’t. How things had changed.
My relationship with Mason had gone from strength to strength as had the relationship between our families. My mother who used to be a nurse before she married my farmer father had regularly visited Mitchell and assisted Melanie as her husband's condition worsened. His relationships with his sons had improved and Mason had said at times that he’d apologised for past behaviours, his memories shooting in and out. Mason said that his father’s scarred thoughts of his past behaviours was like he was viewing a different person, looking in on what another man was doing to his son, and it had disgusted him. They had buried their demons and it was the right thing to do, especially when the clock was ticking. Mitchell didn’t have long left my mother said.
Planting a kiss on Mason’s lips, I looked back over his shoulder at our house. The fire had been another arson attack. Luckily, it hadn’t destroyed the darkroom and all my photographs had been intact, including those two images I had left out of the fire at Lamb Hill all those years ago.
In one of the images, I’d manage to make out the Protector twins in the crowd, both standing by the fencing. This then led me to recall the image from the SD card of the fire in the building next to Crawley’s. Again, Jonathan Protector was in one of those shots. It was blurred but it had been him .
That day at the fair, the fireman had explained to me why there were cameras on fire vehicles as arsonists always returned to the scene of their crime. To see their handywork and the destruction they had caused.
I’d then remembered that orange van by our house when I’d left in the ambulance. Burnt orange, Jonathan Proctor had called it at the fair. Ironic really.
After speaking about it with Mason, Nixon, and Jenna, we’d told my dad and everything had been taken to the authorities. Within hours, the Proctor residence had been raided and there had been loads of evidence to state that the Proctor twins were responsible for several fires and other untoward events. Their excuse had been that they provided bonfires for major events, but images of past fires they had started had been found in a safe in the main house. Ironically, they should have burned the evidence!
A date rape type of drug had also been found by the litre, which suggested the boys were also involved in spiking people’s drinks in town. This would have explained what had happened to Seth the night of our BBQ, as the Proctor twins had both been present. Terrifying, as they had probably been attempting to drug one of the females and Seth had picked up the wrong drink. This crime was still under investigation however and they had yet to be convicted.
But the evidence of their arson was an open and closed case. They were both now behind bars, Jonathan who had been considered the ring leader, with his burned hand also had a charge of attempted murder which was still going through the courts. This was due to Chrissy and I being in the house at the time they’d started the fire. I’d heard that both brothers had been sickened by this news, having believed that the building had been empty, but who knew? I didn’t care either way as they could rot in prison for the rest of their lives for what they had done to Mason. They also took something from Jenna and Nixon, but that wasn’t my story to tell.
Their mother had put their farmland up for sale and left the area to stay with her sister. My father had of course swooped in and nailed the deal.
Mason nuzzled my neck and I pulled my gaze back from my house.
There was a definite playful vibe in the air. We really were like a family now. Nixon and Jenna climbed to their feet. “I think I’d better take over the BBQ or we’ll all starve,” Nixon said to Jenna. She smiled and lifted herself to sit where Nixon had been.
“Come on dipshit,” Nix said, taking the tongues from Seth, who then twisted away and ran toward the pool.
“Woop!” he yelled, jumping into the water, and causing a massive splash.
Boyd followed suit, attempting to dive-bomb his brother.
I pulled my gaze away from Nixon who was now flipping burgers like he’d been born to do it. He and Jenna were going strong and he was now working on the farm full time. All the brothers were since their dad had become incapacitated. Mason also helped my dad on occasion, but he didn’t need to score any more brownie points really after his heroic behaviour.
I cast my gaze to Alex and Mattie who were still asleep sunbathing. My brother was starting to look a painful shade of pink. They were engaged and due to be married the following year. They had decided to put the wedding off for a while as Alex’s mother had unfortunately passed away at the beginning of the year.
After a brief kiss on Mason’s lips, I pushed to my feet and nudged Mattie with my foot.
“You’re going red,” I pointed out. He nudged Alex and they both sat up and put T-shirts on. Having been through heatstroke myself, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
I gasped as I was suddenly lifted off my feet, Mason’s strong arms around me. We were all in our bathing suits, apart from Jenna who wore a floating white dress as she still didn’t swim so well.
“Fancy a dip,” Mason said cheekily and then bit my earlobe.
I knew I didn’t really have any choice in the matter as he swept me away, darting past Nixon and jumping into the pool with me in his arms.
The boys cheered as the water engulfed us both and I found my way back into Mason’s arms, pushing my hands up around his neck. The water was cold and I gasped as it bit into my skin.
Mason had recovered well. The wound from his head was now a faint scar, the only reminder of that night when I had almost lost him .
We ignored the boys, who were in the process of trying to drown each other and Mason tugged me closer into his chest. His perfect face, so appealing and that body. It spoke to every part of my own.
Our legs were tangled in the water and Mason had found a section where he could stand up. He held me, his strength filtering into my limbs, his scent making my tummy flutter.
My breasts were flattened against his chest and I eyed him from beneath my lashes.
“You’re such a prime specimen of manliness Mason, you have to pose for me,” I said, scrunching up my nose. I knew what the answer would be. I was now studying a photography course in Norwich and I’d been asking him to model for me for the past year but he wouldn’t have it.
“Please,” I said, rubbing myself against him suggestively. I knew the power of my body now. His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at me with desire in his eyes.
“How about we go to my room and see if you can convince me there?” he said with a suggestive curl to his lips.
“Go on then,” I replied, excitement trickling into me at what was to come.
And I did, for the rest of that evening, I thoroughly convinced Mason that he needed to pose for me. With my hands, my body, my mouth, and most of all…my heart.
THE END