Bonus Epilogue
Carter
Five Years Later
“Please, stand up and give a mighty applause for the best-”
I watched as Max fretted in front of the screen, raised his hands and whined, “We could have been there.” He threw his head back over his shoulders.
“We could have drank in the energy. Damn,” he closed his eyes in drama fashion that was pure Max.
“We could have even stood in the center of the field.” He turned and frowned at Jason. “You wound me man.”
Jason chuckled as he walked over to my sister Rory and hugged her from behind.
Being with Harley on the road as much as we were for the last five years, I understood his play of opting out to appear at the last game of his career since he knew he wouldn’t even spend a minute on the field playing. Instead he called all up, and threw a barbeque for her family.
And after all the travel, after countless hotel rooms, I was glad for this.
I searched for Harley around the backyard and found her deep in conversation with Alina.
She looked happy and excited.
That feat still lived inside me, the fear of losing her. But, instead of letting it cripple me, it now fueled me.
Watching Harley as she refused to give up, refused to bow out and lose everything she worked for only straightened my resolve.
She was finding balance between life and work, and even though she still threw herself fully in her music, in her career, the times we stood still in all the mayhem came more and more.
Even though I loved being with her, and loved traveling the world with her, I was glad that this last tour had finally come to an end.
The moment Harley came down from the stage at her last concert, she threw her arms around me, and muttered, “Take me home.”
Usually, that meant the cabin, but with Jason retiring, we opted for Denver to be our base. At least for a while.
My siblings were having kids left and right, and we didn’t want to miss a moment we could spend with them. We were already missing too much.
The strain was there in Harley, I could see the call to have a home base, a permanent one echoing in her eyes.
I just had to wait patiently until she decided to slow things down.
As Harley looked around, her eyes came to mine, and she gave me a smile that never failed to hit me right in my chest.
I took a step, my intent was to get my hands on my wife, then find a room where we could be alone for at least an hour.
My plan was dust the moment a small body collided with my legs. “Are we gonna play?” Amelia, Rory’s and Jason’s first borne, grinned up at me.
I could never say no to that girl.
I chuckled and put her on my shoulders.
“Are we gonna play?” She asked again as she pulled my ears and bounced up and down my shoulders.
“Go easy on your uncle, Princess, or I won’t be able to work tomorrow.”
Rory came to us, her eyes worried. “How dangerous is tomorrow’s gig?” She asked quietly.
“It’s routine,” I said easily. I understood her worry, but I didn’t go out on the field much anymore, and I wouldn’t take Jason with me.
Four years ago, I sold my company and went into business with Jason.
We did basically the same thing as I did before, but only this time, the team was larger, and I didn’t take on clients. I was in the office as were Max and Chace, working the files. It was just that my office was wherever Harley was.
But this one was different.
This call came from Trevor, and I couldn’t say no.
And Jason wanted to go with me.
Seeing the concern still on Rory’s face, I leaned down to her, “Do you think I would jeopardize what I have now?” It was a question that always soothed her fried nerves.
When I came back into the fold of my family five years ago, and told them everything, every demon that pushed me into those damned shadows, Rory went a little berserk.
She would stop calling, texting or showing up wherever I was for four months straight.
I tried to talk to her, but she was beating herself up because she didn’t see how nuch I was struggling. It was only after the doctor told her it was not safe to fly on a plane while pregnant that stopped her.
I still had to call her daily, just so she would know I wasn’t retreating.
But the thing was it was a daily battle.
One I won day after day thanks to Harley.
“Mommy, let’s play,” Amelia whined, and I bent down so Rory could take my niece in her arms.
“Okay, baby,” she smiled at her daughter as she set her on her feet. “Go get Daddy and we’ll play.”
I walked in the other direction and finally claimed my wife.
“How are you feeling?” I murmured into her ear, my palm going to her belly.
“You need to stop, or you’ll spill our secret before it’s time.”
Just then, Max roared, “We’re going to have a baby.”
“Damn him,” I grunted. “There he goes stealing our thunder.”
Harley laughed in my arms, “We weren’t even going to tell them.”
“I swear, they do this just to mess with me.” I grumbled.
“SO, you’re telling me that both Jason and Max got their wives pregnant just to mess with you and steal your thunder.”
“Rory’s pregnant, too?” I gasped, looking down at her. “Oh, they’re gonna pay.”
“Oh my God, you need to stop.”
I kissed her temple, “Don’t worry, Dynamo, you can be a part of it too.”
Over the years she jumped on the wagon of messing with my siblings.
But, she had to stop once all the girls sat the night in jail cell, Max, Cache and I laughing our asses off, and Jason having a meltdown because he was home alone with a hungry Amelia.
“Thank you,” Harley breathed against my neck and kissed my jaw.
“For what?” I looked down at her.
“For giving me this. For giving me family. For making me belong.”
"You'll always belong to me, Dynamo.”
“I love you, Warden.” She sighed and leaned against me.
“And I’ll love you until the end of days, Dynamo.”
And that right there, chased the fear away.
My wife, and our unborn child safely tucked in my arms, I stood in the middle of a backyard, right in the sunlight. With no shadows in sight.