EPILOGUE
CHEWIE
“I can’t believe you bought your old lady four fucking cows, man!” Dub said grumpily as he leaned against the fence and watched his wife greet “the girls,” as we’d started calling them.
“Sugar did it first,” I tattled.
Sugar laughed before he said, “Because I’m fucking awesome.”
“I’m gonna have to figure out which animals to get her next because her heart is gonna be broken when you guys drive away with the puppies,” I said, knowing I’d be just as sad.
“We’re not taking all of them,” Dub reminded me. “Sugar’s going to take one of the females.”
“That’s right. Donner chose the one he wanted when he was here at Christmas and will pick her up when he comes back to visit so we’ll have one left for a bit.
After that, we’ll just have Rose.” I chuckled when I remembered that we’d already discussed going to the shelter and adopting a friend for Rose.
“Not for long, though. We already talked about getting her a companion, and I heard Tay say something to Jade about getting a barn cat or two.”
“Or four,” Sugar teased. “Juni told me she’s already got names picked out and everything.”
“I may have started a bad trend,” I admitted.
“Nah. If buying her animals and helping her take care of them makes her happy, then go for it. You’ve got enough land out here for more than you’d ever want. You’d still have plenty of space for the family structures.”
I nodded at Dub’s observation and said, “Her parents’ house should be finished by the beginning of summer, so that’s going to be an entirely new adventure for me.”
“That’s one good thing about marrying an orphan. You never have to worry about in-laws,” Sugar said cheerfully.
Dub extended his hand to bump knuckles with Sugar before he said, “Hell yeah, it is.”
“Fuck both of you,” I muttered. “I’m lucky that her parents like me.”
“True. At least you have that going for you, but considering what a douche her ex is, it's not like the bar was set very high in the first place.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Sugar. Your kind words make me feel all fuzzy inside.”
“They’ve got pills to take care of that these days,” Dub teased.
“How is he liking his forced retirement?” Sugar asked. “Please tell me his newest ex took him to the cleaners.”
I laughed before I said, “She took him to the cleaners and then she moved the man in who had been living next door for the past three years. His baby mama sued him for child support and won’t give him the time of day.
She makes him meet her in the parking lot of the McDonald’s when it’s his turn for visitation.
Well, she did, but since he’s as good a father to that one as he was to his first three, Blaine and Jade usually pick him up from her house or she brings him out here to spend the weekend with Ollie. ”
“That’s an odd dynamic,” Dub said in confusion.
“Whatever works to make the kids happy is the best thing. I think it’s great.”
“It is. He’s a good kid. If everything works out, he and Ollie will grow up together and always have each other's backs.”
“My girls are a little too far apart in age, but it helps knowing that if something ever happens to me, Sweetie will have her older sister to take care of her,” Sugar said as he watched his daughters laughing with the women who were out in the corral.
“Life’s good. Better than I ever imagined it could be. ”
“Mine too. I never thought any of us would get married, yet here we are, fat and happy with the women we love by our sides.”
“How’s the adoption process going?” I asked.
“Good. We’ve been approved to adopt, which is also something I never imagined would happen. That had a lot to do with Elizabeth’s friends who run the Lost No More Foundation back home.”
“They’re the ones that take in kids who are abandoned, right?” I asked. When Dub nodded, I said, “Maybe we should start picking off the sorry assholes who do shit like that.”
“Don’t even get me started on the list I’ve got of people who need to die,” Dub growled.
“I’m free next month if you want to get started.”
“I’ll let karma fuck them when it comes around. I’m not willing to risk ruining the life I’m building with Elizabeth for anything.”
“And I’m not gonna risk the one I have with Juni and the girls,” Sugar agreed.
“I feel like my life started the day I found out Taya was on her way to Montana,” I admitted. “That was the best.”
“Back when you were in prison, did you ever think any of us would end up living like this?” Dub asked.
“Happy and content?” Sugar asked in response. He laughed darkly before he said, “Fuck no.”
“Me either. I figured I’d live in Tenillo for the rest of my life, but then I got the call from Vincent that changed everything.”
“For the best, though, right?”
“I wouldn’t change a thing because it might mean I wouldn’t end up here.”
Even though my friends didn’t say anything, I knew they agreed. We’d all been through some hard times and rough patches, but they were worth it since they’d made us the men we’d become who found the women who were strong enough to love us.
My life was better than I ever imagined it could be, and I knew in my heart that was all because of my Tay.
THE END