Epilogue
“Wa? Wa?” Ruby pointed her chubby little finger out at the water.
Rick smiled at his sweet granddaughter as he nodded. “That’s right. We saw lots of whales today, didn’t we?”
She pointed again, her little eyebrows crinkling. There were no whales in sight from there on the pier, though she looked for them.
His heart warmed at knowing how much she had enjoyed the whale-watching trip, even though it would’ve been easy to believe she was too young. He buckled her safely into her car seat. “We’ll have to go find some whales again sometime, won’t we?”
Ruby flung her little hands out. “Spash!”
“That’s right. Big splash!” He chuckled as he closed her door and hopped in the driver’s seat. “What about you guys? Do you want to do that again sometime?”
“Yeah!” Vivian enthused. “That was so much fun, and I can’t wait to tell my friends about how many whales we saw today.”
Carol, in the passenger seat, gave Rick a knowing look. Of all three of the kids, Vivian had been the least excited about going once the idea was proposed. She didn’t want to get on a boat all afternoon and didn’t care much about whales. Until she saw them, of course.
“We have to go back,” Elijah chimed in.
“And why is that?” Carol asked.
“Because we didn’t get to see any right whales,” he reasoned. “I want to.”
“Then we’ll try again,” Carol promised. “But remember what the man said? Right whales are endangered. We might have to go a few times before we get a chance to see any.”
Rick backed out of their parking spot and headed up the pier toward the highway that would take them back to Truro from Provincetown. He glanced in the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of Elijah’s face. “What’s the matter, buddy?”
“What was it that man said he did for a living? The one who knew so much about whales and said he was trying to save them?”
“He’s a marine biologist, so he studies the animals who live in the ocean.”
Elijah gave a firm nod. “That’s what I want to be when I grow up.”
Carol looked over her shoulder. “I thought you wanted to be a pirate.”
“Nope. A maroon…marine…that guy.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Rick guided the car back toward home with a deep sense of satisfaction.
He absolutely loved being a grandfather, and it’d been a true joy to go out on an adventure not just with Ruby but with Vivian and Elijah as well.
He was already starting to brainstorm ideas for their next outing that would be fun while feeding Elijah’s new interest.
They returned to the row of homes owned by the Brigham clan and piled out of the car. Jackets, blankets, stuffed animals, and several snack wrappers followed them into the clanhouse, where the kids’ parents were waiting for them.
“Hey, guys!” Stacey wrapped Vivian and Elijah in a hug. “Did you have a good time?”
“Yeah, but I’m tired,” Vivian whined.
Elijah knuckled his eye. “Mom, I’m going to be a…what is it again, Grandpa?”
Rick’s heart surged the same way it did when Ruby had first babbled something along the lines of Papa.
He’d never asked Vivian and Elijah to call him Grandpa.
That was a decision he’d leave entirely up to them, and they’d always called him Rick before.
Hearing Elijah say that word, though, and seeing the trust and respect in the boy’s face, was enough to make his throat tighten. “A marine biologist,” he managed.
“I’m sure it’s a hobby most pirates have,” Carol commented as she hung the kids’ jackets on the hook by the door.
Holly took Ruby from Rick’s arms and nuzzled her cheek before she gave Rick a concerned look. “How was she? Four hours is a long time to hold a squirming baby on a boat.”
He laughed. “She didn’t squirm at all once she caught sight of the whales.”
“Wa! Spash!” Ruby enthused.
“I think she just proved your point,” Pierce remarked. “We’d probably better get back home and put some dinner on the table. You’re welcome to come over if you’d like.”
“That’s all right. We’ve already got plans.”
After several more hugs, they made their way out the door and across the yard to Carol’s house.
No, Rick corrected himself, their house.
He’d moved out of the apartment over Pierce and Holly’s garage and into Carol’s place.
It was a change, but he felt they were all adjusting to it well.
As he mused, he noticed that Carol seemed to be thinking as well. “Penny for your thoughts?”
“You drive a hard bargain.” She typed in the code that unlocked the front door. “I was just thinking that the adults over there looked particularly well-rested. I’d say they took advantage of their kid-free time.”
“Good, and now we get to take advantage of ours.” He kissed her before he shut the door behind them.
He tipped his head back to look up at the ceiling.
“I was just thinking I need to take a peek in the attic and see how the insulation is up there. I thought I felt a draft the other morning when things were kind of cool. I’d better take care of that before winter hits. ”
“Aren’t you tired after such a big day?” Carol asked. “All those hours on a boat, keeping track of the kids?”
“No,” he replied honestly.
“Oh.” She paused a moment as she set her purse down and then laughed. “I guess I’m not, either. I feel like I should be. Today would’ve wiped the old me out, and that was when I thought I was pretty energetic for a woman my age.”
He slid his arm around her and pulled her close.
Rick still felt his wolf tugging him toward Carol all the time, but it was no longer with a sense of desperation.
She was the ultimate balm for anything that bothered him, and he knew how lucky he was to have found a second mate in this lifetime. “Did you forget that you’re a wolf?”
“It takes some getting used to. There are times I don’t think about it at all because there’s no need.
I don’t have to know I’m a wolf if I’m reading a book or taking a quick trip to the grocery store.
It’s a day like today that brings it to mind.
” She sighed happily and rolled her shoulders, reveling in the experience. “It’s pretty damn nice, too.”
“Does that mean you want to come help me insulate the attic?”
She pushed against his chest and headed for the couch. “You know, maybe I’m tired after all.”
He laughed and pulled her back, hugging her close so he could nuzzle her neck. “Then why don’t we do something else?”
Carol raised a brow. “What did you have in mind?”
“It feels good enough to have these wolves on the inside, but it feels even better to have them on the outside. Come here.” He brought them out to the back deck and bent to set the fire pit ablaze.
A few moments later, the two of them were snuggled in front of the fire in their wolf forms. Rick could feel the cool breeze on his back and the warmth of the fire on his face.
With Carol at his side and the stars coming out overhead, he couldn’t imagine a better end to a great day.
Her front paws were over the tops of his, her shoulder pressed close and her head tipped toward him. She let out a sigh.
Everything okay?
Absolutely. She turned her head to snuggle it harder into his fur. This new body is so comfortable, and I have the perfect guy at my side. It’s kind of ironic, though.
Mm? Rick definitely wasn’t tired, but he felt the relaxation that came after a day well spent. How’s that?
Carol pulled her head back to look him in the eyes. It was a different gaze in her wolf form, but it was still the mate he loved. Her voice in his head was full of amusement. You’ve tamed me a bit by turning me into a wild animal. My life has changed a lot, but I love it. And I love you.
At one time, not so long ago, Rick had never thought he’d hear those words again, but hearing them from Carol made him feel like he was in paradise. He snuggled closer, taking such pleasure in knowing he’d get to spend the rest of his life with her. I love you, too.
THE END