Epilogue
Jules
I’m eight months pregnant and getting married today.
Yes, I look like a pumpkin with legs, but I don’t care.
I’m wearing a white evening gown that shows off my belly because that’s how I like it.
I originally thought it would be cute, but now I’m thinking maybe I look like a white balloon that’s ready to be popped.
I stand sideways in front of the mirror as Tessa artfully drapes tulle around my gown.
I have to admit that she’s got a talent for juicing up the look.
Lauren comes rushing in. “You are not going to believe who Uncle Daniel’s plus one is.”
Even though my ankles are swollen, my back hurts, and I feel like I need to pee for the third time this morning, I perk up. “Let me guess. He brought a mafia princess wearing a designer gown and dripping with diamonds. How close am I?”
She looks confused for a second before saying, “Yes and no. He brought his adoptive mom, but she looks very much like a mafia princess from her day.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to meet her,” I say excitedly, meaning it.
A knock sounds at the door.
“Five minutes,” Jinx says through it.
Jinx has been running point on the wedding for three weeks. He pulled a parking plan together because Flint asked nicely. He’s had prospects at our house since six this morning. They’ve checked every guest off a list Jinx created himself.
He opens the door an inch.
“Miss Jules.”
“Yes.”
“Your brother is on the back porch to walk you down the aisle.”
“Tell him I’m on my way.”
“You got it.”
He closes the door.
I get up and get myself moving in the right direction. Lauren and Tessa follow me. Lauren is my maid of honor, and Tessa is my one and only bridesmaid. We decided to keep it simple.
Tommy is on the back porch wearing a black suit with his Vultures cut on top. He’s freshly shaved, and his hair is neatly combed back.
“Jules, you look amazing.”
“I don’t feel like I do.”
“You’re beautiful,” he insists.
“Thanks for saying that, bro.”
He crosses the porch in three steps and stops in front of me. He looks at me.
He puts his hand on my belly. “Hi, baby girl.”
“You don’t know it’s a girl. We decided not to be told. That’s why there was no gender reveal.”
“I know. Brothers always know.”
I just laugh because I have always loved and looked up to Tommy. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to calling you Deuce.”
He tucks my hand into the crook of his arm. “Then don’t. You’re my sister. You can use my real name if you like.”
I can’t even remember how many acres Flint’s house is set on but lots of it is nice and flat. It makes a good venue for a small wedding. We rented a hundred chairs, a canopy, and banquet tables. There are mason jars with candles hanging from the trees.
Lauren, who’s my maid of honor, is first down the aisle. Then we follow, with Tessa managing my train, which is mostly just the tulle she draped around my dress. Everyone is making little sounds of approval, so I take that to mean it looks all right.
The baby kicks hard under my dress.
Jasper officiates because he has a certificate from the state to conduct weddings. He reads from notes on a folded paper, just the way we planned it, nice and simple.
“Do you, Flint, take this woman—”
“I do.”
“Do you, Jules, take this man—”
“I do.”
Jasper sighs because we weren’t supposed to cut him off like that but did anyway to move the whole wedding along. Flint and I don’t take ourselves too seriously. Married is married, and it’s more important that everyone just have a good time.
“Rings.”
Tommy starts patting his pockets and looks panicked. I’m about to go Bridezilla when he winks at me and fishes them out. Handing the thicker band to me, he gives Flint the slim white gold band.
Without any ceremony, Flint slides the ring onto my finger next to the engagement ring he put there two months ago.
I slide the second ring onto his finger.
“By the power vested in me by the state of California,” Jasper says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your old lady.”
Flint kisses me long enough that Jasper has to clear his throat to move the ceremony along. The brothers laugh. Flint doesn’t stop. He kisses me with his hand spread flat over the curve of my belly, and the baby kicks against his palm, and Flint laughs into my mouth.
“Both of you are mine.”
“And you’re ours,” I shoot back.
***
The sun hangs low over the property by the time the last of the pictures are done.
Golden light filters through the trees and catches on the chrome of the bikes lined up along the drive.
The party is going strong. Slate and Onyx brought one of the large propane grills from the clubhouse so we’re having a cookout.
It’s so good to see everyone together, both the Sons of Rage brothers, and Raging Vultures.
A few of the guys from Sons of Rage LA chapter rode down here too.
My eyes go back to Flint. My husband. The thought settles warm in my chest every single time it comes back around.
Husband.
He keeps touching me like he still can’t believe this is real.
His hand finds the small of my back while people congratulate us.
His fingers slide over the curve of my belly every chance he gets.
He kisses my temple between conversations.
Suddenly, the baby shifts again, it’s a heavy rolling movement I feel low in my stomach, and I suck in a breath.
Immediately, Flint looks down at me.
“You okay, darlin’?”
I smile because there’s concern all over his face already. “Your child is trying to karate kick my bladder again.”
“Our child,” he corrects automatically.
The way he says it makes something soft inside me melt all over again. Like he still can’t believe he’s going to be a father. He crouches carefully in front of me. The crowd noise fades a little around us while he presses his palm gently against my belly.
“There you are,” he murmurs to the baby.
The baby kicks instantly.
Flint grins.
That grin melts me every single time. It transforms him from intimidating biker into something softer. Something warmer. A man so in love with his family that it radiates right out of him.
God, I love this man.
I used to think I was in love with him back when I was a sixteen-year-old with a crush on my brother’s best friend.
But getting to know him properly all these years later has shown me what love really is.
We know that our life might not always be smooth sailing.
But we’re in this together for the long haul.
He rises to his feet again and leans in to kiss me, and his thumb brushes under my jaw. “You need to sit down, darlin’.”
“I can’t sit down at my own wedding.”
“You’re carrying around a bowling ball with feet.”
“Wow. Such romance.”
“You’re the hottest woman here, babe,” he says with a devilish grin that makes me think about what we’re going to do later when all the guests have gone.
Music drifts through the yard and Christina and Tessa are dancing with their children, I see Lauren standing chatting with her uncle and his adoptive mother.
Everything feels warm and alive. LA has always been my home, but since I arrived in Cedar Falls, I realize that this is my true home. Being with the man I love, my brother, and the found family who have embraced me. I lean my head against Flint’s shoulder for a second and say, “I’m happy.”
His arm tightens around me instantly, almost like the words hit him physically.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He kisses the top of my head.
I feel the rumble of his chest when he speaks. “Good.”
The baby kicks again and I let out a startled yelp. Flint immediately starts guiding me towards one of the chairs beneath the canopy. “Sit.”
“You’re extra bossy now that you’re a husband,” I mutter.
“Just lookin’ out for my old lady.”
He helps me lower myself carefully into the chair like I’m made of glass instead of hormones and stubbornness. The second I’m sitting, relief spreads through my lower back. “Oh, that feels good.”
“Told you.”
“Okay, you were right. Don’t get used to it.”
Too late. The smug look on his face says he absolutely will. He disappears for less than a minute before returning with a mason jar full of ice water and extra lemon slices floating inside.
“You remembered.”
“You’ve wanted lemons in everything for the last four months.”
I take a mouthful. It’s good. “I cried over lemonade last week,” I admit.
“It was good lemonade, though,” he agrees solemnly, like that justifies every emotional pregnancy moment I’ve had.
He crouches beside me again, one forearm resting over my thigh while I drink. The sunlight catches the silver in his rings and the dark ink winding down his arm. He’s beautiful in a real way. Strong enough to protect, gentle enough to nurture.
“You keep staring at me like that, and people are gonna talk,” he murmurs.
“Am I not allowed to undress my husband with my eyes on my wedding day?” I ask.
“Wanna undress me with your hands?”
I laugh softly. I’ve been horny as hell for the past few weeks and the idea of sneaking off with him is appealing.
His expression changes. Gone is the light teasing, replaced by something else.
“What?” I ask.
His hand slides over my belly again, almost unconsciously. “Just thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
“Very.”
I smile, but it fades a little when I see the emotion lingering in his eyes.
“I didn’t think I’d ever have this,” he says.
Something squeezes painfully around my heart. I know it was hard for Flint growing up, especially after his mom died. Then there was all the things he saw while he was in the military. Sometimes I forget how miraculous normal happiness probably feels to him.
I set my water aside and thread my fingers through his.
“You deserve this.”
His eyes flick back to mine immediately.
“You deserve family,” I continue quietly. “And peace. And love. All of it.”
His jaw flexes slightly.
I know he struggles with praise sometimes. Like he’s still waiting for someone to tell him he hasn’t earned it. He lifts my hand and kisses my knuckles one by one.
“I got lucky.”
“No,” I whisper. “We did.”
Emotion passes over his face so fast it almost hurts to look at. Flint immediately focuses downward. “You think the kid can hear us yet?”
“I think the baby hears everything.”
“Great.” He leans closer to my stomach. “Any bad words you might have heard me say, you didn’t. Okay, kiddo?”
I brush my fingers through his hair while he stays crouched there with his hand over our child as if he belongs nowhere else.
I spent years thinking love was supposed to arrive dramatically. Fireworks. Chaos. Intensity so sharp it cut through everything else. This feels stronger than anything my imagination could conjure up.
I stare out at the people scattered across the property. “I just didn’t think life would ever look like this.”
His hand stills over my stomach.
“Me neither,” he admits quietly.
I swallow hard around the lump in my throat.
“Do you ever get scared?” I ask.
“Of what?”
“That it’s too good. That something bad will happen because we’re finally happy.”
Flint goes silent for a moment and I almost regret asking. Then he turns slightly towards me and slides his fingers under my chin until I meet his eyes.
“Yeah,” he says honestly. “Sometimes. I think maybe people like us get used to waiting for the hit,” he continues quietly. “Like if life goes soft for too long, we start expecting punishment.”
My chest aches because he understands me so perfectly.
“But here’s the thing.” His thumb strokes along my jaw slowly. “Bad shit happens whether you’re miserable or happy. That’s life. The difference is now we got people beside us when it does. And I ain’t never leavin’ your side darlin’.”
I look up at him and see nothing but the truth reflected in his expression. Whatever life brings us, we’ll face it together. It might have taken us a while to get here, but sometimes the best things in life are worth the wait.
And for the first time in my entire life, forever doesn’t scare me anymore.
The End.
Thank you for reading!