Second Epilogue
17 years later
Evie
“I got my license!” Iris yelled as she blew through the front door.
“I’m proud of you, sugar,” I said with a wide smile, hugging my oldest daughter to me. “Open the oven, will you?”
“Sure.”
I set the timer and turned to give Iris my full attention. “What about Fern?”
She looked over her shoulder toward the front door. “She—ah—didn’t pass.”
“I see,” I said, my brow furrowing.
“Dad’s talking to her now, but I think she could use some cheering up. Or at least a brownie sundae.”
“Ooh, that sounds delicious,” I murmured.
Rapid footsteps pounded on the stairs and my youngest appeared. Twelve years old and not only the spitting image of Savage, but had his father’s ask-for-forgiveness-not permission motto stamped into his DNA.
“Hey, Iris,” Wylder greeted. “Did you get it?”
“Yep!”
“Awesome. You think Duke would let you take his Mustang for a drive?” Wylder queried.
“I don’t know,” Iris said. “Should we go ask?”
Wylder looked at me. “Mom, can we?”
I smiled, tamping down my worry. “Sure thing. Head across the property and ask him. You’ve got an hour before dinner. And no music while you drive. I want your eyes on the road. Promise me, Iris.”
“Promise. Let’s roll.” Iris looped her arm around her brother’s shoulders and the two of them headed for the front door.
Nerves blasted through my belly. You couldn’t stop children from growing up, but God, where did the time go?
Iris exchanged a few quick words with Savage and then I heard the heavy trudge of his motorcycle boots before he appeared, Fern trailing behind him. Her face was despondent.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey.” Savage kissed me on the lips before wrapping his arm around me and hugging me into his side before letting go.
“Hey, kiddo,” I said to Fern.
Without a word, she flung herself at me and buried her face into my shoulder. I kissed her red hair and held her.
“I’m a loser,” she muttered.
“You’re not,” I said, shooting Savage a look. “I’m sure your father told you he’s proud of you.”
“But I failed.”
“Failing is okay.” I gently maneuvered her away from burrowing into my body, so she was forced to look at me. “You just need more practice.”
“I got nervous,” she admitted.
“And you accidentally went too fast?”
She bit her lip. “I accidentally went too slow. ”
I let out a laugh and Savage started laughing too.
Fern glared at me. “It’s not funny!”
“I’m sorry.” I hastily covered my mouth. “I’m not laughing at you. I swear. It just reminded me of the time when your father was teaching me how to drive.”
“Dad taught you how to drive?” Fern asked in surprise. “I didn’t know that.”
There were a lot of things our children didn’t know. Like the truth about how I grew up, and what we’d done to protect me from those people and get me out of that situation.
“When I moved to Waco, I didn’t have a license,” I said. “And when your father met me, he taught me how to drive. You know what he called me whenever I was behind the wheel?”
“What?”
I smiled. “Grannie. Because at the time I was afraid of the gas pedal.”
“You were?”
“Yes.” I nodded and shot Savage another smile before looking at my daughter. “You’ll practice some more and then you’ll take your test again. You’ll pass. I know you will.”
She grinned. “Thanks, Mom.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Why don’t you run over to Willa’s and see if you can catch Iris. They’re gonna get ice cream sundaes and I know you want to spoil your dinner.”
“You’re the best.” She hugged me quickly and then ran off to join her siblings, the front door slamming shut behind her.
“Hey, babe,” he said.
I looked at the man I’d married. After all these years, he still made my breath catch in my throat.
“Hey yourself.”
“We’ve got the house to ourselves,” he said, resting his hands on my hips and pulling me toward him. “I know what we can do before the kids get back.”
I looped my arms around his neck.
“Oh yeah?”
The front door opened. “Helllllloooooo!”
“ God damn it ,” Savage muttered.
I cleared my throat and gestured with my chin to the swear jar on the counter.
“Thanks, Willa. You just cost me a buck.” Savage glared at his friend.
Willa was carrying a pie, and she set it down on the counter. “I thought Duke was going to be violently ill when he handed over his car keys to Iris for a joyride. He popped a beer to calm his nerves.”
“He could’ve told her no.” Savage laughed.
“When has he ever been able to tell any of the kids no?” Willa demanded.
“I guess I better go over there and drink with him in solidarity.”
“Guess you better,” she agreed.
Savage winked at me and then left.
When we were alone, she asked, “Did you tell him?”
“Tell him? I didn’t have time to tell him.” I rubbed my third eye. “It’s been kind of nuts today.”
“Welcome to my life. Cooper is already a menace on the road. I’m just glad I have another two years before Ava gets her license.”
Our conversation turned from children to the trip Duke and Willa had booked. “I can’t remember the last time we took an adults-only vacation. You’re good to check in on the kids?”
“Of course,” I said with a laugh. “You only live across the lawn.”
She chuckled. “It’s been convenient, hasn’t it?”
I nodded, my eyes misty with memories. Savage had bought the land from Duke and Willa behind their property and built us a beautiful two-story home. I’d gotten over my aversion to stairs and the house had been filled with laughter, joy and home cooked food for years.
Both our phones pinged at the same time.
I didn’t bother looking at mine because Willa already had hers open. “Old Lady group text. Poker night next week at Sutton’s.”
“Why do we continue to play? I lose every time,” I said.
“Because we can drink and gab and gossip.” She cocked her head to the side. “No drinking for you, I guess.”
I groaned.
“Screw it.” Willa reached for the pie and uncovered it before getting two forks from the drawer. “The kids are having ice cream before dinner. We can have pie.”
We’d eaten a quarter of it by the time Savage and Duke walked through the door. Without a word, they grabbed forks and dug in too.
“It’s missing something,” Savage said.
“It is not. It’s perfect,” Willa said, reaching up and flicking Savage’s forehead.
“I meant, we have ice cream,” Savage drawled, rubbing his skin. He went to the freezer and pulled out a carton of strawberry ice cream. He frowned when he saw it. “This won’t be good with apple pie. Where’s the vanilla?”
“I didn’t buy vanilla,” I said.
“You never want strawberry,” Savage said slowly. He looked from the strawberry ice cream to me. “The last time you wanted strawberry was—wait, you aren’t . . . are you?”
I swallowed. “Yeah.”
“Unless you’re what?” Duke asked, completely oblivious.
Willa set her fork down. “Duke, let’s go.”
“Go? We’re in the middle of?—”
She yanked his arm and all but dragged him toward the front door.
“I’m taking their fork,” Duke said. “Let me give it back to them.”
“Later,” Willa commanded.
The front door shut, and Savage stood at the open freezer holding the pint of strawberry ice cream.
“You’re pregnant?” he asked finally.
“Yeah.”
“But how? ”
I raised my brows. “Seriously?”
He shoved the ice cream into the freezer and closed it. “I know how it happens. But we’re so careful.”
“Not always,” I said.
Emotion played across Savage’s face and his expression cleared. “It was the night we?—”
“Yep.”
His gaze heated. “It was a good night.”
My hand went to my belly.
Without another word, he strode toward me and enveloped me in his arms. “We always said we wanted a big family.”
“I know, but I thought our family was complete.” I burrowed my head against his chest.
“Me too. But we did okay with the first three. Now we can make sure this one is perfect.”
I laughed. “The other three were just practice, huh?”
“Exactly.
“Two.”
“Two what?”
I leaned back to look up at him. “Two, Savage. We’re having another set of twins.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“Nope. It seems I’m the most fertile woman in existence.”
He chuckled and then cradled my cheeks in his hands and stared into my eyes. “I love you, Evie.”
“I love you, too, Savage.”
He glanced at the timer and then back at me, grinning wickedly. “We’ve got fifteen minutes. I know the perfect way to celebrate.”
The front door opened.
“We’re home!” Iris called out.
“And we made it before dinner!” Wylder added.
The kids crowded into the kitchen.
Fern made a face. “Gross. We interrupted them. Again .”
“I just threw up in my mouth a little,” Iris joked.
Savage leaned forward and kissed my lips, not caring that we had an audience. He pulled back just enough to murmur in my ear. “Celebrate later?”
I peered up at him, my heart beating for this man, my husband, the father of my children, my universe.
I sighed. “Isn’t that how we got into this position?”
Savage whispered in my ear, “I can think of several positions I’d like to get you in.”
Laughing, I stepped away from him. I looked at my three beautiful children, thinking about how we were about to add two more to the bunch.
Our home was filled with laughter.
Love.
Family.
It was filled with joy and tears, and everything in between.
It was filled with life.
Thank you for falling in love with the men of the Tarnished Angels Motorcycle Club! It’s been a wild ride, but I’ve got a whole new world for you…