Epilogue
Christmas
Grabbing two cups of coffee, I head toward the living room but freeze when I see the scene in front of me. Tanner and Emily are waiting patiently to open their presents on the floor, and Mac is reclined back on the sofa with a soft smile on his face.
We’ve all got on matching Christmas pajamas—Emily’s idea. Something Evan would never do, but Mac does proudly. Despite it being early as hell, I know this is going to be the best Christmas yet.
Not because of the ridiculous number of presents under the tree, but because of the man who’s staring at my kids like they are his whole world. The man who made it possible for us to stop running and made sure we would never have to look over our shoulders again.
If there’s one thing I’m grateful for this holiday season, it’s him.
He must feel my eyes on him because he turns and looks at me. I watch as a slow smile creeps across his face.
“See something you like, a mhuirnín?” he rasps.
“Maybe,” I tease as I step forward.
Carefully, I make my way across the living room and sit down next to him on the couch. Mac wraps his arm around me as I hand him his cup of coffee.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I tell him as I tuck my legs up under me.
“Can we start?” Emily asks as she bounces on her knees.
“Have at it,” I tell them.
As the kids start tearing apart wrapping paper, I watch the multicolored Christmas lights dance across their faces.
For a moment, my eyes drift to the tree, and I smile.
It’s a hodgepodge of Christmas ornaments that were put up without a care.
It reminds me of something straight from a Christmas movie and so unlike anything we’ve ever had before.
Evan would be rolling over in his grave if he saw us now.
“You good?” Mac murmurs.
I look over at him and press a soft kiss to his lips.
“I’m good.”
Mac smiles slowly at me, making my heart race.
“Daddy, look! I got a leather jacket like yours,” Emily says, making us both suck in a breath.
Slowly, he turns toward her and smiles, tears in his eyes. “Put it on and show me.”
I place one hand over my heart, willing it to slow down as I watch my daughter put on the leather jacket. Mac already views these kids as his, but to hear her say it?
“Look, I even got a patch like yours,” she says over her shoulder as she shows us the back of the jacket.
“Well, look at that. It looks real good on you, Em,” he tells her.
She sits down and starts opening the other gifts, as if she didn’t just rock our world.
Daddy.
She called him Daddy.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t put her up to it. It’s too soon…” I mumble quietly.
Mac places his hand over my mouth and shakes his head.
“A mhuirnín, it wasn’t soon enough. I’ve been waiting for this moment since the first time I saw them.
I fucking love our kids, and I’m proud to be their dad.
The only thing I wish was different is that I was there from the moment they were born.
I wish I could take all the bad shit they saw and make them forget it, but if I did that, then who’s to say we would have found each other? ”
I lean my head against his shoulder as I stare him in the eyes.
“I love you,” I tell him quietly.
“I love you more than you know.”
He picks up my free hand and kisses my knuckles before intertwining his fingers with mine.
We turn back to the kids, and I watch as Tanner grabs one out from under the tree. I frown when I see the wrap job. It’s definitely not mine, and I know it’s not one that Mac did.
Tanner walks over and hands it to Mac.
“What’s this?” Mac asks as he removes his arm from around me.
“I made it for you.” Tanner shrugs.
“You made him something?” I ask, caught off guard.
I took both the kids shopping for gifts for Mac, but I never even thought to ask if they wanted to make something for him.
“Yeah, I made it at school. It’s not a big deal,” Tanner says as he shifts his weight from side to side.
“Did you wrap this?” Mac asks.
Tanner’s head bobs.
Mac looks down and carefully opens the gift.
What the…
Why did Tanner wrap the frame that I noticed went missing off the wall two weeks ago?
“Tanner…” Mac says, sounding choked up.
My eyes drift down, and when I see the image, tears build behind my eyes.
Inside the stolen frame is a hand-drawn picture. In messy handwriting, he wrote who’s who. Right below a guy in what I can only guess is a leather jacket and motorcycle boots, in his messy handwriting, it says Dad.
In the picture, Mac is standing next to me with Tanner on his other side and Emily on mine.
“I love this. I don’t know if I’ve ever been given such a thoughtful gift. Thank you,” Mac tells him.
“It’s not a big deal.” Tanner shrugs.
“It is. I’m going to put this up by my toolbox at the shop. I love you, you know that, right?” Mac asks.
“I love you too,” Tanner mumbles.
Mac sets the frame to the side and pulls my son into his arms. The tears begin to fall. Just when I think life couldn’t get any more perfect.
“Hey, I want in on the loves,” Emily says as she scurries off the floor, her unwrapped gifts abandoned.
She rushes to Mac and slams into him, making him laugh.
“Emily,” Tanner groans.
“Come on, Mommy. Hug us!” my daughter demands.
Mac looks over at me and smiles, the Christmas lights making his eyes twinkle.
“Yeah, Mommy, hug us,” he teases.
“I don’t know. You guys might have cooties…”
“Get her,” Mac whispers.
He and the kids pounce on me, making me laugh.
It’s funny how much life can change in a matter of months. There are two things I know with certainty, though. I’ll forever be grateful for Bertha, and I wouldn’t trade this for the world.
For the first time ever, I’m living the life I’ve always dreamed of, and I’ll never take it for granted. Ever.
Jumping out of the truck, I let the kids out before I round the hood to help Jane down. I watch as the kids run toward the clubhouse and smile.
“Thank you,” Jane says as I open her door.
“You’re welcome.”
“Are you ever going to let me open my own door?”
“Not when I’m around. Besides, if I don’t open it for you, then I can’t do this.” I lean down and steal a kiss, making her giggle.
“Come on. We’d better get in there before they start causing trouble,” Jane says, pulling me toward the door.
“My brothers love their trouble,” I tell her.
With her hand in mine, we walk toward the clubhouse, and I can’t help but think about how perfect today’s been so far.
We woke up with the kids jumping on us in excitement, ready to open Christmas presents.
My sister FaceTimed us, and we got to talk to her for a while.
She even promised to try to be here next year over the holidays.
The kids called me Dad for the first time, something I’ve been waiting for, hoping for, but never wanted to push for.
Now we are spending the rest of the day with my brothers.
I don’t know if life could get much better than this.
“Merry Christmas!” Sloane calls out as we walk in.
“What the fuck are you wearing?” I ask, laughing when I see her.
“Don’t knock the onesie, Mac,” she tells me, shooting me a dirty look.
“Are you supposed to be an elf?” I mutter.
“Duh,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“You know, you don’t have room to talk. Just a little bit ago, you were wearing matching Christmas pj’s,” Jane reminds me.
That only makes me smile. Emily wanted to do it, and I can’t tell that girl no.
“Tell me you got pictures,” Sloane begs.
“Pictures of what?” Kelly asks as she walks over to us.
“Family pj’s,” Sloane tells her.
Jane pulls out her phone and shows them the photo that’s now her screensaver.
“Aw,” the girls say in unison.
I roll my eyes as I lean down and kiss the side of Jane’s head. “I’m going to go find the guys. Be good.”
She looks up at me and smiles. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I walk away from her and head to the bar where the guys are congregated.
“What’s up?” I ask as I approach.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Gunner says.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Tank mutters.
“Bullshit,” Smoke says without hesitation.
“What did I miss?” I move so I can see Tank and hiss when I see his face. “What the fuck happened to you?”
He’s got two black eyes, there’s blood crusted around his nose ring, and he’s got a cut on his forehead.
“I got hit while I was tied up,” he says, then mumbles under his breath. “Literally.”
“Did a woman take you out?” Bear asks as he pops some nuts in his mouth.
“No, a woman didn’t get one on me,” Tank says.
“Who is it then? They clearly need to pay,” Smoke says.
Tank shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. I have it handled. Now, can we talk about something else? Anything fucking else.”
“The kids called me Dad this morning,” I tell them quietly, unable to keep my mouth shut for a moment longer.
“Fuck yeah.” Tank holds out his fist.
I tap mine against his as Gunner squeezes my shoulder.
“Happy for you, brother,” he mutters.
“Congratulations,” Smoke tells me.
“Thanks.”
“Food’s almost ready,” Crow says as he comes out of the kitchen. He pauses when he sees Tank. “What the fuck happened to you, and where’s the body?”
Tank groans. “No, I’m not going over this again. I’m fine. The situation was dealt with. That’s it.”
“Where were you?” Sloane’s voice cuts through the club.
We look over and see her with her arms crossed, glaring at her brother, who just stepped inside, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Out?” he asks more than tells.
“Where?” she demands.
Gunner groans. “Woman, I told you he went to drop off a present at his girlfriend’s house.”
Sloane glares at her man. “Yeah, a girlfriend he won’t bring around, and I want to know why.”
“It’s new, sis. I told you that. I’ll introduce you to her when I’m ready,” Lee tells her.
“I want to meet her now,” she commands.
Lee looks at Gunner for help, but Gunner shakes his head.
“You’re on your own, kid,” Gunner tells him.
“Lee!” Emily yells as she skips up next to him.
“Hey, Emily,” he says.
“Do you want to do a puzzle with me?” Emily asks.
My eyes narrow as she bats her eyes up at him.
Now wait a fucking minute.
“Yes, I will one hundred percent do that with you. Let’s go.” Lee all but drags my daughter to the other side of the room to get away from his sister.
“Your girl just did him a solid.” Tank chuckles.
“Did you see her bat her eyelashes? You got your hands full with that one, Mac,” Smoke teases.
“Shut the fuck up,” I mutter, making them laugh.
Gunner turns toward Crow. “Do you know anything about this girlfriend of Lee’s?”
“Just that she goes to school with him and that she’s kind of quiet. I’ll see what I can get out of him,” Crow tells him. “Fox did a background check, but you know his rules when it comes to significant others. Unless it’s a danger to the club, it’s no one else’s business.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it,” Gunner says.
As the conversation shifts, I can’t help but look over at Jane. She’s got her head tilted back as she laughs at something the girls around her say. I can’t help but smile as I look at her.
She’s so fucking beautiful.
Jane’s nothing like the wounded bird that showed up on my porch all those months ago. She’s a changed woman. Not only that, but she’s mine. All mine.
She looks over at me and smiles, making my heart race.
Fuck me.
I can’t wait to make an honest woman out of her. Not only will I finally claim her on paper, but our kids as well. There will be no denying who the three of them belong to—who I belong to, and I can’t fucking wait.
Soon. Very soon.
Thank you for reading Mac’s Obsession.