Epilogue – Hunter’s Story #5
A toddler cried inside the house, and I realized with a start she was ready to burst with another one.
“Is she okay?” Noelle asked.
He nodded. “Just want to make sure.” He cocked a brow. “Are you okay with Hunter for a bit?”
Hunter.
They named their son after me? Tears sprang to my eyes.
God, what I wouldn’t give for just one look.
“Oh, yeah,” she reassured him, rubbing a hand over her belly.
“I won’t be long,” he promised with another, softer, kiss.
A deep sense of satisfaction washed over me. The knowledge that I’d had a hand in rebuilding what I’d severed went a long way to making me feel better.
I slipped into the passenger seat beside him. Riding without a seatbelt sent a jolt of electricity through my fight or flight. I reminded myself, several times, that I was already fucking dead.
At Harley’s house, Hawk rushed up the path and burst through the door.
Bridget and Harley stared at Aaron, both with stricken looks on their faces.
Hawk’s sharp eyes took in the scene all at once. “What’s going on in here?”
Aaron spun on his heel, his eyes shiny. Grabbing his keys off the counter, he snapped, “I’m going for a drive.”
My heart lurched into my throat.
Raising his palms as Aaron approached, Hawkley said, “Whoa, there buddy. What’s going on, Aaron?”
“Get out of my way,” he snarled.
“He can’t drive,” Harley blurted, her face pale.
“He just needs some space,” Bridget murmured.
“Move,” Aaron snapped, his body rigid as he stared down my brother who was almost twice his width.
Hawkley stepped forward, crowding him, but Aaron pushed past him and headed for the door.
“Wait!” I cried. History could not repeat itself. Not now. Not with Hawk and Harley looking on. And not for Aaron.
Hawkley barked, “Stop.”
“Please!” I cried, my ineffectual hands held up in front of me as I blocked the door.
Aaron halted, then turned around and glared at my brother.
Hawkley’s hands fisted at his sides. “You want to get away, that’s fine. But I’ll drive.”
Aaron looked away and scoffed. “I’ll drive myself.”
“Please,” I whispered.
Stepping toward him, Hawkley rested his hand on Aaron’s shoulder.
Tension rolled off them in waves.
Aaron, his rigid body trembling, lifted his chin and curled his lip at Hawkley.
“Please,” I begged.
Whatever words he had planned died on his lips.
Whatever he saw on Hawkley’s face softened the raw edges of his anger.
Hawkley dipped his chin. “Please.”
With a short nod, Aaron turned and walked out.
Hawkley jerked his chin up toward Bridget. “Harley needs to be with Daire.”
Turning to our sister, he ordered, “Call him, Harley.”
That intense gaze swung back to Bridget. “Make sure she does.”
“I will,” Bridge promised.
I tried to follow Hawkley out the door, but my feet remained planted.
Bridge locked eyes with Harley. “Your big brother is intense.”
I guffawed, relief hitting me in waves. He always was a bossy fuck.
Harley laughed. “He is.”
“Noelle’s so sunny…” Bridge’s voice trailed off.
Harley smirked. “She loves a good monster romance.”
The pull came hard and fast, yanking me back so fast my breath stalled in my chest. “Whoa! What was all that about?” I demanded, rubbing my chest.
He grinned and shrugged. “It’s over. You did it.”
“Did what?”
I apologized to Hawk and Noelle.
Said goodbye to Max and Hawk.
Stopped Noelle from falling into the river.
Screamed my pain into the void with Harley, before saying goodbye to her as well.
Attended a rockin’ wedding.
And arranged a ride.
Other than the ride, it didn’t seem like much.
“How do you feel?”
I looked inward. I wasn’t the fuck-up I believed myself to be. I made a mistake, a mistake anyone might have made. And if it wasn’t for a tragic accident, I would have redeemed it.
A thousand times over, I would have redeemed it.
But I helped put them on the path to healing.
I got to say goodbye and help them move on.
I said sorry.
“I don’t think I’m mad at myself anymore.”
“That’s good,” He murmured.
I turned to face Him. “I have to ask, all this, was it for them? Or for me?”
“Why can’t it be both?”
I nodded. “I don’t get to see the end results?”
“It’s not your story.” He paused. “But I promise, you did your part, and one day they’ll be here to thank you for it.”
My head snapped up. “Not too soon.”
He shook His head. “Not too soon.”
I nodded, bouncing my fingers together. “I see so much of myself in Aaron. He’s better than me. More mature.” He was a good kid; I liked him. “He’s more in touch with his feelings than I ever was.”
“I don’t know. You were pretty in touch with your feelings over the fish incident.”
“Poor little things.” My gaze snapped to His. “Hey, do fish and animals make it up here?”
For the first time since I’d known him, he looked uncomfortable. “It depends.”
“On?”
“On whether or not they were made real.”
“Real? Like The Velveteen Rabbit?”
He wagged his head back and forth.
“What about dogs?” Oh no. My heart sank.
He smiled. “All dogs go to heaven.”
“Is…my dog here?”
“Are you ready to come home now?”
I nodded.
With a wide smile, He lifted his hand and pointed into the foggy distance.
I squinted against the light and mist. “You really need to do something about the lack of visibility up here.”
“Up,” he snorted. “I’ll take it under advisement,” He said dryly.
An excited bark grabbed my attention as a little brown dog bounded into sight.
“Timmy?”
Joy. Pure, raw, unfiltered, and unadulterated joy filled my soul as my little dog trotted closer. Only, he wasn’t headed for me.
I tilted my head to the side. Maybe he didn’t remember me?
Five feet from his target, he stopped short, lifted his little black nose into the air and sniffed. Slowly, he turned his head toward me.
Tears came to my eyes as I dropped to my knees.
He approached cautiously, head down, tail tucked between his legs. Stretching his neck out to sniff me, his eyes rose to meet mine, and he went ballistic.
I laughed, falling back on my haunches as he jumped all over me, howling with happiness.
When he finally settled, I stood and scooped him up under my arm.
His wagging tail rhythmically patted me on the back.
A bible verse, or perhaps song, some sweet teaching from my youth slipped to the forefront of my mind. “All is well,” I murmured.
“All is well,” He agreed.
“That’s Good. Good with a capital G.”
He laughed, head thrown back, white teeth flashing, a rumbling up from deep inside His chest kind of laugh. “I like you, kid.”
“Why wouldn’t you? I’m a stand-up guy,” I quipped. Looking down at the furry face I loved so much, I scrubbed my knuckles over his little head.
“Hunter.”
I turned back with a smile and cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Well done.”
I swallowed hard. Searched His eyes and found nothing but Truth. “Capital T?” I whispered.
“Capital T,” He assured me.
I swallowed. “I’ll, uh, I’ll take that hug now.”
He wrapped His love around me.
“Welcome home.”
The End.
Thank you for reading Bridge and Kian’s beautiful love story!