EPILOGUE
LIAM
Fort Worth, Texas – Four months later
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“Come on, let’s go down by the lake like we used to,” Jessie says to Jayden. It’s the Fourth of July and we’re waiting on the fireworks.
Jayden gives me a look.
“What is wrong with you two? You’ve been weird all weekend. I thought you were okay with this. With us.” Jess frowns, leaning into my side.
“I am.” Jayden laughs, and I almost kick him.
My nerves are killing me right now. Mr. Rogers shoots me with a smile across the yard. Mom and Mrs. Rogers are topping up their drinks.
“I think we should stay here with Mom and Dad. They don’t see any of us much these days,” Jay says, fixing it. “We can go after the fireworks.”
We won’t be doing that.
Trust me.
“Fine. I just wanted it to be like the old days. Remember when you wouldn’t let me come because I was too little.” She grins up at me.
I lean down and kiss her red lips.
“Because we were going to meet girls,” Jayden says, and I slap him around the head, causing his cap to fall off.
He leaps for it, laughing.
“You were?” she gasps.
“We were fourteen, Jess. Nothing happened,” I lie.
Jayden snorts.
Christ, he is killing me.
A lot happened that night. He lost his virginity, and I saw my first set of naked, real life, boobs. But we’re not going to talk about that.
Not tonight.
Not ever, if I can help it.
I don’t want to know about the men Jessie was with before me, and I certainly don’t want her to know about my history.
“I don’t want to know.” Jessie sips her drink, and I feel a sense of relief shoot through me.
“So, you start next week.” I punch Jayden in the arm. “Can’t wait to have you on the BHS team.”
Josh is happy.
“Yeah, it’s going to be good not wearing a fucking tie.” Jay smirks.
I guess he had to try it. Now he knows he’s not a corporate guy.
“Your boss mad?” I’ve barely talked to him over the past few weeks as I’ve been working on a black ops assignment and then racing home to Jessie.
We’ve spent it in bed and redecorating the house, so she feels like it's also her home. I never knew cushions, throws, and fresh flowers could make me happy.
They don’t.
It’s her.
Waking up to her beautiful eyes, the way she climbs under the covers and takes my cock in her mouth, or sneaks into the shower to surprise me.
How I can now play with her boobs while watching movies. Something I desperately wanted to do as a teenage boy.
Fortunately, she doesn’t know much about the danger of my work, or I think she’d be unhappy about it. Then again, she’s getting close to the girls, so that could change.
“I wasn’t making the company a lot of money, so I don’t think so. More pissed that he had to recruit someone new,” Jayden replies.
I see a shadow crossing Jay’s face. I need to sit down with him soon and talk. Something is off with him.
“I got a glimpse of your first assignment. Diplomat. Tiffany someone. Should be easy enough.” I sip my beer.
“As long as she’s not a demanding princess.” He sips his beer. “Better than a celebrity, I guess.”
I keep my thoughts to myself. These politicians can be a handful, I’ve heard. Oh well, nothing like throwing him into an interesting assignment.
“Okay, come on, you guys. Fireworks time!” Naomi calls out, and we join her and the rest of the family.
The usual neighbors are here tonight, along with all the kids from the street. The sky is clear, a billion stars above it, and everyone is wearing red, white, and blue in one form or another.
Jessie is in a short red sundress with cute white sneakers, and I’ve never seen her look sexier.
We told her family and my mom a few months ago that we were living together. That we were a couple. They were surprised and had a ton of questions. Over Zoom we answered them as best we could.
“You both look happy,” Mom smiled through the screen, shooting Mrs. Rogers a happy glance. “I think we should stay out of this and let the kids do what they want.”
“At long last.” Jessie rolled her eyes.
“Jessie, manners.”
“Dad, for God’s sakes,” she groaned.
I laughed, squeezing her knee.
Now, I have a little box in my pocket that is burning a hole in it and my heart rate is much higher than normal.
Standing with my arm around Jess, we lift our faces as the first of the fireworks fill the sky. One after the other, I wait patiently.
She snuggles into my chest, and I take this one last moment, remembering all the years I’ve stood in this very yard wishing I could kiss her.
Now I’m about to make her my wife.
I loosen my arm, and she immediately reacts, glancing up.
I pull out the little box and lower to one knee.
“Oh, my god. Donald,” Her mom cries.
“Liam,” Mom croons, and I wish I had told her, but in this family, the fewer people who know, the better.
“I know,” her dad mutters.
Jessies gasps, glancing back and forth between me and her father. I see the moment she realizes I asked him.
Of course I would.
He’s been like a father to me.
“Holy shit,” Naomi gasps.
“Liam,” Jessie breathes my name, and I smile up at the woman I love.
“Jess. Squirt.”
“Don’t ruin it.” She frowns, and I grin.
It’s time.
“You’ve been mine from the moment I laid eyes on you. We’ve grown up in this yard, with these people, and been through a lot together.”
She sniffs, trying to smile.
“I should have acknowledged how much I was in love with you earlier. I promise not to be dumb anymore,”
We share an emotion filled smile.
“Jess, I will love you and cherish you until my dying breath. Every day. Every night and every moment in between.”
Her hands lift to her chest, clinging together.
But I need one of them.
I reach out and she gives me her hand, then I slide the three-carat glistening diamond onto her finger.
Mine.
I lift my face. “Marry me, Jess. Be my wife.”
Her head starts bobbling like those things stuck to a car dashboard, and I feel all the worry and tension fall away.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, Liam.”
“Shocking. Worst cliffhanger ever,” Jayden mutters, and his father smacks him around the ears.
Jessie laughs, not caring what anyone thinks. Neither do I. I’m done. I will never put another person before her again.
Standing, I pull her into my arms and kiss her like crazy. Ignoring all the clapping and cheers, our tongues glide as one, and I feel our hearts merge together.
I press her tighter against my chest, cupping her face. “You said yes,”
“I’m going to be your wife,” she whispers.
“Forever.”
“Mrs. Captain Rutherford.” Jessies smiles at me like she’s the happiest woman in the world.
“You like that?”
“Yup,” she nods. “And for our honeymoon, will you take me up in a plane and fly me somewhere?”
My lips stretch into a smile.
“You bet.”
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