Epilogue
LINC
New Year’s, Two Months Later
“If you hadn’t taken that blowout noisemaker away from her, she’d have never gone to sleep,” Darcy says as she comes downstairs and flops down on the couch beside me. “She went to bed wearing her New Year’s Eve crown.”
I chuckle and wrap my arm around her, not in the least bit surprised. Gracie will never stop being a princess. She was withdrawn for a few days after the kidnapping, but then Halloween came, and between her fairy costume and all the candy, her fears were quickly forgotten.
One good thing came out of the incident. Gracie opened up to Darcy about losing her mother, and that helped us finally get her into counseling. She’s strong and resilient, like her mom. With us and her grandma, I know she’ll be fine.
“Thanks for putting her to bed while I finished my call with Derek. He had an update on Mason.”
“Oh yeah? I’m worried about him.”
I press a kiss to the top of Darcy’s head.
She has a tender heart, especially where Mason is concerned.
Like the rest of us, she didn’t blame him at all for not stopping the kidnapping.
I wish he’d stop blaming himself, but that’s something he’ll work through.
Hopefully the mountains will help. “Derek got a call from Caleb. One of our guys out in Montana wants to buy land on the mountain with some old cabins. He has this idea that fixing them up could be therapeutic for some of us that came back… broken.”
I considered myself part of that group until I took Gracie in. Either she helped heal me or I no longer had the luxury of staying broken. Perhaps both.
Darcy lays her head on my chest, snuggling in. Her sweet honey scent soothes me. “Men like Mason?”
“Yeah. Sometimes they won’t accept help. Derek’s crafty though. He’s sending Mason up under the guise of helping buy the land and find the cabins. He thinks once Mason gets up in the fresh air and peace of the mountains, he’ll work through some stuff.”
“I hope he does.”
“Me too, sweetheart.” I’d hate to lose a man like Mason. He’s solid, but sometimes that’s not enough to fight back the demons we brought back with us from missions.
Darcy stretches and yawns. “Is it almost midnight? Should we watch the ball drop in Times Square?”
I check my watch. Five minutes to midnight. Almost time. My heart starts to thump hard as I reach for the television remote and bring up the celebration taking place in New York City. Thousands of people have flocked in the streets there waiting for New Year’s. I only care about one, right here.
“Ready for a new year, love?” My voice sounds a little scratchy.
Get it together, Wolf. You’ve got this.
Darcy never went back to the guest room bed.
Once I had her in mine, she wasn’t leaving.
After Gracie’s initial interrogation, she seemed to accept Darcy’s place in my bed and by my side.
Exactly where she should be. We’re a family now, including Ma.
Maybe we didn’t go about it the traditional way, but that will change, hopefully starting tonight.
The crowd on television starts counting down to midnight. I reach under the pillow for the small velvet box I tucked away. I was going to do this on Christmas, but New Year’s Eve felt right. It’s the end of the old year and the start of something new. Exactly how I feel about Darcy.
“3… 2… 1! Happy New Year!” The people on television shout as the sparkling ball drops.
“Happy New Year!” Darcy cries with them.
I open the velvet box and hold it up in front of her, revealing my mother’s diamond ring. “Happy New Year, Darcy. Will you marry me?”
She sits up so fast, I grab her arm to keep her from falling off the couch. Her eyes are wide as she stares at the ring and then me. “Wh-what?”
She’s in shock. Did I fuck up? Is this not what she wants? No, I know her. She wants us as much as we want her. “Marry me, Darcy. Be my wife and Gracie’s mother.”
Her eyes turn glassy, and she blinks back tears, nodding. “Yes. YES!” She throws her arms around me tackling me back onto the couch cushion. The ring box slips from my fingers onto the floor, but she’s kissing me so it can wait.
I pull her down on top of me, threading my fingers into her long, shiny locks to cup the back of her head as I slide my tongue against hers. My cock responds as it always does, hardening the second I touch her. We kiss for long moments, the television, the ring, and the outside world forgotten.
Darcy smiles against my mouth and sits up, straddling me. She smooths a hand down my chest and stomach, then back up. “I love you, Linc.”
“I love you too, Darcy.”
She grins. “Now where’s that ring?”
I spot it on the floor and reach for the box. She takes it quickly from me and pulls the ring out. “It’s beautiful. Where did you find it? It looks vintage.”
It’s an old miners cut diamond with small rubies on either side. “It was mom’s. We can get you something else if you prefer…” She’s already shaking her head.
“No, I want this one. It’s beautiful.”
I take the ring from her and slide it onto her finger. “As beautiful as you.”
She smiles, admiring it on her hand, then gives me a tender look. “I’m so glad I found you and Gracie.”
“I’m glad you’re a bad barista.”
She gasps, then grabs the pillow behind my head and smacks me with it.
I laugh, pulling her down for another kiss.
Darcy grins and wiggles her hips against me. “I’m glad your daughter terrorized her nannies.”
“Our daughter.”
“Our daughter,” she says, voice hitching.
I nuzzle her neck and drop the velvet box on the floor. “Want to go upstairs and make some more?”
“Mmm, yes.”
I stand, taking Darcy with me. Wrapping her legs around my waist, I palm her ass and head for the stairs. She’s mine now. And this fire burning between us? It’s just getting started.
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