Epilogue
Shea - One Year Later
“Hold still,” I said. “Almost done.”
Kenny perched in his chair, swinging his little feet back and forth while I painted his face in a tiger’s mask. Tarzan and Keely were celebrating their anniversary out of town for the weekend. So, Trooper and I volunteered to babysit Kenny until they got back.
“Finished!” I declared. “Go find Uncle Teddy. Let him hear your mightiest roar.”
Kenny hopped off his chair and hurried out of the kitchen. A few moments later, his tiny roar echoed from the backyard. I smiled to myself, cleaning up my paintbrushes.
“Whoa!” Trooper replied. “Look at this fearsome beast!”
The early summer day was awash with golden sunshine and blue skies. Ironside had informed everyone that he was firing up his grill. Anyone who wanted some ribs or bratwursts was welcome to stop by to grab some food and chat.
Within the hour, his house had been swarmed by hungry bikers.
Lila emerged from the backyard, looking for a refill on her wine, with Pretty Boy trotting at her heels.
“You are such an insufferable asshole,” she huffed.
“And you always say the nicest things to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside,” he replied.
She whirled around, jabbing a finger in his chest.
“You’re not getting in my pants. End of story.”
He held up his hands in surrender.
“I didn’t say that.”
She pointed at his face.
“I can see it in your eyes. Stop looking at me like that.”
Sinking down into my chair, I watched the drama unfold, biting the inside of my cheek to hide my laughter.
“Has anyone ever told you how hot you look when you’re pissed off?” Pretty Boy said with a smirk.
Lila groaned and shoved her glass at him.
“God, you’re disgusting. First, you ogle me. Then you open your mouth to embarrass yourself even further. Get me more wine.”
“As you wish, princess.”
She shooed him off with a glare and flopped into a chair across from me.
“Why are you laughing?” Lila demanded. “Pretty Boy is giving me a headache and you’re entertained?”
I chuckled and nodded, wiping excess paint off my brushes.
“The sexual tension between you two is going to explode one day.”
“That’s exactly what I said,” Pretty Boy put in, retrieving a bottle of wine from the refrigerator.
Lila jutted out her chin with annoyance.
“You’re not helping, Shea.”
Pretty Boy placed Lila’s refilled glass on the table before her.
“Would you like anything else, Your Majesty?”
She brushed him off with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“Go away. And if I catch you staring at my ass one more time, I’ll key that beautiful paint job on your bike.”
“Ouch.” Pretty Boy clucked his tongue. “That’s a low blow, princess.”
“Do I look like I’m bluffing?”
He leaned over to look into Lila’s eyes. My face flushed with heat and I glanced away, feeling like I was intruding on a private moment.
“No, I can tell you’re serious,” Pretty Boy replied at last.
Lila looked satisfied with herself, sipping her wine.
“But, if you keep being mean to me like this,” he added. “I’m just going to fall in love with you even harder.”
She swatted at him. He laughed and skirted out of reach, escaping to the backyard. After he was gone, I turned to Lila with a pointed glance.
“What?” she demanded.
“I thought you liked it when he stared at your ass?”
She shrugged.
“I do. I like it when he stares at my tits, too. Especially when I’m wearing a push-up bra that makes the girls look incredible. It tortures him to see what he can’t have. But I will never tell him that. His ego is big enough already.”
“Are you ever going to have mercy on him?” I asked.
Lila snorted.
“Absolutely not. I’ve hated that man’s guts for nearly my entire life. I don’t intend to stop now. It’s a matter of principle at this point.”
The back door slammed, followed by the heavy tread of footsteps. Trooper appeared with Kenny slung over his shoulder.
“This scary tiger is on the hunt for a juice box,” he said. “The cooler has nothing but beer. Ironside said there should be some apple juice in the bottom drawer of the fridge.”
I rose from my chair and opened the fridge, searching until I found a juice box.
After sticking the straw into the box for him, I handed it over to Kenny.
His curls were windblown and tangled, his cheeks flushed pink from racing around the yard for hours.
I combed my fingers through his hair, sweeping it off his forehead.
“You look like you could use a nap, little man,” I said.
Kenny vehemently shook his head.
“I’m not tired.”
“He doesn’t believe in naps,” Trooper said. “Bruiser and Brass have been teaching him how to wrestle in the hopes it might burn off some of that excess energy.”
“Is it working?”
Trooper shrugged.
“Bruiser and Brass are exhausted. Kenny is still going though.”
Swinging his nephew down from his shoulder, he tickled Kenny, making him squeal and wiggle with laughter. My heart squeezed, seeing the joy on Trooper’s face. He was such a good uncle.
“Come on, kiddo,” Lila declared. “Let’s go find Pretty Boy and tire him out. I bet you could race faster than him.”
Kenny cheered and led the way to the backyard with Lila trailing after him.
Trooper shook his head, laughing softly as he wrapped his arms around me.
“Do you think Lila will ever cave to Pretty Boy’s advances?”
I hummed in thought, idly tracing his tattoos as I considered.
“I don’t know. It’s possible. I caved to you, didn’t I?”
“Now wait a minute,” Trooper protested. “If I recall correctly, I didn’t wear you down. I won you over. There's a difference."
“Oh, really?” I replied, playing along. “And what did you do to win me over?”
“I cooked some delicious vegetables to prove that I am a functioning adult who has his shit together. And it worked like a charm.”
I draped my arms around his neck, pressing my forehead against his.
“You’re right. That was very impressive.”
He smiled, curving his hands around my lower back, smoothing down to cup my ass. For the first few months of our relationship, I had held my breath. Waiting for everything to fall apart. Waiting to wake up from this dream.
But a year had passed and Trooper was still here.
“If I asked you to marry me,” he whispered. “Would you run the other way and never look back?”
I nuzzled against him, brushing a feather-light kiss to his lips.
“I don’t know. Are you brave enough to find out?”
Trooper laughed against my mouth when he kissed me, sliding his tongue over mine. I slipped my hands under his shirt, scratching my nails lightly down his torso. He moaned with a sinfully deep rumble, pushing me back against the table’s edge.
“Marry me, Shea,” he breathed. “Fuck. Please marry me.”
In my wildest fantasies, I never thought I would hear Theodore “Trooper” Gerard, self-professed commitment-phobe, actually begging to get hitched.
“Ask me again tomorrow,” I said lightly.
Trooper sighed and his shoulders slumped.
“Really?”
“Yep,” I replied. “And then do it again the next day. And the day after that.”
His frown of confusion brightened as he caught on to my game.
“You’re stringing me along. You little minx.”
I laughed, nipping at his lower lip.
“I like it when you’re desperate for me. It’s sexy.”
He arched an eyebrow and lifted me onto the table, pressing his hips between my thighs. The door slammed again, and a moment later, Ironside marched into the room, rummaging around on the counter.
“Don’t get nasty in my kitchen, you two,” he said, grabbing a bottle of cracked pepper. “It’s not sanitary. Do your baby-making somewhere else.”
“We use protection,” Trooper protested.
Ironside grunted.
“That’s more information than I wanted to know. By the way, Pretty Boy is teaching your nephew some very colorful obscenities.”
“Shit,” Trooper muttered under his breath. “Tarzan is gonna kick my ass.”
He pulled away, hurrying out the back door. I watched him go with a smile. One day very soon, I would be calling that man my husband.