Epilogue
EPILOGUE
Six weeks later
“You know, I almost miss the scooter,” I said as I looked down at my new walking boot. Even though my injury happened weeks ago, I still felt phantom pains whenever I looked at my foot. Everyone tried to assure me it was expected, especially with injuries like mine. Apparently, your bones don’t like it when you snap them. If it had been any worse, I would have needed surgery to fuse the bones, which would have meant more months off my feet. The doctors warned me it could take months and a good amount of physical therapy to get my mobility fully back.
But honestly, after everything that happened that weekend, I’d take a long recovery. Besides, physical therapy was hard work, but at least it provided some good eye candy. I glanced over at my husband as he pulled into the parking lot. In the days after my abduction, Gray had trouble leaving my side. We ended up meeting with a therapist Adam recommended to work through some of our concerns and anxieties. It helped soothe him a little, but Gray still insisted on coming to all my therapy appointments .
Gray chuckled as he parked then pushed open the driver’s side door. He walked around the truck to open mine as well. He took my hand. “I don’t know about that, Ace. That thing was a menace.”
“Only because I ran over your toes once!”
“Twice,” Gray said as he helped me down to the ground. When I was steady on my feet, he leaned down and kissed me softly. “You sure you’re up for this tonight? We can always come back.”
I nodded but held him close. “I’m sure. It feels like a good end to this chapter of our lives. Time to focus on the future.”
Gray hummed his agreement, holding out his arm for me to lean on. As we walked through the parking lot, I tried to push the negative thoughts out of my mind and focus on tonight. After David and Jack were both arrested, we weren’t sure if the charges against them would actually stick. While Jack was a little more cut and dry, David was another story, and we were afraid his powerful friends would help him out.
However, the SEC had apparently been investigating him for a long time. Shortly after his arrest, they charged him with a litany of crimes. Between the criminal, fraud, and insider trading charges, David would most likely spend the rest of his days in prison.
After getting the call from the DA earlier and my new walking boot, I was in the mood to celebrate. When we got to the storefront, Gray passed me my keys, holding up the shiny new silver one he’d attached last week. “Let’s see how it looks.”
I held my breath, not sure what to expect when I walked through the doors of my dad’s old law firm. After everything that happened with Jack and David, I took a couple of weeks to decide what was next. The investigative part of my life was over, but I wanted to use my law degree to help people, not corporations. Once I knew I didn’t want to walk away from being a lawyer, there was only one place I wanted to practice. Here, in the same office my dad used, in the town I loved more than words.
For the past two weeks, Gray had worked tirelessly to bring the office into the modern age. I tried to help, but he insisted on surprising me. If it was anyone else, it would have been terrifying. But Gray knew me—knew me better than anyone else in this world. In fact, when I told him about wanting to take over my dad’s space, he just smiled, knowing I was going to do that before I even did.
“Oh my God,” I said as I stepped into the new sitting area. They had scaled back all the shades of brown, now accenting them with white and pale blue. They replaced the antique chaises with a more modern couch, one very close to the one I had in the city. I squinted as I looked at it. “How did you know about this? You never saw my old apartment?—”
The words were barely out of my mouth when the room erupted in a loud cheer of “Surprise!” I jumped out of my skin, almost losing my balance as I took in everyone. Everyone I loved was gathered in my new office, and I already knew what Gray had done.
He came up behind me and rested his arm around my shoulders. “Don’t be mad, but they all wanted to help. I thought they should be here when you saw it for the first time.”
I just shook my head. Anger was the last thing I found. For so long, I’d been an island, never letting anyone close for fear of getting hurt. However, as I looked around the room at my friends and family, I felt lighter than I had in months. Hell, it was lighter than I’d felt in years. I’d wasted so much time looking for a place I belonged, yet it had been here all this time, just waiting for me to discover it.
I wrapped my arm around Gray’s waist and laid my head on his chest. “It’s perfect.”
Later that night, after everyone else went home, I sat in my office, alone. The front room looked like a disaster, but I was happy everyone enjoyed themselves. Everyone seemed pleased about my new adventure, especially my older sister, Laurel. She asked that her divorce be one of my first cases in my new digs. While her husband, Harry, fled after his involvement in David's schemes became public, she refused to remain married to him for another moment.
I happily sighed as I rested my sore foot on my spare chair. Gray came up behind me and dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Happy?”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but I think my dad would be proud.”
“I think he’d be so fucking proud, Ace.”
I swiveled to face him. “So what did Theo pitch this time?”
Gray chuckled, and I couldn’t help but do the same. My brother-in-law might not be Gray’s agent anymore, but he couldn’t help himself. Every week, Theo had a new can’t-miss offer Gray had to hear about. He leaned against my desk. “He asked me if I ever thought about coaching.”
“Coaching?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Gray answered. “Apparently, the league just voted to add on three new teams. One is starting up about an hour from here. They’re looking for a new assistant coach, and Theo threw my name into the ring. Said the job’s mine if I want it.”
“And do you?” I leaned forward and propped my elbows on the desk. “Do you want it?”
“I think I might,” Gray smiled. “It’s close enough to home that I would be back most nights. Sure, I’d have to travel, but I’d here more often than not. And fuck, Ace–” He sighed, running his hand over his beard. “I miss the game. If I could teach a new group of guys to love it like I used to? Shit, that’s the dream.”
I stood, hobbling over to kiss him. “Sounds to me like you know your answer.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I chuckled. “If you want to, I say go for it. If anything, sign a one-year deal and re-evaluate after that.”
He pulled me in between his legs and kissed me. “Might need a good lawyer to look over the terms. Know anyone available?”
“I think I have someone in mind. And from what I hear, her rates are very competitive.” I pressed up against him. “In fact, she might just be willing to broker some kind of deal. For husbands only, though.” I expected Gray to laugh, but nothing came. In fact, when I leaned back, there was a stern look on his face, one that made my stomach twist into a complicated knot. “Gray? What’s going on?”
He shifted me back into the chair and pulled an envelope out of his pocket. I frowned after he passed them to me. As soon as I opened the top, I knew what they were. Tears stung my eyes while I looked at the divorce papers, ones I knew like the back of my hand. In fact, when I read through them, there it was. My signature. These were the last set of divorce papers I sent Gray earlier in the year, the ones he never returned. I assumed he destroyed them. But now, they were in my hands, and this time, his signature was on the line next to mine.
“What the fuck, Grayson?” I demanded as I looked up at him.
But this time, he wasn’t leaning on my desk. Instead, he was kneeling in front of me, holding a ring. It took a moment for my brain to catch up, ping-ponging between anger and elation. I wanted so badly to give him my words, but the only thing that came out was a muttered, “What the fuck?”
“Okay,” Gray smiled. “I can see why that’s your first reaction. But let me explain?—”
“Quickly,” I said, holding out the papers to him.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Devyn. There is no one else in this world who makes me feel like you do. You’re my best friend, my favorite person, and the love of my life. I love you so much.” He shuffled closer to me, placing his hand on my good leg. “The first time we did this, there wasn’t a proposal. And I’m sure when you pictured your dream wedding, you didn’t picture Cher officiating.” He nodded to the papers. “So those are our chance for a fresh start. To do this right. Not because we were drunk and fooling around in Vegas, but because we want a life together.” He brushed a tear away from the corner of my eye. “So what do you say?”
“No.” Grays’ entire face fell, and I realized my mistake. “I don’t mean no to being with you,” I chuckled, reaching out to hold him. “I mean no to the divorce.”
“Are you sure?” Gray whispered, searching my eyes.
“Yes.” I smiled through the tears. “I know our story isn’t perfect, but it’s ours, Gray. I don’t want to change a single thing that led us to this moment.” I held out my hand, and he smiled so brightly, it rivaled all the stars. “Because I want forever with you, Grayson Anders.”
When he slipped the new ring on my finger, I smiled, recognizing the design. “Braided metals?”
“Yeah.” Gray smiled, the tips of his cheeks turning pink. “For our past, our present, and our future. Thought it was pretty fitting.”
“I love it,” I said, leaning in to kiss him. As his hands gripped my hips, I leaned back, smiling at my husband. “Actually, I have something for you too. Only, I’m not going to give you a heart attack and hand you divorce papers.”
“You could try,” Gray chuckled as he stood. “You know I have creative ways to make them disappear.”
I moved over to my purse and pulled out the business paperwork I’d filed earlier in the week. Gray’s eyes tracked me as I moved closer to him. He took the envelope and opened it slowly, but I knew the moment he found what I’d done. “The Law Offices of Winters-Anders?”
“For my dad and me.” I shrugged as I stepped between his legs. “Wanted to keep Winters as part of my last name to memorialize him, but I think it’s about time I add my husband's name as well.” I smirked as his eyes twinkled. “Devyn Winters-Anders has a nice ring to it.”
“Fuck,” Gray said as he dragged me closer to him. “Got a new fucking kink, baby. You’re going to be the death of me.”
“Not anytime soon,” I chuckled. “We’ve got a lot of time to make up for, Grayson.”
“Looking forward to it, Devy.”