Epilogue - Jean
Six months’ later
The coffee shop is bustling with the morning rush, but I barely notice the chaos around me as I put the finishing touches on my latest commission.
The mural I've been working on for The Heart's Delight covers the entire back wall; a whimsical forest scene with hidden details that reference Snowflake Falls.
“It's beautiful, Jean.”
I look up to find Cora, Kieran's girlfriend, holding two cups of coffee and studying my work with genuine admiration.
“Thanks. I think it's finally coming together.” I accept the coffee gratefully. “How’s it going with Kieran?”
She laughs, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks. “Well, apart from my Mom nearly passing out the first time I brought him home for dinner, it was terrific. And she thinks he’s great now she’s got to know him.”
I smile. “That's wonderful! You two are perfect together.”
My parents aren’t exactly thrilled that I’ve decided to stay in Snowflake Falls with a motorcycle club member, but that’s their problem.
Having the distance from them let me realize how much I was following their dreams and not my own.
I’m making a living as a freelance illustrator and painter.
Between murals, logo designs, and the art therapy classes I teach at the community center, I’m busier and more fulfilled than I ever was as an accountant.
And a former colleague reached out a couple of months ago to tell me that my old boss had been caught. An internal audit revealed years of systematic embezzlement, including the exact issues I’d tried to report. The firm issued a public apology and offered me my job back, but I politely declined.
My phone buzzes with a text from Russell:
How's the mural coming?
Nearly done. You still picking me up at noon?
Wouldn't miss it. Be there in five. Love you, Red.
The nickname still makes me smile. I wash my hands and pack away my equipment as the familiar rumble of his Harley fills the street outside.
Through the window, I watch him park and swing off the bike with that fluid grace that still makes my pulse race.
He's wearing his leather jacket and dark jeans, looking every inch the dangerous biker who picked me up on that mountain road.
Except now I know about the soft blue yarn in his saddlebags for the baby blanket he's crocheting for Hunter and Trinity's expected arrival. He pushes through the door, scanning the room until his eyes find mine. The smile that spreads across his face is soft and intimate, meant just for me.
“Ready to go?” he asks, dropping a kiss on my temple.
“Where are we going again?”
“It's a surprise.”
“Should I be worried?”
“When have I ever done anything you didn't love?”
He has a point. Russell makes it his business to make sure I’m happy and loved every single day.
We’re living together in the cozy cabin he’s finished renovating, halfway between Ember Heart Ridge, where his motorcycle club HQ is located, and Snowflake Falls.
His security consulting work with his MC occasionally takes him away, but never for more than a couple of nights at a time.
We adopted a Great Dane mix, Baron von Drool, and a little chihuahua, Monstro from his Gram, so I always have company.
I follow him outside to his bike. He hands me my helmet, not the intimidating black one from that first night we met, but a custom job he had made in deep red with silver flames. It matches the leather jacket he bought me for Christmas, the one that makes me feel like I belong in his world.
“Seriously, where are we going?” I ask as I climb on behind him.
“You'll see.”
I wrap my arms around his waist as he starts the engine, still amazed that this is my life now. Six months ago, I was a miserable accountant with no direction and no hope. Now I'm living in a place I love, surrounded by community, and the future feels bright.
We ride through town and up into the mountains, past the spot where we first met.
The afternoon is crisp and clear, the sun glistening off the snow topping the mountain peaks.
When Russell finally stops, we're at a scenic overlook I've never seen before, one that provides a perfect view of both Snowflake Falls and the valley beyond.
“It's beautiful,” I say, pulling off my helmet and gazing out at the valley.
“Not as beautiful as you.”
I turn to find him kneeling on the ground beside the bike, a small velvet box in his hands.
My heart speeds up.
“Russell…”
“I know we said we'd take things slow, Red.
But I also know that I loved you before I even knew your name.
I loved you when you trusted me enough to get on this bike without knowing anything about me.
I loved you when you pushed me away because you were scared.
And I love you now, when you're brave enough to build the life you want instead of the one everyone else thinks you should have.”
Tears blur my vision. “Russell.”
“Jean, my Red, the perfect girl of my dreams… will you marry me?”
The ring is stunning. It’s not a traditional diamond, but a gorgeous ruby that shines in the light, surrounded by tiny diamonds that sparkle like stars. It's unexpected, unusual, and so completely me.
Just like the man offering it.
I smile back at him. “Yes, of course, yes!”
He slides the ring onto my finger with hands that shake slightly, then stands and pulls me into his arms. He holds my face in his hands, kissing me over and over again.
When we finally break apart, I'm laughing through my tears.
“What's so funny?” he asks.
“I was just thinking... if I hadn't messed up Shelby's phone number, none of this would have happened.”
“Best wrong number you ever dialed.”
“The best,” I agree, then grin. “Though technically, I texted you. I didn't call.”
“Smartass.” He kisses me again. “Good thing I like intelligent women.”
As we stand there holding each other, looking out over the valley where we found our forever, I can't help but think about how wrong I was six months ago. I thought Russell was my escape from real life. But it turns out, he was my entrance to it.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. It’s probably Shelby, wanting to know if we’re free for dinner tomorrow. But for once, I ignore it.
The life I'm living right now? This one's perfect exactly as it is, with no interruptions.