Bouncing on my toes, I squeeze my arms tighter around his neck, speaking in his ear. “It’s the sound of our future. It’s going to be brighter and more beautiful than we ever knew.”
He smooths both hands along the sides of my face, cupping my cheeks. “You’re my hope, and I’m holding onto you as long as I live. I’ll never let you go.”
Placing my hand on his chest, over the spot where his ink lies, I look into his eyes and make a vow. “This much is true… You can count on me. I’ll never let you down. I’ll always stand by your side.”
Another kiss, and while our lips part in a swirl of desire and passion and longing, our mouths seal in a promise we’ll keep. It’s a promise of hope and of a future. It’s a promise born of hardship and refusing to let go.
It’s a promise that says this much is true… I’ll never let you go.
Epilogue
J.R.
I’m balls deep in the woman of my dreams, and she’s taking me to paradise.
Hope’s back is to me, and she rocks her hips, moving faster as I thrust my cock deeper into her hot little pussy.
“John…” She gasps, arching her back.
I sit up behind her, sliding my hands along her flat stomach up to her soft breasts, cupping them, tweaking her nipples. Her insides clench, and my mind blanks. I’m so close to coming.
“So good…” I groan, biting the top of her shoulder lightly.
Her body shudders, and I wrap my arm around her waist, sliding a hand between her legs and circling firmly over her clit. It’s just enough to take us both over the top.
She breaks with a loud moan, clenching and falling into me. Her fingers curl in the side of my hair, and I close my eyes as the orgasm races through my legs, centering in my pelvis and pulsing into her.
It’s so fucking good.
We’re breathing fast, and both my arms are around her now. I turn my face to kiss her behind the ear, inhaling soft flowers and caramel. She reaches both hands over her head, caressing my neck, pulling my hair.
“Mmm…” The smile on her lips makes me smile. “My sexy husband.”
Yeah, we did it. We decided not to waste any time getting married. As soon as we got back to Fireside, we had a small ceremony down by the shore in Oceanside, just the two of us, GA, Scout, and Jesse. When we’re able to get everyone together, we’ll fly out her dad, Karla, and Yarnell and have a big celebration.
On the way back, we took a detour through Oceanside Village, and stopped in a pretty little cake place. The owner was a friendly girl who said they did a steady business with tourists coming up from the strip.
Hope and I exchanged a look, and as soon as we got home, she got to work on her business plan, altering the location to a boutique community near a thriving beachfront tourist destination.
As luck would have it, Stephen Hasting’s investment partner Remington Key is located not too far away, and he made a day trip to check it out. They agreed to give her half the startup money she’d need. As her husband, I’m investing the other half. Pancake Paradise is on track for a grand re-opening in the summer of next year, just in time for high season at the beach.
“My beautiful wife.” Sliding my hands over her flat stomach, I kiss the side of her jaw, speaking in her ear. “I’m ready to put a baby in you. A little girl that looks just like her pretty mamma.”
Hope slides her hands along my arms, threading our fingers. “Not until after the grand opening. It’s going to be crazy until then.”
“You’ll be adorable barefoot and pregnant.”
“Just because I was barefoot when you met me doesn’t mean I won’t wear shoes.” She’s teasing, and I kiss her neck.
Her shoulder rises with a squeal. I love that little sensitive spot. “To think, I almost left you on the side of the road.”
“You wouldn’t have done it.” She climbs out of my arms, and I miss her already. “I’d better get moving. Alice is bringing Jesse for breakfast, and he wants peanut butter pancakes.”
Jesse lives with us full-time now in our big house in the older part of town, but he spends every weekend with GA. He says he doesn’t like her being alone. I tried to get her to move in here. We’ve got plenty of room, but she’s stubborn and said she likes having her own place.
“Is Scout coming over?” I toss back the blankets as she emerges from the bathroom.
“I don’t know. He’s been spending a lot of time in Oceanside since the wedding. I think he’s got a girlfriend there. You know, he never found that girl he told me about.”
Her slim brow furrows over her bright blue eyes, and her hair is up in a high ponytail. She’s dressed in jeans and a short black tank that shows off her cute little navel, and I can’t resist. I catch her around the waist, kissing the back of her neck.
“John!” I love it when she fusses, especially when she’s laughing like right now.
I only ever want to see her happy after all the shit we went through to get here.
An hour after my brother texted me in that prison cell, Mel the Guard came to the door and told me it was time to go. At first, I was confused, but a big grin split his fat cheeks. He told me the judge had reviewed new evidence on my case and threw out the charges.
I was a free man.
My brother’s instructions were to get in the brand-new Tahoe he’d left for me and drive to Hope’s beach house, which I was eager to do.
I walked through the door, and the first thing I heard was my little boy’s voice. It hit me right in the chest, and I dropped to my knees to catch him in my arms for the longest hug we’d shared since the last time we were together at the airport.
It’s possible tears were in my eyes. I’m not made of stone.
The whole place was decorated with balloons and streamers and a sign reading Welcome Home. Scout had flown back to get Jesse as soon as the lawyer said my phone recording would do it. Hope was with her dad, and I wanted to drive out to be with her.
Only, my brother had a different plan.
“I thought you might want to know what happened to that rat in Buena Vista,” he’d said.
Fucking Clyde Shaw.
My joy at being released, being reunited with my son, reclaiming my life was shadowed by the fact that asshole was walking around free.
“Not for long.”
We piled into my new ride, which is a whole other story, and Scout drove us into the city.
He parallel parked in a space behind a bush and killed the engine. “I’ve been working with the cops ever since Hope and I came back here. The detective called and said if we wanted to watch, now was the time.”
My brother was still speaking as a swarm of cars surrounded the building.
A black Camaro pulled into the alley and a white police cruiser blocked the front entrance. Two uniformed officers burst through the apartment entrance with Clyde Shaw in handcuffs.
“Cool!” Jesse cried from the backseat watching. “They got the bad man!”
I looked at Scout. “How?”
“The evidence on your phone was the break they needed. Clyde was just a middle man, but he was connected to an international drug ring that extended from Mexico all the way to Toronto. Cops had been trying to break it up for two years.”