“Gonna be a long winter.” Ripper dropped down next to me on the swing. “We’ll need a shit-ton of firewood to get through it.”
It was late August—hot and sunny—but the men had already stockpiled cords of wood against the coming winter.
“Hey, Kenz.” Kyle’s lips curved up, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. I frowned. That was happening more and more of late.
“You all right?” I asked.
“I’m fine, sweetheart. Just tired. Think I’ll clean up and lie down for a while.” He looked at Ripper. “Call me when you’re ready to stack the wood.”
“Will do.”
When Kyle disappeared into the house, I turned to Ripper. “Something is up with him.”
“I noticed that, too. He’s been having trouble sleeping. Hear him walking around the house at night. Sometimes I find him sitting on the front steps, staring at the stars.”
“I thought everything would be good once we took Valhalla back from the brigade, but it hasn’t been that simple,” I said. “Bear hasn’t found any sign of his little brother. Sahdev blames himself for Tuck attacking me—”
Ripper raised his brows. “Doc made a tough call. Gotta admit, I wish there’d been a better option. When he turned himself over to the brigade, he outed you as a traitor to their cause.”
“It was a chaotic situation,” I said quietly. “Sahdev was thinking about Libby and the baby. Besides, Nyx was in the room with the brigade. We couldn’t have gone out the window together and left her behind.”
Ripper sighed. “Yeah. I get it. Don’t like it, but I get it. Sure as hell don’t want the doc to beat himself up over the way it went down.”
“Me, neither.” I twined my fingers through his. “And Kyle hasn’t been himself.”
Ripper blew out a breath. “I’ll talk to Kyle, try to get him to open up.”
“Good.” I scooted close and leaned against his chest. “Not so long ago, I never would have guessed that you and Kyle would become friends.”
“You and me both, but here we are.” He drew back. “I’ve been chopping wood all morning. I’m rank.”
“I don’t care.” I snuggled close. “I’ll take you any way I can get you.”
He slung an arm around my shoulders, and we slowly glided back and forth in the swing. In the distance, a peal of laughter erupted from Nyx.
“Nyx plans to make a move on Bear,” I said.
“Huh,” Ripper grunted. “Didn’t see that coming.”
“Sometimes the unlikeliest people end up together.” I smiled as soon as the words passed my lips.
“Like us.”
“Yes, like us,” I agreed.
Ripper planted his boots on the floor of the porch, halting the back and forth of the swing. He reached into the pocket of his jeans, then extended his clenched fist toward me. “Got something for you.”
“What is it?”
“Look and see,” he said.
I peeled his fingers back, revealing a pair of gold-and-diamond wedding bands. My gaze flew to Ripper’s face. “Frank and Evelyn Blossom’s rings?”
“Yeah. Frank had tied them to Evelyn’s grave marker with a ribbon and a note saying ‘Wait for me, darling. I’ll be along soon.’”
My throat ached, remembering. I couldn’t speak, so I just nodded.
“They loved each other,” he continued. “Built a good life together. Somehow, I think that they’d like the idea of another man and woman wearing their rings. People who love each other and who want to build a life together, just like they did.”
“What are you saying?” I whispered.
Ripper touched the platinum charm necklace I wore, the one he’d crafted for my birthday. “This says you’re mine.” He raised his hand to my property necklace, trailing a finger over the beads. “This says that you’re my old lady.” He pointed to the slim, diamond band resting on his palm. “And this ring says that you’re my wife.”
“Your wife,” I repeated.
“There’s no state to issue a license, no minister around to perform a ceremony,” he said. “But I don’t care about that. The only thing that matters are the promises we make to each other and the commitments we keep. Here and now, I’m asking you to be my wife, and I’m asking you to take me as your husband. I promise to love, honor, and protect you for the rest of my life.”
“Ripper,” I breathed.
“Unless a wedding is important to you, the white dress and bridesmaids and all that stuff. We could drive back to Mt. Hood and ask Pastor Derek—”
I threw my arms around his neck. “I’ve never cared about a fancy wedding and if I had, going through that sham ceremony with Pastor Bill would have knocked that fantasy right out of my head. Who needs a white dress and bridesmaids? All I want is to love and be loved by somebody I trust and respect. That’s what matters to me. So—here and now—I promise to love, honor, and protect you for the rest of my life, too.”
Ripper plucked the slim wedding band from his palm. “You ready?”
“Yes.” I picked up the wider gold band. I held out my left hand, and Ripper slipped the diamond band onto my ring finger. He spread his fingers and extended his left hand toward me. I slid the wide gold band onto his finger.
“That’s it?” I asked, laughing.
“Yup. Except the kissing the bride part.” Ripper seized my shoulders and hauled me close for a smoldering kiss, a kiss so protracted and enthusiastic that Hector lifted his head and whined.
“And the wedding night,” I reminded him.
“Sorry to break it to you, darlin’, but we’re not waiting for tonight to consummate this marriage.” He jumped to his feet, leaned over, and threw me over his shoulder, leaving my ass in the air and my head dangling down his back.
“Hey,” I protested. “This is not how you carry a bride over the threshold, Mr. Solis.”
“No?” He swatted my ass. “Deal with it, Mrs. Solis.”
Holy shit. Mrs. Solis. I kicked my feet happily and was rewarded with another swat. I giggled as Ripper carried me across the threshold. He jogged down the hallway to our room, then deposited me across the bed. Toeing off his boots, he pulled his T-shirt over his head and shoved his jeans down his legs. Standing naked at the foot of the bed, palming his cock, he grinned down at me.
My bad boy biker. My walking wet dream. My hero. My protector. My friend. My husband. Mine.
EPILOGUE
Kyle
I traipsed back and forth across the front porch. I didn’t want my restless, middle-of-the-night pacing to wake anybody, so I was careful to avoid the squeaky floorboard in front of the swing.
At first, when I had trouble sleeping, I’d walked off into the night, prowling the ranch. I’d carried a lantern so I wouldn’t trip over anything in the dark. The first time that lantern light reflected a pair of glowing eyes—only a dozen feet away—I decided to stick closer to the house. Bear had found cougar tracks on the property and warned us to be on our guard against the big cats.