“Some dogs are special trained ones. Like those K9’s the police use. Those guys from the other chapter that were here have this fan-freaking-tastic breed.” I grab my phone and have to scroll way up to where I received pictures from Alfie when he ran into them a while ago.
I click on one of the pictures and turn to let Greta see. She gasps and grabs the phone. “Holy shit, I think this was the same one. It looks like it. Thick black fur, blue eyes, and the size…this was the dog.”
“They are highly trained if I remember correctly. I bet those bikers helped the FBI. Didn’t Matt try to frame them too? And killed that woman who he ordered to plant the evidence with them? Yes. That might be it. I’ve heard their dogs are great at tracking too.”
“Don’t worry about the dog. They are trained but not to kill or do this shit on a daily basis. The dog was going for the hand holding the gun but missed and got the throat instead. Lucky for us he accidentally killed Matt in one go. Besides, what’s the damn difference if Nick put a bullet in his head to save you from this dangerous situation? The fucker is dead either way, end of discussion,” Alfie says as he strolls into the room. He hands me the bucket of ice cream and a spoon. “Put that phone away and help our girl to some ice cream. Everything is behind us now.”
“Only if you put the ducklings back into the cage I have set up in the corner with a lamp to keep them warm.” I shoot him a grin and hold out a spoonful of ice cream for Greta to wrap her lips around.
“This shit about taking care of furry things is already landing in my lap,” Alfie grumbles but takes the box and gently puts the ducklings into the space I’ve created for them until we have their outdoor place set up.
My heart warms when I see Alfie handling those fluffy bundles, knowing how strong and fierce he is. Seeing him sit down next to our woman who gives him a welcoming smile and the adoration twinkling in her eyes is showing there’s more to our connection.
The warmth flowing through my heart is letting me know it’s love and it’s in all of us. Complete and as one. Finally able to put things behind us and have the choice to be free and have a shared future.
Today I am thankful. Tomorrow I will still be thankful. And every day that follows is one to treasure when you’ve reached a point in life where you feel complete, inside and out.
EPILOGUE
Eight years later
– ALFIE –
Sitting here in our backyard, throwing peas and corn at our three ducks, always has a peaceful vibe at the end of a busy day.
“But I really think we need a baby cat,” Silas says and tries to give me his best shot of puppy dog eyes. Or in his case, fluffy kitten eyes.
I slowly shake my head and try to soften my voice when I tell our four-year-old son, “We have many animals to take care of and we can’t add to all the responsibilities. Besides, we have to leave some animals for other people to take care of, right? Otherwise they will be sad if they can’t find a kitten to love.”
His head instantly bobs in understanding.
I. Am. Brilliant.
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” Reese screams at the top of her lungs.
Our daughter is six and such a blast of energy.
“Calm down, sweetheart,” I tell her and shift Luke, our two-year-old son from one knee to the other.
We have three kids and while Reese is the spitting image of her mother, Silas has Joaquin’s nose while Luke here has my eyes. We don’t need paternity tests to show others in black and white these are our kids.
We’re a family. One who might not fit in any box or follow the standards of what society dictates. But we live. We love. And we share tears, laughter, and the joys and burdens each and every person encounters when they find the one they love and share their lives with. In our case, we found more than the one to love, and it might show our hearts are a fragment bigger to carry all the love we have for one another.
“Decker and Muriel are throwing a cookie sleepover and we’re invited.” Reese grins and looks at Silas. “Except for you, you can’t go.”
“Reese.” I add a little snap to my voice. “Be nice.”
“I am nice, Daddy.” Her gaze drops to the ground and she whispers, “I heard Dad tell mommy Silas couldn’t eat cookies.”
Kids. Always picking up on half a conversation and thinking they know everything. And then, my favorite part, they always say what they think. Doesn’t matter where they are, they just blabber out their thoughts. Right in your face and no sweettalk or softening a blow.
And Reese here is one nosy little lady.
I give her a stern look and raise one of my eyebrows. “Have you been eavesdropping?”
“Maaaaybe,” she says, throwing her arms to her back to hold them there while rocking her body left and right.
“Silas can’t have certain cookies because we found out he’s allergic. But he can have others. We just have to pay attention to some things.”
She nods thoughtfully. “I can pay attention.”
I can’t keep the smile off my face. See? Such a smart and helpful little girl.
“That’s very sweet of you,” I compliment.
“Hey,” Decker says as he steps into the backyard.
I lift my chin and hoist Luke to my hip when I stand. “You’re having a sleepover with all the kids?”
“Yeah, all of the kids are coming over to the large barn. We’ve transformed it into a movie theater and Muriel and Mayven, along with Kadence wanted to get all the kids together and do a marathon of cartoons or something. Along with cookies. Colt and Ledger are joining me to keep things in line. Luke can come along too and we’ll keep an eye on Silas. Muriel called Greta and she just explained about Silas being allergic, gluten intolerance, right?”
I’m nodding while Luke holds his tiny hands up. I absolutely love the brotherhood. Our kids not only have two dads and a mom; they have a large as fuck family. Surrounded by brothers and their old ladies and children where everyone is comfortable and welcome in their own skin.
In less than twenty minutes, all three kids have their stuffed animals in hand and are joining Decker to head over for a few hours of entertainment. I did tell him I’ll come and check on them later because Luke might want to sleep in his own bed. He’s been fussy these last few weeks and I want to make sure everything is okay.
I’m standing on the porch when I see Joaquin coming down the road. He’s on his bike with Greta warming his back. Such a great sight. For the outside world these two are married by law, though there’s three people wearing a wedding ring.
It was a mutual decision and we wanted to make sure everything is set in case something would happen to either of us. There are a lot of people who might not accept who we are, our reasons, our motivations, but they are what they are; ours.
“Did you have a nice day at work?” I question as Greta dismounts and sways her curvy ass my way.
With the shit happening within the DEA, Greta decided she wanted to make another career shift. She took classes and is now a rehabilitation specialist and she loves it. Having three kids doesn’t stop us from chasing our dreams.
Joaquin works at the veterinary clinic three days a week, taking care of our children on his days off while Greta has other days off and I can adjust my schedule here at the ranch to fill in when needed.