I laugh so hard I have to brace a hand on the wall. Kari buries her face in Darby’s shoulder, shaking with laughter.
I finally manage to catch my breath. “Uh, Darbs?”
She looks up expectantly.
“There’s something you should know.”
EPILOGUE
Grey
A red ribbon flutters in the breeze, mimicking the restlessness I feel in my gut. I stare at it a heartbeat longer than necessary, keys in my palm, the new sign above the door catching the late-morning sun. My gym. My space. It’s finally a reality instead of some half-cocked dream.
I exhale slowly. I did it.
We did it.
I couldn’t have opened the place a year ahead of schedule if it weren’t for Kari and her social media savvy. She’s been my support and kept me from giving up every step of the way.
Her laughter carries across the entry. She leans over the folding table set up near the entrance, clipboard in hand, collecting emails and social handles like the pro she is. She looks right at home—confident, focused, completely in her element. The banner behind her reads Stay Strong Inside & Out, and yeah… that one was her idea.
She catches my eye and winks.
Vance and Wade hover nearby, arms crossed, already sizing up the space.
“Place looks good, man,” Wade says. “Real clean. Maybe Vance and I should start a side hustle on Fans Only.”
Vance snorts. “Yeah. Easy money.”
Once Darby knew about my Fans page, it didn’t take long for everyone to find out. Keeping her mouth shut isn’t one of Darby’s strong suits. Not when it comes to embarrassing me anyway. I thought it would bother me for the guys to know, but their ribbing is all in good fun. And it makes me feel like I’m part of the family.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Maggie says, handing Wade the baby.
Rumer loops her arm around Vance’s. “Only if you want to sleep on the couch from here on out.”
“Looks like you’ve gotta keep flexing your muscles alone, man,” Vance says.
Kari lifts a brow from her table, amused, and I grin.
“Not happening,” I say. “Retired from that lane.”
“Smart man,” Justice says, stepping up beside me with Gabby tucked into his side. He looks around the gym, nodding his approval. “Crew’s gonna miss you.”
“I’ll miss the work,” I admit. “But not the early mornings.”
He laughs. “Fair. But if you’re ever missing a little hard labor you know where to find me.” He claps my shoulder. “And we expect to see you now and again on Friday nights. You’re still one of us. Family.”
A Home Wrecker. Always will be.
Darby weaves through the crowd like she owns the place, coffee in one hand, phone in the other, already taking pictures. She stops in front of me and squints.
“Proud of you,” she says, then smirks. “I call dibs on being your first client.”
“You already train for free,” I remind her.
She grins. “Perks of being family.”
I glance back at Kari just as she finishes helping another couple sign up. She stretches, rolls her shoulders, and for a split second, our eyes meet across the room.
