“Holy shit!” I shouted.
“Language,” Kelly said, firmly. “There come the medics. I’m gonna help where I can, then we can leave.”
“Always working, that one.” I pointed at my sister. “What can I do to help so we can get gone as soon as possible?”
She smiled and laughed. “How about you go free the Mustang from her confinement. I’m sure Gideon would love to teach you to drive it.”
“Hell yeah!” GQ and I said at the same time.
“The code is Mom’s birthday,” Kel said.
“Oh! That reminds me.” I took out the dimes and gave her one back. “Mom saved you.”
“My dime! I thought it might be lost forever.” She kissed it and slipped it into her pocket. “Okay, enough of all this schmaltz as dad would say. Let’s get to work.”
Epilogue
GQ
One Year Later
My bride was the most beautiful woman on the planet, and I couldn’t say I deserved Kelly Lloyd’s love, but I would do everything and anything to deserve her from this day forward.
“Have I told you how stunning you are?” I whispered at the shell of her ear as we danced to “Is This Love.” When I heard the Allen Stone song, I almost cried. Hell, I might burst into tears right this second.
“Only a dozen times, handsome. But you can keep telling me as much as you want. I never tire at your sweet words.”
“Jesus, Kelly,” I choked out and swallowed the emotion in my throat. “You make me so fucking happy. Thank you for saying, yes.”
“I’d be a fool if I didn’t say yes.” She reared her head back to look at me. Tears were in her baby blues, and a radiant smile was on her gorgeous face. “I thought I heard tears in your voice.”
“Shit, baby. You’re the only person who can make me cry just by looking so fucking beautiful. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Kelly. You and Kevin are my life… along with my club, of course.”
“Of course. Good thing I wore waterproof mascara today.” Teardrops rolled down her cheeks. “You keep talking this way.Sentimentally and loving, and I’ll be sobbing before the song is over.”
“It’s crazy, ya know.”
“What?” she asked with a smile. “All this schmaltz?”
“No, Sassy Girl. You. Me. Kevin. The three of us together. A year ago…” I shook my head ashamed of the dark place I’d been in. “Before you dropped back into my life, I wanted to die. I couldn’t ride my hog. Couldn’t be a man in the bedroom. Couldn’t make it through the day sober. And you loved me through it all. You saved me, baby.” Before she could say anything, I sealed my lips to hers and kissed her for the remainder of the song.
This woman. She was my ride or die.
My wife. My Sassy Girl. My everything.
When the song ended, I took her hand and kissed her wedding ring. Our guests cheered and clapped. Some crazy sharp whistles made my ears ring. My obnoxious brothers wouldn’t let a little wedding for one of their own make proper well-mannered men out of them.
Hell, no! When we celebrated, we celebrated hard with the scent of tacos and tequila floating in the fucking air.
“They’re not expecting me to do a raunchy striptease are they?” Kelly asked in a snarky tone.
“Excuse me?” I cut my gaze at her. She did not just say what I thought she said.
“I mean, it would be awkward but if all the old ladies had to do it as a ritual before being officially welcomed into the fold, then I’d do it. I’d bare my ass for you, babe.”
Seconds passed as I stared at my wife. My heart pounded against my ribs and my brain stopped working. I was totally lost for words.
“I’m kidding, of course.” Kelly tossed her head back and laughed. “As if I would ever take my clothes off for anyone but you.”
