Epilogue
Two months later
“Ilike itbetter by the other window,” Fallon said, pointing behind Paco’s shoulder.
“Woman, make up your mind,” Diablo gritted as he and Paco moved the seven foot Christmas tree yet again.
“I just want it to be perfect. It’s been so long since I had a Christmas tree.”
“I get that, sweetie, I really do. But you’ve also bought a shitload of lights we still have to wrap around this sucker. We’ve been moving the tree around for the past half hour.”
Fallon giggled.Diablo’s so cute when he’s trying not to be pissed. Do I dare tell him I like the tree best where it was when we first started?“Don’t be mad, but I like it best right in front of the middle window.”
“Where we first had it?” Paco said.
She nodded. “Sorry. I’m baking chocolate chip cookies and butterscotch bars. And I’m making hot chocolate.”
“It better have a couple shots of Jack. We’re gonna fuckin’ need it.” Diablo walked backward toward the middle of the family room.
Smiling, she went to the kitchen to check on the cookies. She loved her double ovens and shiny new appliances. Actually, she loved their new home. They’d only been in it for the past few weeks, but she had it practically finished. She couldn’t believe that they’d found the perfect house so soon after they’d started looking.
Paco and Diablo came into the kitchen and sat at the counter. She slid the bottle of whiskey to them and place two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Turning around, she grabbed the oven mitts and took out the cookies and bars from the ovens.
“We gotta get some of the brothers over here to help with the fuckin’ lights,” Diablo said as he poured the whiskey into Paco’s mug.
“And the ornaments,” Fallon added.
Paco took a cookie and shook his head. “My Christmas tree duty stops with the lights.”
“Call Raven and Breanna. They’ll like helping you with the other stuff.” Diablo took a bite out of the warm chocolate chip cookie.
“That’s a good idea. We can order pizza and salad for everyone and make a party of it.” Fallon took out her phone and called Raven.
“Tell her to bring Muerto over here.” Diablo poured more Jack into his mug.
Soon the house was filled with Night Rebels stringing lights around the tall tree. Raven, Breanna, and Fallon stood by the fireplace giggling as they saw the men fumbling with the lights, arguing as to how to make them look good, and untangling them numerous times.
“I never thought I’d see the guys so interested in a Christmas tree,” Breanna said.
“I should take a picture,” Raven added.
“You do that and I’m just gonna delete it,” Muerto said over his shoulder.
“If you can get to it before it goes viral.” Raven laughed.
Fallon bent down and put another log in the fire and it cracked and spit as the orange flames curled around it. “It’s cold tonight.”
“It was snowing when we got here,” Raven said as she sat on the couch.
“Have you picked a date for your wedding yet?” Breanna asked as she joined Raven on the couch.
Fallon shook her head. “Not yet. I want to be engaged for a while before we get married.” She glanced at the white diamond solitaire on her finger. “I’m thinking next October. We’re going to California for our honeymoon, and I figure there won’t be so many tourists there in October. Not like the summer.”
“That sounds like so much fun. I think it’s a good idea to have some time before you get married.” Breanna smiled and picked up a box of ornaments on the table. “These are lovely. They look old.”
“They were my grandmother’s. My lawyer gave them to me when we went to Denver last month. My grandmother had a large storage unit and she didn’t have anything in the will about it. I ended up inheriting all the stuff in it. It was so much fun to go through all the old photos, heirlooms, and memorabilia my grandma saved.”
“I bet there were a lot of cool things in there. If you don’t want any of the old jewelry, let me know. I’ll buy it from you,” Raven said.
