Epilogue

Cincinnati, Ohio

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 8:30 A.M.

"brEATHE, PHIN," CORA MURMURED AS Stone deftly maneuvered their borrowed RV along his parents' narrow street. "It's all going to be fine. Better than fine. It's going to be wonderful."

Wonderful. It would be. Phin would make sure of it.

He owed his family nothing less after all he'd put them through.

No pressure.

His fingers threaded through SodaPop's coat, and he smiled when she delicately licked his cheek. "Good girl."

He was better prepared to face his family than he'd been the last time he was home. Right out of the army hospital, his body still broken and his head a mess. He'd managed to keep a lid on the episodes, up until that night in the bar.

Afterward, as he'd lain in the hospital, he'd had to look into the worried eyes of his twin. He'd rather she'd have yelled at him back then, but she never had.

He hoped she wouldn't yell at him today, but she'd certainly be entitled.

They all would.

This time, though, he had support. He had Stone and Delores, who'd supported him since the day he'd met them.

He had SodaPop, who'd more than proven her worth in the two months he'd owned her.

And he had Cora Winslow, who hadn't left his side.

He was a lucky man.

"I know," he said. "It will be wonderful."

Cora's expression said that he hadn't been as convincing as he'd hoped.

He shrugged. "And if it's not, we can go home." He'd still have his New Orleans family.

"Last stop!" Stone called back cheerfully. "Everybody out."

"I'm impressed, Stone," Cora said. "I didn't know you could drive an RV this big."

Stone got out of the driver's seat and stretched. He had to be exhausted. He'd driven nearly straight through, only taking a few short breaks.

"Me either. I never did before yesterday."

Phin gaped at him. "You'd never driven one of these things before? But you said you could."

"I said I could. I never said I had. Come on, Phineas. Time to get up." Stone offered a hand to Phin, who was lying on the RV's sofa.

Not having to sit up in a car for fifteen hours had been a relief to his throbbing arm, even though Phin hadn't wanted to even guess how much gasoline had cost for the trip. Burke had told him not to worry about it, that the firm had it covered. That he'd fly up himself after the holidays and drive them back, since Stone and Delores had a life—and a dog shelter—to return to.

Had Phin known that Stone had no experience driving a full-sized RV, he wouldn't have slept nearly so peacefully the past fifteen hours.

But they were here, and Stone hadn't wrecked their borrowed vehicle.

He gripped Stone's hand, wincing as he came to his feet, aware of Cora hovering in the background. Like she'd catch him if he fell.

Knowing Cora, she probably could. Wasn't much the woman couldn't do.

His family was going to love her.

Phin glanced out the RV window at his parents' house, surprised that no one waited on the front porch. But it was cold. Maybe they were all inside drinking hot cocoa. That had always been one of their Christmas morning traditions.

Or maybe they'd all fled, not wanting him to come home after all.

Cora lightly smacked his ass. "Stop thinking negative thoughts. It's all over your face. It's going to be fine."

"Fine," Delores repeated, but her tone was less sure. She was concerned that the family would be angry that they'd kept Phin's secret for two whole years.

Phin would take the blame. Delores had no family and he'd be damned if she was going to miss out on his.

"Out we go." Stone helped him down the stairs, forgoing the wheelchair that they'd brought just in case.

Phin was going to walk up to his parents' front door on his own two feet.

"You're ridiculous," Cora muttered, pushing the empty wheelchair that had been a source of disagreement every time they'd stopped.

"You're pretty," he replied, earning him Cora's narrow-eyed glare.

"Don't think you can distract me."

Phin pointed to the front window of the house. "Oh, look. The Christmas tree!"

"Ooh." Cora sucked in a breath. "I know what you did there, but the tree's still pretty."

Too soon they were at the front door, Stone and Delores stepping back behind them. Cora parked the wheelchair on the front porch, then took Phin's hand. He touched the top of SodaPop's head.

I've got this. It's going to be wonderful.

He knocked, then twisted the doorknob, unsurprised when it opened. For a cop's family, the Bishops were remarkably lackadaisical about locking their front door.

"Um…hello?" Phin called when no one came forward to meet them.

"In the kitchen! Come on back."

Phin's throat closed at the sound of his mother's voice. Slowly, he and his small entourage made their way to the back of the house, where something smelled amazing.

Cinnamon rolls. Another Bishop tradition. His mother would have been up at dawn prepping the dough to rise.

His mother stood at the stove, stirring something in a pot. An enormous turkey sat in the roasting pan, a bowl of stuffing next to it.

Scarlett sat at the kitchen table, feeding a beautiful toddler sitting in a highchair. Other than the two women and the baby, the room was empty.

Jackie Bishop looked up and smiled. "Phineas. You made it."

Phin blinked. He'd expected a frenzied welcome of hugs and voices talking over each other. But the kitchen was quiet. Only his mother, sister, and niece.

"I…I did. Hi, Mom."

Jackie swallowed hard and it was then that he saw the tears in her eyes, the way her hand shook as she stirred. "I'm…" She shook her head, unable to continue.

"We're glad you're home," Scarlett said quietly. "So very glad. But we didn't want to overwhelm you right away. Everyone was here, but we made them go home for a little while."

Phin released a relieved breath. "I thought…"

Jackie abandoned the stovetop with a small sob. "I can't, Scarlett. I can't be quiet." She ran to Phin, throwing her arms around him.

Phin swallowed back a small grunt of pain as Cora let go of his hand and stepped back, giving him this moment with his mother. He wrapped his good arm around her, cradling the injured arm at his side.

His mother was crying, and Phin felt worse than shit. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be," Jackie said brokenly. "I knew you'd come home when you were ready."

Phin's eyes burned. "You did?"

"Of course I did." She sniffled and pulled back, flinching when she saw his bandaged arm. "I forgot. Did I hurt you?"

"No." It wasn't really a lie. "And if you did, I hurt you first. I am sorry, Mama."

She gripped his chin gently, forcing him to look at her. "I don't want to hear you apologize again. I've been a cop's wife for a lot of years, Phineas Bishop. I know what PTSD is. Do I wish that you'd let us help you? Yes, of course. But you're here. You're staying for a little while, right?"

"As long as I can," he promised. "At least a week. Maybe two. But Cora has to get back to work."

Jackie sniffled again, wiping her eyes on her apron as she turned to greet Cora. "Welcome, Cora Jane."

Cora laughed. "I guess that's my whole name now."

"It suits you," Jackie said, then hugged Cora hard. Cora rolled with it, hugging his mother back. "Thank you, child. Thank you for bringing him home."

"He was coming back anyway," Cora told her. "I was just his escort."

Scarlett wiped her daughter's messy mouth and slowly rose. "We had a plan. We were going to be suave and chill. We were going to behave like you never left, like this was just another visit. We weren't going to make you feel bad for staying away." She came to stand in front of him, her long dark hair in a braid down her back, just as he remembered. She stared at him, her dark eyes intense. "But it's not just another visit. You were gone for five long years. Five years , Phin. And I'm so pissed off at you for staying gone so long. But I'm still so damn glad that you're finally home. I missed you."

Carefully she embraced him, and he breathed her in, his heart seeming to settle in his chest. "I'm sorry."

"I know." She clung to him, as if afraid he'd disappear again. Which he supposed was fair. "Just…don't do it again, okay? Not for five years."

"I won't. I…wanted to be…fixed when I came home. Not so messed up."

She glared up at him. "Like we cared that you were messed up. You don't need to be fixed. You just need to be here ." Then she softened, understanding flickering in her eyes. "It's hard to feel like you're not measuring up. I get that. Just don't leave again, okay?"

"I won't." It felt like a vow. It was a vow.

She patted his good arm. "Good. That's all I have to say on that. Now…" She turned to Stone and Delores, who still waited in the doorway. "Don't think I haven't noticed the service dog, Delores. The one you've been training for the past eighteen months."

Delores drew a breath and lifted her chin. "We gave Phin a safe place to come when he needed to decompress."

"I know," Scarlett said with a shrug.

Both Stone and Delores stared at her. "You knew?" Stone asked. "How long?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "For two years. Ever since he met you. Do you think I don't know what goes on in my own town, Stone O'Bannion? What goes on with my brother and sister-in-law?" She crossed the distance to Delores, bending down to give the smaller woman a gentle hug. "Thank you for watching Phin's back. For giving him SodaPop. Cora's told me how much she's helped him." She straightened and hugged Stone. "I intended to stay mad at you for a little while, but I'm too happy that he's home. Thank you, brother."

Stone only nodded, still looking poleaxed. "I can't believe you knew all this time. We were so afraid you'd find out."

"I know," Scarlett said, just a touch evilly, and Phin felt a rush of love for his sister. "I figured you could stew a while."

Stone huffed. "Now that I believe."

Scarlett returned to Phin, linking her arm through his. "Come on. Meet your niece."

But the front door slammed, breaking the moment. "Jackie," a male voice boomed.

Dad. Jonas Bishop was home.

"There's a big-ass RV taking up the entire cul-de-sac," Jonas continued, still at the front door. There was stomping, and Phin pictured his father kicking off his shoes, just like he always had on entering the house. "There won't be any room for Phin to park when he gets here."

A moment later, Jonas's bulk filled the doorway and his expression froze. "Phin," he whispered. Like a prayer. "You're home."

And then his father was crying. Phin had only seen his father cry once before in his life and it had shaken him. It shook him harder now.

"Dad." And then they were hugging and Phin was crying, too.

"You're home, you're home," Jonas kept whispering, holding him so tight.

"I'm home," Phin said, holding his father as hard as he could with one arm.

Finally, Jonas let him go, but not far. He cupped Phin's face in his big hands, staring at him with a wonder that nearly made Phin break down again. Then his father shocked him by kissing Phin's forehead and both cheeks before letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Now it's Christmas," Jonas said, then turned to Cora. "Cora Jane?"

Cora just smiled. "That's me."

"Welcome. And thank you. Scarlett told us how you made a tourniquet out of cloth napkins and a wooden spoon. You saved our son's life."

Cora's smile didn't falter. "He's important. Plus he saved mine first. He's a hero."

Jonas's smile was sweeter than Phin remembered. "I'm glad someone besides us sees that. We have things to talk about, Cora Jane. Many, many things. Starting with your transitional housing for vets. I want to invest."

Phin stared at Cora. "How…?"

Cora shrugged. "Scarlett and I have been talking on the phone every day."

Scarlett nodded. "We're besties now."

Behind him, Stone groaned. "We're all in trouble."

Jonas laughed. "Jackie, let's have that hot chocolate. The others will be here soon."

Cincinnati, Ohio

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 9:00 P.M.

Cora found Phin in his parents' living room, dozing on the sofa. A fire danced in the fireplace and there were several trash bags stacked along one wall, all filled with wrapping paper, the children having been tasked with cleanup after the presents had been opened.

So many presents. Jonas had played Santa Claus and even Cora had received gifts. She'd been so touched.

It had been a long time since she'd had a real family Christmas. Not since her mother was alive. But the Bishops had folded her into their family with hardly a blink.

It was nice.

Cora sat on the edge of the sofa, carefully checking Phin's bandage. He hadn't wanted to wear his sling today. The man was ridiculous about wanting to appear unhurt in front of his family.

She hadn't fought him on it today. He'd been so anxious about the reunion, she hadn't wanted to make things worse. But the reunion had gone far better than she could have imagined, so he would be wearing the sling tomorrow.

"I'm fine, Cora Jane," he murmured.

She stroked his hair, enjoying a moment of quiet after a day of celebration. "You're exceptionally fine."

He laughed. "You're biased."

"I am." She sighed, content. "It's been a good day."

"It has." Grimacing, he sat up, making room for her beside him. "It's even better now," he said, putting his good arm around her shoulders. "Thank you. You made things easier. And my parents love you, just like I said they would."

"They're going to help me prepare the house for residents once I get all the permits signed, so they'll be visiting a lot."

"I figured they would. I like the thought of it, of them visiting us."

Us. It had a nice sound.

"So…have you thought about Burke's offer?" she asked.

They hadn't mentioned it to his family, but Burke had offered Phin a job as an investigator once he got his PI license. Not a bodyguard, but an investigator.

"I have."

He didn't say any more, so she pulled back enough to look up at him. "And?"

"I think I'm going to say no."

Cora stared. "But that's all you've wanted since you came to New Orleans, to be a full member of Burke's team."

"I know." His jaw tightened and he looked away, his gaze settling on the flames in the fireplace. "But I also know that I have to respect my limitations. High-stress situations can make me spiral. I can't avoid all high-stress situations, but…" He swallowed hard. "I want to be there for you, Cora Jane. I want to be there for my friends. For my parents and my sister and brothers. My nieces and nephews. I never want to feel like I have to hide for five years again."

Pride warmed her from the inside out. "Look at me?" she asked in a murmur, waiting until he finally did so.

As she expected, there was shame in his eyes. She wasn't having that.

"I'm actually relieved," she confessed, and his eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Really. You are an amazing man and you could do the work Burke wants you to do. But just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I think stepping back from a dream because you want to be present for me and everyone else makes you even more of a hero." She leaned up, brushing a kiss over his lips. "You can still consult for Burke. Help them brainstorm when Molly gets out her whiteboard. You don't have to be in the thick of things."

His relief was clear. "I feel like I'm taking the easy way out."

She shrugged. "So? I think you deserve some peace, Phin. There's no shame in that. And I'm relieved because I won't have to worry that you're getting shot again. That took ten years off my life, I swear."

He rested his cheek on top of her head. "I wasn't happy about it, either."

"Do you know what you want to do instead?" she asked.

"I was thinking about getting my general contractor's license. Maybe get some experience doing electrical work. Just in case a certain house needs it."

Cora winced. "And by a certain house, do you mean a Garden District house that I happen to live in?"

"Yeah," he said ruefully. "You're gonna need a full rewire eventually."

"And by eventually, do you mean soon?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Well, then, I think a GC's license makes a lot of sense. We can fix up my house and then we can train the vets we help. Give them a marketable skill."

" We. I like that."

She smiled. "Me too."

"Can we come to Cincinnati every so often? I've missed so much of my nieces and nephews growing up. I don't want to miss any more."

"We absolutely can. Besides, Scarlett and I are besties now. She'll be visiting a lot."

He groaned quietly. "I'm glad you're friends, but you two being besties makes me very afraid."

"It should. It really should." She laid her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for sharing your family. I've missed having one." Cora had been enchanted with Phin's mom, the retired English teacher, and Jackie had been ecstatic that Phin's girlfriend was a librarian.

He kissed her temple. "They've adopted you, like it or not."

She liked it very much indeed. She'd always miss her mother, her grandmother. John Robert. Her father, who really had been trying to help people, even if he'd gone about it badly.

She'd mourn the loss of Tandy's friendship, but hoped her oldest friend would someday return to New Orleans.

And someday Cora might even be able to mourn the loss of Patrick. Or, at least, who she'd thought he'd been.

But she'd found new family—Burke's people and the Bishops had welcomed her with open arms. She wasn't alone.

"Merry Christmas, Phin."

"Merry Christmas, Cora Jane."