EPILOGUE

Ronan

Five months later…

Ronan's ass was asleep. Between the hard plastic chairs in the hospital waiting room and the length of time he'd been sitting, six hours and counting, he was sure he wouldn't be able to stand up without help.

Sitting around Ronan were Ten, Jude, Cope, Truman, Cole, Cassie, Destiny, and her newborn bundle of joy, baby Michelle, Mickey for short. The baby had slept quietly while the adults had paced the room and worried after Carson and Corny.

Carson's doctor had been in two hours ago to let them know the kidney had been harvested and that Carson had been moved to the recovery room. Truman would be allowed to see him once he'd woken up from the effects of the anesthesia. According to Ten, Bertha Craig had stayed with her son through the surgery. Ronan expected Corny's doctor to be in at any moment. He'd done a lot of research on kidney transplants and knew it took about three and a half hours for the surgery.

Ronan would be the first to admit he thought Corny would have fucked this opportunity up somehow, but miraculously, he had not. Once he and Destiny were settled into their apartment, he'd been true to his word and got a job at a used car lot in Beverly. He'd been their top salesman for the last two months in a row. Thanks to his job, Corny had sick leave, short-term disability, and health insurance to help pay the costs of the surgery. Destiny worked early mornings with Cassie at the bakery until Mickey was born. She had plans to go back when the baby was three months old. In the meantime, she also worked part- time for an insurance company, taking customer calls from the comfort of her dining room table.

Ten smacked Ronan's arm. "The doc is coming." He got to his feet and helped hoist Ronan out of his chair.

"Hey, everyone. You'll all be happy to know Corny is out of surgery and is in recovery. He woke up a few minutes ago and asked for his daughter. You'll be able to see him when he's moved to a room in the ICU. He'll be very groggy and tired, but seeing his wife and child will go a long way in speeding up his recovery. I'll send someone in to get you when he's ready for visitors."

"Thank you, Doctor," Destiny said before setting her face in her cupped hands. She whispered her thanks to God.

"Now that we know everyone's okay, I'm off to see Paul Stark. I've got a new journal for him and some snacks." Ronan hadn't been able to visit his friend in several days. Getting ready for today had kept everyone very busy. He knew Paul would understand.

"I'm coming with you," Ten said. "Call us with any updates. I'll come by tomorrow and spend some time with Carson so you can go home and grab a shower, Tru."

"Thanks, Ten. I appreciate it." Truman hugged Ten, then Ronan.

"Is Paul expecting us?" Ten asked as he and Ronan left Salem Mercy and walked toward the Mustang.

"He is. It was a rough week for him, so I wanted to make sure we got out to see him at some point." After the car accident, Paul Stark spent a week in intensive care and another week recovering at home. Ronan and Fitzgibbon had taken turns visiting him and stopping by with food and to help with things like laundry and cleaning the house. Cisco Jackson had been true to his word and helped Stark work out a deal where he would be sent to rehab instead of jail. He'd also have to do two hundred hours' worth of community service when his time at rehab was over and would forfeit his driver's license for six months. Paul had graciously accepted his sentence and had gone off to rehab.

Paul had been at Hope by the Sea for the last four months. It was the same rehab Greeley Fitzgibbon had stayed at when he was recovering from his drug addiction and from being kidnapped by a serial killer bent on making the then-teenager his next victim.

About two weeks into Paul's stay in rehab, Bash and Maya had visited. With Bertha Craig's help, both were able to say their goodbyes. Paul watched as his family walked into the light after making him promise he wouldn't follow along for a long time to come.

"We should also make time to stop in and see Mandy Patterson," Ten said. "Between little Mickey and baby Bronson, we're certainly getting our share of baby time.

Ronan laughed. "Enough so that you've sworn off having another baby completely?"

"Ronan," Ten sighed. "We've got our hands full with Everly and Ezra. Another baby would mean one of them is sharing a bedroom, and I don't want to move out of our house. I love it and our neighborhood."

"Me too," Ronan agreed. After Mandy Westlake agreed to testify against her husband, Simon, the charges against her had been dropped. Simon had his second-degree murder charges downgraded to manslaughter in exchange for him pleading guilty. He'd been sentenced to twenty-five years in prison with the possibility of parole. With his clean record, Ronan had no doubt the son of a bitch would be out of jail in fifteen years, tops.

Paul Stark had agreed with the prosecutor's deal. All he'd wanted was for his son's killer to be brought to justice, and he had. Paul had bigger fish to fry in rehab and his plans for his future. He would spend two more months at Hope by the Sea and then would work on his passion project, starting the Sebastian Stark Memorial Fund. It would offer scholarships to deserving kids. Jace and Fitz had already promised a sizable donation.

After Simon Westlake pled guilty, Mandy divorced her husband and, with her parents' help, was focused on raising her son to be the kind of man who would help rather than hurt the people around him.

As for Ronan, he agreed with Tennyson that their family was perfect just the way it was. Although, maybe it was time to get Everly the baby goats she'd been asking for.

THE END