Epilogue

EPILOGUE

A month had passed since Maisy's brother had tried to kill her, and Stone's nightmares had morphed from dreaming about being a POW to watching Jason shoot Maisy in the head while he did nothing but stand there and watch.

Maisy had her own nightmares, but they'd been there for each other, holding each other in the middle of the night, reassuring each other they were all right. That Jason couldn't hurt either of them ever again.

Her brother was in prison up in Washington and the last time they'd talked to the DA, he'd said he was confident they could get a conviction on all three counts of premeditated murder, plus two counts of kidnapping, and a host of other charges. At a minimum, he'd be facing life in prison, at best it would be without a chance of parole.

His friend Don was also going to see prison time, and they'd learned just the day before that detectives had been able to track down one of the men Jason hired to kill her parents. It had been a tough day for Maisy, but Stone was in awe of the way she was able to bounce back, to see the positive in the latest development. At very long last, her parents were seeing some justice.

This morning, Maisy had woken up with the sun, as usual, had met Tonka and Jasna at the barn to help with chores, then headed over to the lodge to assist Luna and Robert in setting up the breakfast buffet for guests. Stone was as proud of her as he could be, and he wanted nothing more than to shelter her from all the shit life liked to sometimes throw at people. She'd had her share, and if he could help it, she'd experience only goodness from here on out.

Ry had asked to speak to him three days ago, giving him one of the most thoughtful gifts he'd ever received. He wasn't sure what Maisy would think, but he hoped she'd be as pleased as he was.

Stone had wanted to ask Ry if she was staying, but she seemed a lot more…fragile lately, and he didn't want to do or say anything that might push her to make any rash decisions about her future. Personally, Stone wouldn't mind if Ry stayed forever. He liked her, yes, but more than that, having someone as talented as she was when it came to electronics and information would be a very good thing for The Refuge, as far as he was concerned.

Yes, he was a little worried about her penchant for breaking the law while she gathered information, but she'd promised him and the rest of the guys that she wouldn't ever do anything that would bring attention to The Refuge. As a man who'd benefited from her abilities, legal or not, Stone was willing to trust her word.

He had no idea what was going on between her and Tiny. Most of the time his friend seemed irritated with his new roommate, but when anyone suggested any other living arrangement—like converting one of the conference rooms in the lodge into a temporary living space for her, or having her move into the family and friends cabin they'd built—Tiny immediately vetoed the idea.

So, Ry was still living in Tiny's cabin, even though the two of them were like oil and water. Half the time they didn't even seem to like each other, and yet…she was still here.

Alaska had texted him and given him a heads-up that Maisy was on the way back to his cabin, so Stone was ready and waiting for her when she walked in.

"Hey!" she said happily.

In the month since they'd returned from Washington, nightmares aside, Maisy had blossomed. She'd lost the haunted look she sometimes got in her eyes, and she seemed to walk taller. She was becoming more and more outgoing. Stone loved the changes, loved that she was gaining confidence in who she was. Her brother had told her often enough that she was stupid and weak, when in reality she was anything but.

Stone had heard about her scores on the GED and was encouraging her to look into taking classes at The University of New Mexico at Los Alamos. She was considering it, but she didn't know what she wanted to major in. There was a lot of time for her to figure out the rest of her life, and honestly, Stone was just thrilled to have her there with him, and for them both to finally be able to live a normal, if hectic life.

She'd taken to living at The Refuge as if she'd been here forever. She loved hiking with the guests, helping Lara and Cora plan activities for the children of guests the next time they opened The Refuge up to families, and every time he turned around, Maisy was helping someone else with their job.

They'd finally hired a new housekeeper, since Ry's…skills…were better served elsewhere. It was Maisy who'd showed the guy, Joshua, around The Refuge and introduced him to everyone. Jess and Carly liked the young man, and he seemed to be fitting in really well.

Stone had finally had a chance to call his parents and bring them up to speed with everything that had happened in his life. About losing his memory, although he'd downplayed the part where he'd been kidnapped…again. They'd been through enough when he was a POW, and he simply wanted to protect them. He did tell them all about Maisy though. About being married. They, of course, were thrilled, and while they couldn't come out to New Mexico to see them just yet—they had a three-month cruise that was leaving in a week or so—they'd insisted on FaceTiming with him and Maisy so they could meet her. The call went on for two hours and by the time it was over, Maisy had won them over completely simply by being herself.

The helicopter The Refuge had bought was finally scheduled to be delivered next week, and both Stone and Owl were beyond excited. Brick had hired a team of pilots to fly it down this time, after everything that had happened. Owl, Stone, and Brick would meet the men at the airport in Los Alamos, go over the paperwork, do an inspection of the bird, then Owl and Stone would do one more test-flight to make sure all was well. Then they'd fly her to the lodge. The landing pad and hangar had been completed the week before, and everyone was excited to start a new chapter at The Refuge .

But Stone had something very important he needed to talk about with Maisy. And he was extremely nervous.

"Are you okay?" Maisy asked with a small frown as she walked toward him.

Stone nodded. "Yeah. You have a good morning?"

Maisy beamed. "Yes! Tonka's talking about getting a couple more goats, and maybe selling their milk to a woman in town. She makes the most divine goat cheese and yogurt. And…goats!"

Stone loved seeing her so excited, so exuberant.

"Luna's been talking to me about her classes, and…I think I do want to at least dip my toe in next semester with her. I mean, I haven't been in school in forever, and I'm not sure I'll remember how to study, but I want to try."

"You'll do awesome," Stone told her.

"Anyway, I also chatted with one of the guests. I don't know how Henley does what she does. I get so sad and upset for people when I hear what they've gone through. And before you say anything, no I didn't ask her to tell me anything about her PTSD, she volunteered the info."

"I didn't think you had, Stellina ," Stone told her. The last thing his wife would do was pry into anyone's demons.

"Anyway, I guess after the story about what happened to us made the rounds on social media, she saw it and wanted to tell me she was sorry. She empathized with me because she also had a bad experience with family. I guess she had a sister who was their parents' favorite. Like, really their favorite. They treated her like a princess, and locked our guest in a closet, barely fed her, made her sit in her own waste, and she wasn't allowed outside or to go to school or anything! "

Maisy was getting worked up, but Stone couldn't blame her. He'd read the info sheet on the guest she was talking about, and her story was horrific. Over the years, he'd heard stories about this kind of thing happening, but hadn't allowed himself to think too hard about the details. And for good reason. After reading the details on this poor woman, it reminded him of how horrible humans could be.

But then there were people like his Maisy. People who bent over backward to do the right thing, to be kind, to help where they could.

"Anyway, it sucks. But the good news? She's doing wonderful," Maisy said with a smile. "She had an incredible foster family who adopted her when she was seventeen . I even got to meet her fiancée. She's amazing and they're so cute together!"

Stone grinned. He'd met the couple when they'd checked in earlier that week.

"That's good," he told Maisy.

His wife wrinkled her nose. "Sorry, I'm going on and on and haven't even asked about your day."

Now he chuckled. "Maisy, it's nine thirty-one. I haven't had much of a chance to even have a day yet."

She giggled. "Okay, good point, but it's been what, three hours since we got up? What have you been doing while I was gone?" She leaned into him, staring at him with so much love, it was all Stone could do not to toss her over his shoulder and throw her back down on their bed. He'd woken up in the middle of the night with a sudden urge to make love to his wife. He hadn't had a nightmare, hadn't really dreamed much of anything, but the need to make sure Maisy knew how much he loved her had prompted him to slide a hand up her side and then between her legs.

She hadn't complained about him waking her up, and they'd made long, slow, sweet love to each other. Every time he was with her, Stone was more certain she was his perfect match.

"Jack?"

And that was another thing. He loved how she called him Jack. Everyone else, and he meant everyone , called him Stone. But not his Maisy. She insisted on using the name she'd first known him by. He was her Jack, and he freaking loved that.

"Sorry, was thinking about last night," Stone told her.

Her cheeks flushed as she gave him a shy smile. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Yeah. And while I'd love nothing more than to drag you back to bed, there's something I want to talk to you about. Something important."

"Jason?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

"No!" Stone practically shouted. He took a breath and forced himself to relax. He hated even hearing her asshole brother's name. He'd made her life hell, and he wanted nothing but good for her from here on out. "No," he said a little more calmly. "But if I do hear anything else, I'll be sure to tell you right away. It's something else."

Now that he was doing this, Stone suddenly felt unsure.

"Okay. Whatever it is, it'll be fine. We'll figure it out together."

This woman. He loved her so damn much. It was obvious he was nervous and she was doing what she could to soothe him. He took her hand and pulled her over to the table that separated the living room from the kitchen. He picked up a piece of paper and held it out to her.

"I got this from Ry. She took it upon herself to fix things."

Maisy looked confused—and Stone couldn't blame her. He wasn't explaining this well at all. She took the paper he was holding out to her and lowered her head to read it.

Stone saw the second the words sank in. Her head flew up and her eyes met his. "This is our wedding certificate," she whispered.

"Yeah. Since my real name wasn't on our marriage license that means the money from your inheritance was obtained illegally, which could come back to haunt you. And it means technically we were never married. But…as I said, Ry fixed it."

Maisy looked back down at the piece of paper in her hand and ran a finger over his signature. Instead of saying Jack Smith, as he'd signed it on that day months ago, it now said Jack Wickett. And hers said Maisy Feldman, instead of Smith, as she'd signed her own.

"What? How?" she asked incredulously.

"Ry's got skills," was all he said. Now wasn't the time to go into details about how she'd hacked into the Washington state database and changed the original document that had been scanned in. How she'd taken his signature from one of the many forms he'd signed here at The Refuge and replaced the one he'd used to sign his marriage license.

"I know we've talked about getting married here in New Mexico, just to make sure our bases are covered…but we don't have to now. Unless you still want to. I mean, if you want a party with our friends, I'm sure everyone would be thrilled. And you deserve the wedding of your dreams. The white dress, the aisle, the whole shindig. I just wanted to make sure you were all right with this. With us being married already. For real."

He was babbling, but Stone couldn't read what Maisy was thinking, and it was killing him.

In response, Maisy put the altered marriage license on the table…then turned and walked away from him.

Stone could only stare at her in dismay. His heart was in his throat, and he thought he was going to barf. This was more painful than anything he'd ever experienced. Including his time as a POW. If his Maisy rejected him now, he wasn't sure he'd ever recover.

She entered their bedroom, but a moment later she was walking back. Her face was inscrutable. Stopping in front of him, she held something out in her hand.

Looking down, Stone's heart skipped a beat. He immediately knew what he was looking at. His gaze flew back up to hers. And this time, she was smiling. Huge. The happiness and satisfaction in her expression was blinding.

"Once upon a time, you said I couldn't leave because I might be pregnant. Well…it looks like you're going to be stuck with me. Us."

"You're…we're…a baby ?" Stone choked out as he clenched the positive pregnancy test in his hand.

Maisy giggled. "Yeah. You can't be that surprised, considering neither of us has been using any kind of protection. And since your favorite thing in the world seems to be coming deep inside me…" Her voice trailed off.

Stone dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her belly. He felt her hands in his hair as his eyes filled with tears. He hadn't cried in years. Even when he was being tortured, he hadn't cried. But thinking about this woman having his baby made him lose it completely.

Looking up, he said, "Please don't ever leave me. I couldn't handle it. I love you so much, Stellina . How we met was fucked up, but you're literally the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm begging you, don't ever leave me. If I piss you off, tell me what I did so I can make sure it doesn't happen again. Anything you want, I'll bend over backward to give to you. Please, Maisy, please."

She shook her head as her own eyes filled with tears and she tried to pull him to his feet. But Stone didn't budge. He couldn't. There was no way his knees would be able to hold him up.

"Don't," she said. "Don't beg. It isn't you. Besides, it's not necessary. I don't want to go anywhere. The day I met you was the beginning of my new life, and I'll fight like hell to keep it. And I don't need another wedding. Maybe in twenty years, we can do the renewal of vows thing for real, but for now, I just want to enjoy being Mrs. Jack Wickett and starting a family with you."

The hell with his plans. They'd talked about going for a hike out to Table Rock and he was going to get down on one knee and give her back the rings he'd bought for her in Seattle. But the thought of going anywhere other than to their bed was abhorrent. He needed to show his wife how much he loved her. How excited he was for their baby. She was right, he did love coming inside her. But since she didn't seem to mind in the least, he didn't either.

Finding the strength, Stone stood. Then he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her back down the hall the way she'd just come. He went to the little table next to their bed and pulled open the drawer. He pulled out the rings they'd worn before his memory returned and reverently took her hand in his. He slid the rings down her ring finger and as soon as they were seated, it felt as if everything in Stone's life settled into place as well. He put his own ring on, then leaned down and kissed Maisy, long, slow, and deep.

Without a word, he stripped his wife in record time and joined her on the bed after taking his own clothes off. Instead of pulling her against him, Stone pressed her onto her back and crawled between her legs. He rested his forehead against her stomach, much as he'd done in the other room.

"Hi, baby," he whispered as he stroked the soft skin of Maisy's belly. "I'm your daddy. And I'm gonna be the best daddy in the world. We'll go hiking, and fishing, and I'll teach you to fly. You'll not go one day without hearing the words ‘I love you.' We'll travel, laugh, and probably fight. But no matter what, you're already loved."

Hearing a sniff, Stone looked up and saw Maisy bawling her eyes out. But he wasn't worried; he knew she was crying because she was happy. He inched his way up her body until they were touching from their toes to their chests. Reaching down, he settled his rock-hard cock between her legs, then slowly eased his way inside.

Maisy smiled up at him, even as she widened her legs, making room for him. She was tight, and definitely not wet enough to take him hard and fast, but Stone didn't mind, and she didn't either. He simply needed to be connected to her at that moment. He felt her core gradually soften around him .

"I love you," he told her as he gazed down into her beautiful brown eyes.

"I love you too."

"I'm gonna be the best husband and father. I give you my word."

"You already are," she whispered.

They made love with all the devotion in their souls, then they fucked hard and fast. By the time they orgasmed, both were drenched in sweat and breathing hard.

"Well, now that we've gotten our workout for the day…I'm thinking a nap is in order," Maisy said with a small smile as she cuddled against him in the tangled covers.

"I agree," Stone told her, ignoring the fact that he'd told Owl he'd meet with him later, and that Maisy was supposed to meet with Cora to help her get their cabin ready for their foster child, who would be joining them in a few days.

As Maisy began to fall asleep in his arms, Stone pushed her onto her back, then rested his palm over her belly as he gazed at his beautiful wife.

"Are you going to do that for the next eight or so months?" Maisy mumbled sleepily.

"Do what?"

"Stare at me."

"Oh, that. Yup," Stone said easily.

"Whatever."

She fell asleep with a smile on her face and her hand over his on her belly.

Stone closed his eyes and reflected on his life. How he'd ended up here, he had no idea. He was a lucky son-of-a-bitch, and he knew it. If he'd known when he was a POW that this was where he'd end up, he wouldn't have believed it. But everything he'd experienced in his life, the highs and the lows, were worth it to be where he was today. The fact of the matter was, he deserved this. Maisy. And she deserved him right back. They'd lived through hell and this was their reward.

He needed to call his parents. Let the others know that he and Maisy wouldn't need a marriage ceremony after all…and of course, inform everyone that there would be another baby on The Refuge soon.

He chuckled softly. Four new babies, plus Cora and Pipe's new foster child. Lord, their plan to have an adult-only resort had been thrown out the window in short order.

Lowering his head onto the pillow next to Maisy's, Stone fell into a light doze. There would be challenges in their future, he was sure of that, but with Maisy by his side, they could weather anything.

It was time for her to leave. Ryleigh knew that, but she was having a hard time actually doing it. She'd stayed too long already. Everyone was safe, there were no new crisis happening. She'd done everything she could for the men and women at The Refuge, and now she needed to go.

But every time she made plans to sneak out in the middle of the night and disappear into thin air, something stopped her. Jasna asking for help with her homework. Maisy asking how she was doing—and honestly seeming interested in her answer. Stone asking her to fix his marriage certificate. Jess and Carly asking her to come chat while they folded towels…

Ryleigh had never been treated as…nicely, as she had here at The Refuge.

And in return, she'd deceived them. Was still lying. They didn't know all the things she'd done. Didn't understand that simply being around her could get them into serious trouble. She was poison, her father had told her that time and time again, and no matter how much she tried to deny it, to block his voice in her head, she couldn't.

Her father had taught her everything he knew, which meant she was as much a criminal as he was. It didn't matter that she'd tried to atone. That she'd fled from her good ol' dad, that she'd used everything he'd taught her against him. The cops, the Feds, no one would believe she hadn't had a choice. She'd be locked away just as her dad would be…if she was caught.

And the longer she stayed in one place, the more comfortable she got here, the better the chance she'd be tracked down. She wasn't scared of the police…she'd take the punishment they doled out because she deserved it. It was her father who terrified her.

He wouldn't be content to make her feel like the worst daughter in the world. No, he would destroy her. And not only her, but everything she held dear. And for the first time in her life, she had something she valued. The Refuge, and everyone who lived and worked here.

Her father wouldn't hesitate to destroy it, little by little.

So she had to go. Before it was too late.

But she had a feeling it was already too late .

And it was all her fault.

She'd known better than to use Brick's computer when he'd scooted it angrily across the table at her, when Lara and Owl had been kidnapped and Stone had disappeared. She knew it would leave a crack that her father could exploit.

And it had.

It was starting.

Her father's revenge.

He'd waited years for the opportunity to find his daughter and make her pay for double-crossing him, for using the skills he'd taught her against him.

The first clue was the ten-cent deduction from The Refuge's bank account. It was only ten cents, but it might as well have been a million. Her father was playing with her. Letting her know he'd found her. That he was out there. Watching. Biding his time.

He'd destroy The Refuge without a single qualm about the lives he would ruin in the process. Even if he didn't know how much the people here meant to her…he'd ruin them anyway. Simply because she'd been living among them. And the only person who could stop him was her . Leaving now wouldn't help. Wouldn't make him stop.

Her phone vibrated with a text, and Ryleigh picked it up.

Henley: Did you hear the news? Maisy's preggo! We're all meeting at the lodge in fifteen minutes!

Ryleigh should've been happy. And she was. Maisy and Stone were adorable together. But it also meant one more person she needed to protect. The pressure she felt was immense. She wasn't sure she could handle it.

But then again, she had no choice.

Looking out the window, she saw Tiny in the distance. He was with one of the couples staying at The Refuge that week, gesturing at the ground, probably showing them tracks from a rabbit or deer.

Her heart beat unsteadily, and Ryleigh frowned. The man hated her, and she couldn't blame him. She'd lied. Deceived not only him, but everyone here. And she refused to answer most of the questions he fired at her when they were alone. She didn't want to lie to him, so instead she kept her mouth shut.

He would never forgive her, which sucked. Because she actually liked the former SEAL. He was loyal and giving, and a little rough around the edges, which turned her on. She'd grown up surrounded by nerds. Men and boys who stared at computers all day. She longed to have a manly man. Someone who could wield a power tool, who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, and who preferred to spend his time outside, getting sweaty and doing physical labor.

And she'd had more than one fantasy of Tiny shoving her up against the wall and taking her hard and fast. Not letting her say no—not that she would—and giving her more pleasure than she could stand.

But Tiny could barely look at her. Forget about ever wanting anything more intimate.

Sighing, Ryleigh picked up her phone and typed out a quick response to Henley, letting her know that she'd meet her and the others up at the lodge as soon as she could. Then she turned her attention back to her computer. She had to find a way to seal off The Refuge electronically. Not leave even one small hole where her father could get in. She'd already locked down the bank account as best she could, but with the number of vendors The Refuge paid electronically, there were plenty of threads her dad could follow.

Pressing her lips together, Ryleigh inhaled deeply. Once she was sure The Refuge was locked down, she'd leave. By then, her secrets would probably all be exposed. No one would be sad to see her go…except for herself.

Hopefully Tiny can get over his grumpiness in order to accept Ryleigh and find out what exactly she's running from. Read the conclusion to The Refuge series in Deserving Ryleigh .