Epilogue Two

EPILOGUE TWO

JOCELYN

* Three Years Later *

L ooking around at the circle of faces who are now family, I'm filled with a wave of gratitude. And to think that none of this would have happened if I hadn't taken that summer job for Professor Hewitt!

We never did find out what he ended up doing with all of that research data. It's certainly never been published. Harper thinks he either realized it was too much to sift through and gave up, or decided that the data didn't support his theory. Nikki's opinion is that he just wanted to give easy summer jobs to the students he liked and get them out into the country for a month. Either way, it truly bonded us as friends.

And now, sisters-in-law.

We've been to lots of barbecues at Walker's dad's house. His parents, Adam and Lily, love having company over. Like the rest of the family, they have a giant, beautiful house tucked away in the woods, out of sight of the road. Their huge patio with several long picnic tables is a lovely spot for big get-togethers, whether they're a special occasion like a birthday, or just a chill Sunday afternoon hangout like today.

I always appreciate that my mother-in-law wrangles all of the kids into the living room right after we eat. She makes a pillow fort so the babies and toddlers can all have a little nap while she fusses over them.

Tonight feels different. When Adam taps his beer glass on the table to focus our attention, I know something's up.

"Family. My father has something to say."

Shane stands, grinning ear to ear. "Jesus Murphy, Adam, say it like that and they're gonna think I'm about to croak or some damn thing."

Everyone laughs, as he waves his glass of whisky toward all of us before downing the last swig with an appreciative smile. "That's the ticket. Nobody in Old Hemlock Valley seems to realize that a bunch of mechanics can always afford the good stuff."

Adam chuckles. "It's true, Dad. All of these years, and nobody has ever really asked why we have the big houses, the fancy cars, and everything we need. They're just glad that we all maintain the volunteer firefighter trucks for them."

Harper, Nikki and I all look at each other. We've kind of known from the start that the Dirty family has some kind of money, but it's never been spoken about openly.

"These nice girls…" Shane waves in our direction. "When they first came here, they were doing research on the town. They saw that my dad and uncles bought up huge chunks of land around here. Well, that's the secret to wealth, folks, pure and simple: buy land, wait decades, then sell off a bit now and then when there's a big demand for it." He chuckles. "I'm kidding. That was only possible a hundred and forty years ago. Never mind."

We all laugh, as Adam shakes his head. "Yes, there were some sales in the sixties, then again in the eighties."

Shane points at his grandsons. "We didn't want the money to change you. And it hasn't. You turned out to be fine men who have all chosen fine women. Now you'll be raising fine children." He beams again. "So our evil plan has worked, apparently."

"Doesn't really sound evil to me," Walker chuckles, squeezing my knee.

"When you all got married, we forked over some of that cash to you. You all made it disappear responsibly. Investments, education funds, little home improvements. Nobody went mental, is what I'm saying."

We all nod, as Carson says, "You know we're not like that."

"Exactly. And you're not going to throw anything off balance." Shane's fingers spread across the picnic table. "You know how everyone kind of just knows that the Wolfes are rich, but nobody talks about it?"

We all nod, murmuring, "Yeah."

"Here's the thing." Shane's smile is both wicked and adorable. "We're related to them. Adler Wolfe and Aiden Dirty were first cousins. They rounded up more cousins and uncles and dragged a boatload of them from Ireland to America. Then they founded Old Hemlock Valley. But Aiden didn't want any fanfare, so he kept quiet about his involvement in it."

Nikki snaps her fingers. "That's why Josh defended you three that time in the diner."

"And why Carver Wolfe always makes a point of greeting the Dirty boys when we're downtown," Harper says.

"Why didn't you tell us any of this before?" Carson asks.

Shane shrugs. "Aiden felt weird about how the Wolfes put their name on a lot of businesses. Thought that sometimes they were a bit…how did he put it? Showy. He didn't want our family to be known the way theirs was. Then the Dirty name died out a bit. A few people changed their surname. You know how it is."

We all stifle smirks. There have been so many jokes about that name over the years.

"The Wolfes are fine people. They've always been good family and great neighbors. So have we." Shane points toward the whisky bottle, and Griffin fills his glass so that he can raise it. "So there you go. All of the Dirty family secrets are out in the open for the next generation."

He takes a huge swig, then raps on the table. "In return for this information, I have a request. Kind of a demand, actually. You boys take your wives on a nice vacation once a year, and you leave the kids with your grandma and me." His eyes shift left to meet Adam's. "Don't worry, your parents will be around a lot to help us out. But couples need some alone time. Keeps a marriage strong."

Carson chuckles. "I can't see any of us having a problem with that."

Shane sits down, rubbing his hands together. "Now, didn't Lily say that there was another pie in the kitchen and a second tray of cinnamon rolls? Which one of you wants to go grab those for us?"

We have another round of dessert, as conversation returns to normal.

An hour later, we walk out to the driveway, gathering in front of Walker's car. "So, that's the big family secret?" Griffin chuckles. "We're related to the Wolfes, and Grandpa loves to support this town our family helped found, while keeping his wealth under wraps? Not so bad, considering."

"I respect him," Harper says softly. "He really does want to set up a community for the future."

"Yeah," Nikki agrees. "And the offer of free babysitting during our annual vacations? Sweet."

I grin. "That's an incredible demand that I don't mind obeying."

Walker slips an arm around me. "Where do you want to go for our first holiday, sweetheart?"

I grin up at him, my mind already spinning. "I think we have some research to do."

Love the hot men of Wolfe Mountain? Some of the Wolfe family and their friends are featured in the series Wolfe Mountain Men . Start off with Rescued by the Surly Woodsman . You'll meet Clark again in Protected by the Surly Carpenter .

Also, check out the three-part series Winter Heat at Wolfe Mountain Chalet.

(Shhh… Here's one last secret – another series is coming in late 2025, about the Wolfe Mountain volunteer fire department!)