Epilogue

EPILOGUE

DEAN

Six Months Later

" A re you ready?" I asked Sarah.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"It's a surprise," I said. "That means I don't tell you so you will be surprised."

"Very funny," she said. "You're acting very cagey."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course, I do," she answered.

"Then get your fine ass in the truck. We're going for a ride."

I drove us out to the base. I'd managed to secure clearance to go up in a T6 with Sarah—thanks to Mo pulling a few strings. Even now, as we suited up on the tarmac, she was still expressing doubts.

"Are you sure we're allowed to do this?" she asked, her voice muffled by the helmet she was strapping on. "I really can't afford to get in trouble."

I grinned, adjusting my own helmet. "I've got the clearance right here. You've been flying this beauty almost daily for weeks now. I've heard all about it, but nothing beats experiencing it firsthand."

She gave me a playful roll of her eyes but didn't argue further. Instead, she watched as I climbed into the rear seat of her T6. The aircraft had become an extension of her. I gestured for her to take her seat in front. It was clear in every movement she made, from the way she settled into the cockpit to the confident flick of her fingers over the controls, she was born to do this.

The engine roared to life, and soon we were taxiing to the runway. The anticipation in my chest grew with every passing second. We were finally going to fly together again. I had missed this.

"It's been a while since we flew together," Sarah said over the comms as we reached altitude. The sky was a perfect blue, the kind of day that reminded me why I loved flying so much.

"Since London," I recalled. Memories of our time there flashed through my mind. It seemed like a lifetime ago, yet also just yesterday.

Sarah's laughter crackled through the headset. "Feels like forever."

We soared through the sky, performing gentle maneuvers and reveling in the sheer joy of flight. It was everything I had missed and more. Sarah was in her element. I couldn't stop smiling at the sound of her excited commentary and the feel of the T6 responding to her every command.

"We're up with the clouds," she breathed, her voice holding a note of awe. "It's beautiful. I like flying when I don't have to perform. I can just soar."

"It is an amazing feeling," I agreed, my gaze not on the view but on her. Even after all our time together and countless flights, she never lost her sense of wonder. It was one of the many things I loved about her.

"Isn't it amazing to think that we get to do this for a living?" Sarah said, breaking into my thoughts. "To fly above the world, to see everything from a perspective only few get to experience."

" You get to do this," I reminded her. "I used to do this."

She turned her head slightly, grinning over her shoulder at me. The sun glinted off her helmet, making her look ethereal. "Do you miss it?"

"Yes, but not enough to get me to jump back in," I said. "I'll buy a plane one day. For now, I'm good watching."

With a chuckle, Sarah turned back to the controls, guiding us effortlessly through the sky.

"You okay for landing?" she asked.

I gave her a thumbs-up, suddenly realizing how much I missed being in control of a plane. But right now, in this moment, there was no other place I'd rather be. "Go for it, ace."

And just like that, we descended back toward the earth, the control tower becoming larger as we approached. Sarah's movements were flawless. The plane responded to her as if it was a part of her. As we touched the tarmac, a sigh of satisfaction escaped me. I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach. I had something planned, something big. The kind of big that made your palms sweat and your heart race.

She began to unstrap herself but paused when she noticed I wasn't moving.

"What's up? You're supposed to move your ass now."

I took a deep breath, reached into my flight suit pocket, and pulled out the ring box. Her eyes widened as I popped it open, revealing a beautiful diamond ring nestled inside.

"Dean?"

"Sarah," I said, removing my helmet so she could see my face. "I love you more than words can express. Being up here with you, seeing you in your element, it's clear to me that this is where we belong. Together. The last year and a half with you has been the best of my life. I'm ready to follow you around the world. Will you marry me?"

For a moment, everything seemed to stand still. She stared at me like she thought I was crazy. Maybe I was. But I knew from that first night we were together this was what I wanted for my future. Hell, I might have known before that. I was just a little slow to figure it out.

Down on the ground, I noticed a few fellow pilots had stopped what they were doing to watch. This was going to be really embarrassing if she shot me down. Suddenly, a smile broke across Sarah's face. She nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Yes, Dean, of course, I'll marry you!"

Applause erupted from below as she practically launched herself into my lap, showering me with kisses. It was a struggle to get the ring on her finger with her wriggling around, but we managed it amid laughter and tears of joy.

"You're clumsy," she teased, holding out her hand to admire the ring in the sunlight.

"And you're like a puppy let loose for the first time," I shot back, grinning.

She kissed me again, her eyes shining with happiness. "You've just made me the happiest girl alive, Dean. But you know, the wedding will be huge with all my dad's Air Force friends, our friends, and my extended family. We'll need a big venue."

I grimaced, already picturing the logistical nightmare. "Uh oh. How about Vegas?"

Her face lit up with an idea. "What about an airport hangar?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "You know what? It's perfect."

"Can we get out of here now?" she asked. "This is a little too cramped for me to properly kiss you. And we have an audience. I'd like to go somewhere private and properly celebrate."

My head was still spinning when we finally made our way back to my apartment that evening. Sarah had barely taken her eye off the ring the whole day. Every time she looked at it, she broke out into a cheesy grin, as if she couldn't quite believe it was real. I couldn't either.

"I want to celebrate," Sarah declared.

"Oh?"

"I'm going to call Kylee," she said. "I want to call everyone, and I want to show off this ring."

"The bar?" I asked with a smile.

"Is there anywhere else?" She giggled. "Besides, we leave next month. We need to enjoy it while we can."

I nodded, knowing it was time to move on from Columbus. It was wild we had been able to spend as much time here as we did. I was looking forward to moving on.

We found ourselves at the Fly Trap. The place was packed. Some were new faces from the newest UPT program, along with a few familiar faces.

"I said yes!" Sarah shouted at the top of her lungs, holding her hand in the air.

The bar immediately burst into a round of cheers. Jude looked at me and shook his head. "You stupid son of a bitch." He laughed.

I grinned. "Thanks."

"Congratulations! Drinks are on the house!" Jude declared. The crowd roared in approval.

Sarah laughed, her face flushed with exhilaration. She weaved her way through people, showing off her ring to everyone who wanted to see it. I was content to lean against the bar, watching her joyfully accept hugs and congratulations from our friends.

She eventually made her way back to me, pulling me into a kiss that made my head spin. "I can't believe this is happening," she whispered against my lips.

"Believe it," I whispered back. "I'm going to be the best damn husband you've ever seen."

She grinned. "And I'm going to be the best wife you could want."

"I want you to know this is it for me," I said. "You know why things didn't work the first time. I'm committed to making them work this time. You are stuck with me until I'm old, gray, and unable to remember my name."

She threw back her head and laughed loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the bar. "I'm holding you to that, Dean." she said. "You've got a few years on me, but just know some of this is bound to go south and I'm going to have lots of wrinkles. I'm going to look like a shriveled prune, and you better still love me."

"I promise you, I will," I told her. "You have my word."

The rest of the night was a blur. There were too many shots brought by well-wishers, congratulations from everyone we knew, and even from some people we didn't. We moved through the crowd hand in hand. Our friends took turns pulling us onto the dance floor as our favorite songs played. I found myself spinning Sarah around as she sang along to an old rock song, her arm stretched victoriously in the air. The crowd cheered for us as we danced like there was no tomorrow.

There was no way I was driving home. Jude promised to get us both home, which allowed me to have a good time without having to be the responsible one.

Before I knew it, my beautiful bride-to-be was climbing on a chair and whistling to get everyone's attention. As was her normal, Sarah led the familiar chant that had become a staple of our gatherings.

" We like the Air Force, Air Force can party, Party hardy, Party hardy all night long !"

The chant echoed through the bar. Soon the entire room was alive with laughter and music. Sarah pulled me out onto the dance floor. Her confidence and joy were infectious. I felt like the luckiest man alive. This woman was going to be my wife.

As the night wore on, we found a quiet moment together, leaning against the bar. I pulled her close, our foreheads touching.

"Today was perfect," I murmured.

"It really was," she agreed, her eyes sparkling. "I can't believe we're engaged."

"Believe it," I said, kissing her softly. "We're in this together, Sarah. Forever. You are going to be stuck with me for the rest of your life. Or mine. Whatever comes first."

"We're going to be one of those couples that dies together holding hands."

"That's dark." I laughed.

"No, it's beautiful."

We shared another kiss. I knew that no matter where the Air Force sent us, no matter what challenges we faced, we would always find our way back to each other. Our journey was just beginning, and I couldn't wait to see where it would take us.

After Jude dropped us off, we fell into bed together. I held Sarah close, feeling peace and contentment.

"Goodnight, Dean," she whispered, her voice soft.

"Goodnight, Sarah," I replied, kissing her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," she murmured, drifting off to sleep.

***

Did you love our two characters, Sarah and Dean?

***

Want More Military Romance?

Check out book 1 called Air Force Hero .

There's only been one woman for me, and she's never truly been mine.

But I don't have much time for anyone anyway, with my focus on my career.

I'm a military man through and through, from generation to generation.

This one girl, though.

She stole my heart when we were kids, but it's taboo, forbidden.

She's my best friend's little sister, and he'd kill us both.

After my mom recently lost my dad, a quick trip home to help her brings me face to face with the past.

It was just one wild night years ago, but I can't shake it. She left before the break of dawn, going back to the sea, and I took my place up in the air once again.

But she's never left my mind.

Her soft curves and sweet heart haunted me.

And now that we're back in the same small town for two weeks, I find out she's in a bad relationship and hiding a secret from me.

A four-year-old little man with my smile and her eyes.

My dream was to stay in the Air Force until retirement, but that dream has changed.

So have I.