Epilogue

Faith

Two Months Later

Whitecaps and sunlit water sparkle in the distance as a herd of buffalo roam into the road. Here, they call it a ‘buffalo jam,’ but my nephew calls it ‘holy cow!’

His face is pressed up against the window, leaving steamy smudge marks behind. “They’re huge! And look, they have babies! This is crazy, Aunt Faith! Look, look, look… one of them is peeing!” Of course, a seven-year-old would notice the one that was peeing.

It’s a slow-moving herd, and by far one of the wildest things I’ve ever seen. Turns out, a buffalo is a huge animal. They could probably do damage to cars if they wanted to. I think I read online somewhere that they have.

Outlaw grips my knee, and the truck crawls forward as the traffic moves ever so slightly. We’ve been inseparable for months and I like it this way. People thought we were crazy for moving as fast as we did, but I don’t care what everyone else thinks. We married in front of the waterfall behind the cabin, and we get to know each other more and more every day. Deep down, though, I know who he is. He’s the man who saw me better than I saw myself. He saw past the crimes I’d committed, and he saw a person. He saw me.

“You two are adorable,” my mother says, tapping Outlaw on the shoulder from the backseat of the truck. I still haven’t told my mom that I robbed two banks, and that the Airbnb is a cover, but we have moved her up to Rugged Mountain. She has a nice little cabin next to that turquoise lake where Outlaw and I… made things official. Her and Danny have been a welcome addition to our growing homestead.

The adjustment hasn’t been without its faults, but Outlaw makes everything easier. Despite all the crazy I brought to that man’s door, he’s been able to show me he can lead us out of anything. In fact, he led us right into a pregnancy of our own. We’re due in seven months. I’m not sure life could get any better.

“Thanks, Mom.” I give her a smile as another slew of buffalos pass in front of us.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pick it up. I don’t want to answer right now, but I see that I’ve missed two calls from Carmen, and she doesn’t usually call back to back unless something is wrong.

“You mind if I…?” I show Outlaw the screen.

“No. Hopefully she’s okay.” I know he worries when he leaves her in town alone, but she’s been doing well with the meds lately and she insisted on staying home instead of traveling with us.

I slide the phone to answer. “Hey. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I know you guys are doing the Yellowstone thing, but I just… do you have like one minute?” Her tone is strained. She sounds like she’s been crying.

“What’s up?”

She sniffles and clears her throat. “I’m about to do something bad and I think I might be losing my mind.”

My eyebrows knit together with concern. “What? You’re not robbing a bank, are you? I know you need adventure, but trust me, that’s the wrong choice.”

She laughs through the tears. “No, but you can’t tell Outlaw.”

“Okay…” I hate this because I tell Outlaw everything, but I feel her needing me right now and I can’t turn her away. “Go ahead. What’s up?”

“I have a thing for Ruin.” Her breathing is staggered.

I gasp audibly and regret it immediately. Ruin is Outlaw’s close friend, and he’s also one of the rougher guys in the MC. He’s been in and out of jail for drug-related issues, and he’s cutthroat when it comes to most things. I’m still surprised he took the deal Outlaw offered him to keep quiet about me being here.

“I can’t hold it in anymore. I have to be with him.” There’s a yearning in her voice that I can’t debate. I’ve been there. I get it.

“Okay,” I say, still in shock. Carmen is a sweet, kind, the sky is always blue… kind of person. Ruin couldn’t be further away from that. He’s big, he’s rough, and he’s… a little crazy. “Whatever you do, I’m here for you,” I finally say.

“Thank you, but do you think I’m crazy?” She exhales heavily. “Shoot, a client is walking in. I gotta clean myself up. Sorry to do this. Thanks for listening. I love you. I’ll call you later.”

“Love you, too.” My tone is chipper, but my heart is confused.

Outlaw glances toward me. “What’s going on?”

“Oh. Umm… girl stuff, you know.”

“I’m probably glad I don’t know.” He groans and grips my thigh tighter. “As long as she’s healthy, I’ll keep myself in the dark.”

Relief washes over me. I hate keeping things from him, but Carmen is an adult. She has to figure this out on her own, and whatever she’s got going on with Ruin is going to happen whether Outlaw likes it or not because that’s how love works. My grandma told me so.

First, the prince meets the princess, and they go on a quest. Maybe they’re slaying a dragon, searching for a magic flower, or maybe they’re working to keep the princess out of prison.

Who knows?

Either way, they start seeing things in ways they never thought possible. Before long, they’re doing things they never thought they’d do. And despite the world pushing against them in every possible way, they find a way to make love work. Because in the end, love is all we have.

My grandma taught me a lot of things in life. How to fry shrimp and okra, how to bake a cake, and how to hide in plain sight. But the best lesson I ever learned from that woman was how to turn a fairytale into something real. And with Outlaw, I have a fairytale for life.

THANK YOU FOR READING.

READ CARMEN’S STORY HERE.