Epilogue

EPILOGUE

December

Bonnie twirled in front of the mirror, hoping she wasn't seeing things that weren't there again. Unless her mind was playing tricks on her, the woman staring back at her through the mirror was wearing a wedding dress.

I'm actually getting married. Me! The flighty administrative assistant who hadn't known what she wanted to do with her life until recently.

Now she was a fully licensed junior partner at Underwood Realty, getting ready to exchange vows with the man of her dreams.

Holt Winchester was probably already waiting for her down at the altar. He'd joined the church a few weeks ago and gotten baptized, claiming he'd made some promises to the Lord that he intended to keep.

He was trying so hard to overcome the effects of the mind control techniques. In the process, he was determined to become a better man.

For me. It made her love him all the more.

She had a lot to make up for, as well. Things had been royally awkward between her and Jackson ever since she'd tried to, well, strangle him to death. And that was after throwing a punch at the woman he was crushing on, laying her out cold.

In my defense, I thought you were monsters of galactic proportions. She blushed at the memory of her strange visions that day. It was baffling how a person's own mind could be manipulated to play such horrific tricks on them. She hoped everyone involved in the mind control experiments remained locked up permanently, never again to roam the streets among free citizens.

The door to the Sunday School room opened, and Pearl Yates glided inside in a lacy sage-colored dress that draped to the floor. "My sweet baby girl!" She enveloped Bonnie in a flower-scented hug. "I can't believe you're getting married ahead of all your brothers."

Bonnie hugged her back. "Maybe Jackson will be next."

"Yeah, he's gonna need someone else to boss around soon, huh?" Alice sailed into the room on the heels of Bonnie's mother.

"No kidding!" Laughing, Bonnie held out an arm, motioning for her to join their huddle. "He's welcome to go flex his big muscles and practice his grumpy voice on anyone else besides me."

Alice and Pearl Yates burst into laughter.

"You might be surprised to hear how many single ladies are lined up, requesting his bodyguard services." Summer Rose appeared in the doorway, looking wary.

Bonnie didn't blame her caution. Summer Rose had been giving her a wide berth ever since their clash in that ratty motel room a few months earlier.

"Actually, I'm not." Bonnie waved Summer Rose into the room. "Jackson is the best. How else would he have put up with me for so long?"

"She finally admits it!" The brother in question swaggered into the room behind Summer Rose, giving an exaggerated sigh. "Thought I'd never live to see this day."

"You're still a grump, though." Bonnie made a face at him and pretended to turn her back on him.

He came up behind her and caught her in a bear hug that lifted her off the ground.

"Jackson!" She spluttered out his name. "You're going to mess up my wedding dress!"

He gave her another hug that made her squeal before setting her down. "It's better than giving you a dutch rub, eh?" He pretended to reach for her hair.

She slapped his hands away. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Not on your wedding day," he conceded, looking down his nose at her with one of his smug, older brother looks. "But as soon as tomorrow rolls around, all bets are off."

Though she pretended to bristle at his words, she was secretly rejoicing over how normal he was acting. It had been a while since he'd been this relaxed around her. Too long.

"Thank you," she whispered, blinking rapidly to hold back the sting of tears.

"For what?" He reached out to tweak her nose.

She dodged the tweak, trying to be serious. "For loving me and forgiving me." She couldn't have stood it if he'd given up on her.

"I'm never gonna stop loving you." Though he playfully slapped his hands on his hips, his expression softened. "You're the only sister I've got, Bon." He sidled closer to dip his mouth next to her ear. "How many times am I gonna have to tell you that what happened at the motel wasn't your fault?"

"It feels like my fault." Her eyes swam with tears as she met his gaze. "I hurt Summer Rose."

His gaze darkened. "She's tough. She can handle it."

Bonnie could see what it cost him to say that. "I'm sorry," she whispered again. "I'll totally understand if she never wants to have anything to do with me again."

"She agreed to be in your wedding," he reminded in a low voice. "It's a start."

It was. Bonnie forced a smile, hoping he liked the fact that he'd be escorting Summer Rose down the aisle soon. As far as she knew, they weren't officially dating yet. That is, unless they were doing it on the sly and keeping it a secret. It was hard to tell with Jackson, because he was so good at keeping secrets.

Preston Yates rapped his knuckles on the open door to announce his presence. "Someone said this is where the party is." He jovially held out a hand to his wife. "The groom's mother just walked down the aisle. That means we're on deck, babe."

Chuckling girlishly, she spun in his direction to accept his hand.

He winked at Bonnie. "Don't go too far, kid. I'll be back to deliver you to the altar shortly."

She smiled happily as he led her mother away. Zayden was next with Alice, then Jackson escorted Summer Rose. They did a switcharoo after reaching the altar so that Jackson, the best man, was standing next to the groom; and Alice, the maid of honor, was standing next to the bride.

Five minutes earlier

"What's up, buttercup?" Jackson reached over to cover Summer Rose's creamy fingers on his charcoal suit jacket. Though she looked as delicate as her namesake, he'd learned that her looks were deceiving. She was much tougher and more resilient than she appeared. Her clash with his sister was proof of that.

She shook her head in bemusement. "You and your corny one-liners."

"You like ‘em." He tugged her closer as they headed for the double doors leading inside the sanctuary. "Just admit it already."

"What I like," she sighed, "is how terribly out of practice they make you sound." She turned her head to meet his gaze. "When was the last time you went on an actual date?"

He smirked at her. "Does going on the run together count?"

"Not even." She scowled prettily at him. "We had a third wheel along, remember?"

He liked the fact that she'd reached the point where she could joke about their harrowing adventure. It was progress. "Then, no. I can't remember the last time this quiet and shy cowboy took any woman on a real date."

"You? Quiet?" She snorted, a sound that she quickly muffled as they stepped nearer to the sanctuary. "And shy?"

"Yep." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Just ask my brothers." Though Summer Rose had always been easy for him to talk to, he normally clammed up around single ladies. He wasn't sure why.

"I will," she returned with a sassy toss of her head "As it turns out, I'm in the market for…" she paused dramatically before continuing, "a quiet and shy hero."

His heart sank. He'd been hoping she was about to say she was in the market for a boyfriend. "I'm nobody's hero. Just a regular ol'—"

She squeezed his arm to shut him up. "Jackson, my ex-boyfriend is trying to wrangle a plea bargain with the Feds. If he manages to wiggle his way out of jail anytime soon, I'm gonna be in real trouble."

"Your ex-boyfriend," he repeated carefully. Now wasn't exactly the best time to have a conversation like this. The doors would open at any second, and they'd begin their promenade down the aisle.

"It's Finn Conus, Junior," she hissed.

Jackson's jaw dropped as he recognized the name of the notorious criminal that Holt's testimony had helped put in jail a while back.

"He wants revenge," she continued. "He'll be coming for me. So if you're willing to push me to the front of the line of all the lovely ladies applying for your manly bodyguard services…"

"I'm interested alright," he assured huskily. Serving as her protector wasn't the only thing he was interested in, but it was a start. They could add in the boyfriend perks when she was ready.

The doors opened, and the usher nodded at them to step forward.

Bonnie's father returned to the dressing room. "You ready, kiddo?"

She laid a hand on his arm. "I'm twenty-one, Dad. Remember?"

His dark eyes misted. "I'm still trying to figure out how that happened. It feels like yesterday that we drove you home for the first time in your booster seat."

"Thank you." She gave him a tender smile. It was something she'd never told him before, and it was long overdue. "For giving me a home. For loving me. For being my dad."

"I love being your dad," he assured in a voice choked with emotion.

"I know it hasn't been easy." Her voice trembled.

"I never asked for easy." He sniffed damply. "Having you in my life is just plain worth it, you hear?"

She nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Dad."

"Now, go be happy with that fella of yours." He gently towed her from the room. "Preferably before he assembles another rescue party in your honor. Ain't nothing that boy wouldn't do for you." They paused in the back of the sanctuary while the music transitioned. The first notes of the wedding march rang out.

Bonnie glided down the aisle toward the boy her father claimed would do anything for her. It was true. He'd accepted her just as she was. He'd become her best friend and closest confidante, her biggest cheerleader and champion. And to top it all off, he loved her unconditionally.

It was more than she deserved and everything she'd ever dreamed of.

Her father led her to Holt's side and transferred her hand to his arm. "She's my heart, son."

"Mine, too, sir." Holt drank her in, looking unable to tear his gaze from her.

She couldn't tear her gaze from him, either. He was so crazy good looking in his dove gray tuxedo jacket over his jeans and boots —her favorite cowboy mechanic and undercover ops guy.

And to think they'd started off as pen pals! Their relationship had quickly blossomed into more — so much more.

Jeremy Morgan had to clear his throat to get their attention. It was time. Time to exchange their vows and trade lifelong promises. Time to take their love public and prove to their former captors that love conquers all, including their despicable mind control techniques.

Jeremy opened his Bible and thumbed through it with his dark-skinned fingers. He began to read from the Book of Ecclesiastes. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up."

Holt laced his fingers through Bonnie's, no doubt remembering how many times they'd already held each other up.

"Though one may be overpowered," Jeremy continued, "two can defend themselves." He paused to hold their gazes. "A cord of three strands, however, is not quickly broken." He closed his Bible. "Keep the Lord in the center of your lives, my friends, and you'll be able to face the good times, the bad times, and all the times in between." He pointed upward. "With Him."

As they exchanged their vows, Bonnie couldn't wait to start the next chapter of adventures together.

She also couldn't wait to rub her brothers' noses in the fact that the youngest kid in their family had gotten married first. The five of them had spent their entire lives teasing her mercilessly about anything and everything.

And now it's my turn!

Holt chuckled against her lips as he kissed her. "Whatever you're scheming inside that beautiful head of yours, I'm in."

She drenched him with a happy smile. "I knew I could count on you."

"Always and forever, babe." He kissed her again. "Always and forever."

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