Epilogue

Three Years Later

The air smelled different outside the prison walls—sharper, cleaner.

Like freedom.

Jaxon Thorne paused just beyond the gate with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder and drew a deep breath.

Five years.

It had been five years since he last breathed fresh air as a free man.

It felt like a lifetime.

And at the same time, not long enough. Not for everything he’d done. All the people he’d hurt.

The sun was brighter than he remembered, too. He shielded his eyes with his hand, squinting against the glare, searching for a familiar face. But there was no one. No family, no friends. Not a single person had come to welcome him back into the world.

A pang of loneliness shot through him, but he pushed it aside. He didn’t know why he was disappointed. He hadn’t actually expected Shane and Rylan to come. They had lives, careers, and friends. They were both happily married. Rylan had a young daughter, and Shane was going to be a father any day now. They’d already done far more for him than he deserved—arguing on his behalf for a lenient sentence, visiting him in prison when they could, going to bat for him with the parole board… All of it despite the genuinely awful person he used to be and the horrible things he’d done to them.

He wasn’t the same man who had walked into this prison— angry, bitter, and drowning in hatred and drugs. But even though he’d worked hard to rebuild himself from the inside out, there were still pieces missing, pieces he wasn’t sure he’d ever get back.

Jax shifted his weight restlessly and scanned the nearly empty parking lot, unsure of his next move. Before prison, his only goal—the one thing he lived and breathed for—was to hurt Shane for destroying his life. But now, with the clarity of sobriety and years of introspection, that old rage felt hollow and pointless. Shane hadn’t been the one to destroy his life. Jax had done that all on his own, with his self-destructive choices and misplaced blame.

He knew that. Accepted it. But what was he supposed to do now? He had no plan, no direction, and nowhere to go.

A battered pickup truck pulled to a stop in front of him, its engine idling. The driver’s door swung open, and a weathered, middle-aged man stepped out. He had a commanding presence, with a square jaw and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through him. A cowboy hat rested on his head, tilted low against the sun. He looked like something out of an old Western, complete with boots that had seen better days and a belt buckle the size of a dinner plate.

“Jaxon Thorne?” His voice was gruff but not unkind.

Guard up, Jax nodded slowly. “Who’s asking?”

“Walker Nash.” He extended a calloused hand. “Welcome to freedom, son.”

Jax hesitated.

“Rylan Cross sent me,” Walker added. “He wanted to be here, but your friend Shane’s wife went into labor last night, and I guess there were some complications, so he stayed there.”

Rylan wanted to be here.

Why that brought a lump to his throat, he’d never know. But it did.

After everything, Rylan still gave a damn. It was more than Jax deserved. He swallowed hard, pushing down the swell of emotion, and reached out to shake Walker’s hand. The man had a firm grip, his palm rough with years of hard work.

“What complications?” he asked at last, his voice a little hoarse. What he really wanted to ask was if Alexis was okay. He couldn’t imagine how Shane would react if?—

Actually, scratch that. He didn’t have to imagine anything. He’d seen Shane’s rage firsthand when he tried to kill Alexis all those years ago.

Jesus. He would never, ever forgive himself for that.

Walker smiled. “Rylan said you’d ask, which is why he called me fifteen minutes ago with an update. Shane’s wife is fine, and so is the baby. They had a girl.”

“Okay. Good. That’s… good.” He cleared his throat to ease the sudden tightness. “So what’s this about? Did Rylan send you to give me a ride somewhere?”

“In a manner of speaking.” He lifted his hat and dragged a hand through his shaggy, steel-gray hair before settling the hat back in place. “I run Valor Ridge Ranch in Montana. It’s a halfway house for ex-con veterans looking to put their lives back together. I’m here to offer you a place to stay if you’re interested.”

“Montana? I’m not supposed to leave the state of California.”

“For this program, you can. It’s already been cleared with the parole board.” Walker studied him for a moment, his blue eyes bright under the shadow of his hat. “I’ve been where you are, son. I know how hard it is to walk out of those gates with nothing but the clothes on your back and a whole lot of baggage weighing you down. Valor Ridge is a place for men like us to find our footing, to rediscover our purpose. We could use another set of hands.” He stepped aside and motioned toward his truck. “Also heard you’re pretty damn good with dogs.”

Jax glanced at the truck bed, where a cattle dog with intelligent blue eyes and a wagging stub of a tail sat watching him. He reached out instinctively, letting the dog sniff his hand before giving him a good scratch behind the ears. “What’s his name?”

“Cowboy,” Walker said, leaning against the truck. “He’s been itching to meet you. I told him you’re a work in progress, but he didn’t seem to mind.”

Jax huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah, well, dogs are good like that. They don’t judge.”

Walker nodded. “That’s the truth. Dogs have a way of getting right to the heart of a man. Reckon that’s why they make such good partners for folks who’ve been through hell and back.”

Cowboy’s tail thumped against the truck bed as he leaned into Jax’s touch, his tongue lolling out in a happy grin.

“We’re looking to grow our canine program out at the ranch,” Walker continued. “Got about a dozen we’re training for vets with PTSD. They’re good for the men, and the men are good for them. It’s a real fulfilling program. Rylan mentioned you’ve been working with dogs on the inside?”

“Yeah, I got into the prison dog training program a couple years back.”

“And how’d you like it?”

“It gave me something to focus on, a way to feel useful.” He gave Cowboy a final pat before straightening up to face Walker again. “Look, I appreciate the offer, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for ranch life. I’m a city boy.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. You’re a SEAL.”

“Was,” Jax corrected. “The Navy stripped my trident when I went to prison.”

Walker shrugged, unfazed. “No one’s born knowing how to muck stalls or mend fences. It’s something you learn by doing. And from what I hear, you’re a quick study.” He tilted his head, appraising Jax with those piercing eyes. “You want to keep feeling useful, have a reason to get up in the morning?”

Jax hesitated, his gaze drifting to the horizon. The idea of a fresh start, a chance to rebuild his life far from the shadows of his past, was tempting. “Yeah, but I’ve got a lot of demons to sort through, and I don’t want to bring that baggage to your doorstep.”

Walker’s weathered face softened. “Those demons are precisely why Valor Ridge exists. We’ve all got our crosses to bear, our mistakes to atone for. But you don’t have to do it alone. That’s the beauty of this place—it’s a brotherhood, a chance to lean on each other as we find our way back to the men we want to be.”

A long moment stretched between them as Jax weighed his options. Montana was a hell of a long way from California, but what did he really have keeping him here? He didn’t have family here, had no place to live, and only a few hundred bucks to his name. Maybe a fresh start in wide-open country was exactly what he needed.

“You got another plan?” Walker asked finally.

“Not much of one,” he admitted.

The corner of Walker’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Then what do you say we hit the road? It’s a long drive to Montana, and Cowboy’s not the patient type.”

Jax glanced back at the prison one last time and studied the concrete walls that had been his home for five long years. He was ready to leave this place behind, to leave behind the Jax who had walked through those gates broken and lost. He was ready to find out who he could become.

“Yeah. Okay. I’m in.”

Walker clapped him on the shoulder. “Toss your bag in the back and climb in. Cowboy’s called shotgun, but I reckon he’ll let you have the window seat.”

When Jax pulled open the passenger side door, Cowboy jumped out of the bed and into the cab. He climbed in after the dog, setting his duffel on the floor, and Cowboy immediately rested his head on his knee. Jax scratched behind the dog’s ears absentmindedly as Walker settled behind the wheel.

“This is a good dog you got here.”

“Yup. The best.”

“He doesn’t look like he needs much training.”

Walker chuckled as he started the engine. “Cowboy? Nah, he’s a pro. Been working with veterans for years now. He’s more of a mentor to the other dogs, showing ‘em the ropes. He’s also our official greeter.” He glanced over at Jax, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Because he’s a damn good judge of character. If he likes you, that’s a point in your favor.”

The truck rumbled to life, and they pulled away from the prison. Jax didn’t look back again.

For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel the need to. “Where’s the dog I’ll be working with? Is it a puppy?”

In the prison program, he’d loved working with the puppies best. They were so loving and eager to please, and their chaotic energy was the only bright spot in his monotonous existence. He’d always hated sending them back to their trainers on the outside.

Walker shook his head. “No, not a puppy. I’ve got a special case for you.”

“And?” he prompted when Walker didn’t elaborate.

“And what? You’ll meet her when we get there.”

That did not bode well.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued. Yeah, he’d loved the puppies, but they had been easy. It was all housetraining, socializing, and simple games. He was curious to see how his newfound dog-training skills stacked up against an actual challenge.

They drove in silence for several minutes before Walker glanced over again, his expression thoughtful. “You’re not just a work in progress, Jax. You’re a damn good story in the making. Valor Ridge? It’s where you figure out how it ends.”

Jax didn’t respond, but something in his chest loosened at the words. Maybe Walker was right. Maybe this was his next chapter.

And for the first time in years, he felt ready to turn the page.

The Redwood Coast Rescue adventure might be over, but Jax’s is just beginning. Follow him to Valor Ridge in Finding His Redemption.