EPILOGUE

Nine years later

– KATHLEEN –

"Why does she have to show off, and never ride a horse like anyone else? Would it be so bad to throw on a saddle and brittle for once?" Tomlin, Cosima and Parker's son, grumbles from beside me.

The worry in his voice while he keeps his eyes pinned on my daughter is a good indication he's concerned and slightly frustrated on top of it. My daughter, Francine, named after Marvin's mother, is almost a year older than him. Doesn't stop him from fancying her, though.

I keep my eyes on my daughter who is riding her horse, Dude, with just a rope around his neck. She isn't even holding on and is guiding the horse with her legs, the way Eastlynne taught her. The freedom and trust between her and the horse is a tight bond everyone is jealous of.

Marvin is riding beside her on my horse, Baby. I was riding her when he got home, but the way his lips were set in a thin line? I knew he had a bad day at work and it's why I asked if he could take over from me. Needless to say, he's now sporting a smile.

It was my day off, which meant it was a day away from being the sheriff, but it also entailed working around the ranch. Nine years ago we moved into the house and started not only a family, but continued another legacy besides working law enforcement, and that meant breeding Quarter horses.

Marvin is the one training them while I simply groom and take care of the stables and such. I like riding horses and taking care of them. Training a horse involves a different set of skills, ones my husband and daughter clearly possess.

Yes, I said husband. I was four months pregnant with Francine when he asked me to marry him. The way he popped the question might not have been a grand gesture, pulling me out of my office chair and demanding we'd get married before I popped out the kid. Though, he made up for it by organizing the wedding himself, inviting the two MCs to our ranch for the ceremony and a barbecue afterward.

I hear a truck and glance over my shoulder. "Your father is here to pick you and Francine up."

Tomlin smiles. "Finally."

He steps onto the fence and gives a sharp whistle. Wrench, the old fart he is, is lying on the porch and doesn't even lift his head at the sound. Tool, the one-year-old dog we adopted a few months ago, jumps up and rushes toward Tomlin who bends down to scratch him behind the ears.

I've been trying to train him as a cadaver dog and so far he's good. See? I do like to train animals, just not the big ones and for completely different purposes.

"Hey," Cosima quips when she jumps out of the truck, Parker following close behind her.

"Looking good." I jerk my chin in the direction of her huge belly.

She places a hand on her back for support. "Shut up, this is the last time I'm letting myself get knocked-up. I swear if he wants any more kids he's gotta squeeze them out of his pee hole."

"Mom!" Tomlin scolds and throws his hands over his ears.

Cosima rolls her eyes. "Don't be such a prude. You've helped your father birth a horse and have been there when the stallion puts–"

"Ooookay, let's get the kids into the truck and head home so you can curl up on the couch with some ice cream." Parker steers Cosima back in the direction of the truck.

With a smile in my voice I say, "I'll get them for you."

Francine guides Dude in my direction and she slides off when he reaches the fence.

I open the gate for them both and I tell my daughter, "Have fun, sweetheart. We'll pick you up tomorrow morning."

"You don't have to. I'm gonna work with Eastlynne, remember?" she eagerly tells me.

I nod. "Right, I forgot. You mentioned there was a traumatized mare coming in she was going to work with."

"Yes, and she's gonna let me watch her work."

I lean in and place a kiss on the top of her head. "Call when you are ready to come home."

"Will do." She turns to Tomlin. "Coming?"

"Yes." He grins and straightens to gain a few inches of height as he falls in step beside her.

"She doesn't have a clue, does she?" Marvin rumbles.

I stare up at my husband. He's leaning his forearms on the horn of his saddle and is staring down at me with so much love it makes my breath hitch.

"None," I breathe, knowing he's talking about the crush Tomlin has on our daughter.

Marvin swings his leg off the horse and jumps down. Grabbing the reins, he leads Baby toward the stables and I call out to Dude to follow us. We work side by side to get the horses taken care of.

Twenty minutes later we're walking in the direction of the house. Marvin stares out over the pastures and I know his mind is still on the car wreck that happened just before his shift ended. Two lives were lost and besides being at the scene of the accident, Marvin had to visit the next of kin to give them the bad news.

Living in a small town and being the sheriff, Marvin the undersheriff, means we know everyone. These are the hardest parts of the job, the deaths, the missing persons, the injuries, darkness is everywhere and it doesn't simply stop when you clock out.

It's just the two of us tonight and this is why I reach out and grab his wrist.

"Wanna go for a ride on your bike?" Glancing up at the blue sky with the warm evening sun I add, "It's a nice night to visit your parents."

There's a twinkle in his eyes. "Yeah? You wanna ride for a couple of hours on the back of my bike?"

The corner of my mouth twitches. "Pretty sure I just suggested it."

He smacks my ass. "Quit the sass, boss lady, and pack a bag. I'll call my folks to let them know we're heading in their direction."

I rub my ass while I shoot him a fake glare. Some of the darkness has faded from his eyes. He knows why I suggested it, and he would have done the same for me if I had been the one on-call to that wreck. Working the same line of duty gives a firmer shoulder to lean on. Doesn't mean we don't fight or piss one another off, 'cause he's still an asshole, and we can still go head-to-head on occasion.

End of the day? We sleep in the same bed with our legs tangled and our hearts beating side by side. The years that pass make our love stronger. Our passion, dreams, and goals are developing and slowly turn into the reality we crave.

Seeing him straddle the bike, letting the machine roar underneath him as he signals for me to get on? Yeah, the man still sparks a fire from an eternal flame deep inside me. He knew the second he laid eyes on me. I might have needed time to look past the asshole he is, but eventually, there was no escaping him.

I'm his and he's mine and the road ahead of us is ours to ride off into the wide and open future. To keep on loving, keep on dreaming, and keep on going…forever and always.