Epilogue

Epilogue

Five Months Later

Marlowe smiled as she watched Chappy, Cal, JJ, and Kendric unloading the moving truck. It had taken a while to find the perfect place, but as soon as she’d laid eyes on this house, she knew it was the one. It needed some work, but Kendric promised to make it shine, and she had no doubt he’d do just that.

He seemed content. Sometimes she worried that he’d get bored and want to go work for Willis again, but he’d assured her over and over that he was done with that. That he was satisfied being here in Newton with her and his friends.

He worked a lot, but Marlowe didn’t mind. He needed to stay busy, and if chopping trees and leading people on hikes on the Appalachian Trail kept him occupied and satisfied, she would never tell him to stop.

Ian’s trial was still pending, and while that was frustrating, Marlowe knew it was for the best. He was being held without bail, at least, and the lawyers were doing their due diligence, covering all their bases so he wouldn’t ever get out of jail. All the money he’d hidden in offshore accounts had been confiscated, and customs, Homeland Security, and the FBI were still tracking down some of the artifacts he’d stolen before he’d gone to Thailand.

So with Ian in jail and Kendric settled . . . things were going great in Marlowe’s life, and she couldn’t be happier.

She rubbed her growing belly and smiled as Carlise and June came over to stand next to her.

“Look at us, the three fat little pigs,” June joked.

Marlowe laughed. She’d gotten pregnant surprisingly quickly. Less than a month after she’d started getting her period again. It was as if her body had just been waiting for Kendric’s sperm or something. Chappy had also finally knocked up Carlise, and Marlowe was thrilled that all their children would be born around the same time, only a few months apart.

Cal’s house wasn’t too far from the one that Marlowe and Kendric had bought, and while Chappy and Carlise were still living in their apartment in town, they were building onto their cabin in the mountains.

“I’m so happy for you,” Carlise said, resting her head on Marlowe’s shoulder—and bending awkwardly to do so. The other woman was so much taller than her and June, she frequently joked about using their heads to rest her elbows.

“This house really is perfect,” June added.

“Yeah,” Marlowe agreed.

“Should we feel guilty that we’re just standing here watching our men do all the heavy lifting?” Carlise asked after a moment.

Marlowe laughed. “Ha. I tried to help, but Kendric yelled at me. Told me to ‘go eat some pickles or something.’”

The other women chuckled.

“Right?” Carlise said. “It’s as if they think we’re completely helpless, simply because we’re pregnant.”

“Now that I’m nearing the end of my second trimester, Cal’s become super paranoid,” June agreed. “I swear if we stand here for too much longer, he’ll be running over with a chair and insisting I sit.”

“The other day, when I tried to tell Riggs that I wasn’t done with the translation I was working on, he came over, picked me up out of my chair, and carried me into our room, saying that I’d spent enough time working and needed to rest.”

Marlowe smiled. Kendric wasn’t that bad . . . yet. But she had no doubt his overprotectiveness would be emerging more and more as their child continued to grow. “Do we hate it, though?” she asked.

Carlise and June grinned.

“Nope.”

“Not in the least.”

Marlowe nodded happily.

“You know what’s missing here?” Carlise asked after a moment.

“What?” Marlowe and June asked at the same time.

“April.”

Marlowe frowned. Carlise was right. It seemed as if their friend was hanging out with them less and less . . . and it was as confusing as it was hurtful. “Where is she, anyway?”

“At the office, where else?” June replied.

Marlowe sighed. “She works too hard. She’s always there. Do you think she’s upset that we’re all pregnant?” she asked.

“No,” Carlise said without hesitation. “I really don’t think she wants kids, so it’s not that. Something else is bothering her.”

“I wish she’d talk to us,” June said.

“Me too,” Carlise agreed. “But she’s always been pretty close lipped about her personal life. She hangs out with us and everything, but it still feels as if I don’t know that much about her.”

“I thought it was just me!” Marlowe exclaimed.

“Well, I know she was married before, and things just kind of fizzled out, but that’s all she’s told me,” June said.

Carlise straightened as JJ came out of the house, waved at them, and disappeared back into the truck Kendric had rented to move their stuff. “I’m thinking enough is enough, and we need to get JJ and April to pull their heads out of their butts and admit that they like each other. It’s almost painful to watch them stare at each other when they don’t think anyone notices. The puppy dog looks and sad eyes are killing me. They both seem so unhappy.”

“What can we do? I mean, they’re adults,” June said.

“Force them to share a bed one night?” Carlise suggested.

Everyone laughed.

“Well, it worked for the three of us,” she argued.

“True, but I’m thinking that’s not going to work for them.”

The three women sighed as they racked their brains in silence.

“I got nothin’,” Marlowe admitted after a minute or two.

“Me either,” June agreed.

Carlise sighed. “Yeah, I have no idea what to do.”

“We’re just going to have to let the two of them figure it out,” Marlowe reasoned.

“I guess. I just want them to be happy. They both work so hard, and they’re so awesome. I know they’d be perfect together if they just gave it a chance,” Carlise said.

“Yeah,” Marlowe agreed. She was still racking her brain, trying to figure out a way to help JJ and April’s relationship along, when Kendric exited the house with a huge smile on his face.

“All done,” he said as he got close. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. “Well, I mean, everything’s in, not unpacked. I’ll start on that later. You want to see?”

“Duh,” Marlowe told him with a small laugh.

“I’m gonna take June home, she’s been on her feet long enough today,” Cal said as he claimed his wife by wrapping an arm around her waist.

June gave the other women a look as if to say, “See?”

“Yeah, Car and I were going to head up to the cabin for the weekend. If anything comes up and you need me, let me know,” Chappy said, taking Carlise’s hand in his.

Marlowe waved to her friends and promised to text them pictures later when the house was more settled.

“And I guess I’ll just get out of your hair,” JJ said with a grin. “Head to the office. I know when I’m a third wheel.” He slapped Kendric on the back and headed for his Bronco.

“You look happy,” Kendric told her as his friends walked toward their various cars, all parked on the road.

“That’s because I am,” she said with a smile.

“Good. Me too.”

Gazing at her new home, Marlowe had the thought that everything she’d been through, all the terror, the uncertainty, the flight through Thailand, almost being killed . . . every single thing had been worth it. She was married to the man of her dreams, would be having their child, and now was moving into her dream house. She’d go through it all again if it meant she’d end up right here.

“Let’s go see our house,” she said. “Maybe even christen some of the rooms.”

Kendric grinned huge. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

He swept her up bride-style and strode toward the front porch. He carried her over the threshold and stopped, leaning down to kiss her. “Are you sure you aren’t upset that you never had a real wedding ceremony?”

They’d decided to go to the justice of the peace and get married here in the States, just to make sure their marriage was legit. It had just been the two of them, and the two witnesses, employees who worked in the building. Neither had wanted to make a big deal out of it, because as far as they were both concerned, they were already married. That was just a formality.

“I did have a real wedding ceremony,” Marlowe insisted. “I wore a cream dress, we said our vows, and we have the certificate to prove it.”

The piece of paper was a little worse for wear, wrinkled and torn at the corners, and the ink was smudged from his fall into the canal, but it would always hold a special place in Marlowe’s heart. Kendric had gotten it framed, and she had no doubt he’d already hung it in their bedroom, where it had been in their apartment for the last five and a half months.

“I love you,” Kendric said.

“I love you more.”

“Not possible.” Kendric kissed her again.

He was about to close the door when he heard a sharp whistle coming from behind them. He turned and looked around—and immediately put Marlowe on her feet when he saw his friends gathering. Something was up, and it didn’t look good.

Kendric and Marlowe turned their backs on their new house, putting their christening plans on hold to go see what was happening.

April sighed as she hung up the phone. She was at the office instead of hanging out with her friends. She wanted to be there, but lately, being around Jack was excruciating. Despite her protests to the other women . . . she loved the man. And being nothing but his friend for years was slowly killing her.

She wasn’t even sure when it happened, precisely. She supposed it was a gradual thing, seeing how dedicated Jack was to the business, how much he loved his friends. He’d drop everything to help the ones he loved if they needed it. She’d seen it firsthand over and over. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a partner.

She hadn’t come first in her own marriage. Her ex-husband wasn’t a bad person, he was simply . . . self-absorbed. He’d felt as if his work was more important than hers. If she had a doctor’s appointment, and wanted him to go with her, he’d always insisted he couldn’t because of a meeting at work or something. She couldn’t rely on him for anything.

They’d loved each other at the beginning of their marriage, but as the years passed, they grew apart. By the time she’d finally asked for a divorce, they’d been nothing more than roommates.

April had a feeling Jack would be an amazing husband. Attentive, protective, and he’d never blow her off if she asked him to come with her to an appointment, or a party, or simply to sit with her at home and have a meal together.

Sighing, she shook her head. She and Jack weren’t meant to be, that much was clear. They’d worked together for years. If he had any feelings toward her other than those of a boss toward his employee, he’d had plenty of time to act on them.

Since he was currently with everyone else, helping Marlowe and Bob move into their new house, she’d gone to Jack’s Lumber. It was the weekend, and she didn’t need to be there. The phone service would alert her to any emergency calls. But she couldn’t be near him any more than she was already, even if she wanted to be, so coming into the quiet office was her best option.

While she attempted to keep her mind off her friends, the phone rang. It was one of the ski resorts nearby. A massive tree had fallen near one of the popular ski runs, and they wanted Jack’s Lumber to haul it away. April told the man that everyone was out of the office, but she’d come out and take a look.

Pushing the chair back from her desk, she stood. She’d just assess the job quickly, so she’d know how many of the guys to send out tomorrow. It wasn’t something she usually did, but she needed to get away from her thoughts. She was being a coward when it came to Jack, and she knew it. She wanted to admit her feelings to her boss, but was scared that if she did, and those feelings weren’t reciprocated, things would get weird and she’d have to leave a job she loved.

April grabbed her purse and jacket and headed out the door of Jack’s Lumber, climbing into her red Subaru Forester and taking off toward the mountains. She vaguely noticed a black pickup truck behind her, the only other vehicle on the long stretch of road, but her mind remained on her destination.

She was mentally putting together a proposal for the ski resort, just in case they wanted Jack’s Lumber to check the trees along all the slopes, removing any others that seemed in danger of falling, when something alongside the road in her peripheral vision caught her attention.

Instinctively, she slammed on the brakes.

A large moose stepped out onto the road, and April jerked the wheel to the right. As she began to slide, she immediately attempted to correct the sharp movement, but it was too late.

She spun, the scraping sound of rocks against the metal undercarriage of her car loud as she ran off the side of the road.

April was jostled in her seat, her head smashed into the window to her left as she let out a small scream—then she was airborne.

The moose had picked the worst possible place to wander in front of her car, because there was a shallow ditch . . . then a twenty-foot drop off the side of the rural road to the forest floor below.

The car hit the ground at the bottom of the hill with enough force to take April’s breath away. That might’ve also been the seat belt tightening around her chest and lap, or the airbag going off with a loud poof and scaring the shit out of her.

Spots swam in front of her eyes. Her head throbbed, and she could feel blood dripping down the side of her face. Everything had happened so quickly!

Seconds went by as April realized she’d never been in this much pain before. Her head pounded so badly, she couldn’t keep herself from puking. Luckily, the airbag had slightly deflated, so the vomit didn’t spray back in her face, but it was almost just as bad when it landed on the roof of her car.

Wait . . . the roof?

Turning her head, she blinked in confusion at how the world seemed to be topsy turvy.

Then she realized it wasn’t the world that was upside down—it was her. The car was lying on its roof, and she could see the road she’d driven off, far above her.

The moose was long gone, but the black pickup truck that had been behind her was up on the road. She couldn’t make out who was behind the wheel, but just as she had the relieved thought that whoever it was would surely help her . . . the truck began to move.

To her utter shock and confusion, it drove away, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

The longer April lay in her wrecked car, the more her head throbbed. She tried to convince herself that whoever was in the truck probably hadn’t had cell service, they’d just gone down the road to get help. But for some reason, she knew that wasn’t the case.

Whoever it was, they had left her there. Hurt, bleeding, and trapped.

She wanted to cry. Wanted to scream. But her body was shutting down. The pain was too intense. Her head felt as if it was going to explode.

The last thing she thought about before she went unconscious was how quiet the area seemed. The silence was absolute, and it was the scariest thing she’d ever heard in her life.

JJ was frustrated and grouchy. He’d been looking forward to helping Bob and Marlowe move into their new home because it meant he’d get to see April outside the office—except she never showed up. In fact, she seemed to have an excuse every time she was invited to hang out with him and his friends lately.

The woman drove him crazy. He wanted her, badly, but he had no idea how to change the status quo between them.

She was always so professional. And he hated it. Didn’t like the distance she kept between them.

April Hoffman was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. Tall, smart, down to earth, and hardworking, and more than anything else, she was a wonderful friend. She was his friend. But he wanted more. Was desperate for more. But he didn’t know how to make that happen.

He should’ve made his interest known years ago, but the more time that went by, the harder it was to figure out how to make a first move. And he was afraid he’d lost his chance. Aside from hanging out less and less with Carlise, June, and Marlowe, she seemed to be making an effort to put space between herself and JJ, in particular. Even trying to avoid being in the office at the same time as him. It sucked, and JJ wasn’t sure how to fix it.

After all the furniture and boxes had been moved off the truck and into Bob and Marlowe’s house, JJ finally excused himself when his other friends headed for their vehicles. He was walking toward his Bronco when his phone rang. When he saw the unknown number on the screen, he frowned and brought the cell up to his ear.

“JJ here.”

“Is this Jackson Justice?” an unfamiliar voice asked.

“Yes. Who is this?”

“My name is Patrick Stewart. We found your number under April Hoffman’s emergency contacts. I’m calling to let you know that she’s in our ambulance and we’ve called in air flight to take her to Bangor.”

JJ’s heart stopped beating. “What? April’s hurt?”

“Yes, sir. Her car ran off Mountain Road, and a bystander called it in.”

“JJ? What’s wrong?” Chappy asked, materializing at his side.

But he couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the voice on the other end of the phone. “Is she . . . is she going to live?” he whispered.

“Yes, but she’s unconscious and has a serious head injury. As I said, she’s being life flighted to Bangor, and you were listed under her emergency contacts in her phone. Is there anyone else we should call?”

“What hospital?” JJ barked, ignoring the question. Every molecule in his body was urging him to jump into his car and get to her side.

The paramedic told him, and JJ nodded. “I’ll be there. Tell her . . . I’m coming,” he begged.

“She’s unconscious, sir, but I’ll tell her if she wakes,” the paramedic assured him.

“Thank you.” JJ hung up and started for his car again, but Chappy’s hand on his arm stopped him.

“What the hell’s going on?” he asked.

“April’s hurt! She was in a car accident. They’re taking her to Bangor. I need to get to her.”

“We’ll go with you. Hang on,” Chappy ordered.

JJ shook his head. “I can’t . . . I need . . . I need to go!”

“And we’re going,” Chappy said calmly. He turned and whistled loudly.

For the first time ever, JJ had no idea what to do. He was always in control. He’d been the leader of their Special Forces team. The one everyone looked to when shit went south. But the second he heard April was hurt, it was as if he was suddenly incapable of making even the smallest decision.

Every molecule within him was urging him to get to her side. To make sure she was all right.

He heard his friends talking as if from a long distance away, and the next thing he knew, Cal was steering him toward his SUV. “I’m driving,” he said firmly.

JJ didn’t protest. Cal’s Rolls-Royce had some serious power under the hood, and he could get to Bangor faster than JJ in his Bronco.

He heard his friends talking all around him as they climbed into the vehicle, but all he could think about was April. Why was she on that road? Would she be all right? Was she terrified when it happened? Had she even been aware, or was she instantly knocked out?

And underneath all his fear and worry . . . determination. Stronger than any other emotion.

No more waiting. When she recovered—and she would recover, she had to—he’d make sure the woman knew how much he loved her. He’d wasted enough time. No more dicking around.

April Hoffman was his—and he’d do whatever it took to get her to love him as much as he loved her. No matter what obstacles might stand in his way.