by Alice Ward
“And about that—”
“Gotta go give a speech, catch ya on the flipside,” he said as he darted down the aisle toward the pulpit.
The banter felt good, it was what we needed, or both of us would be a sobbing mess. His eulogy was beautiful, tasteful, and perfect. I sat alone, crying my eyes out. One of KP’s friends, at least I assumed he was a friend, sat beside me and handed me a tissue.
“Here, Caitlyn. I’m Lucas.”
“Thanks,” I said as I wiped my eyes.
KP spoke of the great love Wenton had for everything and how he hoped we’d all find that love in our hearts. He then shared that because of that love he bore for Wenton, he would keep Wenton’s urn and not inter it into the family plot. Wenton would want to be a part of something larger than a small space in the ground. There were some sounds of gasping and surprise around the room, but generally, I think everyone attending understood.
When KP was done, a choir began to sing. I was still a complete wreck. I hoped that KP would come back, but he was talking to people who had stopped him as he walked off the stage.
“You don’t know me, but I know you,” Lucas said, “and I just wanted to say that KP loves you. I’ve never seen him love anyone in his whole life, but I know for a fact that he adores you. I just thought you might want to hear it from one of his friends.” He smiled and squeezed my hand.
A beautiful woman joined him, and he introduced her as Alicia, his girlfriend. Wow, KP had friends. In the midst of things that seemed so wrong, with the death of Wenton and the cold stares from people I hardly knew, things also felt perfectly right.
EPILOGUE
Caitlyn
After Wenton’s death. KP cried a lot. We spent our Friday and Saturday nights holding one another, fighting the demons that threatened us both.
We enjoyed the little things, like going to the lake near KP’s house and making love to each other’s bodies, minds, and spirits. We became experts in making love to each other. I began to understand what his body needed and he listened to my cues to satisfy what my body craved.
One day, a box showed up on my nightstand. It was a little box. The little box. And beside it was a calendar. There was a note: Fill in the blank.
I just stared at it.
“Well, aren’t you supposed to open it?” he said from the doorway.
I shot him a fake scowl. “I thought you were the one who was supposed to put a ring on it.”
He looked affronted. “Hey, I already did.”
It was the best proposal in the history of proposals. No tears, just laughter.
He did put the ring on it, by the way. And it was beautiful. A vintage three carat European cut I could do nothing but stare at for days.
As the weeks passed and I hadn’t filled in the blank yet, I could tell that KP was getting annoyed.
“Do you not want to marry me?” KP asked seriously one day.
“I do! I really do. I just don’t want a wedding with a crazy puffy dress and people, and pretentiousness, and…” I was about to hyperventilate just thinking about it.
“We aren’t having all of that. I’ll arrange for something really simple. All you have to do is buy a dress. Tammy’s standing by as soon as you’re ready.” He was so good at calming me down.
I chewed my bottom lip. “That’s all?”
“That’s all, just buy a dress and show up.”
“No long walk down an aisle?” I was getting a little hopeful.
“Not if you don’t want one.” He was serious.
I jumped into his arms and kissed him. “Okay, I’ll get a dress.”
Together, we circled October twenty-third, Wenton’s birthday, on the calendar.
When the day on the calendar arrived, I put on my beautiful dress, which was flowing and lovely and met KP at the lake as I said I would. He had a lovely canopy set up with tables and chairs and a spread of food. Near the lake, there were just enough chairs for Tammy, Jamal, Ricky, Rafael, Lucas, and Alicia.
I finally could breathe.
Wenton’s urn was also on the table, and a minister stood under a canopy draped with orchids. KP wore a beautiful tuxedo and smiled from ear to ear.
In a simple ceremony, our lives were officially joined.
KP joked that since he’d saved so much money on our wedding, he’d donate what he would have spent if he’d married a gold digger to the art center. They were quite grateful to receive the six-million-dollar donation in Wenton’s name. It was an annual donation that not only would be used for the center but would also help the students who were aging out of foster care get set up with college funds, just as KP’s original donation would be used.
We also created a permanent karaoke venue at the mental health facility in Wenton’s name. We made sure that we also funded the weekly events held there. Wenton’s cottage became a museum and the people working at the facility were the curators. It was opened to the public every Sunday, where people got the opportunity to learn about Wenton’s disease and many others. The patients also hosted support groups in Wenton’s cottage.
At the wedding, KP told the story of why he had chosen the lake as the place he and I would be married.
“When Wenton and I were little, his heart was already fragile. My parents were worried that he would over exert himself and get hurt, so they created a wonderland for him inside the house. He was never allowed to venture out into the world. The only place he was allowed to go, on occasion, was this lake in front of our house. That castle over there was where Wenton and I grew up. My parents are in Spain at the moment, so I took the opportunity to have our wedding here today because this is what Wenton had asked me to do the day he died.
“See, he had me on a scavenger hunt so that he could see the world. He would tell me things he wanted to experience, and I had to find them for him and send him pictures. I think he knew all along what he was doing. I think he did it on purpose. By sending me on this hunt, I found my life, and I learned to live, love and be a better man. The hunt wasn’t for Wenton, it was for me.”
When KP was done speaking we were all in tears.
We then exchanged our wedding vows and our wedding rings. I had requested a simple band, but this one was encrusted with diamonds. I scowled as he put it on my finger.
“You don’t get your way this time, Prince Slayer,” he whispered in my ear. “I want people from miles away to see this ring on your finger because then there will be no mistake, you’re taken, and I’m yours.” Then he kissed me.
The minister admonished him for jumping the gun on the kiss, but he just smiled and shrugged.
And we lived happily ever after… or at least we tried to.
We still fought and drove each other crazy. We still made love and fucked. And it was all good. All right. All perfect.
After a year, I finally had the courage to open Gran’s letter. It only had one sentence scrolled in her handwriting inside:
“See, isn’t it all so fun!”
The video that accompanied the letter was of her making silly faces, and that was it. Gran was right as always, it was all so fun.
Epilogue
KP
Of course, our wedding day would go down in my personal history as the best day of my life. Caitlyn looked incredible in her dress, and I was glad we opted for an intimate ceremony. I wanted to take her on a lavish vacation, but we were too busy getting her series ready to air its first episode, so she easily agreed for a rain check on the honeymoon.
I made plans with my travel agent, and as soon as we launched her show, I would be taking her on a trip around the world. It was going to be a surprise because there was no way on earth my wife would have let me take her on such an extravagant trip, but she was working so hard in school and on the series, she deserved it.
My mother had planned a big wedding reception because she was angry that we had gotten married without her knowing. We were trying to establish a better relationship with my parents, thanks to Caitlyn’s efforts,
so we agreed to the reception.
The night before my parents’ party was the premiere of Caitlyn’s series. We decided to watch it with the crew at her house. We hadn’t sold her grandma’s house. In fact, we lived in my penthouse in New York during the week and Caitlyn’s house on the weekend. I would never have asked for her to sell it, but I did convince her to remodel it. All she asked was that we keep the porch the same as it was. We actually had fun working on the remodel as we were adding another story, redoing the backyard, and putting in a pool. She had the space to create quite a nice little home for us. We already had a lavish penthouse, so a cozy family home was appealing.
I wasn’t at all nervous as we sat together, about to watch the series premiere. I had seen what Caitlyn did, and the series was flawless, but it was going to be Caitlyn’s first time seeing the final cut. She could barely watch it, but as we all sat together in her living room, with the regulars, Tammy, Ricky, Lucas and their significant others, her phone blew up like crazy with her former students and friends shouting the show’s praises. It was no surprise to me when the show got top ratings for the week. It was a total hit.
The next day was my parents’ pretentious wedding reception. It was as stuffy and lavish as any imagination might conjure. Caitlyn and I went in armed with Armani for me, Vera Wang for her, and our great sense of humor. Together, we laughed at how ridiculous the whole affair was, but we made a valiant attempt to enjoy ourselves. Soon, my entire family warmed up to her and we had another hit on our hands — my wife.
Wenton’s portrait was on the wall in the ballroom with the other family portraits and he looked beautiful. Under Wenton’s painting were the words “Beloved Son.” I did my best to hold back my tears and my anger. Too little too late.
Later that evening, Caitlyn and I snuck away and went to the lake. I just wanted to kiss her passionately and be in my comfort zone. Her body was my wonderland. But we had another reason to go.
At the lake, we kissed like wild teenagers before I picked up the urn containing my brother’s ashes, and together, we spread them on the lake. He was free.
“Swim out to sea, buddy,” I said as I watched the ashes spread and float away. “You’ll see the world finally.”
Caitlyn blew him a kiss, tears pouring down her face. I hugged her close to me. “Hey, no crying. For him, this was the beginning and the end, but remember, we promised to start a new hunt.”
She smiled up at me. “Yeah. New adventures.”
I thought about our trip, but I thought of something else too.
“What do you think about starting a family?”
Her eyes grew big. “Like now?”
I laughed and rubbed her belly, imagining it swollen with our baby.
“Whenever. Then we can take our child on adventures. Show him or her what Wenton wasn’t able to see.”
She pulled my head down and kissed me. “I love that idea. I want lots of kids with lively spirits and creative minds, with a mix of your face and mine, who are loud and messy.” She was almost giddy.
“Sounds scary,” I teased as I kissed her, “but I’m starting to love scary things.”
“You’ll be a great father.” She was so loving and dear to me, she had no idea if I would be good or not, but just hearing her say it made me feel like it might be true.
A black cloud settled around my shoulders. “We’ve talked about Wenton’s illness being hereditary. Would you consider adopting a child?”
She beamed. “Of course, we could adopt, but I’m not afraid of that birth defect. If one or more of our children were born like Wenton, it would be an honor to love him or her.”
“My god, woman, how many kids are we having?” I felt a little horrified at the quantities she was tossing around.
“As many as is right for us,” she said as she leaned in and kissed me again.
“Do you want to start trying soon?” I didn’t know why I was ready for a family, but I felt ready.
After our around-the-world vacation, I felt like kids could be next.
“Let’s just start trying soon and see what happens. I’ll stop birth control, but until then, you and I need to practice,” she teased as she ran her hand over my already hardening cock.
I kissed her, my thumb skimming over her nipple. “Yes, we need to practice a lot.”
“Let’s never stop practicing, okay? Kids or no kids, let’s always love each other.”
“That’s a bet,” I said, knowing it would piss her off.
She narrowed her eyes. “Okay, a bet it is. Since you are such a winner, lets up your anty and start practicing now.”
I gulped as her Vera Wang fell onto the sandy shore.
Under the stars, we made love on the bank of Wenton’s lake. He had sent me on a hunt for life, and thanks to him, I found a glorious one.
THE END
Continue on to read the next FREE BONUS that is included in this copy!
A Bonus Novel
THE REBEL
Alice Ward
CHAPTER ONE
Sean
My hands moved easily over the motorcycle’s engine. I didn’t have to think as I adjusted one thing, then another. My mind and body went on autopilot. When a bike was in front of me, everything disappeared and I relaxed into my natural rhythm. It allowed me to escape my reality and truly be myself again.
This fix was an easy one, but it was time consuming. I’d been at it all morning and the sun was baking my neck. I could already feel the sunburn setting in. I tightened a few bolts to make sure everything was in its proper place before I wiped my hands and took a step back. I cranked the engine and listened to the beautiful growl as it roared to life. Grinning, I turned it off and pocketed the keys. The bike looked good, but it could do with a quick rub down. I called Jason over and threw my rag at him. He caught it with a grimace.
“What’s up, Sean?” he asked.
“I’m all done here,” I said. “Give it a quick wash. Nothing too fancy. Just wipe her down.”
“Will do,” Jason said with a nod. He went to work immediately as I made my way to the office and disappeared inside.
Jason was new at the shop. He started riding a few months earlier and was still fresh blood. We didn’t let him near the bikes unless he was washing them. He was itching to learn more, but the boss would have kicked my ass if I let him so much as touch an engine.
“Hey Mike,” I said to the bike’s owner. “We’re about done. I got her up and running for you. Should be good to go now.”
“Thanks, Sean,” he said with an approving nod.
“Anytime,” I said. “Jason’s just wiping her down. You’ll be out of here in a few.”
“You know you’re the only person I trust with my bike,” he said. I smiled, but I was sure it looked more like a grimace. This was a compliment I was used to. Almost everyone who came asked for me.
“I get that a lot,” I said. I walked behind the counter and printed out his bill.
“Listen,” Mike said. “Do you ride?”
“Of course,” I said. What kind of question was that?
“What you got?” he asked.
“Harley Dyna,” I said without feeling. I placed his bill on the counter between us and waited for him to pick it up. He didn’t.
“I run an MC up North. Just a few miles out of town. We could use someone like you.”
My head popped up and my eyes focused on his face. I scrutinized his expression, searching for some sign that he was kidding. He stared back at me. There was nothing but sincerity in his eyes. I cleared my throat and looked down at the bill in front of me. I slid it closer to him and fixed him with a pointed look.
“I’ll take that as a no,” he said with a soft chuckle.
“Yup,” I said.
Mike threw a few bills onto the counter and waited for his receipt. I printed it up and handed it to him without a word. When he turned to leave I breathed a sigh of relief, but as he pulled the door open he turned back to face me.
&n
bsp; “Listen,” he said. “I don’t know what your hesitation is, but we’re around if you change your mind. We just need a good mechanic. That’s all.”
“I hear you,” I said. “I’m just not interested, Mike. Nothing personal.”
“Alright.” Mike shrugged and stepped outside. The door swung shut behind him and I sunk down onto my stool. I put my head in my hands and breathed slowly.
I knew I had been rude. Mike was a good guy and a great customer. I’d known him for years, but he didn’t know me. Not really. He didn’t know that I’d spent years in a motorcycle club back in Phoenix or that it was the reason I moved to Mesa in the first place. He didn’t know that the club cost me my family, my life, everything. There was no way I could go back to that life. Not now. Not ever.
I checked the clock and saw that it was almost time for lunch. The boss would be here in a few hours and I wanted to make sure I was back before he got there. I stuck my head out into the shop and looked around for Jason.
“Jason!” I called. He ran around the corner quickly. “Hey, I’m getting lunch. Want anything?”
“Nah, I’m good,” he said.
“Don’t touch anything while I’m gone,” I warned. He rolled his eyes and disappeared again.
I tried to push Mike’s offer out of my mind for the rest of the day, but it was no use. I replayed our conversation as I ate lunch and then, again, while I worked on the next bike. When the boss came in and waved a quick hello, I wondered what it would be like to leave this place for good.
Getting back into the life would be stupid. That much I knew, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would mean for me. More money. Less time working for someone who didn’t even ride. My cut on each bike would be bigger. A lot bigger. And I would have more freedom when it came to my work. I remembered the days of being in an MC like it was yesterday. At times, it was great. Better than great. It felt like home. Until it didn’t.
Once the illegal activities got going, I would already be too far in. I wouldn’t be able to get out. Not without a fight. My entire life would revolve around the club. I would jump when they said to. I would do whatever was asked of me, no matter how bad it was. I’d been there before. I’d lived that life. No amount of money or feigned freedom was worth that risk.
