Page 151 of Jackass

“Yea. He rejected me then. Still didn’t want anything to do with me. I didn’t think I could ever forgive him for what he did to Sammy. Then he saved my little girl’s life. Kept her safe for me until I could get to her. I’m not saying we’ll ever be close, but I’m willing to try. Because, despite everything he did, he was my brother when it mattered the most.”

“Micah’s not—”

“He is. In all the ways that matter. There will come a day when you need him and the club to stand at your back. Wouldn’t it be better for us to already be there?”

Ryder laid there, staring at the ceiling.

“Think about it,” I said and rapped my knuckles against the end of the hospital bed.

I walked out of his room, leaving him to think about everything I said. It was time to return to the clubhouse myself. I had a woman to love, a child to raise, and a brother to get to know.

Epilogue

Samantha

Five Weeks Later

The day of the book signing had finally arrived. A lot of work had gone into the planning, and everything was going off without a hitch so far.

A lot had happened since the day Charlie was kidnapped and Ryder got shot. I was no longer married. I was now an old lady.

Once the divorce was final, Jack asked for a vote in church. It was unanimous, and I received my cut.

Derek had gone back to Arkansas, but he and Jack talked at least once a week. I wanted that for him. I wanted him to get to know his brother. To have a family.

As for me, I had forgiven Derek.

After saving Charlie’s life, combined with what Jack told me Derek had said about that day, I made a choice. A choice to let go of the past and move forward. Jack needed his family more than I needed my anger.

We had invited him to visit for the upcoming holidays, but he said he had too much work and would try to make it back after the new year. Charlie loved FaceTiming her uncle. That was the thing about kids, they loved easy. We could all learn a thing or two from them.

Derek had asked us not to tell him anything about his daughter. He didn’t know her name or where she was. He didn’t believe he deserved that. He also didn’t know she was missing. Nav was still trying to track them down.

The day after my divorce from Derek was final, Jack proposed. It was beautiful. He and Charlie presented what I thought was breakfast in bed. When I took the lid off my food, a small velvetbox sat there instead.

It was actually Charlie who proposed. Asking if we could be a family that lived together forever. Of course, I said yes. There was no way I was giving up either of them. Or the little one we were now expecting.

I told Jack this morning. He couldn’t be happier. He had spilled the beans weeks ago that Beck and Blade were also having a baby. She was about a month ahead of me, but Jack was hoping they were both boys so they could grow up best friends.

I told him it could be a boy and a girl who grew up and got married. He said that would only happen if we had the boy and they had the girl, because his girls were never getting married. I chose not to remind him he didn’t get a say in that.

Beck, Rachel, and I, along with Lily, Mrs. Samson, and Grace, were helping keep everything on track at The Bookstore. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas had Chrissy and Tabby today, like I suggested. They brought them in now that it was later in the day.

The Silver Shadows were in charge of crowd control. King had told the guys they would be working in shifts to keep a brother, his family, and his business safe.

Ryder still hadn’t accepted his cut, much to the dismay of the club. Still, King considered him a brother. He was determined to get him patched in. Things were still strained between Ryder and Blade, but slowly getting better.

The book signing was an enormous success. Even bigger than I had anticipated. Never mind what Ryder had thought.

Rayne fell in love with our little town, but we were still trying to convince her to settle down here. When Ryder was in the hospital, we learned Rayne Perry was her pen name. Her real name was Ellery Livingston.

Ellie.

She was originally from New York but hated it there. With each small-town book signing, she was looking for a place to put down roots. We were all hoping she’d choose Diamond Creek.

Especially Ryder.

By the time the day was winding down, we had run out ofsigned copies of her newest release she had sent before the event. I had just brought Ellie a stack of books to sign when someone caught her eye.