Page 104 of Scorched

Epilogue

Nerves assailed Declan as he stared outside. Flurries floated through the air under a steel gray sky. A bigger storm was coming, but it was half a day away, thankfully.

“Hey, you ready?”

He turned to see Macy in the doorway. She looked beautiful in her deep blue chiffon dress. It fit snug to her waist, then flared away to float around her legs like a cloud. Their younger sisters flanked her, wearing identical dresses and gigantic smiles.

“Yeah, are you ready? We’re ready!” Jessie bounced. The wreath of flowers on her head tilted and Macy set it back in place.

He smiled at her. “You are? You don’t look ready. Where are your flowers?”

Jessie scrunched her nose. “Mommy has them. The petals kept falling off while I held them.”

Hannah giggled. “That’s because you couldn’t stop bouncing.”

Jessie threw up her hands. “I’m excited!”

They all laughed. Declan scooped her up. “Well, let’s go find them and get this show on the road, huh?”

The little girl pumped her fist. “Yes!”

He led them through the church hallway to the sanctuary and found Denise. Her previously dull blonde hair was now a more natural light brown, and she wore a mint green sweater dress and tall brown boots. Over the last couple months, he and Macy had helped get her and the girls out of the hellhole they lived in. Seb offered them his house on the ranch, and Macy hired her at the coffee shop. The girls loved living amongst the Archers and having access to the farm animals.

Denise proved to be a good woman who fell prey to a charismatic man’s silver tongue. Out from under his influence and in a better place than that dilapidated house and crime-riddled neighborhood, she flourished. Macy raved about her work ethic and her ability to learn new things quickly. And she was a wonderful mother. The girls adored her, and Declan and Macy now viewed her as a sister. She was a bit young for them to see her as a stepmother figure.

“I need my flowers, Mommy.” Declan set Jessie on her feet, and she ran to her mother.

Denise looked up and smiled. She handed Jessie her flowers. “Be careful with them this time.”

“I will.” The girl whirled around. Another petal fell off. She took Macy’s hand. “Let’s go line up!”

“I guess we’re going,” Macy said, looking back over her shoulder, laughing, as Jessie hauled her to the vestibule.

Declan grinned as he watched them go.

“They all look beautiful.”

He turned to look at Denise.

“You don’t look so bad, either.” A sad smile crossed her face. “A lot like your father, actually.”

He didn’t want the reminder of his dad on a day like today, but he couldn’t help but feel for the woman who at one time loved him. He laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

She waved a hand. “Don’t be. He’s a handsome man. It’s what drew me to him in the first place. I just wish he was as good of a man as you are. Thank you for all you’ve done for me and the girls. I can’t say that enough. And thank you for including them in your wedding. They were so excited to be asked to be junior bridesmaids.”

“It wouldn’t feel right without them.” And that was the truth. The girls had become a huge part of his life in the last few months. He was glad Maggie recognized that and asked them to be part of their day.

She sniffed and wiped away a tear. “You have been so good to us. Especially me, which still boggles my mind. I raised that monster. After all he did—”

“Hush,” Declan interjected softly. “Michael’s deeds were his own. He and Dad can’t ever hurt us again. Dad will never see the light of day, and Michael will be an old man. It’s over.” Once Cole recovered from his injuries, he pled guilty to arson and murder. The judge sentenced him to life without parole. Michael fought the charges, but lost. He awaited sentencing, and Declan expected him to serve at least thirty years for his role. It was time to move on.

She reached up and squeezed his hand on her shoulder. “I will be forever grateful.” She sniffed again and gestured toward the altar where his groomsmen and the minister stood. “Go take your place and marry that girl.”

He grinned. “I can do that.” He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and walked up front.

“Nervous?” Brady asked.

Declan looked at his best man. “Actually, no. Not anymore.” The nerves he felt a few minutes ago were gone. He knew they were doing the right thing, even if it was fast. When he proposed a week after the cabin explosion, the close call was still fresh for them both. He didn’t want to waste time dating when he knew she was it for him. He would take every day together she gave him. That niggling thought she would eventually come to her senses and realize he wasn’t good enough sat in the back of his mind until his sisters showed up in the ready room. Seeing the girls dressed as bridesmaids—at Maggie’s request—finally helped him see she accepted him and all his faults. Family included.

---