Page 45 of A Reaper's Devotion
Epilogue
Five Years Later
“Then what happened, Uncle Ray?”Bethany asked.
Cyrus looked toward his brother, who had moved back to Lost Creek.The guy’s arrival had come right on time.He knew if his brother hadn’t arrived, there was a good chance Willow would have died.Which would have also meant Bethany and Douglas wouldn’t have been born.His four-year-old daughter who was growing way too fast.Faster than his liking.Douglas was two years old, and glancing toward his wife, who was hanging out another Halloween decoration, and she was also heavily pregnant, due in January.
“Then, I got well in the hospital and your grandparents came, and most of the town came to see me.Trust me, it surprised me to see so many of them.They forgave me.I did have to earn my place, and that wasn’t easy.”He let out a little sigh.“They do not forgive easily, but I messed up badly.So, what do we not do?”
“Turn our backs on those who trust us,” Bethany said.
Douglas clapped his hands.
“You kids are so freaking cute.”Ray reached out and lightly pinched each of their cheeks.
As for his kids, they ran toward him and hugged him tightly.His brother was a hit with the kids.
Five years ago, this place had gotten shot up.Old Sheriff Billy took care of the body and those finer details.The Reapers helped him fix his home, and within less than a week, this place had looked as good as new.
Two weeks later, they were enjoying Thanksgiving, and Ray was at home as well.They had gone to his parents’.
As per his father’s advice, he did in fact marry Willow on Christmas day.Not just so he would remember their anniversary, seeing as he now gave himself twice the amount of work, because he had to get her multiple gifts, but because he knew it was what she wanted.
Getting to his feet, he made his way into the kitchen to see Willow back inside, doing some last-minute decorating on the cupcakes she had baked that afternoon.
Willow loved being a mother.
He moved in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his face against her neck.
She let out a chuckle.“Hey, there,” she said.“Ray recounting his heroic moments?”
“Just the first one from when he got back and saved you.You know how the kids love to hear him talk about the way he saved their mommy.”
Willow laughed.“That he did.”
“And he was rewarded for it as well.Daniel gave him a chance to join the Reapers.”
This time, Ray earned it.He passed the tests, and even when it looked like he was close to death, he got up off that floor and asked for more.He was one hell of a Reaper.The transformation was incredible.
Willow slid the piping back across the cupcake, and from the layer of it, it looked like a little mummy.
“Here, have a bite,” she said, peeling back the wrapping.
He didn’t even hesitate as he took a bite.It tasted good.Just as he knew his wife was going to taste good as well.
Staring at her, he knew tonight, when everyone was sleeping, he was going to make love to his wife.They would have to be quiet as they were going to have a full house.His parents were stopping by.His wife had prepared a feast.
“Are you happy?”he asked.
“Yes, I am.There is nothing about our life I would change.Are you happy?”she asked.“Would you change anything?”
