Kate will always have a place in my heart. But I feel like being with Rosemary has helped me move beyond my grief, and I’m grateful for that. She’s everything to me, and I can’t wait to meet in a few months’ time the perfect little person we have made together.

  “How was your day?”

  “Good. How about you?”

  “I’m glad I had the day off. There’s still so much stuff I need to get for the house.”

  “It looks fine to me.”

  “Of course, you’re gonna say that. Men always think like that.”

  “Oh really? Since when are you an expert of how men think?”

  She giggles. I love to make her laugh. This whole thing between us feels so right.

  “I hope you worked up an appetite.”

  “I’m always hungry for this.”

  I bring her close to me and wrap my arms around her waist. She smiles and shakes her head.

  “You really are trying to get me in trouble.”

  “It’s all your fault. You’re so hot, I can’t keep my hands off of you.”

  “We have our whole lives for all of that, Abel.”

  I nod. She’s right. We do have our whole lives ahead of us. Together. I’ve been thinking more and more about popping the big question. I want to surprise Rosemary with a ring that will blow her away.

  “Why don’t you set the table, baby?”

  “You got it.”

  I grab some bowls and spoons out of the cabinet. If Dom and James saw me now, they’d crack up laughing. Rosemary has managed to domesticate a big ole man like me. And I don’t mind it one bit. Tonight, I’ll be on dish duty before I get started on another duty between the sheets.

  The blood rushes to my cock as Rosemary sprinkles seasonings into the pot. I want to make love to her right on the kitchen counter, like we did before. But I know she’s right. We have our whole lives to do all of that and much more.

  ***

  The next day, at the station, I sit behind my desk drinking coffee. I’m a little nervous because I have a press conference coming up soon. I’m not shy at all, but that doesn’t mean I’m crazy about talking in front of cameras. I wish somebody else could fill in, but Sergeant Tillis insisted I do it.

  As if I’d talked him up, Sergeant Tillis rounds the corner and makes his way over to me. He smiles.

  “You ready for your close-up, Miller?”

  “As ready as I’m gonna get. I wish I didn’t have to do this but…”

  “The town needs to hear from you. After all that mess with Lyle Johnson, you’re one of the few folks they really trust. You’ll do fine.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You betcha. By the way, I like the shave.”

  I grin. It was Rosemary’s idea. She wanted me to be clean-shaven for the press conference. She says I look handsome no matter what, but she thinks the razor does a lot of good. I love that woman to pieces.

  “I’ll be in my office if you need anything.”

  “Okay.”

  Sergeant Tillis heads back to his office, and I walk to the breakroom to stretch my legs. I’m about to be on TV soon. I hope everybody in Tomahawk tunes in. I want them to know not to worry.

  Thirty minutes later, I stand at the podium with Sergeant Tillis at my side. There are only two cameras and a bright light. Tomahawk is a very small media market; still, I know the word will spread fast. I recognize a few reporters from the Tomahawk Times in the crowd.

  I turn to the last page of my written statement and read: “In the end, it took the bravery of law enforcement and courageous civilians to finally bring down Eric Brown and the Vipers. As a result of what happened, our community will be a safer place, especially for the children who call Tomahawk home. Thank you. I’ll take any questions at this time.”

  A young reporter raises his hand. I point to him.

  “Go ahead.”

  “Sheriff Miller, you mentioned that the Vipers had recruited teenagers from Tomahawk High and they were involved in the meth ring?”

  “That’s correct. We made a bust of a meth lab a few months ago, and unfortunately Eric Brown was using teenagers to do his dirty work.”

  “And what about your accusation that he also ordered them to kill you and other men? Do you have any proof of this?”

  I hesitate. I know what happened that night, as sure as I know the sky is blue. And even though I didn’t realize it at the time, we do have proof. Rosemary was recording the whole time. At first, she wasn’t sure if her phone picked up everything, but when we sent the recording to our techs, they captured the audio of Eric telling the boys to kill us.

  Unfortunately, I can’t share all of that information yet. My priority is protecting Rosemary and our unborn child. There are still a few angry Vipers around town, thirsting for revenge. I take a deep breath and look at the reporter.

  “This is an ongoing investigation, and I’m not at liberty to go into those details at this time. But rest assured we have solid evidence, and the Vipers will no longer be able to terrorize this town. Any other questions?”

  “Sure. Do you really think there will be a truce between the motorcycle clubs?”

  “A truce probably wouldn’t be the word I would use. But I think that things will be more peaceful around here. I think that this is a new beginning for our town.”

  Sergeant Tillis touches my shoulder and leans into the microphone. I step aside to let him stand at the podium.

  “I would like to once again thank Sheriff Abel Miller for all he did. Without him, we would be nowhere on this case. I would also like to thank the other brave men and women who wear the badge in our department.

  “As you know the law enforcement community around here took a serious hit to our reputation with the arrest of Lyle Johnson. A man like that never deserved to wear the badge. But this man right here... He represents the best of our department.

  “Now I don’t mean to rush things, but we need to get back to work. Thank you all for coming out. And please contact the department if you have any follow-up questions. We want all of the people of Tomahawk to know that we’re here to protect and serve everyone. Thank you.”

  Sergeant Tillis and I walk out of the room. As we step into the hallway, he flashes a big smile.

  “See, I told you that you didn’t have anything to worry about, Miller. If you were nervous, I couldn’t tell one bit.”

  “Thanks, Sergeant.”

  When I get back to my desk, I see a text message from Rosemary that reads: “You did great!”

  “I just did my job.”

  “You look handsome doing your job.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Can’t wait to see you later tonight.”

  “; )”

  I sit at my desk with a big ole smile on my face, like I’d just won the Mega Millions. For once, it feels like everything is going right. I have an amazing woman in my corner, and Tomahawk is a much safer place.

  On my way back home, I think about stopping off at the bar to have a drink. I want to celebrate with Dom and James. If it hadn’t been for them, things would’ve gotten real ugly out there on the edge of town. I might not even be here. I guess it all worked out the way it was supposed to. It took the Grizzlies, Rosemary, and her boys to bring down those Viper bastards.

  But when I get close to the bar, I keep on driving. I really can’t wait to get home to Rosemary. Home to Rosemary... I love the sound of that. I have no doubt that’s she’s cooking up something delicious again, and I’m not just talking about the kitchen.

  I park in her driveway and shut off the engine. Across the street, the nosy neighbor, Mrs. Huggins, is standing on her front porch. I get out of my car and wave to her. She grins. Mrs. Huggins doesn’t bother me at all. I’m glad she was so observant. It probably saved Rosemary’s life. She looks up from watering her plants.

  “Howdy!”

  “Hey!”

  “Good news conference today!”

  “Thank you.”

  I make my way to the porch and unlock the front door. Rosemary is sitting on the living room couch. She looks so sexy her pajamas. Her eyes light up when she sees me.

  “Look! You’re on the news again!”

  She points at the TV.

  I lean in and kiss her.

  “I’d much rather watch you than the news.”

  She giggles as I sit down next to her and prop her cute feet up on my lap. I massage her toes as I look at the screen. I’ve never been a vain man, but I have to admit that I look pretty good.

  “You were right about me shaving.”

  “I’m right about everything, Abel. The sooner you find that out, the better.”

  “Oh really?”

  I climb on top of her and run my fingers through her hair. She looks at me with passion in her brown eyes. I want Rosemary so bad, I can’t wait to love her for life.

  ***

  Over the next couple of weeks, the town starts to move under the solo leadership of the Grizzlies. Things are a lot less tense. Fewer 911 calls. And most of all, folks don’t walk around looking scared all the time.

  Since Eric had done so much underhanded shit when it came to his real estate, a bunch of Grizzly MC lawyers help people draw up legal rights to their land because Eric had no heir. It turns out that a lot of people were entitled to their property under his bogus rent-to-own contracts.

  Rosemary’s boys graduate from high school. I’m so glad those kids didn’t get a bad rap. Nobody deserves a second chance more than they do. I’m really surprised when Hal and his friends approach me and Dom to ask for a meeting.

  They tell us they want to become Grizzlies. I never would press them to join, but they insisted. They say they want to make sure the Vipers never get control again. They turn into the Grizzlies’ new enforcers.

  This is the happiest I’ve been in forever. After enduring a living nightmare, my life is just about perfect now. I wake up with a big smile on face every morning. But being the man I am, I never take anything for granted.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Rosemary

  I walk into the building. It’s the last day of school. I’m so happy to be back here. At first, I wondered if I would be able to get my old job back. I had a lot of explaining to do to Mrs. Stewart, but she was very understanding. I felt kinda bad about leaving the city students and Mr. Martin, but Tomahawk is home for me.

  Inside, kids roam the hallways freely. I notice Holly standing by her locker. She grins at me.

  “Hey, Ms. G.”

  “Hey.”

  She hesitates for a moment. I can tell she has something on her mind. After a long pause, I touch her shoulder.

  “Holly, just so you know, you did the right thing.”

  “I know. Things are a lot better around here.”

  “And we’re gonna all do our part to make sure it stays that way.”

  A good-looking boy with blonde hair calls out to her.

  “Holly!”

  She blushes as she turns to him.

  “Sorry, Ms. G. I gotta go.”

  “No problem. You be safe this summer, alright.”

  She nods as she hurries to his side. I can’t help but smile. It’s good to know that a girl like Holly won’t have to be preoccupied with the madness from the Vipers. She can spend her time thinking about school and her crush. That’s the way it’s supposed to be for all kids.

  I head down the hall into my classroom. When I open the door, I’m not surprised to see that it’s empty. Kids always take their sweet time getting to class on the last day.

  A few minutes later the bell rings, and my student shuffle into the room. Jess walks in and nods at me. I stand in front of the class as they take their seats.

  “Okay, I know everybody is counting down the minutes because this is the last day of the semester. But I just want all of you to know that I have some very good news. All of you passed. So, I guess that means no summer school.”

  Their eyes light up like I just bought them everything off their Christmas wish lists. Some of them high-five and fist bump each other. A few of them chat amongst themselves.

  “Alright. Alright. Quiet down. There’s something else I want to say. I’m really proud of you. Not just because of your grades, but because of so much more.”

  I turn to Jess. He takes a deep breath. I can tell he knows exactly what I’m talking about.

  “I’ll let everyone have a free period, as long as you aren’t disruptive. So, enjoy it while you can, because I can promise that next year things will be much tougher.”

  A few of them moan and frown.

  “Don’t worry. I know all of you are up to the challenge.”

  At the end of class the bell rings, and we say our goodbyes. It’s a little emotional. I’m attached to these kids, and I can’t help but think about the fact that I’m about to be a mother myself.

  The last student to leave is Jess. He lingers in the doorway. I walk over to him.

  “Hey, Ms. G.”

  “Hey, Jess. Hal told me everything.”

  Jess’s eyes get wide.

  “I know you were a big reason why Hal and the other boys didn’t hurt Sheriff Miller or the other Grizzlies. I can’t thank you enough for that.”

  Jess takes a deep breath.

  “For the longest time, I thought the Vipers were the good guys. Now I know the truth. I think everybody knows.”

  “You’re right. You take care of yourself, Jess.”

  “Okay. You too, Ms. G.”

  “For sure.”

  He walks out of the classroom. I think about how so much has changed since that fateful day I came to visit him in the hospital. I totally understand why Jess used to trust the Vipers. Eric Brown was very convincing when he wanted to be. He could have fooled just about anyone. Except me.

  On my lunch break, I head to the office. The secretary is all smiles. I can tell she’s just as excited as all of us about this being the last day.

  “How are you, Rosemary?”

  “I’m fine. Do you think I could talk to Mrs. Stewart for a minute?”

  “Let me check in with her. One sec.”

  The secretary picks up the phone receiver and dials an extension.

  “Mrs. Stewart? Yes. Rosemary is here to see you. Okay. Okay.”

  The secretary looks up at me.

  “You can go in.”

  I nod.

  “Thank you.”

  I walk into Mrs. Stewart’s office. As usual, she’s shuffling papers behind her desk. She looks up at me.

  “To what do I owe this honor?”

  I smile.

  “I just wanted to catch up with you.”

  “Sure.”

  “Mrs. Stewart, I really appreciate you letting me come back on staff.”

  “The truth is I never wanted to see you go. I know the school in the city must be disappointed to lose a teacher as qualified as you are.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I don’t mean to be nosy but how are things going between you and Abel?”

  The blood rushes to my cheeks.

  “Things are good.”

  “I always had a feeling the two of you would be more than ‘friends’.”

  “You were right.”

  “I’m just glad you found someone who makes you happy. So, any plans for the summer?”

  I hesitate. The baby growing inside of me is a very big plan. I’m trying to think of the best way to broach the conversation.

  “Actually, I…”

  “Are you two are taking a vacation together? That’s a big step in any relationship.”

  “Well, we’re taking an even bigger step than that.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re leaving again?”

  “Actually, I’m not going anywhere. I belong right here in Tomahawk.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “And that’s not all.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Mrs. Stewart, I’m pregnant.”

 

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