Authors: Bijou Hunter

Rebound Biker (7 page)

Epilogue

Winston

Saying
the Words

On
a balmy evening, Meredith and I ride my Harley on the roads past the farms
until we reach the spot where I knew she was the one. This time she isn't
wearing a pink gumball helmet, but a better fitting orange one.

After
I park the bike on the side of the empty road, Meredith climbs off and removes
her helmet. The wind blows her blonde hair across her beautiful face and I'm
again struck by the luck of our meeting after so many years. How different my
life would be right this moment if I hadn't gone to Pete's Stinky Dive.

Standing
on this road, I don't know what to say. Can't think of the words to express how
I feel. The ones I grab for sound sappy and wrong in my head. When I stare at
her for too long, Meredith smiles and I finally understand how words aren't
necessary.

Kneeling
down, I remove the ring box from my pocket and open it. Meredith looks so calm
as if she always knew. Her smile feels rather anticlimactic after how nervous
I've been. Suddenly, she giggles then covers her mouth.

"Sorry,"
she says, looking like she'll jump up and down soon.

"No,
that's a sexy look on you."

"Are
you going to ask or can I just say yes now?"

"Will
you marry me?"

Giving
into her urge, Meredith bounces around laughing before dropping to her knees
and hugging me.

"Yes,"
she says, kissing me. "The sooner, the better."

Meredith
isn't kidding. She pulls strings at the country club, makes a million calls,
and designs a quickie wedding that looks like something out of a damn magazine.
I don't feel out of place since she uses the colors of my club as inspiration.
She makes sure to include my family and friends in the ceremony, making it a
perfect blend between her world and mine.

Meredith
is never more beautiful than when walking down the aisle wearing a big grin.
Her smile promises we'll have one helluva life together.

After
our quickie relationship leading to the altar, I still have a lot to learn
about Meredith. My brother even warns me that those little surprises might be
deal breakers. Instead, they prove we're perfect together.

I'm
not the kind of guy who worries about bills and financial crap. Meredith loves
keeping track of those things. She has spreadsheets and electronic reminders to
ensure everything remains paid.

When
our three kids come along, Meredith is just as organized. The babies are born
early in our marriage with only sixteen months between each of them. Most days,
Meredith has no trouble juggling our new family and her career. As they get
older though, she gets overwhelmed at times with the chaos.
Daddy to the
rescue.
I love the wild times, barely hearing most of the noise after so
many years with my nieces and nephews. My three aren't nearly as loud when I
take them to playgrounds or Grammy's house to allow Mom a break. Those nights
when I return with the kids, we find a recharged Meredith. She laughs more at
the kids' shenanigans. She also thanks me in very energetic ways once the kids
are asleep.

Unlike
my ex-girlfriends, Meredith never makes me feel like a hero by saving her from
the simple things in life. I'm a hero just by making her laugh with one of my
throwaway comments, by caring for our children, or by making her toes curl. She
doesn't need saving. No, Meredith just needs me.

Epilogue

Meredith

How
It All Ends

Winston's
nerves remain unsettled until our honeymoon in New Orleans. I'll never
understand why he thought I might run, but he finally accepts I'm right where I
want to be. Our week in the Big Easy is the epitome of decadence. We do nothing
except eat, drink, and fuck. The one time we attempt a walking tour, we end up
stopping for catfish and ending up back in bed at the hotel.

Returning
home, we quickly put the house for sale and look for a new place. I want a
house with all the fancy fixtures. Winston craves an older house with space and
character. We compromise when he convinces me to buy a fixer upper and promises
he'll remodel it to my liking. By the time our first son is born, the house has
all the character he likes and all the shiny newness I crave. The house has a
workshop with space for his Harleys and a mancave. I'm more interested in the
fancy kitchen where I keep my stash of Skittles.

We
also find a compromise when naming our children. No Captain America or G.I.
Joe, but we do choose solidly male names. Mitchell and Gregory seem less likely
than their father to run into girls with the same names. Our final child is a
girl and Winston figures Princess Barbie should work. We spend nine months
bouncing around names. The boys are big fans of Jessie like from
Toy Story
.
Winston fears his little princess will end up in a class with a boy Jesse. He's
obsessed with this fear, so we name her Grace. I figure she's unlikely to meet
a penis-sporting Grace.

Three
kids is a lot, but Winston and I make a great team. I'm the organized mom while
he's at the roughhousing dad. I teach the kids to cook. He teaches them to fix
cars. The kids grow up knowing both of our clubs, respecting both big balls and
bigger bank accounts.

Bethany finally uses the Dentist's name after he eats a brownie she baked then doesn't
brush for an entire hour. They're married a year later and I'm soon blessed
with a niece and nephew sporting excellent teeth and an affinity for snide
comments. Zulma is thrilled to have mommy play dates and real girls' nights
out. We even enjoy family vacations together to Disneyworld.

Everything
fell into place once I got drunk and went looking for my rebound guy. Rather
than finding a one-night stand, I met someone I thought I'd lost forever. The
boy who made my toes curl as a teenager grew up to be the man of my dreams.

About
Bijou

Living in
Indiana with my three sweet sons, three wacky cats, one super mom (and her ugly
dog), I love writing, cats, Denny's, 1970's rock, Beanie Boos, and sitcoms
cancelled before their time.

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Bijou's Books

Damaged Series

Damaged and the Beast

Damaged and the
Knight