“You can count on me,” Brenda says emphatically. We want that bastard locked away for life. The damage he’s done to her psyche has yet to be seen. I’m waiting for the nervous breakdown I googled could come. She’s going to have a lifetime of PTSD from this, but I hope to be there to make it all better.
“Yes, we’ll be there when you need us.”
“Great, stay safe.” The call ended, and I gave Brenda’s hand a squeeze.
“I feel a thousand times safer already,” Brenda utters, staring out of the window. “He’s going to be charged. Dane, I wonder how many others he really attacked. Don’t they say these guys don’t start when they are old.”
“Don’t think about that. I’m sure there are plenty but remember this, you stopped him. You got away and are there to prevent any more attacks on women. Damn, you’re perfect, Brenda.”
“Hardly, but I’ll take it. Now, can we get some popcorn? I have this strange taste for it.”
“Of course, then we need to have a big discussion about our future at Rough Hands and beyond.”
“Popcorn, yay.” I toss my head back and laugh. I love this woman. I can’t imagine my life without her.
We get her popcorn and drive over to our work. Ben steps out with Mira by his side and little Ben in his arms. “So what’s going on?” he asks.
With a serious expression hiding my joy, I say, “A lot. Let’s go inside and talk.”
Epilogue
A Year Later
Dane
“Pregnant? Again?” I can’t stop smiling. Our son was born less than four months ago. I love it. I know it’s too much on Brenda, but I love knowing that I can give her what she wants.
“I know right. I’m still breastfeeding, Cole.”
“And me,” I say, wagging my brows.
“Yes, and you’re a greedy man.”
“Hey, milk does a body good,” I growl, biting my bottom lip and eyeing my wife’s sexy fucking body. I didn’t think she could get any hotter but seeing her round with my kid is like an instant aphrodisiac. I want to bend her over whenever I can.
“It’s certainly working for mine. Although, my newly rediscovered figure is going to change again, now.”
“I love your body as long as it close to mine.”
“Mr. Harris, you have to go to work. Or have you forgotten?” she asks, reminding me that I’m due out on a site in twenty minutes. She’s a lot better about sending me on my way now. It’s taken a while and some major therapy sessions to get both of us to tolerate being away from each other. It also helps that Miller was found guilty of the stalking and breaking and entering. He got ten years for both. Last week after more searches of secret properties, they found the remains of two victims. He then confessed to them. He will never get out of prison alive.
Two months after everything went down the Rough Hands crew helped me build near Ben and Mira’s home. It was a special present before I opened my own remodeling company.
Harris Renovations opened for business two months ago and so far, so damn good. I’ve had a lot more clients with smaller projects that keep my little crew busy. I don’t have a large company with my own work yard or warehouse yet, but we’re coming up. We run the business from our home and Brenda is my office manager. She handles everything from the website, to the contracts, and finances. It’s a blessing she’s so damn skilled after all the years of working for Ben.
Ben has been a tremendous help too. He’s sent over some clients because he’s trying to spend more time with his wife and kids that he can’t take on more than he has. Despite us leaving he gained six more employees, including a new foreman.
“Well, when I get home we’re going to celebrate properly.”
“Yes, we will.”
Five Years Later
Brenda
I can’t believe I’m about to tell him he managed to knock me up again. It’s like we opened the floodgates with Cole and since then we have had a baby every year. Five kids total and number six on the way. I’m so grateful that his company is doing so well. It started with six employees, and now we have twenty.
I enter his office and see him with a pencil pressed to his lips while he looks at something. Damn, how can he turn me on with something so mundane? “Dane, can I talk to you?”
“Always,” he says smiling up at me from his desk with his eyes raking over my body. He has a light grey streak coming in that adds to his sexiness. He’s added a lot more muscle over the years. He says it’s all the cooking I do that gave him more to convert to muscle. I say it’s from constantly carrying me around. The man has refused to let me walk when he’s around. I can’t say I don’t love his caveman antics. The kids think it’s cute. Our daughter says daddy is a strong knight and he has to carry his princess.