He didn’t release her hand the entire flight back to Vermont. Just the feel of her palm against his provided the reassurance that she was really there with him. They’d almost lost this and now that he had her back, he was loath to let her go.
EPILOGUE
FIVE MONTHS LATER
THE SUN WAS shining, and the air was a warm and dry sixty-eight degrees. Maybe too chilly for a barbecue in some parts of the country, but Vermonters were quite used to throwing on a jacket during their Memorial Day barbecues.
“Thanks,” Keith said to his brother as Jagger handed him a beer. He took a sip then let out a contented sigh. “Damn, that’s good stuff.”
With a nod, Jagger took a seat next to him. “It’s from that new microbrewery a few miles from here.”
“We’ll have to hit it up soon.” As he and Jagger sipped their beer and JP manned the grill, Mickie and Ronnie sat at the outdoor table, poring over a thick binder.
“What the hell is up with those two?” Jagger asked. “They’ve been thick as thieves since Mickie got back from LA. Always meeting in secret and whispering about shit.”
Keith grunted in agreement. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Oh, come on, you’re telling me your woman didn’t let something slip during a little pillow talk?” Jagger raised an eyebrow.
With a laugh, Keith shook his head. “Nope. Her lips have been sealed.”
“Sucks for you,” Jagger said with a grunt.
“Not what I meant, perv. All I know is that they have something to talk to all of us about today. They even wanted us to get Jimmy and Ian on Zoom so they could hear it too.”
“Think it has to do with the lawsuit or anything?”
“Nah, that’s pretty much a done deal.” After Keith surprised Mickie in California, they’d immediately flown home together where they’d spent the next few days holed up in her house. To be honest, they hadn’t left the bed much, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way. After talking through everything that had happened, their reactions, and their hopes moving forward, they finally emerged from her home to spend time with his siblings.
There were no guarantees Chuck had destroyed all files or copies of the video, but Keith was confident Mickie’s lawyer had thoroughly seen to all potential concerns. And if someday the video hit the media, they’d send Chuck to jail, then they’d find a way to get through it. As they’d done with the hordes of paparazzi and press who’d descended on their sleepy town in the weeks following Scarlett’s trip to California. As hard as she’d tried to stay anonymous, it hadn’t been possible. A coffee shop employee had recognized her and that had been that.
By now, most of the media attention had died down, allowing his family to return to a semi-normal life. There’d always be someone lurking around hoping to snap a shot or sound bite of Mickie, but not enough to fuck with their daily lives anymore.
“Oh, they’re waving us over.” Jagger stood and extended a hand to Keith. “Need help getting up, old man?”
With a snort, Keith batted his brother’s hand away. “Fuck off. I’m only two years older than you.”
“Yeah, but you got four years on me,” JP piped up as he strode to the table with a tray piled high with cheeseburgers. “You guys ready to dig in?”
“Yes, I’m starved.” Mickie’s eyes lit as she eyed the platter.
Keith went straight to her. When he reached her, he snagged her around the waist and pulled her in for a deep, dirty kiss. As usual, she melted against him and gave as good as she got. His cock hardened and he groaned into her mouth. “That was a bad idea,” he whispered against her lips.
Mickie laughed as she took a step back. “Better sit quick before they notice. You’ll never hear the end of it.”
Again he grumbled as he gingerly sat down, careful not to damage the merchandise.
“You okay there, buddy?” JP asked with a knowing smirk. Keith flipped him off which had the whole group laughing. Clearly, they’d caught on to his predicament.
Once they’d all loaded their plates with burgers, potato salad, chips, dip, and the grilled veggies Mickie had demanded, Ronnie pulled the missing family members up on a Zoom call on her laptop.
“Hey, guys!” JP said around a mouthful of meat as he waved.
“Oh, fuck you all,” Ian said, groaning. “You wanna know what I had for my last meal?”
“Nope.” JP took a huge bite of his burger. “Mmmm, this is soo good.”
“Careful, bro,” Jimmy said from the computer with a laugh. “Pretty sure they don’t have burgers in hell.”
“Worth it.” JP’s eyes fell closed and he exaggerated a moan.
“Maybe you should just eat it and not fuck it,” Jagger said. “None of us wanna see that shit.”