Page 125 of Revelry
“Yeah,” I smiled. “I have everything I need.”
EPILOGUE
Gertie
One year later…
My orgasm rocketed through me and I screamed, my whole body spasming with release.
I don’t know how he did it. Every damn time. He took me to the edge and then flung me off it with abandon and I didn’t ever get enough. I never would.
A year later and we were as insatiable as if we’d just met. It was sickening. We were giving Kat and Jack a run for their money on who could be the most unbearable to be around. I felt bad for the rest of the girls but I knew one day they would find their happily ever afters and know exactly how this feels. Especially Maddy and Leo, something was definitely going on there.
Tate popped his head out from under the duvet, such a proud smile on his face and I patted his cheek.
“Incredible. As always. Ten out of ten.”
His cheeks flushed with my praise. I’d discovered he actually loved to be told he’d done a good job, I think it was something to do with the perfectionist in him.
Tate had continued with his therapy, and his impulses had become easier to control over time, sometimes I forgot he even had them. Only when he was really stressed did he have a severe flare up, especially now the root cause of his OCD had been confronted and resolved. Between Neil and I, Tate had learned that he didn’t need to fight his OCD but learn to live alongside it.
We saw his dad and brothers once a week for dinner. At first, the meet ups had been stilted and difficult, no one knowing how to handle it and what to say, but that’s where I came in handy, smoothing everything over between them and easing the tension.
Tate spent time one-on-one with Scott and also with Jake who had become a little Tate shadow. He looked up to him so much that sometimes the admiration in his gaze made my chest hurt. I was so thrilled Tate had a family again, he had the father he deserved. It hadn’t all been smooth sailing but after a year, they had gotten to know each other a lot better.
And what a year it had been. I’d been devastated to cut back on working at the ranch, it was a huge part of my life and would continue to be. Now I loved being a Redemption cowgirl when I had the spare time.
Living The Cream was up and running. Mom and Cathy sold up and moved to San Francisco permanently and we had a regular weekly Facetime, including Tate. Mom and Cathy had kind of adopted him and checked in to make sure he was eating right and looking after me. I’d taken over the contract on Cathy’s gallery and refurbished it into the ice creamery, hiring two assistants to help me.
The first summer there had been incredible. I’d worked overtime making as much ice cream as possible. I couldn’t keep up with demand but it had been so fulfilling. It was such a beautiful thing to be exhausted by your own achievements and progress. And it had proved to me that I could do this. Now whenever I thought about Shithead Gary’s scornful words, I laughed. What an idiot he was to try and dull my shine.
Over the winter months, I’d kept the customers coming in by making pumpkin spice and cinnamoneverything. My hot chocolates had become as legendary as my ice cream. I held events which paid for themselves, birthdays, retirement partiesand local book clubs all hired the space, and the café was packed most days.
I was well and truly living my glorious dream.
“Come on, get dressed. We’ve got to cross off a Fagenda item.” Tate rolled out of bed, tugging on his boxers. My eyes dropped to the massive boner he was sporting.
“You want me to do anything about that?” I asked, nibbling my bottom lip.
His stare locked on my mouth and he groaned before dropping a kiss to my forehead.
“Later. Absolutely later. We’ve got an appointment to stick to.”
I pouted. “Appointment? Boo. That doesn’t sound very Fagenda-friendly. Fun isn’t scheduled.”
He grinned at me, his smile coming so freely these days, my grump was a grump no more. Sometimes I missed his growly ways.
“This fun is, hop to it, sugar!”
Then he was gone, and I was grumbling and getting out of bed. I stood up too quickly, the room spinning and my stomach roiled. I eventually righted myself, dressed and found him downstairs waiting by the front door.
“Is this attire appropriate?” I asked, twirling for him.
His eyes roved over me. “You look perfect.” He patted my ass but I knew he was just secretly trying to shove me towards the door, he still didn’t like to be late.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked as we drove out towards the rolling fields.
He just grinned and shook his head. “It’s a secret Fagenda item.”
