AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s Ausfahrting,” Brillante said to Lucas, pointing to the rear of the jet.
Roth grunted at their juvenile humor. Suki shook her head. But they both grinned as they made their descent because everyone was there. Sarina, Jane Louise, Lund, and even Monica, looking whole and healthy again. It hadn’t seemed possible that they’d get here—that they’d all survive. But Jacob Calakmul had been defeated. They’d . . .
Well, they hadn’t won, exactly. But they’d come out ahead, for now. That was something. That was everything. To Roth’s surprise, Jordan raced down the ramp ahead of everyone, more accustomed to the tricky descent than Roth and Suki. When he got to the bottom, he lifted Monica off her feet and twirled her around. The twins began hooting as he kissed her, but Suki looked away, mumbling something about PDA. Roth barely noticed because his gaze was fixed on his wife. His beautiful wife. Weeks ago, he’d thought she was lost to him forever, but here she was, healthy and whole, and he couldn’t be happier than he was in this moment. It wasn’t possible.
Sarina met him at the bottom of the ramp. “You,” she said, shaking her head at him. “You made it.”
“I was just thinking the same about you.” He tried to laugh, sort of cried, and then they were hugging so tightly it almost hurt. It felt so impossibly wonderful that they were back together, that she was in his arms again, her hair tickling his bare chin, an unfamiliar sensation because he hadn’t been beardless in decades.
“This is . . . this is unbelievable,” he whispered, choking. “I can’t. I wasn’t sure this was going to happen.”
She sniffled, rubbed her eyes, and then they kissed, and he didn’t care that everyone was looking at them. The pain and worry in his chest ebbed. Their lives wouldn’t be the same. But as long as they were together, they’d figure things out. After the kiss ended, they held each other for a long moment, Roth reassuring himself this was really happening—that his family had finally been reunited.
Sarina broke his grip and went to Suki and hugged her tenderly, kissing her cheeks, her hair. The boys were laughing and crying and talking over each other. Suki’s eyes were leaking, not full-on sobbing, and then Jane Louise came up and wrapped her little arms around Suki’s waist.
“Ready to see your mee-maw?” Suki said, choking up.
“I did,” the little girl said sweetly. “They arrived this morning.”
Roth tried not to lose it again when she hugged him next.
EPILOGUE
GALLATIN HIGH SCHOOL
BOZEMAN, MONTANA
January 21
The audience clapped vigorously at the end of the performance during the bows, and then everyone got to their feet to make it a standing ovation. Roth rose, his hands sore from the applause, but he smiled and then did a finger whistle when the cast parted to have the technical crew come forward and Suki took her bow.
Two weeks ago, Roth had been at Ford’s Theatre with the boys, listening to how Lincoln had been assassinated while attending a comedy. So sitting in this theater, watching this comedy, had him on edge. Even though Lund had assured Roth the high school was safe, and every entrance and exit was being monitored, there was still the nagging worry that something bad could happen. He glanced over at Jordan and Monica, who were talking to each other, pointing to the stage. An FBI agent was present, for pity’s sake, and still Roth was restless.
PTSD sucked.
“That was so good,” Lucas yelled.
“It was amazing,” Roth agreed.
Brillante was still clapping. “Brice was awesome. I loved that one character . . . what was her name?”
“Lady Hyacinth!” Lucas said. “The best!”
Suki’s boyfriend had played nearly all the D’Ysquith characters and done a fantastic job of it.
Roth pulled out his wallet and grabbed a ten-dollar bill. Handing it to Lucas, he said, “Run to concessions and get me another cup of caramel Bugles.”
Brice’s mom had made them, and they were simply the best.
“I wants me another Mountain Dew,” Brillante said. “I’ll go with him.”
People were already starting to leave the high school theater, so the twins dodged through the crowd and disappeared. Roth turned and looked up at the lighting booth, and Lund gave him a courtesy nod and a thumbs-up.
He felt tiny arms wrap around his waist and looked down, finding Jane Louise there. He tousled her hair and smiled at James and BJ McKinty, who had brought her to the performance. James wore a leather newsboy cap and had a goatee and polo shirt. BJ, who had adopted the entire Roth family after they’d brought her precious granddaughter back to Bozeman, had spiky hair and wore the most colorful clothes. She’d brought them treats constantly since they’d been back—everything from cake pops to homemade cookies to chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Monica had facilitated the introduction, and she’d been there when the Roths met the McKintys. There was no acrimony, no anger. They knew Sarina had been held against her will and that the death of their daughter’s family hadn’t been the Roths’ fault. It was because of the Roths that Jane Louise had survived.
Roth had worked with a new estate attorney to transfer the Beasleys’ assets back to Jane Louise through a family trust that her grandparents would be the custodians of until she was old enough.
