Page 37 of Protected by the Sheriff (Magnolia Falls #2)

Epilogue

Olivia

We name her Merit Kate Walker. Merit after my mother, Kate after Mason’s.

Kate is a godsend. She comes to stay for the first few days after we come home from the hospital, which is helpful due to the number of stitches I have. It’s rough getting up and down for those first few days.

Mason has family leave from work and is spending Merit’s first six weeks at home with us.

He does everything from changing diapers to getting up with her at night.

Of course I nurse her, and we haven’t offered her a bottle yet, so he can’t feed her, but he really tries to take as much of the burden off me as possible.

Between him, Kate, and Savannah, I have to ask to hold my own child sometimes.

It’s a running joke in my house, but in all seriousness, I’m so grateful for their help and support. I know Savannah didn’t have this when she had Kenzi, so I will never take their care for granted.

Piper and Hadley have been running the shop with the help of two new tattoo artists.

Mason has done in-depth background checks on both, and I don’t think he did the legal kind because the information he got on these men was not normal.

Apparently, Declan’s friend Marcello has access to deep background searches, and he can find information even the police don’t have access to.

Mason is just as overprotective of Merit as I expected him to be.

He’s the best father, and sometimes it brings tears to my eyes seeing the love he has for her.

We agree that if something happens to one of us, the other will not shut our daughter out but be there through her grief.

He promises me he won’t react the way my mother did and make her feel invisible.

I know my parents loved one another more than they loved anyone else, but when it came time to let go, it hurt that my mom chose to shut me out. It’s not what Mason or I want for Merit.

As Mason walks into the bedroom, he eyes me hungrily. “She’s finally down, and we don’t have long, so pull those beautiful tits out. I want a taste.”

My husband has become obsessed with tasting my breast milk, and it’s a new kink we’ve found we both enjoy.

I’m still not cleared by the doctor to have penetrative sex since I’m only 5 weeks postpartum, but Mason makes it a point to kiss, suck, and rub me to orgasm as often as possible.

Just because we’ve had a baby doesn’t mean we stop giving one another pleasure.

It’s brought us closer than ever before.

As I sit and look down at my ring finger, where Mason and I have gotten matching wedding rings tattooed on our fingers, I know the best thing I ever did was fall in love with Mason Walker.

The tattoo is a tiny set of interlinked handcuffs placed across our fingers.

It’s the only tattoo my husband has on his body, but it was his idea to get matching ones, which we did as soon as Merit was born.

I’ve learned to love his over-the-top, bossy ways more than I ever imagined I could. He’s unhinged, and overly possessive, but he’s mine.