Reaper's Salvation: A Last Riders Trilogy by Jamie Begley (read a book TXT) 📗

love so that even if my heart doesn’t beat again, and I don’t take another breath, I won’t have to search in another lifetime. With you, I’ve already found eternity.

“Gavin, I promise, you’ll never walk alone again. I’ll be the shoulder to lean on in troubled times and love you unconditionally, especially when you’ve done something that makes me angry enough to lock you out. I will never take your love for granted and will strive to be the wife and mother you and our children deserve. I love you, and I promise to fill the glass with enough love for you that, when you try to pour yours, it will spill enough that everyone we love can share in our happiness with us.”

Paster Dean began speaking when she finished her vows. “Marriage is never an easy path to follow. Gavin, are you willing to make this commitment before God, and before those who have gathered here to provide witness?”

“Yes, I am.”

“You may place the token of your love on her finger.”

Ginny had to blink back tears at his firm resolution as he placed the ring on her finger.

“Ginny, are you willing to make this commitment before God, and before those who have gathered here to provide witness?”

“Yes, I am.” Her voice was just as firm as Gavin’s had been.

“You may place the token of your love on his finger.”

Ginny took the ring from Trudy, who had been holding it for safekeeping, to place the ring on his finger.

Paster Dean nodded as he continued to speak. “As your journey into your new lives begins, shed the pain of the journey of your search for each other.”

A soft song began playing from a cassette that Jewell must have set up to the side. Ginny began moving toward one side of the waterfall as Gavin began going to the other side. One at a time, Ginny removed her shoes as she walked toward the incline. At the base of the waterfall, she unbuttoned the full skirt of her wedding gown and lay her bouquet on the ground before climbing up the mountain in her white one piece swimsuit. Reaching the top of the waterfall, Gavin grabbed her hand, pulling her up the last step.

The music stopped, and Lucky began speaking again, his voice echoing over the sounds of the water cascading down. “As you jump, cast the fears and doubts aside to the wind as you, Ginny, and you, Gavin, dive into a future with all of our and God’s blessings.”

Holding hands, they took a flying leap into the air to splash down into the water in the middle of a circle of flowers. Laughing when her head surfaced, she circled her arms around Gavin’s neck.

“I pronounce you man and wife,” Paster Dean said loudly over the cheers and claps. “Gavin, you may kiss your bride.”

Ginny felt as if she was still falling when Gavin kissed her. Breaking the kiss, her hand went to his jaw. “You’ll always be mine now,” she said with her whole heart in her eyes.

“I didn’t need to marry you to know that.” Placing his hand over hers, Gavin linked their fingers together. “I knew that the first time I looked into your eyes.”

“You fooled me then, if that’s true,” she teased. “You see anything else?”

“I saw the road to salvation, which seemed like a never-ending ride ahead.”

Ginny grew serious. “Are you there yet?”

Gavin nodded. “The day I thought you were dying, and I thought it would take a miracle to save you. I didn’t realize then that I had already been blessed with a miracle.”

“You had?”

“I didn’t have to ride to search for my salvation; it was within reach the whole time. It was there any time you were near. You’ll always be my salvation, Ginny. A salvation I don’t deserve, but I’ll spend the last of my life making sure I do.”

If Gavin thought she was his salvation, she wasn’t going to try to dissuade him. Her gladiator had fought for his salvation, and even if she had been the one killed on that day instead of Leah, Gavin would have come out of the darkness he’d been thrust into. That’s what gladiators did—they fought to survive against all odds—and he won despite the insurmountable odds to be here with her in this moment in time. She wasn’t naïve enough not expect there wouldn’t be battles ahead in their future, but she was sure that when the battles came their way, he would never have to fight alone again. She was going to make sure of that.

Of course, she had no say if any future gladiators fighting alongside of him would be boys or girls.

Epilogue

ONE

Ten Years Later…

Gavin sat at the picnic table, feeding his new baby girl, who they’d brought to Viper’s house to show off. Winter and Viper had thrown a picnic just for little baby Leah.

Glancing over at the brothers and their wives playing football with their children on the huge lawn, his eyes then went to his other daughter who he was in charge of watching.

Keira was Ginny’s daughter, that was for sure. She was a two-and-a-half-year-old, walking, talking bundle of energy. Ginny and he had to always be within touching distance of her or she would slip away. They could barely keep track of her in the house, much less when they were out. He felt as if she was in the danger zone, and she was an accident just waiting to happen. He didn’t trust with all the children running around, he could keep a good eye on her. So, he came prepared, bringing a huge inflatable-like playpen that gave her plenty of space to play in with all her toys and a child’s leash wrapped around her waist.

Before he’d had children and had seen parents using them, he had given them condescending glances, thinking how terrible they were. That was before Keira. Now he knew better. She was a living, breathing accident waiting