Page 107 of Born to be Wilder

“I know.” Alice smiled, and it was real and whole and hers. “And I’m going to be here for a long time to keep doing it with you.”

We all reached forward, gripping each other’s hands.

“So,” Marge said, clearing her throat and breaking the emotional tension. “Now that that crap year is behind us and Alice is done trying to die on us, what do you think? When we get back, we’ve still got those wishes from last year to pull out of the freezer. Are we ready to go on our next adventure?”

“Maybe give it another month,” Alice said, lightly touching her wig. “Let my hair grow back a bit more. Our wishes can get a little wild, and I don’t want to be hanging on to my wig while we’re doing them.”

I laughed, an image flashing into my mind of Alice soaring over a volcano, screaming that she was losing her wig.

“Another month sounds perfect,” Doris agreed.

Marge gave a sharp nod. “One month. Then we start it all over again.”

I looked at the three of them—my widows, my warriors, my family—and felt the weight of the year settle and lift at the same time.

We all took turns sipping the whiskey, laughing as we regaled each other with our adventures in Bertha.

“Well, should we head off to the party?” I asked, pushing up from my seat. “Could take us awhile to get there with traffic and the fact we’re driving a house.”

“Yeah, we should go.” Alice rose after me.

The four of us stood on the printed carpet of that RV that had carried us through everything, and my insides swelled.

“I love you, ladies,” I said simply.

“We love you too,” Doris said, reaching out to touch my hand.

Alice did the same, her smile saying the words for her.

“Well, I love you all a lot, but most importantly, so does Buck!”

Marge grabbed a squealing Alice, pulling her into a hug that lifted her off her feet. Then Doris crashed into them, and then I did, the four of us tangled together in an enormous RV that had become a permanent fixture in our lives.

When we finally pulled apart, Marge propped her hands on her replica Colts. “Alright, enough of this mushy crap. We’ve got a party to go to, autographs to sign, and then when we get home, wishes to plan.”

“Just nothing that’s going to kill me,” Alice said. “I didn’t survive everything I survived this year just to die in the dirt in the middle of nowhere during one of your harebrained wishes.”

Marge grinned. “No promises. You’d better grow some hair fast. I’m itching for more adventure.”

Alice glared at her. Then her face lit up like a bulb had appeared over her head. “You want a little more adventure?”

Marge scoffed. “Have you met me?”

A smile tipped Alice’s lips. “What if I offer you a compromise? We hold off on the big wishes another month or two, but you promise not to do anything life-threatening.”

Marge rubbed her chin. “What’s in it for me?”

“Instead of heading back to Wilder Lane after tonight, we road-trip back to Louisiana.”

Marge’s eyes lit up. “I’m listening.”

Alice looked at us. “If everyone is open to the detour, I’d like to go visit Rip. Get some of those 3D nipples tattooed on now that my implants have settled. You girls in?”

“Oh, hell yeah!” Marge pumped a fist. “In!”

Doris and I nodded enthusiastically.

“We’re in!” I said.