Epilogue
Zane
The early morning sun casts a warm glow over the revitalized campgrounds as I make my final rounds. My boots crunch over the freshly raked gravel paths winding between the newly refurbished log cabins. I inhale deeply, savoring the crisp mountain air laced with the earthy scents of pine and wildflowers.
Everything is prepped and primed for the grand re-opening day at last. All the facilities and amenities have been meticulously restored to their former glory—and then some. The rustic climbing walls and high ropes courses practically gleam with fresh lacquer. Vibrant banners emblazoned with the iconic Camp Silverpine logo flutter atop each carefully maintained outpost cabin.
I can”t resist cracking a smile as I pass the new yoga pavilion in a sun-dappled glade. Who would”ve thought I”d ever greenlight something like that? But Aspen”s vision to blend traditional outdoor skills programming with modern wellness offerings was pure genius.
Speaking of that gorgeous redhead... my breath catches as she emerges from the office cabin, all tousled copper hair and radiant curves in a figure-hugging tank top.
”Mornin”,” I call out with a wolfish grin, shamelessly drinking her in as she crosses the grounds toward me. ”You”re up early for somebody who had me up half the night.”
Aspen”s full lips curve in that playful smirk that still has the power to make my heart kick against my ribs. ”Gotta make sure my partner doesn’t slack off getting the place ready for our debut.”
She reaches me in a few quick strides, sliding her arms around my neck as I gather her against me in a fierce embrace. My hands map the lush curves of her body in a possessive caress, relishing the way she arches into me with a breathless laugh.
”Zane, you”re hopeless...” she murmurs against the whiskered line of my jaw before capturing my mouth in a slow, heated kiss.
I growl low in my chest, reveling in the taste and warmth of those perfect lips. We”re both flushed and a little breathless when we finally break apart. Aspen stays nestled in the protective circle of my arms, worrying at her plump lower lip as she searches my features.
”What is it, Red?” I rasp, cupping her face in one calloused palm. That look in her sparkling green eyes has my pulse kicking up another notch with a heady swirl of anticipation. Like she”s got some juicy secret burning on the tip of her tongue.
Sure enough, Aspen lets out a shaky exhale before breaking into a radiant grin that could outshine the midday sun. ”Well, it looks like our little adventure is about to get a whole lot... bigger,” she says in a rush, eyes dancing with giddy excitement.
I just blink at her, nonplussed for a beat as the words slowly click into place. Then it hits me like a damn thunderbolt, and I”m pulling Aspen even tighter against me with a strangled sound. ”Aspen... please tell me you mean...”
She nods, biting that full lower lip to stifle what I”m sure would”ve been a giddy shriek. ”I”m pregnant, Zane. We”re having a baby!”
Suddenly, the world around us narrows until all that exists is Aspen”s beaming face, and a swell of pure joy detonates my chest. My hands are trembling as they graze over her abdomen.
Our baby. Our future legacy sparked into existence right here amid the soaring peaks and valleys that have defined our very beings since childhood.
When I finally find my voice again, it comes out low and gravelly but laced with a reverence that still feels foreign to me. ”I”m gonna take such good care of you both, I swear it. Our baby will grow up wild and free out here, and learn to love these mountains just like we did.”
Aspen lets out a watery laugh, framing my face in her soft palms. The depths of those emerald eyes are shining with unshed tears, but the joy radiating from her is absolutely blinding. ”I know you will, baby. This place... our home... it”s the perfect legacy to pass on to our kids someday.”
My lips crash against hers in a bruising kiss, all heat and desperation. I need to imprint this feeling on every cell, sear the knowledge of our new reality into my very marrow. This woman – my eternal soulmate and partner in every adventure – is finally giving me the family I never dreamed I”d get to have.
We”re both flushed and panting when we break apart, eyes locked in a heated embrace that speaks louder than words ever could. Aspen”s fingers trail through the tousled waves at my nape, nails lightly scoring my jaw.
”Now c”mon, mountain man,” she rasps, that wicked grin making my blood run hot all over again. ”We”ve got an epic grand opening to get through before we can start properly celebrating this baby brewing inside me.”
With one last searing look, she extracts herself from my arms and saunters off, hips swaying in a way that has me gritting my teeth. I”m still frozen in place, utterly transfixed, when a perky voice cuts through the daze.
”Um, hello? Am I in the right place?”
I blink, finally registering the young woman with a wild tangle of raven curls standing a few yards away. She hitches a stylish rucksack higher on her shoulders, offering me a tentative smile.
”I”m here for the big Camp Silverpine reopening,” she goes on when I just keep gawking at her. ”My name”s Daisy. Daisy Delgado? I was invited to do a spotlight piece on this place for my vlog?”
The fog finally clears enough for me to nod, shaking myself out of my stupor. Aspen”s voice echoes in my mind, urging me to be on my best behavior with the press today.
”Ah yeah, of course,” I say, extending my hand in a firm shake. ”Zane Bishop, co-owner of Camp Silverpine. Welcome.”
Next in the Series
An elite thrillseeker clashes with a tenacious online influencer when she invades his sacred wilderness, awakening untamed cravings more extreme than any stunt.