Rough and Rugged: A Meet Me In Milwaukee Charity Anthology

Epilogue

Six Months Later

Mac helped Marissa into the front passenger seat of the Chrysler minivan he’d recently purchased. Yep, he’d become a soccer dad. Seriously, though, he’d purchased the vehicle with all the bells and whistles as soon as he’d learned that Marissa was pregnant. The baby had been conceived that night in the cabin during the storm.

As he gently drew the seat restraint across her belly and snapped it into the buckle, Marissa giggled. “Honestly, Mac. I’m not helpless. The baby and I are just fine,” she said as she caressed her stomach.

“And I aim to make sure it stays that way.”

She supposed she couldn’t blame him for being cautious, although the doctor assured them everything was on track and there was no indication of a high-risk pregnancy.

Once he was in the driver’s seat, Marissa exclaimed, “Mac, give me your hand! Our little one is very active today.” She placed his hand on her tummy.

“I think we have a future athlete. I can’t wait to see what he or she does with a soccer ball or football.”

“Or if your cousin has anything to say about it, perhaps a baseball as well.”

They were on their way over to Mac’s parents’ house for a combination baby shower and gender reveal. Marissa didn’t need to know the sex of the baby, but the respective grandparents were beside themselves with happiness and wanted to do all the baby-related things, and she wasn’t about to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm. As far as she was concerned, they’d all been given a second chance at happiness, and she was here for it. She was thrilled that her parents and in-laws had put their differences behind them now that she and Mac had reconciled and were expecting.

Every day, they mourned the loss of their little bean who hadn’t been given a chance to develop, and promised to always communicate with mercy, compassion, and love, no matter what life threw their way. Marissa knew that just like her, Mac was thrilled about their future and the prospect of becoming parents after so many years apart. They had expanded their businesses in Chicago and locally, spending time in both places as needed, and bought a new home in Green Springs for a fresh start. The mountain cabin would always hold special memories as the place where love prevailed and the product of that love had been conceived. As Mac drove them to the celebration, Marissa looked over at him, her heart bursting with love for her husband, who would always be her mountain man.

Thanks for reading! Get to know all the couples in Green Springs by reading the Be with Me series! If you like small town romance with heat, you’ll love these stories set in the small southern town of Green Springs, Mississippi, where the days are hot and the nights are hotter! If you haven’t already read Meg and Drew’s story, see where the journey begins in .

She’s haunted by tragedy. He’s no stranger to pain. Can they honor the loved ones of yesteryear and embrace a joyous future in each other’s arms?

At just thirty-two, Meg Taylor never imagined she’d be a widow. After burying her beloved husband and the added blow of a miscarriage, she abandons everything to hit the open road in search of closure. When her car breaks down in hot-and-humid Mississippi, she lashes out at the sexy country stud who comes to her rescue.

Former football hopeful Drew Moyer lost more than a leg in a fatal crash. After years of struggling to overcome his survivor’s guilt, he’s quick to recognize a traumatized soul when the green-eyed beauty slams the door on his helping hand. Determined to meet the familiar challenge, he vows to crack her brash exterior and fill her aching heart with passion.

Trying to outrun the lingering sense of grief, Meg fears giving in to her mounting desires will betray the memory of her past partner. And though Drew senses their steamy connection intensifying, he knows deep down that feeding their mutual hunger risks Meg leaving him forever.

Will these two wounded spirits put their ghosts to rest before losing a chance at happily ever after?

Be Brave with Meis the sultry first book in the Be with Me contemporary romance series. If you like compassionate characters, small-town settings, and plenty of heat, you’ll adore this dive under the sheets.