Epilogue 2
Eight Years Later
Gunner
" They're just going next door."
My wife chides me from the open door.
"Next door is three hundred yards away," I remind her.
"They ride farther than that on the ranch every day."
"It's after dark."
"It's cold, Gunner, Seri just texted that they're through the gate, so come back inside and keep me warm."
The private drive that leads down to my brother's takes a wide turn at the end of our property. We put in a street lamp at the corner last summer, when the kids started getting the itch to stay outside past dark.
Never mind that my brothers and I were running wild over the entire ranch at their age-- and that includes the bull pens and several close calls that got closer and closer the older we got-- and the only light on the property back then came from the moon.
I don't know how my folks handled it back then, as soon as my boys are out of sight I have to fight down the urge to run after them.
But my bride has a good point; it is cold out here and from my roost on the end of the porch, I can see my sister-in-law silhouetted in the glow of their open door as she welcomes the boys inside.
I can see Seri wave in my direction as the boys slip past her, no doubt straight for a waiting mug of hot cocoa.
As I head back inside, looking forward to enjoying a night alone with Clem, the unmistakable sound of a very specific diesel engine rumbles up the road. I don't bother to turn back when the driver hits the horn, I just throw my hand up in a wave as I close the front door behind me.
"What the hell is he doing on our road?" I ask as I hang my coat on the hook.
The annoyance is left over from years of sour feelings long before fences started getting mended around the valley, starting with the literal one that was the reason for the gorgeous woman lounging on my sofa with her feet up and her belly full of my third child.
"It's a sleep-over." Clem knows I-- mostly-- don't harbor ill feelings toward our neighbors these day.
"Thought it was just supposed to be the family kids."
"It's all the neighborhood kids," she corrects with a laugh as she lets me settle in on the couch with her feet in my lap.
"Since when are the Ralstons part of our neighborhood?"
"They are literally our next-door neighbors, O'Leary."
"Range and Archer are our next-door neighbors."
"Stop being an ass and rub my feet."
"Yeah, darling? You gonna let me get in a little foreplay tonight, is that what you're hintin' at?" Clem's always been ready for me, but these last few days, she's been damned impatient about it. I'm more than ready for a chance to take my time with her whole body.
For an answer, Clem shimmies down so she's laying on the sofa, and lets out a moan that goes straight to my cock.
"If you think this feels good, darling..." I let my hands begin to wander
We're planning on our baby girl being the last edition to the family album. She'll be here a few weeks from now, just after the new year, and Clem's been stressing over having to break in a new assistant since her last one left us for a better position over at the Lazy P.
Clementine moans when my lips hit the tender spot at the back of her knee.
Tomorrow, we'll start going over the resumes that have come in for the new assistant herdsman job. There'll be calves to check on and if the boys come back from uncle Ranger's house early enough, they can ride out with me to restock the firewood before the storm that's headed our way hits.
Tonight, I have a beautiful woman to make love to on the living room floor, like we used to do in the old days before the kids came along.
And based on Clem's insistent panting, I'd better get to it.