The Reunion (Love Stories From a Small Town #5)

57. Epilogue

Ilifted my face from the fluffy pillow I passed out in and squinted into the darkness.

My eyes slowly adjusted to the moonlight coming through the curtains, and I noticed the bassinet beside the bed was empty.

Panic tore through me for a second when I realized I was all alone until the rocking chair creaking on the other side of the house caught up with me.

Pushing back the covers, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Tiptoeing toward the familiar old country song about what a dad’s job is, I found Dom singing to Heidi and feeding her the bottle I saved for when he got home from work.

Because I knew how having his blue eyes fixed on mine could hypnotize a woman, my breath hitched at the beauty of him whispering over her and her cooing back at him. Not that I had a single doubt about what he’d be like as a father or husband, but how he fit the twenty-year-old daydream so well had me wiping my tears away in silence so I didn’t disturb him.

I leaned against the doorway, watching him love on her until he sensed me standing beside him and looked up at me. “I was just telling Heidi how one day I was going to find her a man who’ll love her as much as I love her mommy.”

Shaking my head as I came over to them, I pulled the blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around me. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

I bent down to kiss him, and he smiled back at me as our lips broke apart. “Me neither.”

Between the meds, and the counseling, and the meditation, he found a comfortable rhythm to life even with the frequent feedings and diaper changes piled on to his other responsibilities. But he seemed a tad more tired-looking than usual and struggled to keep his eyes open to me when I sat on the couch. “How was work?”

He set the bottle on the side table and gently shifted her in his hands until she rested on his shoulder. “Not too bad, except for missing you two.” Rocking his foot from heel to toe, he swayed with her as he beat his fingers against her back. “Everyone’s still wondering when you’re coming back, and I told them we should know something definitive today. But since you didn’t call me before you went to sleep, I was still wondering myself.”

Waiting for me to say something, he ticked up his eyebrow. So, I cringed back at him as I leaned over to smooth down Heidi’s soft, dark curls. “Sorry about that. As soon as her eyes shut, mine did, too.” He bent his fingers for me to go on. “They approved me going to an as-needed consult basis. In fact, they were ecstatic that I suggested it.”

Now that we were married and shared all his benefits, my working full-time just wasn’t necessary anymore. Besides, the idea of leaving the baby for a single minute already had my stomach in knots.

His tooth dug into his lip as he smiled and pumped his fist at himself. “Yes.”

Sure, it was a little disappointing that my career would take a nosedive after how hard I worked to build it up, but it was a good compromise for everyone. “It saves them a ton of money, and I still get to do what I love. So win-win. Right?”

“Win-win-win.” Telling me whatever was about to follow was bigger news than mine, his entire face lit up when he smiled. “They offered me the Critical Care Chief job, which puts me on banker’s hours, and I accepted.”

“Oh, babe.” As gently as I could, I slid my arms around him to hug him. “That’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you.”

Downplaying it with a subtle jerk of his lips, Dom went back to a steady rock when the baby started fussing. “It means I have to pick up the cardiac unit, too, but I’ll be home more with you guys overall. Not to mention, it’s less stressful. So, I’d be crazy to turn all that down.”

Between his twelve-hour shifts and the baby’s tendency to want her dad to hold her nonstop when he was home, we barely got to touch each other anymore. But when I caught him staring at my ready-to-erupt chest, I motioned to Jason’s house with my eyes. “We should see if they want to babysit her tomorrow night so we can celebrate our good news properly.”

Softly laughing to himself so he didn’t wake her, he nodded and shifted his hips. “I would greatly appreciate that. I need to reconnect, if you know what I mean.”

I bounced my finger at him as I rocked forward to stand. “I’m right there with you. Believe me.” Hearing the rumble tearing through his belly, I laid my hand on his shoulder. “Dad dropped off some food this afternoon. I’ll go heat it up for you.”

Those casseroles and cakes and full-on dinners everyone in town dropped off most days of the week were starting to dwindle, and with Dom being gone so much and Heidi’s erratic sleep schedule, our cupboards were getting a little bare. A gentle breath escaped him as his eyes widened at the thought of eating a proper meal with all the fixings. “Oh. Please tell me it’s his lasagna and garlic bread. I swear I’ve been dreaming about it.”

I rustled his hair as I walked away from him. “Coming right up, Chief Vasser.”

Just a smidge sleep-deprived and needing a shower, I pulled the refrigerator open as the baby’s soft whimpers restarted. Instantly silenced by the promises to love her forever that he sang to her, she fell back under Dom’s spell.

I smiled as I shut the door again because I knew better than anyone that when Dominic Vasser promised to love a girl with all his heart until he died, he kept his word.

Please keep reading past this page for a bonus short story for Carolyn Jason!

I hope you enjoyed Faith Dominic’s story. The next book in this series will be The Assignment, which will be released in early 2025.

A roaming nurse looking for a place to settle down accepts an assignment at a small town hospital the same week a group of motorcyclists arrive for their yearly rally. But when she becomes the obsession of one of the rowdy bikers, she struggles to navigate the winding path of her reluctant heart.

My next release is Term of Service, A Small Town Romantic Thriller coming May 2024.

Strapped for cash when she loses her job, Aubrey makes a deal with the devil. But when the time comes to fulfill her obligation to her generous benefactor, she finds there is no end to her term of service.

Fresh from the wreckage of a failed marriage and the death of my father, I never believed I’d find happiness again — until I crossed paths with Ezra.

He’s trapped in the same dead-end life as me, and we forge a bond stronger than the secrets and threats our employer uses to keep us in line.

But when I realize the very man I depend on has lured me into a trap, I find myself tangled in a twisted game of passion and lies with no way to escape.

Term of Service is a twisted romantic thriller set in a small mountain town. If you like a dark and steamy romance with more mature couples, you’ll love this story!