Epilogue
“It’s so quiet here.” Alison snuggled closer to Jay as they lay together on the bed in the cabin he was renovating. The sun hadn’t long risen, but the light filtering in through the windows cast its golden glow on the freshly painted walls.
“Too quiet?” he asked, as his fingers stroked her shoulder, sending little shockwaves of pleasure down her spine.
“No, it’s perfect,” she said as the breeze rustled the leaves of the trees surrounding the cabin.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Jay began, “It always seems too quiet to me when Tessa isn’t around.”
Tears pricked her eyes, and she pressed her lips to his chest as her throat constricted. How had she gotten so lucky? To find a man who would love and cherish her daughter as though she were his own.
“She’ll be here soon enough.” Alison propped herself up on one elbow. “All she talked about as we walked over to Henry’s house for her sleepover with Tilly and Lewis was how excited she was that we were painting her room today.”
Jay chuckled. “My mom is coming over to lend a hand, too. She’s very excited about painting a room pink.”
“The curtains your mom made are so pretty, It’s going to look wonderful,” Alison said as she traced small circles across his chest. “I keep wanting to pinch myself. I can’t believe how perfect my life is, and I keep thinking I’ll wake up and it’s all been a dream.”
“It’s real, Alison. Very real.” He pulled away from her for a moment and reached for something down the side of the bed. “And I hope this might make it all the more real.”
“Jay Thornberg, what is this?” Alison asked breathlessly as he held out a small box to her.
Jay’s eyes, warm and tender, held hers as he opened the small velvet box. Nestled inside was a ring with a modest diamond surrounded by tiny sapphires that caught the morning light.
“Tessa and I saw it in the jewelry store window last week,” he said softly. “She said it was the prettiest thing she had ever seen. And I think you are the prettiest thing I have ever seen. So it seemed like the perfect choice.”
“You sure know how to sweet talk a girl.” Alison’s hand trembled as she reached out to touch the ring, then pulled back, afraid it might disappear if she made contact.
“I know we haven’t known each other for long,” Jay continued, his voice growing husky. “But when you know, you know. And I’ve known from the first moment we met.” He took a deep breath. “I want to wake up to your smile every morning. I want to go to sleep in your arms every night.”
A tear slipped down Alison’s cheek. “Jay...”
“I love you so much it hurts,” Jay whispered, gently wiping away her tear with his thumb. “And I love Tessa like she’s already mine. I want us to be a family—officially.”
Alison held her breath as Jay took the ring from its velvet nest and held it between them, the morning light dancing across its facets. She thought of all the nights she’d lain awake in her old life, Ronald’s harsh words echoing in her ears, convinced she would never know happiness again. But here was this wonderful man offering her a future beyond her wildest dreams.
“Alison Carter, will you marry me?”
She couldn’t speak past the lump in her throat, so she nodded vigorously, tears flowing freely now. When she finally found her voice, it came out as a breathless whisper. “Yes. Yes, of course, I will.”
Jay’s face broke into that smile she adored, the one that crinkled the corners of his eyes as he slipped the ring onto her finger, where it sat as if it had always belonged there. “Perfect fit,” he murmured, bringing her fingers to his lips.
“Just like us,” Alison whispered, admiring how the sapphires caught the light. Their blue reminded her of Tessa’s eyes, and somehow that made the moment even more perfect.
Jay pulled her close, his lips finding hers in a kiss that started gentle but quickly deepened with promise. The morning birdsong outside the cabin windows faded away as Alison lost herself in his arms, in the warmth of his touch.
“I love you,” she whispered as their kiss broke and she looked into his eyes, seeing that same love reflected back at her.
“I don’t know how I’d have coped without you,” he said as he stroked her cheek.
“You’d have found a way,” she assured him. “But I’m glad that I was here for you. That I will always be here for you.”
Jay lowered his head and captured her lips once more, as his hand slid under the sheets and cupped her breast. She gasped against his mouth when he rubbed his thumb across her nipple, sending a jolt of desire through her body. Alison arched into his touch, pulling him on top of her so their bodies pressed together.
Damn, he knew how to make her want him. And she did want him, with every fiber of her being. And her body!
He kissed down her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin there before moving lower to take a hardened nipple into his mouth. Jay sucked on it gently and then moved to give equal attention to the other one. Alison moaned, her fingers tangling in his hair.
Her body ached with need as Jay continued to explore her body. He kissed a trail down her stomach, lower and lower, before easing her thighs apart. She closed her eyes for a moment when his fingers brushed over her wetness before his tongue replaced them. Alison’s hips bucked as he licked and sucked on her sensitive nub, making her pant and moan his name. She could feel the pressure building inside her until it burst, sending waves of pleasure through every inch of her body.
As her breath came in ragged gasps, Jay kissed his way back up her body until his eyes locked with hers.
Then, with a playful growl, he flipped them over, so she straddled him. He gripped her hips as she reached between their bodies, guiding him inside her. Alison gasped as he filled her, her head falling back as she began to move. Jay’s hands roamed her body, caressing her waist, and her breasts, before settling back on her hips to guide her movements.
“You’re so beautiful,” Jay whispered, his eyes never leaving hers. The way he looked at her filled her heart with such love and she leaned down to kiss him, wanting him to know how much he meant to her.
His hands slid up her back, pressing her closer as if he couldn’t bear any distance between them. Every touch, every kiss deepened her desire for him.
Alison rocked against him, savoring the delicious friction between their bodies. Jay matched her rhythm, his powerful hands guiding her hips as they moved together in perfect synchronicity. Jay’s breathing quickened beneath her and his eyes darkened with desire. He was close to coming. She could read his body like a familiar book now and she knew the signs of his approaching release. The thought pushed her toward the edge again.
Jay’s eyes never left hers. That deep connection between them grew stronger with each passing moment. When he reached between them to touch her where their bodies met, Alison gasped, her inner walls tightening around him, and she arched her back as the second climax crashed through her, more powerful than the first. Jay followed moments later, his fingers digging into her hips as he groaned her name, his body tensing beneath her before relaxing into the mattress.
When they finally collapsed together, breathless and sated, Alison rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady drumming of his heart. The engagement ring caught the sunlight as Alison splayed her fingers across Jay’s chest, sending prisms of light dancing across the ceiling.
“I can’t wait to see Tessa’s face when we tell her,” Jay murmured, his voice still husky from their lovemaking. His fingers traced lazy patterns on Alison’s back.
“She’ll be over the moon.” Alison smiled against his skin. “She asked me just last week if you were going to be her daddy forever.”
Jay’s chest rose and fell with a deep breath. “I want that more than anything.”
“So do I, Jay. So do I.” And she knew he would be Tessa’s daddy forever. In the same way that he would be Alison’s mate forever.
He was a bear to remember. To love and to cherish. Forever.
I hope you enjoyed visiting the Thornberg Ranch.