Epilogue 2
Sierra
One Year Later…
“Kaylee was exhausted. That was quite a birthday party for her,” I told Asher as we laid in bed later that evening.
My mom had departed right after the party, and my daughter was sound asleep.
I loved this time of night when I could be close to Asher and the house was quiet.
It was our time, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I enjoyed the liveliness and chaos of having a one-year-old daughter during the day, but I cherished the moments when I could have some alone time with the man I loved.
“It’s her first birthday,” he said nonchalantly as he wrapped a strong arm around my waist and pulled me tightly to him.
I chuckled. “And that means she needed more gifts than she can appreciate at her age and an enormous party? I think a much smaller cake and our family would have been fine.”
Instead, we’d ended up having a clown that had made our daughter cry, more food than anyone could eat, and a huge cake that should never be necessary for less than a hundred people.
It had taken a very long time to help Kaylee open the ridiculous amount of gifts that Asher had bought for her.
In the end, I’d opened them because my girl had lost interest, which was usually the case with a one-year-old baby.
It had been extravagant for a child who had no idea what birthdays were all about, but I didn’t complain when Asher spoiled our daughter shamelessly.
He was the best father a woman could ask for, and he did everything he needed to do as a parent, including correcting his daughter when necessary.
His daughter might have him wrapped around her little finger, but he’d do what he needed to do to be a good father in the future.
“Maybe the clown was a little too much,” he conceded with humor in his voice.
“You think?” I teased as I looked up to see him grinning at me.
God, how I loved this man.
I’d fallen more in love with him every day.
I was very well aware of how lucky I was to have him and our adorable daughter.
“But I think it gave Kaleb some ideas,” he said. “And Cole and Devon can use the gift ideas in the future.”
I smiled.
Anna had given birth to a baby boy a month earlier.
Reese was currently pregnant and would be delivering in about a month.
And Cole was already stressing because Lauren had just found out that she was pregnant.
The Remington family was about to expand mightily, and no one was happier about that than Millie.
I let out a pseudo exasperated sigh as I turned so I could kiss my husband. “I don’t think I want to know what you’re planning for her next birthday.”
He raised a brow as he pulled me close. “Nothing yet. Right now, I’m pretty damned focused on her mother. Have I told you how proud I am of you?”
I probably wasn’t writing and illustrating as much as I could be because my priority was my daughter, but the book I’d just published was a huge success.
My writing and illustrating was reaching heights I’d never accomplished and never even imagined prior to reestablishing my career.
“Many times,” I assured him as I stroked his jawline.
Asher had been there to encourage me every step of the way.
If I wanted to write and illustrate, he happily took on dad duties while I got some work done and took a quick break from mothering.
Asher Remington was the epitome of a dream man, only he was completely and utterly real.
He might not be perfect.
He was bossy on occasion.
He was overindulgent with me and our daughter.
He was overprotective.
But he was still perfect for me.
I leaned in and kissed him, savoring the intense chemistry that was always there between the two of us.
He deepened the embrace, exploring my mouth with a thoroughness that made my toes curl.
Sometimes it was so damn hard to believe that this man and our daughter were my life now.
This home.
This small town.
The Remington family that were now the dearest of friends to me.
I wondered exactly how I’d gotten to this place and this time, when just a few years ago I was in the darkest place imaginable.
Most of the time, I didn’t question my good luck, but there were moments like right now that made me so grateful that my heart was bursting with happiness.
Asher rolled the two of us until I was beneath him and panting from his sexy embrace.
“I love you,” I said breathlessly. “I love you so much.”
“I love you back, beautiful,” he said huskily, his intense gray eyes swirling with heat and a love I never could have imagined before I met him.
My heart skipped a beat.
It had been a long road for us to find each other.
A lot of pain.
A lot of emptiness.
A lot of recovery.
So many moments when neither one of us understood nor imagined a happiness like we were living in now.
“Make love to me, Asher,” I whispered, my body and my heart aching for him.
“I’m planning on it,” he said hoarsely as he lowered his head to kiss me again.
I sighed against his lips, knowing that he and I were just beginning the rest of our lives together.
Somewhere along the way, Asher Remington and I had managed to completely heal each other’s souls.
We’d both learned what it was like to experience true happiness, and it was good.
So. Damn. Good.
I kissed him back with all of the love in my heart, knowing it was finally time for us to revel in the joy that life could bring after the darkness.
Moments later, I lost myself in Asher’s embrace, and it was a very long time before I had another coherent thought again.
~The End~