EPILOGUE—Four Months Later
Logan
Logan wiped his hands on his jeans. This was it. Go big or go home. All or nothing.
It had been four months since he’d tracked down Tess, fallen on his sword, and groveled for absolution. She’d forgiven him, and they’d spent every possible second together since.
He’d stayed at the inn for about a month before moving in with Tess. He worked remotely and flew to Houston as needed. He’d been working up a plan for new living arrangements, but first he had to see how the next ten minutes played out.
He entered Tess’s home office—the second bedroom—with a light knock on the open door.
She’d mulled it over for a week before declining his offer to purchase The Outpost. She agreed to stay on as manager until they found another, but she’d also decided it was time to move on and had just launched an online emergency supply business.
“Hey,” he said. “Got a sec?”
They were headed to The Rusty Nail to meet the gang for dinner soon, but he had something important to take care of first. It involved the diamond ring burning a hole in his pocket.
“Sure.” She tapped the keyboard for a second, then gave him her full attention.
As he approached, he noticed she looked tired and pale. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah. Just a little queasy.” She rubbed her stomach.
“Should we bug out of dinner?”
“No.” She waved a hand. “I’ll be fine.”
“All right, but let me know if you change your mind. I can make soup or something.”
“Soup’s the only thing you can make,” she teased.
“Hey. I make a mean grilled cheese too.”
She seemed to turn green at the mere mention of the words and quickly changed the subject.
“Care to explain why ninety-five percent of my orders are coming from Houston?” She pointed to the computer screen.
“Beats me.” He shrugged. “I have heard there’s a big prepper community there.”
“Right,” she said with a smirk. “You’re not advertising behind my back, are you?”
“I may have mentioned your new venture to a few friends, but that’s it.” He crossed a finger over his heart.
“Since you promised never to lie to me, I’m gonna take you at your word,” she said, standing and coming to hug him. “And thank you. I’ve probably set a record for first-week sales in any business ever.”
He smiled. Making her happy always made him happy.
“So,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you before we head out.”
“I have something too, but you go first.”
Normally, he would press her to precede him, but he had to get this off his chest. He’d been rehearsing for an hour, and his nerves were frazzled enough.
“Tess, I love you. You’re smart, ambitious, compassionate, and sexy as hell. Every day you amaze me. I’ve been waiting my whole life for a woman like you.”
A suspicious look crossed her face as he dropped to one knee and pulled a small black box from his pocket. When he opened it, and she saw it was a diamond ring, her eyes widened and she went completely still.
“I still owe you two dollars from the day we first met,” he said. “But I’m hoping you’ll take two carats instead. Will you marry me?”
“It’s only been five months,” she said. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
She yanked him to his feet and threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him over.
“Good. ’Cause I am too,” she said. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes. Crying—over anything—wasn’t her style. “I never thought I would fall so hard in love. But you are extraordinary in every possible way.”
“So, that’s a yes?”
She paused, wiped an errant tear, and grinned. “This is actually perfect,” she said. “Fiancée sounds so much better than baby mama.”
It took him a second. He’d been so focused on her saying yes to his proposal and the excitement that she had, that his brain needed a minute to switch gears.
“Wait, what?” He looked down at her stomach. “Are you? Are we?”
Tess nodded.
“But we’ve been so careful.”
“So careful?” Tess raised an eyebrow. “We’ve been sorta careful. At best.”
“Oh,” he said. “Yeah. There was that time after the Fall Festival when we let that old coot talk us into shots of his homemade moonshine.”
“First one tasted like paint thinner. But the rest went down real smooth.”
“I shudder to think of all the brain cells lost that night.”
“There was also that hoity-toity fundraiser we attended in Houston.” She waggled her eyebrows.
“Hey, you can’t blame me for that one.” He smiled at the memory. “That fabulous red dress you wore tortured me all night.”
“Well, regardless of when or how, it happened.” She patted her midsection. “I’ve had some time to accept it. You need a minute? Or are you cool with it?”
He didn’t need a minute. Or even a second.
“Cool with it? Are you kidding me?” He lifted her off the ground and swung her around.
“Um. Unless you want to see my lunch, you’d better put me down.”
“Sorry.” He immediately set her back on her feet. “Is this why you’re nauseous?” It probably explained the tears too, but he wouldn’t mention that.
“I think so,” Tess said. “It’s not bad. Unless I’m talking about grilled cheese or spinning in circles.”
“Copy that.”
“So, you’re really happy about it?” Tess asked unnecessarily.
“I’m over the moon ecstatic,” he said. “Seriously!”
“It’s still kind of early. I’ve only taken an at-home test, so it’s not official , official. I haven’t told anyone else.”
“A little kit.” Logan rubbed her belly. “Get it?”
“A baby fox is called a kit, and your last name is Fox. I get it.” She chuckled. “How did I know you were gonna go there?”
“Tess, you’ve made me the happiest man on earth. I thought you agreeing to marry me would be a big win today. But this? This is unbelievably spectacular.”
“We’re gonna need a bigger place.”
“Great minds think alike,” he said. “My next pitch was about that very thing.”
“Oh, yeah. Whatcha got?”
“I was going to suggest we buy some acreage outside of town and build on it. I was thinking of the land the old burned-down barn is on. You could have a huge garden.”
“Ooh. And a bunker,” she said. “Let’s build a bunker.”
“Whatever you want, babe.”
She smiled, and he kissed her.
“Hey, did you ask my dad?”
“And Nick, just for good measure.”
“Good thinking. Let’s keep the baby thing under wraps for a little longer. At least until it’s confirmed for sure.”
“It’s not me you have to worry about,” he said. “You really think you’re gonna be able to keep anything from your friends?”
“Fair point. That reminds me. I have to make a quick call before we go.”
“Mrs. Schlesselman?”
“That bossy old bat will kill me if I don’t tell her right away.” She laughed.
“I picture you just like her in sixty years,” he said, then dodged her smack.
“I am sort of bossy, aren’t I?”
“You can boss me around any time.” He winked. “Tell Mrs. S. we’ll do everything we can to help her get up here for the ceremony.”
“I love you,” she said, melting into him.
Logan smiled. Today felt like the first day of the rest of his life. And with this amazing woman by his side, he couldn’t wait to get living it.
The End