Epilogue – Almost Five Years Later . . .
Epilogue
Spencer
Almost Five Years Later . . .
The enormous pair of scissors I insisted Riles use hangs heavy in her hand. She stands in her navy scrubs, now sporting a brand-new clinic logo, O’Malley Veterinary, as the summer breeze plays with her hair over her shoulders.
Ives and Chloe hold up a huge red ribbon in front of the door as I stand with her family and the locals who have become the extended family I never had.
Suze nudges my shoulder as she beams at her prodigy, who is now opening her own clinic. “You have to have a whole lot of respect for a woman like Riley. She lost everything so young and pulled herself and her family out of that tragedy. Now look at her.”
“Yeah, I’m lookin’.” The stupid grin on my face wobbles slightly as heat prickles the back of my nose. I whistle, and the small crowd gives a cheer as Riles raises the hilarious scissors and snips the ribbon in half.
As it flutters to the ground and clapping fills the small cobblestone street, I watch my girls celebrate. The happiness they bring me through their own is something I never expected.
The homestead is getting emptier, with the twins off at college in the city and Declan living in town by the bar. Might be time to make some more plans. To fill that old house with more memories.
More people to love.
Riley turns back, her hand on the front door of the clinic as she says, “Well don’t just stand there, come on.” She jerks her head toward the building and pushes through the door. Ives and Chloe hold hands as they trail behind her.
Suze slaps my shoulder. “Mate, you’re going to have your hands full. It’s not too late to change your mind.” She winks at me.
“You think?” I adjust my hat on my head. “Only, it was too late for me years ago.”
She chuckles and shakes her head as I follow my girls inside.
I find Chlo behind the reception desk, her part-time gig while she finishes her senior year.
Ives is wandering around, looking at the shelves stocked with every possible thing a pet owner could ever need for their small animals.
Her eyes light up when she finds a tiny dog collar. “Please, Daddy, can we get a puppy?”
She’s jumping on the spot and giving me, well, puppy eyes.
“I’ll think about it . . . if you ask your mother first.”
“Yes!” She flies from the room to find Riles.
A moment later, she comes screaming back to reception, squealing, “I’m getting a puppy!”
Geez, Riles, didn’t need to think about it for a beat?
“Where’s Mama, baby?”
Ivy pouts. “Daddy, don’t call me that, people will hear,” she stage-whispers.
My little girl. All damn grown up.
“Okay. Noted.” I raise my brows as if reminding her of my question.
“She’s in the break room.”
I mess up the wavy blonde hair that’s past her shoulders now and stride for the back room.
When I don’t find her, I call out, “Riles?”
“Out here.” Her voice comes from the small, grassy backyard behind the building. I push through the screen door and spill out into the sunshine. She’s setting up a picnic table full of drinks and snacks.
“You ready for them?”
She turns back, running her gaze over the table. “I think so.”
I steal the last moment for my own, hauling her into my hold. “I’m so damn proud of you, Riley O’Malley.”
She huffs a contented sound. “Thanks.”
I shift, taking her face in my hands as she studies my face.
“But, baby, there’s one thing we forgot in all this chaos.”
“Oh, bollocks, what?”
I dot a kiss to her forehead and release her. “You’ll see.”
I give her the cringy wink I know she hates and make my way back through the clinic to invite folks out back for the social part of this opening celebration. Walking through the front door, I find Suze standing in front of a much bigger crowd than before.
“Suze, what on earth?”
She steps forward. “They say it takes one to raise a child. I’d say she’s all grown up. And some. This here clinic, however, is going to need a little helping hand to get off the ground. So, here’s your girl’s village. Lord knows she deserves it.”
Holy fuck.
I rub a hand behind my neck and swallow past the stone growing in my throat. This small-town shit is turning me into a sap, I swear.
It’s incredible.
It’s too much and not enough.
And I couldn’t think of a better place for Ives to grow up.
Without another thought, I hold the door open, and folks stream in. Chatter starts up about the pristine new clinic. Chloe welcomes each person as they walk through, looking around. She greets most by their first name, and some hugs are exchanged.
As the last person steps inside, I let the door shut.
The blue sky overhead meets the rolling green hills on the outskirts of this tiny town we call home.
I haul in a lungful of fresh air and steel my nerves.
The day is just unfolding.
And I can’t wait for tonight.
Ives and Chlo are having a sleepover at Declan’s tonight, so Riles and I have the entire house to ourselves.
I’ve sent her on a literal wild goose chase—a cow that was down in the back fields. Which buys me just enough time to turn the living room into our personal paradise. Along with the bathroom and our bedroom.
I thought about something big and fancy, but that has never been our style. Our best moments were the ones in the shabby little cottage at Brady’s. Being a firm believer of not fixing what’s not broke, I’m going old school with this.
The only thing I splurged on, apart from a charcuterie board from Smugglers, is the whole reason for tonight.
With the bull riding school in full swing and my cowboys winning events all over the emerald country, I have a good paycheck and ample savings. The lawsuit with the Silver Elite founders took a few years but we won, and my staff were compensated. So they should have been.
Another milestone I was part of. Another piece of my life I fought for. This life has turned out different than what I pictured before Ivy came along but I built it all by myself.
Riley once told me that the only things worth having are the things you create with your own hands. She was right.
Always.
Tonight, the foundations of the next incredible thing we are going to build together starts.
God willing.
I rush through the house, setting up like a man who knows he’s almost out of time.
Scattered candles lit—check.
Petals in the hallway—check.
Bubble bath run—check.
Food on the small table on the living room floor that’s now covered with way too many cushions . . . Also check.
Ring in my—
The back door slams.
“Spencer, there was no cow down in the back field. If it wa—”
Her footsteps stop.
I step into the other end of the hallway.
Now that I think about it, this feels more like a standoff, a pistol draw to the death, than something good.
How did I mess this up?
My hand slides behind my neck as heat engulfs my body.
Dammit and bollocks.
“Spence?” Riles whispers.
I clear my throat.
It’s four words, Spencer. Get your shit together.
Riles is walking toward me slowly, brows lowered. Her hands reach for her long hair, pulling it to the side as she snags her fingers in it.
When she’s merely a few feet away, I drop to one knee.
Her face contorts with surprise and emotion.
“Riles, baby.” My hands are shaking, making it almost impossible to pull the ring box from my back pocket. Finally, the thing slips from the denim and clatters to the floor.
Fuck.
Riley waits, her gaze studying my face as I swipe it up and compose myself. This emotion stuff is plain hard some days.
But the payoff is so worth it.
“Ba—” Riles starts.
I hold my free hand up.
I can do this.
The last chink in my vulnerability armor is about to be flattened and shined.
Her head tilts to one side as a small smile unfolds.
“Riles, baby . . . will you marry me?”
I haul in a breath.
She sinks to her knees, hands cupping my jawline.
I scan her expression as if I can read the answer in it.
“Spence,” she loses a wobbly sigh. “What took you so long?”
I gasp a relieved sound. “So, that’s a yes? Please tell me that’s a yes.”
“Of course it is, ye eejit. That’s the only word I know when it comes to you, Spencer Lockwood.”
Fucking hell.
I smash my mouth to hers and haul her into me.
Palms meet my chest as she puts a little space between us. “You sent me on a wild goose chase so you could scheme up this little moment?”
I’m grinning like a damn fool.
“Yes ma’am.”
She chuckles. “This is why I adore you more than I absolutely should.”
“Nah, Riles. You adore me just enough.”
Her brow raises, but her gaze drops as I slide the ring onto her finger.
“Oh . . . Spence.”
I cradle her face with my hands and brush a kiss to her lips.
“That’s not even the best part, baby.”
Cautious confusion filters over her face as she stands, and I follow.
“Alright . . .” she whispers. “I’ll bite. What’s the best part?”
“Well, first we have to be naked. Then . . .” I lead her into the living room to our little heaven.
Underneath the coffee table sits a cooler of fruit, can cream, and a couple bits and pieces I ordered online. A man needs a teammate from time to time. Tonight is supposed to be unforgettable for her. So I wasn’t taking any chances and ordered a few things from the adult shop.
“Wow, this looks amazing,” she utters.
“Netflix and chill, baby?”
She closes in on me and slides her arms around my neck. “How about just the chill part, Spence?”
“We’re skipping the movie?” I try to sound horrified, and she chuckles.
“Oh yeah, this time we’re going straight to the good part.”
She drags my mouth down to hers, and we’re a tangle of souls. Two people, once separated by thousands of miles.
Two hearts with unclaimed baggage.
And yet, somehow, we managed to haul them in hand behind us until we built something unbreakable.