Epilogue
Avery - Ten months later
A warbling cry dragged me from the depths of sleep. The weight of Bowen’s hand settled on my thigh.
“I’ve got her,” he murmured.
The bed shifted as he rose, pushing the sheets aside. I managed to rouse myself into consciousness long enough to crack one eye open. The silhouette of Bowen’s figure crossed the room to little Amber’s crib in the corner. The muscles in his bare back flexed as he bent over and gathered our daughter into his arms. Only a few weeks old and she already had her daddy wrapped around her finger.
“It’s all right, little one,” he whispered. “I’m here. Don’t wake your mama, okay? She needs her rest.”
Amber whimpered and hiccupped. Then she yawned and snuggled against him. Bowen retrieved a blanket from her crib and tucked it around her tiny sleeping body. I loved watching the way he held her, locked securely in his arms. He looked at her like she was the most precious creature he’d ever laid eyes on.
“Does she need to be fed?” I asked, fighting to stay awake.
Bowen shook his head and came to the foot of our bed, curving his hand around my ankle with a squeeze.
“She’s just fussy, that’s all,” he said softly. “I’ll take her for a walk.”
My eyes slipped closed as Bowen tiptoed out of the room, taking Amber with him. Between the ranch and our newborn daughter, he didn’t get much sleep these days. He never complained though, and he took the baby off my hands as often as he could.
It felt like the last few months had gone by in a whirlwind of changes. Bowen moved into the house. When calving season started, everything became so hectic that I forgot to take my birth control pill. As soon as I announced I was pregnant, Bowen proposed on the spot. Dad made him promise we wouldn’t elope, and we had a big autumn wedding at the ranch, just as I was beginning to show.
Two hours later, I woke to the golden light of sunrise. I stretched, reaching out to Bowen’s side of the bed. The sheets were empty, cold. Amber wasn’t in her crib either. The faint ache of missing them began to grow heavy in my chest. I got dressed and went looking for them.
The smell of coffee greeted me as I made my way toward the kitchen. Birdie had an array of flowers spread across the counter as she put together a bouquet for the table.
“Good morning, sweetie,” she said. “Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?”
I shook my head.
“Have you seen Bowen and Amber?”
“They’re at the barn. Come look.”
She gestured to the window over the sink. Dad had one of the horses out. Bowen held Amber up as the horse sniffed her little toes. Then her tiny fist waved around in the air and latched onto the horse’s nose. The horse stayed there, eyes bright and watchful, ears pricked forward as Amber’s fingers grasped at that velvety nose.
“It seems she takes after her mama,” Birdie said.
“I’m sure Dad will be thrilled to find out his granddaughter is just as headstrong as me.”
“That poor girl is going to have a hard time when it comes to dating. Between her father and her grandpa, they will run off every boy that comes anywhere near her.”
The memory of Dad’s words echoed in my mind.
When your daughter falls in love, you’ll realize how hard it is to let her go.
“We have a few more years ahead of us before we have to worry about boys.”
Grabbing my coat, I ventured outside to join Dad and Bowen. The horse let out a big, warm huff of breath. Amber giggled. A soft smile spread across Bowen’s face—exhausted, but brimming with affection. This man loved his little girl more than life itself.
“Hey, honey,” he said, greeting me with a quick, warm kiss in the chill of the early spring air. “Did you get enough sleep?”
I nodded, slipping my hand into the crook of his arm.
“I did. Thank you for taking care of Amber.”
“She’s been inspecting the horses this morning. They’ve been keeping her entertained. She hasn’t cried for hours.”
“Expensive baby toys,” Grady put in.
I smiled to myself.
“I thought the horses were strictly for working cattle.”
He shrugged.
“What the little boss wants, the little boss gets.”
Oh boy, I thought. Grandpa was going to spoil her rotten.
Bowen adjusted Amber in his hold, touching her cheek to make sure she wasn’t too cold.
“I’m going to take her inside to get warmed up,” he said. “She probably needs to be changed by now, too.”
“I can do that,” I said. “You’ve been looking after her since early this morning.”
Bowen leaned over and kissed my forehead.
“You just woke up. Cross a few things off your to-do list first.”
I gave his arm a squeeze of appreciation before he turned away, heading up to the house. Dad’s gaze shifted toward me with a knowing glance.
“What?” I demanded.
“You look happy,” he said quietly. “Tired, but happy.”
My heart warmed at his words. I knew this hadn’t been the easiest transition for him to get used to—his daughter growing up, getting married, having a baby of my own. But we managed to find a balance, working together on the ranch. He started to step back more often these days, giving me the space I needed to take the lead and make decisions.
“I had an idea I wanted to run by you,” Dad said.
He was doing that more often these days, too. Asking my advice, consulting my opinion. I knew it wasn’t easy, and I’m sure Birdie nudged him once in a while.
“I’m all ears. What did you have in mind?”
Dad gestured to the horse in the corral.
“I was thinking about getting a pony for Amber,” he said. “You had your first pony on your sixth birthday. It seems Amber enjoys horses just as much as you do, so I’m sure we’ll have her in the saddle in no time.”
“Dad, she’s only a few weeks old,” I replied.
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“And I want the best for my granddaughter. It takes time to line up a good pony. I’ll need to talk to breeders and get a trainer.”
I hugged him, breathing in that black coffee and saddle leather scent that always clung to his clothes. Some things never changed.
“That would be wonderful, Dad,” I said. “Thank you.”
He kissed the top of my head.
“Still can’t believe you made me a grandpa. I thought that wouldn’t happen until I was sixty, at least.”
“Before you know it, you’ll have five grandkids climbing all over you.”
“Dear God,” he muttered, squeezing me tight. “Maybe they could spend some time with Grandma Birdie.”
I laughed and tilted my head back to look at him. He smiled softly down at me, pinching my chin between his thumb and forefinger.
“This is everything I wanted for you, sweetie,” he said. “To see you loved so deeply.”
My throat grew tight.
“Dad, you know my hormones are all over the place. I’ll cry at the drop of a hat.”
Before he could reply, a wail went up from the direction of the house. Bowen stood on the porch, rocking Amber in his arms. He met my gaze, gesturing to the baby. She was probably hungry by now.
“Go,” Dad whispered.
I broke away and headed for the house.
“Is everything okay?” Bowen asked as he passed Amber to me. “It seemed like you and Grady were having a pretty serious conversation. I hated to interrupt.”
“Yeah, it’s fine,” I replied. “Dad understands. He knows what it’s like to raise a daughter.”
Bowen interlaced our fingers together and kissed the back of my hand before we stepped inside. I was so proud of him for taking on the role of father as easily as breathing, savoring every moment he had with our child.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Bowen warned lightly.
“Like what?”
He hooked a finger into the belt loop of my jeans and drew me into our bedroom.
“Like you want to start trying for baby number two.”
I grinned.
“Are you saying you don’t want another child?”
Bowen helped me shed my coat, sliding it off my shoulders. He cupped my chin and tilted my head up to place a gentle kiss on my lips.
“I’m saying that I’m the luckiest man in the world already. I have a beautiful wife and a healthy baby girl who looks just like her mama. I never thought I’d get a life like this. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
That was exactly the kind of answer I expected from Bowen. I was the go-getter with the insatiable appetite, always craving more—dreaming bigger, flying higher. He was my anchor to keep me grounded, to shield me when I bit off more than I could chew.
I couldn’t wait to see the life we built together.