Epilogue
Five years later
The day had been a good one, busy from daylight to evening, but now Elijah and Stella’s wedding was over. He and Stella had left under a shower of birdseed in her trailer for their honeymoon, and Rex would be taking over the foreman’s job on Monday morning.
Holly handed Miles an open beer and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead before she sat down in the rocking chair right next to him. “I dreamed this evening many years ago,” she said.
“Were there two kids chasing baby goats and fireflies in the dream?” Miles asked.
“No, there were three,” she answered with a smile. “And there will be in another seven months if the test I took this morning is right.”
Miles picked Holly up and twirled her around. “We’re having another baby,” he singsonged.
“Yes, we are,” she told him. “This one might even be a girl. After those two rowdy boys out there, a prissy little lady in the family would be nice.”
Miles set her down and kissed her. “With red hair and blue eyes. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“This was Elijah and Stella’s day. They needed to be the center of attention,” she answered. “But you know now, and by Christmas we should have number three.”
“Hey, boys,” Miles called out. “You might be getting a baby sister for Christmas.”
“I don’t want one.” The oldest, Tucker, stuck out his bottom lip and folded his arms across his four-year-old chest. “I want my own pony, not a sister.”
Fletch, the younger child, reached out his chubby little hand and caught a firefly. “Look, Mama, I catched it.”
“Yes, you did, darlin’ boy. Do you want a baby sister?” Holly asked.
Fletch shook his head. “No, I want a Bubba.”
“There you have it.” Miles chuckled.
“Have what?” Holly asked.
“Bubba is finally coming home,” he said.
“If it’s a girl, is she going to be Lula Ann?” Holly teased.
“I’m hoping for twins,” Miles replied. “A boy that we’ll call Bubba and a girl named Lula Ann, and they will live on forever.”
“And hate you just as long for doing that to them,” Holly told him. “Come on, let’s go catch fireflies with our sons. They’ll grow up too fast.”
“Yes, ma’am, but before we do.” Miles took her in his arms and kissed her.
“Yep, the fire is still there,” she whispered when he took a step back.
“Always will be, right along with that.” He pointed at the lovely Texas sunset splashing across the sky with brilliant colors that evening. “We’ve got five minutes. Tell me, what do you like to do, Mrs. Lula Ann Smith?”
“I like to watch the sunsets with my sexy husband while our kids chase the new puppies around the yard, while the lazy, big dogs watch from the porch. Thank goodness the boys don’t talk us into keeping all of Butter’s litters,” she whispered. “What do you like to do, Bubba Jones?”
“I like my job as a rancher, but I love my wife and my family even more.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So, you are married?”
“Five years last week,” he said. “I used to be a player, but that all ended when I met this gorgeous red-haired woman with blue eyes at a speed-dating event. I’ve got the best life ever right here.”
“So do I,” Holly said.