Epilogue
RILEY
FOURTEEN MONTHS LATER
I can’t help the grin that has been plastered to my face for the last half hour.
I’m watching the final cut of the newest podcast episode. One of my editors sent it over to me this morning.
My final stamp of approval is all it needs before it goes live next week.
I had to fly to Alaska for the interview, but it was absolutely worth it. I got to interview a couple in their seventies who have been married for fifty years, but over half of that time was spent living in different countries.
They even let me see how their love story played out in letters.
Their story was heartbreaking and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. I can’t wait for everyone to experience it.
I type out a quick email to my team, telling them the episode is perfect. My eye catches the ring on my left hand. It makes me smile just like every other time I look at it.
It’s been two months since the guys asked me to marry them, and I still can’t quite believe they want me to be theirs forever.
“Will you stop asking questions?” Cole groans. His grip on the steering wheel gets tighter and tighter with each additional question I pepper him with.
“No.” My head falls back against the headrest. “I want to know where we are going.”
“Why are you so bad at surprises?”
I point my finger at the middle of my chest. “Trust issues, remember?”
The tension falls from his shoulders. He reaches over, sliding his fingers through mine. “Do you trust me?”
“You know I do.”
“Then just focus on that, sweetheart. I promise it’s a good thing.”
With a sigh, I stare out the window, watching the mountain countryside move past us. I let the weight of his hand in mine soothe the anxiety building inside of me.
I don’t know why this is making me so nervous. I’m not usually this way around the guys, at least not anymore. I trust them with every part of me.
I just have the nagging feeling that something big is coming, but I have no idea what it is.
Cole pulls the truck to a stop in a small dirt alcove on the side of the windy road. I have no idea where we are. I live in Aspen Springs, but there are a lot of hidden spots I haven’t had a chance to explore yet.
He slides his hand in mine as we follow a small trail through the trees. I’m about to ask him where we’re going, but I bite the question back, choosing to do as he said and trust him.
My jaw falls open when we step out into a small clearing. We’re up high enough that there’s a clear view of the valley below.
The crystal blue water of the lake glistens in the summer sunshine. The foliage surrounding the lake is lush and vibrantly green, contrasting with the blue water. It’s stunning.
Cole’s hands gently grip my shoulders and twist me to the right. The air freezes in my lungs at the sight before me.
Nestled in an alcove of gorgeous wildflowers stand Theo and Finn.
I can’t even think, let alone speak, as Cole guides me in his brother’s direction. He kisses me on the cheek before going to stand at Theo’s side.
“Hey, angel,” Finn says.
“Hi,” I get out around the nerves and unexplainable emotion bubbling up inside of me.
“We want to ask you something,” Theo says.
“O… kay.”
I didn’t realize how badly my hands were shaking until Theo steadied them in his gentle grip. “Take a breath for me. Okay?”
“Okay,” I say on a shaking exhale before drawing in a lungful of air. I hold it for a beat before letting it out.
“Better?” Theo asks.
“Yeah.”
“Good girl,” he says with a wink. My vagina gives a slight flutter even though this isn’t remotely the time or place for such things.
He gives my hands one last squeeze before stepping back. I draw in one more breath, then they all bend at one knee. I’m suddenly glad I took a breath a moment ago because now that action seems impossible.
Finn pops open a small box, revealing a gorgeous ring. It has a gold band with a marquise-cut ruby in the center.
“We love you so much, angel, and we want to keep you forever.”
“That sounds slightly serial killer-y,” Cole says, leaning around Theo to stare at Finn.
The laugh that bursts from me finally lets the much-needed oxygen enter my lungs. “And you say I’m the one always talking about serial killers,” I tell Cole with a smile.
Theo shakes his head. “Can we maybe get back to asking our girl to marry us and stop talking about murder?”
I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
They all open their mouths, like they are going to ask the question in unison. I can’t wait that long. “Yes,” I all but shout. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Cole looks like a kid who’s had all his Halloween candy stolen from his bucket. “We didn’t even get to ask you.”
“Who the fuck cares?” Finn cries out, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer to him. He positions the ring on my finger. “You sure?”
“Explicitly.”
My hands slide off the keyboard as I push to stand.
Cole’s office is now our shared office. We have talked about building onto the house, but for now, the current setup works. However, it hasn’t always been the most conducive environment for either of us to get much work done.
He has fucked me on pretty much every surface in the room. That could be said for all the rooms in the house other than Mav’s room.
I know what I need to do, but I’ve been avoiding it all day. With a heavy sigh, I make my way upstairs and into the bathroom.
The pink and white box stares at me on the counter.
Rip the band-aid off.
I open the box and pull out the two tests. I do my business, and now I’m standing here waiting for the five minutes to pass. There is a washcloth draped over the top of the tests, so I can’t see what they say.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. A whirlwind of emotions passes through me one after another.
Based on my nerves, one would think I don’t want the test to be positive. That isn’t the case. Am I nervous? Absolutely.
But it isn’t because I don’t want to be pregnant. I love my men more than anything, and I can’t think of anything better than growing our family together.
We’ve talked about it, and I know it’s something they all want. We just thought we would cross that bridge after we get married in a few months.
The timer on my phone goes off, and I silence the beeping. My fingers pinch the corner of the washcloth. With a deep, steadying breath, I pull it away.
Both tests look the same—two pink lines. The lines are like a flashing billboard broadcasting my future right in front of me.
My hand flies to my stomach, hardly believing there’s a tiny life growing inside of me. Tears spring to my eyes.
Holy shit. Holy shit.
I hear doors banging downstairs, followed by the muffled drawl of the guys’ voices. In the back of my mind, I’m faintly aware that I had wanted to come up with a cute way to tell the guys whenever this day came.
All that flies out the window. With one of the tests clutched in my hand, I sprint down the stairs.
“I’m pregnant,” I shout, rounding the banister and heading into the kitchen.
The bags of groceries in Finn’s hands fall to the floor along with his jaw.
Okay, maybe that wasn’t the smoothest delivery of the information, but I can’t be held accountable for my actions right now. I come to a screeching stop before careening into the island.
“Are you serious?” Theo asks.
I hold the test up in front of me. “Deadly.”
Theo closes the few feet of distance between us, wrapping his arms around me. He seems too stunned to say anything else, but the way he’s holding me says all I need to know.
My arms wind tightly around his waist. The gentle kisses he repeatedly presses to my hair calm some of the nerves waging war inside of me.
Finn steps in behind Theo, sliding the test from my hand.
Theo shifts so I can see Finn holding the stick up close to his face. “There are really two lines on here.”
“Yeah, there is,” I say.
He kisses the test with watery eyes.
“You know she peed on that. Right?” Cole laughs.
Finn’s eyes go wide as he slides the test across the counter. My hands press against his chest. “I didn’t pee on that part. I think you’re good.”
He sweeps me into his arms, swinging me in a circle that makes me laugh. My butt lands on the counter, then he steps between my legs.
His large palm rests against my stomach. “There’s really a baby in here?”
My hand lands over the top of his. “Yeah.”
“Fuck,” he says, tears welling in his eyes. Finn doesn’t cry very often, so the sight warms my heart. “I love you so much,” he says, pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth.
“I love you, too,” I whisper, squeezing his hand.
He steps away, going to pick up the groceries he dropped. Cole takes his place in front of me. His hands land on my hips. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hey,” I say. The tears I felt building since I saw those pink lines fall down my face.
Cole pulls me in, so my head rests on his shoulder. His palm rubs up and down my spine. “I know it’s a lot, but you don’t have to do any of this alone. We’re going to be with you every step of the way.
How does he know exactly what I needed to hear in this moment?
“Are you mad?” I mumble into his tear-soaked shirt.
His hand stills on my back. “No, sweetheart. I can confidently speak for all of us. This baby is so very wanted.”
I let out a sigh of relief. I knew deep down they weren’t going to be upset by this little surprise, but it is still lovely to hear the words.
He pulls back so he can look in my eyes. “Are you feeling okay?”
I nod. “I have been more tired than normal, but that’s it.”
“Why didn’t you tell us you were going to take the test? We would have been there with you if that’s what you wanted.”
My tongue darts over my dry lips. “I don’t know. I just had a gut feeling, and next thing I knew, I was staring at the tests on the counter.”
His finger lovingly wipes the wet streaks from my face. “Mav is going to be a big brother.”
Great. Now, I’m crying again. “He’s going to be the best big brother.”
“He’s going to freak out,” Finn says.
“In a good way,” Theo adds in.
Theo and Finn have gathered around Cole. “I love you,” I say to all of them.
I’m barely out of the truck before Cash is bounding toward me. I crouch down, wrapping my arms around its fluffy neck.
His thick, black fur tickles my nose. Today has been a lot, and it is comforting to bury my face against him for a minute.
We agreed to keep the pregnancy a secret until I could go to the doctor and confirm everything, but I really want to tell someone… or something, I guess.
“I’m pregnant,” I whisper.
He pulls back, looking at me like he understands the weight of what I just said. My hands run over his ears.
“It’s crazy, but I’m so excited.” He lets out a happy bark that makes me smile.
He follows along at my side as I make my way to the bleachers beside the softball field.
“Riley,” Mav shouts when he sees me. He hops off the bleachers, giving me a big hug. As I hold him tight, I want to cry again.
“I didn’t know if you and your mom were going to make it,” I tell him.
“We did,” he says with a big smile. His eyes catch on Cole, who crouches beside me. “Hey, Dad,” Mav says, but keeps his arms wrapped around me.
“Riley’s pregnant,” Finn blurts out loud enough for everyone around to hear.
Luckily, it’s early enough before the game, it’s just my friends and their kids who are hearing this brand-new information—and, of course, the little boy in my arms.
“Wait… Really?” Mav asks, his eyes comically wide.
“Yeah, bud, I am.”
“You’re going to have a baby, like with my dad and Uncle Theo and Uncle Finn?”
I nod. “Yes. How do you feel about that?”
His smile grows wider. “I think it’s awesome.” He leans in, giving me another hug.
Cole’s hand lands on Mav’s shoulder. “You’re going to be the best big brother.”
Mav nods his head confidently. “I promise I will be.”
I love this kid so much it hurts.
When Mav slips away to give Finn and Theo hugs, the girls all rush toward me. They all give me hugs and gleeful congratulations.
Abby is the last one to pull me in for a hug.
“I’m so happy for you,” she says through barely contained emotion.
The sentiment I once had about Abby being both mine and Cole’s best friend has actually become reality. I’ve never had a friend like her, and her reaction right now is a testament to that.
“Thanks,” I say, wiping away what I’m sure are the millionth tears to fall from my face today.
“I’m glad I was right about you that first time we met,” she says with her teary smile.
“Me too.”
She gives me one more squeeze before stepping over to Cole. She whispers something to him that I can’t make out, but it makes him smile.
His voice carries a little more over everyone else’s voices. “Now it’s your turn to go find love and all that.”
She rolls her eyes, batting her hand against his chest. “Whatever.”
“You never know, Abs.”
“We’ll see,” she says, reclaiming her seat on the bleachers.
The guys all give me hugs that last a little longer than usual, which makes me smile.
“Go,” I say, laughing. “You’re going to miss the dang game.”
“We have to hug you enough for both of you now,” Finn says, kissing my temple. I can feel my heart turning to goo in my chest.
I take a seat beside Abby, watching the guys making their way into the dugout. The sound of Maverick’s laughter hits my ears from where he’s playing with the other kids.
My hand settles on my stomach, unfiltered happiness settling over me. I close my eyes, taking it all in because there isn’t anywhere else in the entire world I would want to be.
Aspen Springs is home. It’s where I found love, and where that very love created something so magical.
The end.