Epilogue
WYATT
We’ve built something real. A solid friendship first. Long talks during bird watching.
Quiet evenings helping with lodge chores.
Shared meals where we laugh about small things.
I have learned to trust her again. She has learned to forgive herself.
It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth every hard conversation and every quiet moment of healing.
I watch her now as she lifts the binoculars to her eyes.
A soft smile plays on her lips when she spots a pair of Clark’s nutcrackers working on a pine cone.
Her hair catches the light, and my chest tightens with the kind of love I didn’t know I could feel.
There’s nobody else on this planet I could ever want to spend the rest of my life with.
No one else comes close. Caleb pulled me aside a few days ago and told me she feels the same.
He said she talks about me every night with Lily and cries sometimes because she’s afraid she ruined what we had.
Hearing that gave me the courage to do what I’ve been planning for weeks.
I reach over and brush a strand of hair from her face. She lowers the binoculars and looks at me, her eyes soft and warm.
“Ready to head back?” I ask.
She nods. “Only if you promise more of that huckleberry tea when we get home.”
I smile. “Deal.”
We walk back to the cabin hand in hand. The touch still feels new sometimes, even after all these months.
When we step inside, the smell of dinner greets us.
I spent the morning preparing her favorite meal—roasted chicken with herbs, garlic potatoes, and fresh vegetables from the garden.
The table is set with candles and the good plates Harper let me borrow. Junie stops in the doorway, eyes wide.
“You did all this?”
I nod and pull out her chair. “Sit. Let me take care of you tonight.”
We eat slowly, talking about everything and nothing.
She tells me about helping Daisy with the new medical supplies.
I tell her about the security upgrades Boyd and I finished yesterday.
The conversation flows easy and warm, the way it used to before everything got broken.
When the plates are empty, I clear the table and pour us both a glass of wine.
I sit down across from her and take her hand. My heart beats hard, but I don’t hesitate.
“Junie, these past few months have shown me something I already knew deep down. I’m in love with you.
Completely. There’s no one else I want to wake up next to every morning.
No one else I want to build a life with on this mountain.
I want you to move back in. Not as a guest. Not as someone trying to earn forgiveness.
As my partner. As the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. ”
Tears fill her eyes immediately. She squeezes my hand tight, her breath catching. “I love you too,” she whispers. “I’ve loved you for so long. I was so scared you would never want me back after what I did. Yes. Yes, I’ll move back in. Today if you’ll have me.”
I stand and pull her up into my arms. She comes willingly, wrapping herself around me like she never wants to let go.
I cup her face with both hands and kiss her.
The moment our lips meet, everything I’ve been holding back rushes forward.
I’ve wanted to kiss her for so long. I’ve missed her taste.
I’ve missed the way she melts against me.
I’ve missed the little sound she makes when I deepen the kiss.
She kisses me back with the same hunger, her fingers threading through my hair.
The kiss turns heated fast. Months of careful distance disappear in seconds.
I lift her onto the table, stepping between her thighs, and kiss her like I’ve been starving for her.
She moans softly into my mouth, her hands sliding under my shirt to touch my skin.
I pull back just enough to rest my forehead against hers. “I missed you. Every single day.”
“I missed you more,” she breathes.
We don’t make it to the bedroom. I carry her to the couch, laying her down gently.
We undress each other slowly, rediscovering every inch.
When I finally sink into her, we both groan at the feeling.
She’s tight and warm and perfect. I move deep and slow, savoring every moment, every gasp, every whisper of my name.
She wraps her legs around me and holds on tight, telling me she loves me between kisses.
We make love like we have all the time in the world. Because we do. The past is behind us. The future is ours. When we finish, I hold her close on the couch, her head on my chest, our legs tangled together under a blanket.
“You’re home now,” I murmur against her hair. “For good.”
She smiles against my skin. “For good.”
Outside the window the mountain stands quiet and strong, keeping watch over us. Inside, with Junie in my arms, I know we’ve finally found our way back to each other. Stronger than before. Ready for whatever comes next.
This’s our beginning.
And I can’t wait to live every single day of it with her.
Up next is Harlan’s book. The mysterious cowboy who will burn the world down to protect what’s his. Keep reading for a sneak peek…