Epilogue
Jasper
Two weeks later
Evie smiled at me as we walked with Josh through the stand of juvenile trees. Vincent was happily asleep on my chest in his carrier, his little body sweaty against mine. I loved it. This time with my son was one of life’s greatest gifts.
Before long, the leaves would turn and we’d begin harvesting. Given all the uncertainty with Sugar Moon, we couldn’t afford to slack. I’d been here daily. We’d been in crisis mode, making sure everything was documented and taken care of.
But today, I was here on a special mission.
Wayne, who had been lazily trailing behind Josh, let out a squeak and stopped, his ears perking. When he started to bark, the rest of us stopped too.
“What is it?” Josh frowned down at the dog. Most dogs barked at anything and everything, but not Wayne. He was weirdly calm until he wasn’t.
Wayne walked in a circle once, then again, then bolted down the hill toward the equipment barn.
Wiping his brow, Josh followed. “If Betsy Ross got into the feed shed again, I swear I’m gonna shoot her and make a fucking rug.”
Evie gasped. I only laughed. Josh talked a big game, but he was a softie. He’d planted a damn blackberry bramble on the north side years ago specifically for her.
We followed him down the hill and through the tree canopy. As the full farm came into view, so did a couple of cars at the guest house.
Wayne was now circling one of our giant tractors. And in the cab of that tractor was an unfamiliar little boy with a mop of dark hair.
He was barefoot, and it looked as though he was planning to take the piece of heavy machinery for a joyride.
He wasn’t just flipping switches and pulling at the steering wheel.
He was studying the panel in front of him, like he was actually contemplating how to drive it.
This kid couldn’t be more than seven, yet I was pretty sure he was attempting to hot wire a tractor.
“Hey,” Josh barked. “Get out of there. That’s dangerous.”
The boy didn’t even look up. He was completely focused on the machinery.
Wayne sat on the ground next to the cab, his tail wagging, delighted by his new friend.
My stomach sank as Josh stormed that way. Shit. My brother wasn’t exactly known for his gentle manner with strangers, so this was about to go sideways quick.
“Hey,” Josh said. “You can’t—”
“Julian,” a high, panicked voice called out.
In the next second, a woman was running full speed down the path, wild red hair flying, jean shorts half zipped, and a lacy black bra but no shirt. With a pair of sparkly pink Crocs in her hand, the glitter catching the sunlight like disco balls.
“Holy hell,” Evie whispered.
Josh whipped around, his eyes widening when he saw her.
She darted for the tractor, her arms out.
Dutifully, the boy climbed down and jumped into her arms.
She hugged him tight, her eyes closed, then set him on the ground and checked him over for injuries.
“You scared the life out of me.” She looked over her shoulder at Josh. “He didn’t break anything, did he? Is he hurt?”
Josh blinked, looking thrown by the hurricane that had blown onto his farm. “He’s fine. Just curious.”
She let out a big breath and closed her eyes again. Then she bent at the waist and kissed the top of his head. “Next time I’ll have to put these in sport mode before chasing you.” She dropped the Crocs to the ground and wedged her feet into them.
Hands on his hips, Josh scrutinized her, his expression a mix of fear and fascination. “Sport mode?”
She stood, shoulders back, meeting his eyes without a shred of shame.
She was small. Barely five foot. She looked like a tiny fairy sprite, but in this moment, she carried herself like a mafia enforcer.
“You know, flip the back strap down. Ready for action.” She held out a foot, the glitter catching the light. “Emergency mom gear.”
Evie leaned in close, whispering, “I like her.”
Josh, on the other hand, looked like he’d swallowed a live wire. “Who are you and why are you trespassing on my farm?”
Brows raised, she pulled her son close. “I’m moving into the cottage up the road.”
“You’re the new tenant?” My brother scoffed. “You’re not set to move in until tomorrow.”
The woman lifted her chin, defiant. “We came early.”
Josh roughed a hand down his face. He wasn’t known for being flexible. “But I haven’t given you the keys to unlock the house.”
“Was it locked?” she asked, her head tilted. “Didn’t notice. Anyway, we’re here now.”
“But—”
“I signed the lease last week, and you cashed the check I sent. So how about you give me the keys so we can both get on with our days?”
Her expression was sharp, cunning, but as she turned to us, it morphed into the sweetest smile.
She was still standing before us in a bra and shorts, yet she didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed by her state of undress.
Her demeanor was at complete odds with my brother’s. He was stammering, the parts of his cheek visible above his thick beard flaming.
“I’m Celine LeBlanc.” She held out a hand to Josh.
On autopilot, he took it, though he didn’t introduce himself.
She turned to Evie next, then me, greeting us the same way.
“I’m Jasper, Josh’s brother,” I said. “And this is Evie and Vincent.”
“Do you run around half dressed often?” Josh growled, disdain dripping from his voice.
Most people would tuck tail and run in response to that tone, but Celine was unflappable.
And I was doing my best not to break into laughter at my brother’s expense.
With her arm at her side, she stretched out her fingers, and the little boy slid his palm against hers.
“We’ve been unloading boxes. I’d planned to change into clean clothes before introducing myself to the landlord.” She eyed him up and down. “But Julian ran off, so I didn’t quite finish.”
“Ma’am,” Josh said.
She flinched.
God, he was digging his own grave at this point.
“You can’t just let your kid wander around a working farm,” he gritted out. “He could get hurt.”
Her head snapped up. “You think I just let him?” She gently wrapped an arm around her son and pulled him closer. “This is Julian.”
Evie gave him a friendly wave, and Vincent kicked his feet.
“He’s autistic,” she went on. “You got a problem with that?”
Josh’s eyes widened. “No.”
“Good.” She huffed. “When he gets anxious or overwhelmed, he elopes.” She studied Josh, probably noting the confusion on his face. “He runs away. We’re working on it, but today has been a big day.”
Josh’s jaw flexed, tension radiating off him. Wayne, his ever-faithful companion, brushed up against his side and nudged his hand with his nose.
With a long breath out, my brother dropped his gaze. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to cause offense. I was just worried.”
She crossed her arms, but I looked away, not interested in seeing what the move would do to her bra-clad breasts. “We came a day early,” she said, “so we’d have a little more time to settle in.”
Julian dropped his mom’s hand and shuffled over to Wayne, burying his face in his fur.
“I’m glad you made a friend, Jules,” Celine said. “Now we have to get back to the house and put your racecar bed together.”
“I can help,” Josh said, taking a step forward.
She scoffed, as if the idea of accepting his help was laughable. “I have tools. I’m good.”
She turned to Evie and me, that smile returning. “It was nice to meet you. Sorry for the wardrobe malfunction. He’s fast.”
“Welcome to Maplewood,” Evie said, a bright smile spreading across her face. “Are you the new kindergarten teacher?”
Celine smiled. “Yes. School starts on Tuesday. I’ve got a lot to do between now and then, but I’ve heard great things about this town.”
“We live in town,” I explained. “But I’m sure we’ll see you around. This is my family farm. Josh runs things and lives in the big white farmhouse.”
Celine assessed Josh again, seemingly unimpressed by his scowl. “Reclusive, grumpy farmer, huh? I can see it. You look like a man who yells at clouds.”
Julian giggled.
Josh made a sound somewhere between a grunt and a laugh. “You always introduce yourself like that?”
“Only when I’m half dressed and accused of negligence,” she shot back. Then, softening a bit, she added. “We’ll stay out of your way.”
She took Julian’s hand again and walked off, sparkly Crocs flashing with every step.
Josh watched her go. And I watched him watch her.
Evie elbowed me, wearing a grin, and I winked at her. What had we just witnessed?
Grumbling about keys and paperwork, Josh took off toward his house.
When it was just the three of us, we resumed our walk.
“What are the odds Josh falls madly in love with Sport Mode Tinkerbell?” Evie asked, uncapping her water bottle.
“Zero,” I said. “He’s too damn repressed. He’d rather wrestle Betsy Ross than admit he’s lonely.”
“I’m not sure.” She linked her arm through mine, the move causing me to catch a whiff of her sweet scent.
“This is Josh we’re talking about,” I said as we headed up the east hill. “The man is more comfortable talking to trees than women. Your expectations are too high.”
“I think there’s a spark there,” she murmured as we wandered past the greenhouses. “At the risk of sounding like one of those women so madly in love that they want to pair people up like the animals on Noah’s Ark—”
I pulled her to a stop and kissed her, careful not to squish the baby between us. “You’re madly in love?”
She huffed a laugh. “You gonna make me say it?”
I rubbed my hands together and bounced on my toes. “Yes. Declare yourself, woman.”
Hands on her hips, she shook her head, but she was smiling.
“Jasper Lawrence,” she said. “I am madly in love with you. Obsessed, really.”
My chest warmed. So did my cheeks. Pulling her close, I kissed her again. “And I think you’re okay.” I bopped her on the nose, then headed up the grassy hill.
“You asshole,” she shrieked behind me.
When we reached the top of the hill, I put my arm around her and breathed in the fresh scent. The air was slightly cooler up here, the valley spread out before us.
“What are we looking at?” she asked, scanning the fields and trees in front of us.
“This is where I’m gonna build our house.” I turned to her, nervousness mixing with my excitement. “If you want me to. A spot that’s all ours on the farm. Because I plan to love you for the rest of my life. A home for Vincent and any other kids or animals we collect along the way.”
“Jasper…”
“I’m not asking for it all today,” I told her. “Just showing you my long-term plan. Because I don’t just want your today, Evie. I want all your tomorrows too.”