Epilogue
“Oh my god, is this where you hit the sign?”
Gretchen claps her hands in delight, startling me and making me swerve a little.
“Don’t make me crash again!” I gasp, but she’s too busy leaning against the window of my fixed-up yellow sedan to notice the past accident flashing before my eyes.
“Ooh, the sign you have now is classy. You did the place a favor by hitting the old one.”
“Not sure Cal would agree with you,” I laugh, turning down the road next to the admittedly very pretty new ranch sign, which features small brass constellations around the name.
“Hah, like I care what your grumpy boyfriend thinks. He’ll stay on my good side if he knows what’s good for him—I’m the one keeping you in those sparkly outfits he’s so fond of.”
“True.” I smile to myself, thinking about all the times I’ve caught Cal staring at my ass and claiming it’s because the rhinestones were dazzling him.
Gretchen exclaims at everything we pass, excitedly chattering about all the things she wants to do this week.
She’s been trying to find time to come visit for ages, and as soon as she had a free week, she booked a flight.
Now here she is, and I’ve been fighting back tears every few minutes because I’m so happy to see her.
She’s the only part of my old life I miss. We do our best to stay connected with video calls and texts, but those aren’t anywhere near the same as experiencing the full force of her magnetic, loving personality in person.
Gretchen’s face lights up as we pull off the main drive and up to the lodge. “Oh wow! Even more stunning in person.”
I park in front of the lodge so she can get out and look around before we head over to the cabin she’s staying in for the week—the fully refurbished honeymoon one, funnily enough.
Though Gretchen jokingly offered to stay with August if he had room on his couch. The girl is obsessed with his videos, to the point where she quotes random things he says in them.
“It is pretty nice, isn’t it? We’ll need to refinish the exterior in the next few years, but I still think it’s very charming.”
“I was talking about the hunky minotaur standing on the porch.” Gretchen laughs, hopping out of the car before she sees my eye roll.
“Try to behave, okay?” I call after her, and she laughs harder, making a beeline toward Cal, who squints into the sun and reaches a hand out to Gretchen, which she grabs and uses to pull him into a crushing hug.
His eyes meet mine over her shoulder, perplexed, and I shrug, loving seeing my two favorite people in the world in the same place at the same time.
“Nice to meet you, Gretchen,” Cal says, his ears flicking as my buxom friend steps back and gives him a shameless once-over.
I smack her arm, and she giggles. “What? I was just figuring out his measurements so I can make him a shirt to match yours.”
“Sure you were,” I grumble, which makes her laugh harder.
“Don’t worry, I only have eyes for one cow man. Speaking of… Can we go check out the coop?”
I snort. “You’ll get your chance to fangirl over August soon enough.”
“I’m not going to fangirl!” Gretchen scoffs. “I’m going to introduce myself politely, and maybe see if he’d have any interest in making a custom video for me where he calls me his good girl.”
Cal groans, scrubbing a hand across his face. “Lord, please don’t inflate the old man’s ego any more than it already is.”
“I’m kidding!” Gretchen say, batting her eyelashes innocently at him. “I’d never be so forward.” She clasps her hands in front of her hips. “I’ll just go say hi and ask to see the cock.”
Cal sputters, and I shake my head. “You can say hi to Doodle and August later. Let me show you around and get you settled in first.”
“Okay, fine.” She lets out a dramatic exhale. “Mind showing me the ropes since your woman is so insistent on that?” she asks Cal, looping her arm through his.
“Hey, I thought you came here to see me!”
“Oh, you can come with us if you want.” She winks at me.
Cal gives me a flummoxed look, but he’ll get used to Gretchen’s charm soon.
I smile and take Cal’s free hand. “Try to be nicer while giving her the tour than you were to me.”
He scoffs. “I’ll be nice. I’m always nice when people don’t crash into my life looking like they’re here to destroy it.” He chuckles when I scowl at him, disentangling himself from Gretchen to lean down and give me a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I know better now.”
“Ugh, stop, you two are criminally cute together,” Gretchen sighs, and there’s a hint of tears in her eyes as she meets my gaze. “I can’t wait to see everything you’ve built together.”
Despite her jokes, Gretchen doesn’t overtly flirt with August. It’s clear to me she thinks he’s hot, but she’s not obvious about it, much to Cal’s relief.
August is more than happy to show her all of his ladies, and Gretchen ends up surrounded by baby goats, laughing with delight.
I can’t help but notice the soft look in August’s eyes as he observes my friend.
Not that anything is going to happen between them, but a girl can dream about two of her best friends falling madly in love over the course of a week and Gretchen moving here to be with him. And me.
Gretchen ends up charming the entire ranch by the end of our tour, Remy and Wylie blushing at her mere presence, and our standoffish stable manager, Laurel, offering to teach her how to ride later in the week.
She’s tired from the flight, so we end up having dinner back at the house. Cal gladly stays in the kitchen to cook for us while Gretchen asks for all the latest ranch gossip as we sit on the porch sipping drinks, Doodle happily snuggled into her lap.
We have lots to chat about, between getting things ready for the first wedding on the ranch, the saloon we’re planning on adding as an expansion onto the dining hall over the winter, the latest thing Rhett did to piss Laurel off, D&D group flirtations, and Wylie’s pretty guest who has come back three more times.
Nevermind that Gretchen has her own budding romance back in the city with a new guy she met through a production she’s costuming, or her gleeful retelling of Jace and Maggie’s dramatic breakup.
“I’m so proud of you,” she says seemingly out of nowhere, reaching out to place her hand atop mine.
My eyes grow misty for the hundredth time today. “Thank you. I’m really happy.”
“I can tell.” She squeezes my hand and lets out a soft exhale.
“I hate to admit it, but a very selfish part of me wanted to come out here and find that things weren’t quite as perfect as you’ve let on, so I’d have a reason to beg you to come back to the city.
But I already knew that wasn’t the case.
I miss the hell out of you, but this is where you’re meant to be. ”
“You could always come join me,” I say with a watery chuckle, understanding her wish that we could be together but knowing we have separate lives now.
“It’s very tempting,” she sighs, giving my hand another squeeze before pulling it back to pat Doodle. “But my life is back in the city, and I don’t see that changing.”
“You never know. Try having that girl from your party do a tarot card reading for you, and maybe you’ll find out that your great-uncle left you a cattle ranch right down the road.”
Gretchen chuckles. “Ooh, good thinking! I’d look amazing in a milkmaid outfit.”
Cal chooses that moment to come outside to tell us dinner is ready, and we both burst out into laughter as his brows raise, only hearing the end of the conversation.
“Don’t tell me. What you get up to with August is none of my damn business.”
We laugh harder, and he huffs at us, his tail snaking around my waist as we head inside.
“Soooo… are you going to have kids?”
Cal sputters, almost choking on his mouthful of cobbler.
I pat him on the back, glaring at my friend. Cal and I have been together for a little over six months now, but that doesn’t mean we’re ready to have kids.
“We’re not really at that point,” I hedge.
“Yeah, but it’s something you’ve thought about, with the way you’re all loved up.
Adorable little Cal-Belle babies.” Gretchen’s eyes light up.
“Oh my god! Why didn’t I realize sooner—Cal Belle…
calbelle…your couple name is Cowbell!” She cackles and claps her hands together in glee.
“When you get married, you need to have cowbell decorations, or like, put them in your bouquet. I’m making you both shirts with cowbell designs on them! ”
Cal looks at me, perplexed, and I worry her talking about weddings so much is making him uncomfortable.
“We’re not even engaged yet. Quit planning our wedding and how many babies we’ll have.”
Gretchen’s eyes sparkle, and she gives Cal a strange look. “Not engaged yet.”
He glares back at her. “Right.”
My stomach flips and I almost drop my fork.
Oh my god. Is he going to propose while she’s here? Did he wait until she could come visit to do it? She’s the only real family I have left, so it’s not like I’d want him to get anyone else’s blessing.
I search his face, and his expression says it all.
He’s the sweetest. I can’t believe he’s going to propose. I mean, I can because we’re attached at the hip, living together, and things are going better than ever, but still!
I can’t keep in the tears that spill down my cheeks.
“Shit, did I say something wrong?” Gretchen asks, immediately sobering.
“No, no, I’m okay. I’m just h-happy.”
Cal’s brow furrows. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.” I give him a dopey, watery smile. “So, so happy.”
“You know, it’s pretty late, and, uh, I think maybe I should go back to my cabin.” Gretchen shoves up from the table, her smile knowing. “I’ll borrow your car, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow!” She mumbles something about being sorry to Cal and races out the door like someone is chasing her.
“Food probably didn’t sit well in her stomach,” Cal says, trying to pretend like her fleeing wasn’t weird as hell.
I shake my head and tug him to me, pressing a tearful kiss to his lips. “I don’t want to ruin anything you may have planned, so let’s act like nothing was accidentally brought up, okay?”
He strokes my cheek, holding me tight. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
I laugh and bury my face against his chest. “Perfect.”
“On an unrelated note…it’s a full moon tomorrow night. I bet I could get August to entertain Gretchen and watch Doodle so we can go look at the stars again.”
“That sounds perfect,” I breathe, heart fluttering.
“I was hoping you’d like it.” He bends down and kisses me, pouring more love into me than I ever imagined it was possible to experience before I met him.
“I love it. I can’t wait.”
“Me either.” His eyes shine with devotion and happiness. “Not only for tomorrow night, but every night after. I can’t wait for a lifetime under the stars with you.”