Epilogue 2
Ten years later …
“Okay, is everyone ready?” Leah asked her four kids. Heather, the oldest, was eight; Reese III–whom they called RJ?was six, Gracen was four, and the youngest member of the Singleton family, Rachel, would be celebrating her third birthday next month.
“Ready, Mom,” Heather said, making sure all her younger siblings had on their hats and mittens.
Leah smiled. She knew her kids were excited about spending the holidays with not only their Aunt Jocelyn, Uncle Bas, and their three cousins, but other members of the Steele family as well. The Steeles had rented all the guest rooms at the Mountain-Scape Lake Lodge in the heart of the Smokey Mountains for the two days before Christmas and the three days afterward. That would allow everyone to return home before the New Year and celebrate however they liked.
Leah looked forward to the trip that would not only bring the Steele family together--those living in Charlotte and Phoenix--but invitations had been sent to their close friends as well. Leah appreciated how, since she was Jocelyn’s sister, the Steele family always included her, Reese, and their kids in all the family gatherings.
This would be the first time all the Steeles would be together under the same roof for the holidays in years. It would be special since the oldest two of Chance and Kylie Steeles’ four offspring?Marcus and Tiffany?had graduated from the university. So it would be like a double celebration.
Marcus, now twenty-seven, had obtained his law degree from Harvard earlier that year and had joined the Steele Corporation’s legal team. Tiffany, who was twenty-six, had earned her pediatrics medical degree from Yale and was interning at Boston Children’s Hospital. A rumor was circulating that Tiffany would bring a special guy home to meet the family.
“I got the van packed and ready to roll, sweetheart,” Reese said, coming inside and kissing her lips.
It had been years since it had snowed in Newton Grove. However, according to Jocelyn, they expected a white Christmas this year in the Smokey Mountains. The kids were looking forward to that.
“Okay everyone, head on out. Dad and I will follow once we make sure everything is locked up and unplugged. Heather, please take care of Rachel.”
“Yes, Mom,” her oldest daughter said smiling, taking her little sister’s hand. She knew Heather was looking forward to spending time with her cousin Susan ? Jocelyn and Bas’s first born. Heather and Susan were only five months apart in age.
Reese and Leah watched the kids eagerly rush to the car, and then he pulled her in his arms. “Marie called,” Leah told him. “She, Silas, and the kids made it to Miami for their Christmas cruise to the Caribbean.” Marie and Silas had gotten married eight years ago. Besides her two sons from a prior marriage, who Silas had adopted, they’d added a daughter and another son to their family.
“That’s good to hear. I know how much Silas has been looking forward to this trip. He’s been working long hours to keep up with all the online orders he’s getting,” Reese said.
Silas no longer rented space in Reese’s warehouse. When the business began booming, he’d purchased his own place with three staff members to keep up with the orders. Leah had been sorry when Marie had resigned from the café to help run her husband’s business. Replacing her hadn’t been easy. Over the years, the café had expanded again, and business was booming. She had a great staff of fifteen and an assistant manager who could handle things in her absence.
Reese’s business had taken off as well. The Singleton furniture brand was known nationwide and associated with the finest hand-made furniture of the highest quality and workmanship. He had doubled the size of his warehouse and increased his staff to help handle the orders. Sports figures and celebrities topped his list of customers.
“And you’re sure Mama Rachel doesn’t want to travel with us?” Leah asked. His mother had been a godsend and like Grace, a person she had needed in her life. Rachel had been there through her pregnancies and was a grandmother her children adored. A year after they married, she had returned to California with Reese to visit Grace and they had done so every year after that.
When Leah was pregnant with what she and Reese had thought would be their last child, they decided to name it Grace if it was a girl and Gracen if it was a boy. It had been a boy, and Grace had been overjoyed they had named one of their kids after her.
Last year they had gotten a call from one of her sons that she had passed away in her sleep, and they had gone to California for the services. Leah wasn’t sure what she’d do without her, but she thanked God every day for bringing that wonderful woman into her life.
“I’m positive she doesn’t want to go with us,” Reese said, bringing her thoughts back to the present. “There’s no way you’ll get Mom to go anywhere when it’s so close to Rita’s due date.” The new baby would be Daniel and Rita’s fourth child.
Reese leaned in to place another kiss on Leah’s lips. “Have I told you lately that I love you, Mrs. Singleton?”
“Not lately, but I’m always happy to hear it,” she said, smiling up at him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Bringing her body closer to his, he said, “Leah Mason Singleton, I love you and will do so forever and a day.”
She chuckled. “And I love you, Reese Jamison Singlton, Jr. and will do so forever and a week.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Come on, let’s head out,” he said, taking her hand. “I can’t wait to find out what those Steeles have been up to lately.”