Epilogue
One Year Later
Bailey
B ailey jumped back a step as a little boy darted across her path. She’d long since lost track of who belonged to whom. Her daughter Anya adored every single Keagan she met, and she fit in with every last one of them.
A small laugh escaped her throat as she moved into the living room where several of the large Keagan family had spilled over from the kitchen with plates piled high with treats and other snacks.
Anya came barreling into the room, presumably to chase after the little boy, but they both left a second later.
Carter was seated on the couch, but there wasn’t anywhere for her to sit beside him except on the armrest. She balanced her plate on one hand while she picked at the veggies she’d gathered with the other.
“And what did you get, Carter?” Emma asked. She was curled up beside Caleb, her belly growing large. It had been the hottest topic to hit the tabloids since Hollywood’s power couple had split. The country music star was expecting in a few months, and everyone wanted to know if there were names picked out. Unfortunately, that was going to remain one of the country’s best-kept secrets.
Carter slipped an arm around Bailey’s back. “I got a telescope.”
Caleb grinned. “It’s about time. I always wondered when you’d finally cave and get one.”
Carter lifted a finger. “To be fair, I didn’t get one. Bailey did.” He glanced up at her with a wink. He’d changed so much over the last year. Gone was the man who clung to the secrets of his past. He’d been replaced with a stronger version of himself—one that she grew to love more and more with each passing day. She leaned down, albeit a bit awkwardly, and kissed the crown of his head.
“And you?” Emma glanced at Bailey.
A smile tugged sharply at Bailey’s lips. She’d been wondering when this question would come up. So far no one had noticed the simple band she wore on her finger. And why would they when she’d been so careful at keeping it hidden?
Unfortunately, Carter wasn’t in the mood to keep secrets, and he snatched the plate from her hand before holding it out for them. “The best gift of all,” he grinned.
Gasps rippled through the room, followed by shouts of excitement. The women moved in so quickly it was almost suffocating. But Emma said it best when she smirked at Carter and muttered, “Sounds to me like you got two presents this year.”
Laughter wrapped around her, flooding her whole body with a distinct kind of joy she hadn’t expected to find in her life after losing Jack. Bailey met Carter’s eyes again, and they exchanged matching smiles. Neither one of them had to say aloud what they were thinking; they were both lucky to have each other.
Bailey leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Carter’s lips, then retrieved the plate from his hand. “I’m going to take care of this. I’ll be right back.” He nodded, but his gaze told her to hurry. Not even being together for a full year had seemed to dampen the way he looked at her like she was his gift from God. Carter lived each day to the fullest, and it was only one of many reasons she knew she wouldn’t survive losing him. Thankfully, he seemed to feel the same.
She scooted into the kitchen. Three couples were seated at the table in the throes of a silly argument over who was the best at taking down a bucking steer. The girls were on the side of their husbands, while the guys continued to put the others down teasingly.
Charlie stood at the kitchen island, chopping more veggies to add to the carrot sticks and celery that were disappearing with each passing minute. She glanced up at Bailey with a snort. “You’d think everyone would prefer the cookies over the veggies, but no.”
Bailey snatched a stick and swiped up a dollop of dip. “It’s because of this little piece of heaven. I don’t know how you did it, but even my daughter demands to eat her veggies when she’s got your veggie dip.”
Charlie chuckled, but it was clear that the compliment pleased her.
The kitchen door that led to the backyard burst open with a wave of cold air and all eyes turned toward it. A tall man entered with a motorcycle helmet under one arm. He was clean-shaven with well-kempt hair. But it was the slight gasp from Charlie that drew Bailey’s attention.
Bailey had never seen Charlie react that way when she was around anyone. She wasn’t outgoing by any means. She was more comfortable hanging out with her family and a few other friends she had, and she seemed to prefer it that way. But the way her eyes locked on this new stranger had Bailey wondering if this guy meant something to her.
Charlie quickly dropped her gaze, and Bailey’s eyes swiveled back to the stranger. If she wasn’t mistaken, she thought she saw his gaze linger on Charlie as well. But just when Bailey thought she saw it, his focus shifted to those seated at the table.
“Michael! Long time no see!” Daniel got up from the kitchen table and pulled the guy in for a quick hug and pat on the back. “How’s it going, dude? What brings you back to Copper Creek?”
Michael grinned. “Going great.” His eyes swept through the crowded room, briefly landing on Bailey before he turned back to Daniel. “I took a job in town.”
“That’s awesome,” Daniel offered. Others at the table agreed. Whoever this guy was, he definitely had a history with the Keagan men. The fact that Charlie hadn’t lifted her eyes to look at him a second time also spoke volumes.
“Hey, is Mason around? I told him I’d check in with him when I got to town.”
Daniel motioned toward the door. “Living room, I think.”
“Thanks.” Michael glanced toward Charlie, then to Bailey, flashing her a smile as he went. He nodded to her before slipping away.
Bailey leaned closer to Charlie. “He’s cute,” she murmured, a slight teasing tone in her voice.
Charlie shrugged. “He’s Mason’s friend. I barely know him.”
Bailey didn’t believe that for a second. She smirked before swiping one more carrot stick. “If you say so.” When she returned to the living room, she noted Michael speaking to Mason and Henry over in the corner of the room. They were all smiling wide and joking around. “I think your sister has a little crush,” she whispered in Carter’s ear.
He glanced at her with confusion. “What?”
“Charlie,” she said as if it were obvious. “Looks like there’s a history there.” She nodded pointedly toward Michael.
Carter snickered. “Yeah, right.”
She scoffed. “Why not? You didn’t see the way they looked at each other.”
His expression grew serious. “Because he’s six years older than she is. He moved out of town when she was seventeen and hasn’t been back until now.” Carter gave her a look that indicated all she had to do was the math.
If Charlie was seventeen when he’d left town, then he would have been twenty-three. While the age gap didn’t matter much right now, it would have definitely been a problem when Charlie was younger.
Bailey frowned. “Oh. I suppose you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right.” He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to sit on his lap. “If there was, Ash wouldn’t have lived to be standing today.”
Her frown deepened. “Ash? I thought he said his name was Michael.”
Carter chuckled. “Nickname, sweetheart. He’s a firefighter, and his last name happens to be Ashton. Hence…” He quirked a teasing brow. “Ash is great, but there’s absolutely no way he could have a thing for my sister or vice versa. Just wouldn’t work.”
She pursed her lips to the side, but before she could utter another word, he pointed upward. Bailey tilted her head and glanced up at where a small sprig of mistletoe hung from the ceiling. She let out a laugh. “Did you just?—”
He didn’t give her a second longer to ask her question before his lips crushed over hers, stealing her breath and making her see stars. When he pulled back, he grinned. “Merry Christmas, Bailey, my love.”
“Merry Christmas, Carter.”
Hello Sweet Romance Reader! I hope you loved reading about the ins and outs of Carter and Bailey falling in love.
Are you ready for the next to the last Keagan love story? Here’s a little more of a peek into what will happen in Charlie and Ash’s forbidden romance…