Epilogue
ONE MONTH LATER
Molly
I enter the barn and follow the sound of Luke’s gentle voice as he talks to our newest four-legged family member in the stall across from Gumdrop. Late spring sunshine filters through the windows, casting golden light across the hay-covered floor.
“You’re such a good boy, Kevin. Yes, you are. Don’t listen to Laurel. You don’t need your bangs cut.”
“He’d look even cuter with a trim,” Laurel calls from where she’s perched on a hay bale, rolling her eyes at her brother’s commentary. “And I bet his hair would get even curlier.”
I can’t help but smile as I watch them fuss over the Highland calf we adopted two weeks ago.
When Ray called about a calf whose mother had rejected him and would need to be raised as a bottle baby, there was never any question about our answer.
The kids named him Kevin within five minutes, and he’s been the center of their universe ever since.
Chase emerges from the feed room carrying Kevin’s bottle, and my heart does that little skip it does every time I see him. Don’t get me started on my reaction when he gives me one of those slow smiles of his. It’s too embarrassing.
He’s traded his usual work shirt for a clean button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and there’s something different about his energy. Like he’s vibrating with barely contained excitement. I guess we’re all smitten with sweet Kevin.
“Feeding time,” he announces, holding up the oversized bottle.
Luke starts jumping up and down as the calf wiggles. “Can I do it? Please? I’ve been practicing tipping up the bottle just like you showed me.”
“Me too,” Laurel adds, hopping down from the hay bale. “We should take turns.”
“You can both help.” Chase lets himself into the stall. “Luke, you hold the bottle, and Laurel, you can help keep him still enough to take it.”
I watch as Kevin eagerly latches on. The rust-colored hair on the top of his head sticks out in all directions like he’s been electrocuted and milk runs down his chin, but the expression in his big eyes is particularly endearing as he drinks.
“He’s getting so much bigger already.” I take a seat on the hay bale my daughter vacated. “Are you sure we’re not overfeeding him?”
“This guy’s appetite is perfectly normal.” Chase’s smile is warm as he helps Luke adjust his grip on the bottle. “Though I have a feeling he’s going to be spoiled rotten with all the attention you three give him.”
“He deserves to be spoiled,” Luke says seriously. “His mama didn’t want him, but we do.”
“We’ll love him even better because we chose him for our family,” Laurel adds with the kind of insight that makes my chest tighten.
These kids have been through so much loss themselves, yet their capacity for love and empathy continues to amaze me.
Chase catches my eye over their heads, and something passes between us. We’ve both been through enough to appreciate the sweetness of this moment and how perfect our life has become.
“Mommy,” Laurel says, pulling my attention back to the present. “When Kevin grows up, will he still want to live in the barn? Or will he want his own pasture like Fancy and Gumdrop?”
“Well, Highland cows are pretty social animals,” I tell her. “He’ll probably want to be with the horses once he’s big enough. They can all keep each other company.”
“Like a family,” Luke adds, grinning as Kevin finishes his bottle and starts nosing around his hand for more.
“Maybe we should get more animals that need homes,” Laurel suggests thoughtfully. “We could be a flower farm and an animal rescue.”
Chase and I exchange looks. “That’s not a terrible idea,” he says. “There’s plenty of room, and a way for the farm to become an even more meaningful part of the community.”
Laurel’s smile widens. “The animals would be part of our family.”
“Exactly,” Chase agrees.
Something in his voice makes me look at him more closely. That buzz of energy from earlier seems to be building, and he keeps glancing between me and the kids.
“Speaking of family.” He holds out a hand and pulls me to my feet. “I wanted to talk to you about ours.”
Luke and Laurel seem like they’re about to explode, and the air is charged in a way I don’t understand, even though I seem to be the only one not in on what’s happening.
“What’s going on with you three?” I shoot a wary glance between them. “Have you already committed to more animals?”
Chase squeezes my fingers before releasing me, laughing softly. “Right now I’m thinking of a different kind of commitment.” He reaches into his pocket, and my heart seems to skip a beat as understanding dawns.
“Molly.” His voice is soft but steady. Hearing my name spoken with such reverence already has me blinking back tears.
“You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Spending every day with you and the kids, building your dream and our life together is like my dream come true. A dream I never let myself have, and a future I want more than anything.”
He pulls out a small velvet box, and Laurel claps her hands over her mouth to stifle a delighted squeal.
I glance between my children and the man I love. “Were you two in on this?”
“He asked our permission,” Luke announces proudly.
“And we said yes,” Laurel adds, bouncing on her toes then adding an eye roll for good measure. “Obviously.”
Chase chuckles, his gaze never leaving mine as he opens the box to reveal a stunning vintage ring, the oval diamond surrounded by smaller stones that twinkle like tiny stars.
“I found it at an antique shop in Denver,” he says. “The owner said it belonged to a woman who was married for sixty-three years. I liked the idea of you wearing something with that kind of love story already in it. I hope you do, too.”
Tears blur my vision as I stare at the ring. It’s absolutely perfect.
“Molly,” Chase continues, “you taught me what home really means. Not just a place, but the people who make you feel like the best version of yourself. You and Luke and Laurel are my home. You’re my whole world.” He takes a shaky breath. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” I whisper, taking another step toward him. “Of course, yes.”
The kids cheer as Chase slips the ring onto my finger.
It fits like it was made for me, and I love the history of it and the way this is the start of our future together.
Then he’s pulling me into his arms, kissing me softly while Luke and Laurel dance around us and Kevin moos his apparent approval.
“I love you,” Chase murmurs against my lips. “All of you.”
“I love you, too,” I say, reaching out to pull the twins into our embrace. “We all do. Our family.”
We stay in the barn for another hour, taking turns loving on our fuzzy baby and talking about wedding plans.
“I might have been more scared talking to you two than I ever was getting on a bull,” Chase tells the twins. They love that, and regale me with stories of how hard it’s been keeping the secret for three whole days.
Luke wants Chase to wear his cowboy hat during the ceremony, and Laurel thinks we should get married in the flower fields now that everything’s in bloom.
“A wedding in the field sounds perfect.” I can’t stop looking at the engagement ring on my hand. It feels like my insides are made of champagne bubbles, all light and effervescent. “Maybe next month? I don’t want to wait too long.”
Chase kisses my temple. “I’d marry you tomorrow if you wanted.”
“Tomorrow,” the twins chorus.
“I need a little time to plan,” I say firmly, smiling at all of them. “I want it to be perfect.”
“You said yes.” Chase claps a hand to his chest. “Everything else is gravy.”
As we head back toward the house, the late afternoon air warm and scented with the fresh smell of my flower fields, I fall into step beside Chase.
The kids race ahead, still buzzing with excitement, and although I’ve walked this path a thousand times, today it’s different. It feels like a new beginning.
My phone buzzes, and I pull it out of the back pocket of my jeans to see notifications from the book club group chat.
Piper: Anyone available for a short-notice get together? I need to talk to you all about something.
Taylor: How about Casa Rosa? I’m craving loaded nachos something fierce.
Avah: I’m in.
Sloane: Me too.
Sadie: Sure.
Iris: Can’t tonight, sorry. Date with my guy. Netflix and not chill.
Sloane: No one likes a bragger.
Iris: Jake likes me just the way I am.
Piper: Can we meet at my house?
I pause, frowning at my phone. That’s odd. Piper usually loves going out.
Sadie: Everything okay, sis?
Piper: Yeah, I’d just rather talk in private.
A memory surfaces of Piper’s face in the coffee shop when Sally mentioned secrets. At the time, I was too consumed with my own issues to really pay attention to hers, but now I wish I had.
Avah: Private usually means the talk is going to be really good or really bad? Which are we dealing with?
Piper: I honestly don’t know yet.
My steps slow as I stare at the phone, my protective instincts kicking in. Sadie also mentioned that Piper has been withdrawn lately. I think we both figured it was her adjusting to being back in Skylark after her broken engagement, but maybe there’s something else going on.
“Everything okay?” Chase asks quietly.
“I’m not entirely sure. Piper wants to have an emergency book club meeting at her house. She says she has something important to tell us.”
“Sounds like she needs her friends.”
“Yeah.” I look up at him, this wonderful man who’s just asked me to spend forever with him, and feel that familiar surge of gratitude for the way he understands me. “Are you okay if I go? I know we just got engaged and should be celebrating—”
“Go,” he says, drawing me forward then brushing a kiss across my lips. “We have the rest of our lives to celebrate.”
“The rest of our lives,” I repeat, marveling at how natural those words sound. How right they feel.
“Sounds good, doesn’t it?” Chase murmurs.
I lean in to kiss him again. “Yeah, it sure does.” I quickly type a response to the group chat.
Me: I’ll be there. What time?
Piper: Seven? And thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you bitches.
As I slip my phone back into my pocket, I find myself wondering about Piper’s secret. Whatever it is, she won’t have to face it alone.
Chase takes my left hand, with its beautiful new ring, and we walk toward the house together. For so long, I’ve been a single mother trying to build a life on her own. Tonight, I’ll go to sleep as an engaged woman, surrounded by love and possibility and the family I created.
And tomorrow? Tomorrow and all the days after, we’ll keep building our forever.
But first, we need to find out what’s going on with Piper. Something tells me that bucket list challenge or no, this meeting is going to change everything. Again.
That’s how life works in Skylark. One unexpected surprise after another.