Bonus Chapter
The snow fell quietly and the sun glistened in rainbows through the stained-glass window as baby Leo bawled his way through his christening. While Bella and Logan cringed with embarrassment, Pastor Jacob just laughed and said, “Nothing wrong with a good pair of lungs.”
Willow stood at the side of the font, next to her brothers Noah and Brodie.
The pair of them were in their suits, Brodie slick and sharp in navy pinstripe, Noah slightly more dishevelled––never able to wear a tie––but he had at least conceded to a jacket.
Willow kept her focus on baby Leo, wincing at the high-pitched cries, but every now and then she’d sneak a look at Dylan, standing in the second-row pew, hands in the pockets of his newly acquired suit and a smirk on his face at the ear-splitting noise.
Each time, she had to look away to stop from giggling.
Each time, a warmth rose in her body just from the simple excitement of looking at him and thinking, he’s mine.
By the time they got back to Silver Sky Ranch, little Leo had exhausted himself and was happily fast asleep cradled in Logan’s arms. Inside the house, champagne was on ice, a feast of Silver Pantry cakes and sandwiches was spread over the table, and pots of coffee warmed guests fresh in from the snow.
Dylan stood slightly to the side by the big picture window that looked out onto Starlight Mountain, clearly not yet comfortable in the Carter house.
Willow popped a miniature chocolate tart in her mouth and went to join him, letting her arm thread under the back of his suit jacket and feeling his hand rest on her waist.
“This is so weird,” he said, looking around at where all of Willow’s family was chatting and laughing.
Willow bit down on a smile as she tilted her head to look up at him. “You’re going to have to get used to it.”
He turned to meet her gaze, corner of his mouth tipping up. “I know.”
She grinned, resting her forehead on his shoulder to hide it because sometimes the feeling was so much that it was embarrassing. Dylan just kissed the top of her head and laughed.
It was perfect. It couldn’t have been more so.
Standing next to Dylan Hawkins, snow falling gently out the window, her family together in the ranch house, the kitchen once again filled with voices, her brothers scraping chairs and opening the fridge, shouting in disagreement, cracking up at dry asides, ignoring their mom when she tried to shoo them all into the living room because everyone preferred it in the kitchen, around the table, together.
Willow tightened her hold on Dylan and felt him draw her in closer.
This was it. This was all she’d ever wanted.
The knock on the front door took everyone by surprise. Most people they knew usually just appeared at the screen door in the kitchen.
Willow was closest so she went to answer it, a smile still on her face.
The moment she opened the door her smile fell.
Two men in military uniform stood on the front step.
She turned in time to see her mom pause, see her expression freeze. She felt her own heart deafening in her ears.
The whole place seemed suddenly as silent as the snow. Everyone caught in that fleeting moment between casual happiness and heart-stopping fear, a split-second was all it took for everything to change.