Epilogue
Corinne - A few months later…
It’s a crisp autumn afternoon at our cabin.
I can’t help but smile. Maverick’s made a point to use our for everything. Our cabin. Our land. Our life. Our family. We’re not even engaged, but it feels like we’re already a married couple.
I moved in a week after Mackenzie’s wedding, which went surprisingly smoothly, thanks to Maverick. As it turns out, he can play the role of spooky, scary, grumpy mountain man very well, and not even Mackenzie wanted to test the waters.
And not a single drunken man hit on me the entire night. It was lovely having Maverick with me, and even lovelier having him later that night… Hoo, boy. That man is a man . But most importantly… my man.
Kids are running all around me, hopped up on ice cream, cake, and whatever source of unknown energy they tap into when they roam in wild packs. Screaming. Crying. Laughing. One kid is making the requisite fart noises with his armpit.
In other words, everyone is having a blast at Dora’s birthday party. Dora included. She loved Maverick’s gift, which she promptly named Belle, the Ballerina Bear. If not for weighing about as much as her, I’m sure she’d be dragging it around everywhere.
There’s an inflatable bouncy castle. Slip ’N’ Slides. A petting zoo. All sorts of games. I’m getting dizzy just watching it all. But that’s not saying much. I’ve been getting dizzy and nauseous and loopy for a few weeks now.
Turns out Maverick’s rather virile. I miss one pill and BAM! I put two and two together a few days ago, and today I’m going to tell Maverick. I’m not nervous. Maverick’s been telling me how much he wants to “put a baby in me.” And well, he did.
I have the biggest smile on my face watching Maverick as he runs rampant through the crowd of shrieking kids, blasting them with his water gun, and they pelt him with water balloons.
You’d think he’s in his element in his workshop, but no. It’s with all these kids. And I can’t wait to throw ours into the mix.
When he’s finally defeated, the horde of kids tackling him onto the ground, they get called off by Ryder for a different game, and Maverick comes straight over to me.
“Missed you,” I rasp, reaching down and giving me a sopping wet kiss.
I laugh, faux-batting him away.
“I’ve been sitting here for five minutes.”
Maverick grins. “As I said… Missed you. Come on, I want to show you something.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet, guiding me back to his workshop.
There are too many people around for what I hope he’s going to show me.
But once we’re inside, he slams the door shut, locks it, and then grabs me right below my ass and lifts me off the ground.
His mouth crushing mine as he sets me down on his workbench.
My nails dig into his scalp, and I drag my hand downward until I’m clutching his firm, muscular back. His tongue slips between my lips, searching needily in my mouth as I moan. I swear, this gets better every time, especially when it’s unexpected.
But then he breaks the seal, reaching for something above my head.
“W-what was that?”
“A kiss.” He smiles, brushing a strand of hair off my cheek. “An I’m-happy-to-see-you kiss.”
I pant. I shake my head. God, I love this man.
“Okay.” I stare at him for a few moments, and then he hands something to me. “What are these?”
I flip through them. I know what they are… but how?
“Postcards of your photos. I spoke with Everett, and he had them made. Said they’d be perfect for the Cherry Ridge Farm’s gift shop. And I’m sure Marge and the rest of Whispering Winds would?—”
Now it’s my turn. I grab Maverick by the collar and pull, kissing him as passionately as our first time. He wraps his strong hands around me, and then I grab one, guiding it to my throat. I love the feeling. The power beneath his hands.
We’re both panting by the time we finally break free.
“What was that?” Maverick asks.
“A thank-you-very-much kiss.”
He smiles. “I hope I’m the only one you kiss like that when you thank them.”
I snort. “Of course.”
I drop down off the workbench and collect the postcards that somehow slipped from my hands.
“Seriously, Maverick. You didn’t have to do this. You’ve done so much for me. I… I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”
Maverick worked his magic and got me a job at Cherry Ridge Farm.
I’m their in-house photographer—a salaried position.
I shoot their events, weddings, if the clients buy the package, their property, and the surrounding area—basically anything that would look great for social media.
Landscapes, candids, architecture, rabid chipmunks…
everything . Hank’s an absolute star on their Instagram now.
It’s freed me up to pursue my photography, and I can’t thank Maverick enough.
Maverick laughs, a deep rumbling laugh. “Repay me? Please. I’m the wealthiest man in the world because of you.”
I smile, my throat beginning to well up as tears ache to come out, but I hold them back. “Well, I think I know one way to repay you.”
Maverick frowns, but I take his hand, placing it on my belly.
“I’m pregnant.” As soon as those words burst from my mouth, tears burst from me just as quickly. Apparently, I’m no good at holding anything back anymore.
“You’re…” He swallows. “We’re…”
I nod. “Yes. Very, very…”
Maverick falls to his knees, shoving his face against my belly as he wraps his arms around me.
“Beautiful… perfect…” He’s muttering to himself, and I can hardly understand everything he says as I sniffle and snort, messy tears streaking down my cheeks. And when I’m finally able to look at Maverick again, I’m hit with another wave as he holds out a ring.
“Corinne,” he begins. “You may not believe it, but I slipped my grandpa’s ring in my pocket the night we met, and it hasn’t left since.
I knew then, as much as I know now, that you’re the one for me.
My partner. My soul mate.” He swallows. “My wife. No one makes me happier. No one…” He wipes a tear from his eye.
I’ve never seen him cry, but it’s beautiful. He’s beautiful. This life we’re building… It’s all…
“I love you more than you’ll ever know, and it’s still less than you deserve. Corinne, will you marry?—”
He doesn’t even get the rest of the words out before I pounce on him. Kissing his lips, his eyes, his cheeks. There’s not a single part of his face that’s left untouched by my lips.
“Yes, yes, YESSSSSSS!” I squeal.
He slips the ring on, and it feels like my heart is going to explode.
“I love you, Maverick. So, so much. And I can’t wait?—“
Hank chitters. Another raccoon chitters . And then a damn horde of raccoons starts chittering.
I stare at Maverick. He stares back at me. His eyes flare.
“Haaaaaaaank!” he shouts.
I slide off him, and he moves toward the back of the workshop. Chaos ensues, chittering and objects falling, and then Maverick shouts, “Hank, you little rascal!”
My mind whirls as I look towards the back. Maverick returns holding a couple of baby raccoons. I’m not sure what to do, so I just laugh.
“I knew I should’ve locked him up in the workshop once I found out about his late-night excursions. That… Hank, you’d better put a ring on it. A pinecone. A… Whatever!”
“This will be great for his Instagram followers.”
“And awful for my next vet bill. Jesus, I need to call Reid and figure out what the hell to do.”
I laugh. This is my life now. And I couldn’t possibly ask for anything better.
“Looks like we’re all starting a family now.”
Maverick drops to his knees, setting the mewling raccoons down. They scurry off as Maverick wraps his arms around me. “Guess it’s not so bad, after all. Though I’ll need to talk to Hank about?—”
I silence him with a kiss. A deep, long kiss. One that I’ll never forget. And I hope he never will, too.
Thanks for reading! Want more wily chipmunks?
Grab The Recluse of the Mountain (Runaway bride, Goldilocks Vibe) .
Or you could read Wolfe’s story, The Protector of the Mountain (Amnesia, Age Gap).
There’s also The Vet of the Mountain , Reid and Daisy’s story, but honestly, her pup Oreo steals the show.
Or if you want to read my favorite story, grab Lumberin’ Jack Seeks a Wife (Mafia-verylite, age gap, double v-card, insane).
Jack and his ‘cat’ Meatball are one of a kind :)