Epilogue
Kellan
I stood on my parents’ back deck, cold beer in hand, watching the party unfold beneath the glow of new string lights.
Mom had gone all out, turning the yard into something from a magazine spread with fresh hydrangeas and perfectly arranged container gardens.
I’d come by my green thumb honestly. The new patio furniture gleamed, already covered with plates of food and drinks from our guests.
Sandra Chen’s advance copy of the new article lay folded on the table beside me.
She’d really done us a solid, spinning our messy situation into a heartwarming piece about how a shared passion for creating beautiful spaces had brought Tate and me together.
The “matchmaking power of plants,” she’d called it.
She was already planning a series featuring gardens like Mrs. Fairchild’s, which meant more positive exposure for Mountain Laurel.
My lips curled with amusement as I watched Tate across the yard, very seriously demonstrating proper pruning technique to my cousin’s kid.
She caught my eye and smiled—that real, unguarded smile I’d fallen in love with years ago.
The party might have started as an engagement celebration, but morphing it into a general “welcome home” gathering felt right. No pressure, just joy.
“You look pleased with yourself,” Dad said, joining me at the railing.
I took another pull from my beer. “Things worked out better than I could’ve hoped.”
“Sometimes the best plans are the ones that go sideways.” He clinked his bottle against mine. “Your mother’s already planning the real engagement party, you know.”
I laughed. “One step at a time, Dad. One step at a time.”
From my vantage point, I had a perfect view of our friends scattered across the yard.
Gabe and Felicity had claimed one of the new conversation sets, her head tipped back in laughter at something he’d said.
The whole “accidental roommates” thing had worked out better than his grandmother could’ve planned.
Not that I believed for a second it hadn’t been deliberate on the old matchmaker’s part.
Clint and Austen occupied the porch swing, heads bent close as they shared what looked like a plate of Mom’s famous deviled eggs. The fake date to her cousin’s wedding had sparked something real between them. About damn time.
My gaze shifted to Rhett, who’d been watching Pepper for the past twenty minutes while pretending not to.
She stood by the food table, adding red pepper flakes to what looked like perfectly seasoned barbecue.
Some things never changed. He’d straightened up three times like he meant to go talk to her, only to sink back in his chair.
I knew that look—he was working up the nerve to try again with her.
The sight of all of us together, paired off or heading that way, settled something in my chest. These people were my family as much as my parents and cousins milling around the yard.
We’d grown up together, supported each other through everything life threw at us.
Now we were building something new, taking chances on happiness.
Dad squeezed my shoulder. “Good to be home, son?”
I nodded, watching Tate demonstrate another precise cut with the pruning shears. “The best.”
A few minutes later, Tate appeared at my side, her fingers wrapping around mine as she tugged me toward the house. The determined set of her jaw sparked curiosity as she led me through the house toward my old bedroom.
“If you wanted to make out, all you had to do was ask,” I teased, catching her around the waist as she closed the door.
Her answering grin lit up her whole face. “Yes, to that, but put a pin in it for a minute. I need to ask you something.”
My pulse kicked up at her serious tone. She took a deep breath, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
“Move in with me. For real this time. You and Cornbread.” The words tumbled out in a rush. “You’re there most nights anyway, and it just… it makes sense. With where we’re going.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. Where we were going. The casual way she said it, like our future together was inevitable, made everything in me go still and quiet.
“You’re sure?” I brushed a strand of honey blonde hair from her face. “Because once I’m officially moved in, you’re never getting rid of me.”
“That’s kind of the point.” She stepped closer, sliding her arms around my waist. “I want you there. Both of you.”
I caught her mouth with mine, pouring everything I couldn’t say yet into the kiss. She wanted me. She wanted us. Not because of some magazine article or misunderstanding, but because this thing between us was real.
When we broke apart, she was smiling that smile again—the one that had been making my heart skip beats since high school. “Is that a yes?”
“That’s a hell yes.”
“Good, because there’s more.” Tate’s fingers twisted in my shirt.
“More?”
She stepped back, but kept hold of my shirt, like she needed the anchor. “I appreciate that you gave me all the time in the world to get used to this new us. That you didn’t push when I freaked out about everything.”
My chest tightened. “I’d wait forever for you.”
“That’s just it. I’ve stopped panicking and fighting it.” Her blue eyes locked with mine. “I don’t need the time. I want that future. I want more.”
The air left my lungs. “Tate, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
Her arms looped around my neck, and she pressed closer. “Maybe this could be an engagement party after all.”
The grin spread across my face as I reached into my pocket, wrapping my fingers around Gran’s ring—the one I’d been carrying around for just in case. “You sure about that?”
She nodded, eyes bright.
“In that case.” I stepped back, dropping to one knee and holding up the diamond that had been waiting for this moment. “Tate Cavanaugh, will you marry me? For real this time?”
“Yes.” The word burst from her before I finished asking. She yanked me up, and I barely got the ring on her finger before her mouth was on mine.
Tate melted against me, her fingers threading through my hair as our kiss deepened.
The familiar citrus scent of her shampoo filled my senses, and I backed her against the door, pressing close.
Her soft moan vibrated against my lips. The ring caught the light as her hand slid down my chest, and the sight of it there—exactly where it belonged—sent heat racing through my veins.
“We should probably get back to the party,” she murmured against my mouth, even as she pulled me closer.
I nipped at her lower lip. “Probably.”
Her leg hooked around mine. “Your mom’s going to come looking for us.”
“Don’t care.” I tipped my hips against hers and trailed kisses down her neck, loving the way her breath hitched.
“Kellan.” My name came out somewhere between a laugh and a groan. “We are not having sex in your childhood bedroom with forty people outside.”
I lifted my head, taking in her flushed cheeks and kiss-swollen lips. “You’re right. When I get you naked, I want to take my time.”
Her pupils dilated. “Home?”
“Soon as we can make our excuses.” I pressed one more quick kiss to her lips before stepping back to readjust my jeans. “But first we should probably tell everyone the engagement is real this time.”
Tate’s smile lit up her whole face as she straightened her clothes. “Real. I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.” I caught her hand, thumb brushing over the ring. “Ready?”
She squeezed my fingers. “With you? Always. I love you.”
I’d never get tired of hearing that. “I love you, too.”
We emerged from the house hand in hand, Tate’s engagement ring right out there for the world to see. The party continued in full swing, our friends and family scattered across the yard, enjoying Mom’s cooking and each other’s company.
Tate squeezed my fingers and murmured, “Should we just tell everyone?”
“Hey!” I called out, raising our joined hands. The chatter died down as heads turned our way. “We’ve got an announcement to make.”
Mom’s eyes zeroed in on the ring, and her hands flew to her mouth.
“So,” Tate’s voice rang clear and strong, no hint of the uncertainty that had plagued her all week. “We’re engaged. For real this time.”
The yard erupted in cheers and whoops. Clint let out a wolf whistle from his spot on the porch swing.
Mom rushed forward, wrapping us both in a tearful hug. “I knew it! I just knew you two would figure it out.”
Dad clapped me on the shoulder. “About time, son.”
Our friends crowded around, offering congratulations. Austen, Felicity, and Pepper pulled Tate into a group hug, all four of them laughing. Gabe and Rhett flanked me, both grinning.
“Guess that garden proposal worked after all,” Gabe said with a knowing smile.
“Sometimes the best plans are the ones that go a little sideways first,” I replied, watching as Tate showed off her ring to the girls.
She caught my eye across the crowd and smiled—that real, unguarded smile that had always been just for me.
In that moment, I knew with absolute certainty that every twist and turn that led us here had been worth it.
The deployment, the misunderstanding, the chaos of the past week—it all brought us exactly where we were meant to be.
Together. For real this time.
Oh man, I didn’t think Tate would EVER get out of her own way!
Meanwhile, I know y’all have been waiting for it, and it’s finally time for Rhett and Pepper’s second chance romance. We all know he effed it up. Now let’s see what lengths he’ll go to in order to win back the love of his life in The Second Chance Bachelor.
As a firefighter, it's my job to run into danger. Turns out that also meant running from the best thing to ever happen to me—my ex-wife, Pepper—the high school sweetheart I took for granted when I put my career first.
A near-miss on an overseas deployment made me realize how stupid I've been. Fueled by a second chance at life and a pact with my military buddies to stop letting love slip through our fingers, I return to Huckleberry Creek determined to win back my wife.
When the fire department ropes me into a charity bachelor auction, it's just another day on the job. Until Pepper's friends start a bidding war over a date with me, and she winds up the unwitting winner.
Suddenly, I've got a second chance to rekindle the flames with my firecracker wife. I'm playing a long game now, proving I've changed. That I won't make the same mistakes. This time, she's the only blaze I'll never let burn out.
A small-town, second chance romance between a firefighter and his ex-wife, featuring one charity bachelor auction and enough heat to start a five-alarm fire.