Bonus Epilogue
Five Months Later
CHARLIE
Sunshine I couldn’t help but smile. “I know. I just miss building it all with you. Now that it’s over…I don’t know. I find myself wanting to do it all over again.”
“It was a special time.” His hand moved up and down my back.
I nodded.
“This opening will be just as special. All our friends are coming to celebrate us and what we’ve built together. And once we’ve settled into it for a little while, we can start talking about our next big adventure.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really?!”
His laughter sent goosebumps down my arms. He laughed so often these days. But I still didn’t take it for granted.
“Yes.” He kissed my cheek and pulled me close to him. “But right now, we should soak in this moment. You’ve worked hard for it.”
“We both have,” I whispered against his chest .
“Why don’t we go inside and check it out one last time before everyone gets here.”
“Okay.”
Deacon interlaced his fingers with mine and opened the large oak door. As we strode inside, pride swelled in my chest at what we’d accomplished together. The large space had giant industrial windows that framed all four walls. Thick beams of oak wood lined the ceiling, giving it that rustic outdoor feel that was vital to the artwork Deacon and I would showcase. At the center of the room, there were four manufactured squares. All of them were a pristine white with art lights to display each one of my pieces.
I could still feel the ache in my palms and fingers from painting so much over the past several weeks. Once Deacon and I had decided to lease the space, a flurry of inspiration had struck both of us. When we weren’t snuggled on the couch together or hanging out with our friends, we’d spend countless hours creating.
It was the life I’d always wanted. Parts of it illuminating things I didn’t even know were possible. Like having a partner who shared in my passion of creating and how important it was to have someone who understood me in that way.
Sliding my hand into the back pocket of Deacon’s jeans, I leaned into him. “I still can’t believe we did all of this in four months.”
“I know. I’m pretty sure I slept more when I was deployed than I have since we leased this place. ”
I peeked up at him, in complete awe of how much he’d come out of his shell since the accident.
We didn’t talk about his demons often. Doing so didn’t feel as necessary as it had before because he’d come into the light on his own. But when he did share little things with me, like he just did, it meant a lot. Understanding the weight of his past was something I’d had to grow into as well. Knowing when to push and ask more questions and when he just needed me to listen or give him his space.
“What?” he asked when he realized I was staring at him.
I shrugged. “Just thinking about how beautiful you are.”
He whirled me into a spin before hugging me close to his chest. “Beautiful huh?”
“Yup,” I snickered.
“Hm. Well, just don’t go telling the guys that you think I’m beautiful. They’ll give me hell for days.”
“But it’s the truth.” I curled my fingers through his dark hair.
“Can’t we go with ruggedly handsome? Or hot and smoldering?”
My chest bumped his as I laughed. “Smoldering? Isn’t that just the Rock’s thing? You know, from the new Jumanji movies.”
“Never seen them. But he doesn’t get to claim it all for himself. I can smolder too.”
“Is that right?” I pulled back, putting my hands on my hips. “Let’s see it then.”
“Okay.” Deacon took a few steps back and rounded his shoulders. Twisting his neck, he turned his head away from me so I couldn’t see what face he was making.
Clapping my hands, I did a little count down for him. “Three! Two! One!”
With another twist of his neck, he swung his face toward me. His eyes were narrowed into slits, with his right eyebrow arched high. But what had me bursting out laughing was the way he pushed his lips out, giving old school influencer duck lips vibes.
“Oh my god!” I bent over, hands on my knees, barely able to catch my breath from the laughter. “Never make that face again.”
He threw his hands in the air. “Was it not smoldering enough for you?!”
Straightening, I placed a hand on my aching belly as I gasped for a breath. “Let me just say that if you ever do that in front of the guys, they will disown you. Honestly…if you ever do that again, I might disown you too.”
“You would never,” he husked as he strode toward me.
I squealed as he caught me in his arms and leaned back until my feet were off the ground. “You love me too much.”
I chuckled. “That might be true.”
Setting my feet back on the ground, his hand wove into my hair. A frenzy of butterflies swarmed my stomach as his thumb grazed over my bottom lip. “Your laughter is still my favorite sound in the world.”
“And yours is mine,” I breathed against his lips before he kissed me. Sparks jutted through my body all the way down to my toes. The kiss was tender and sweet, a reminder of the love we shared.
It was just one version of us though.
I knew what happened behind closed doors. Just the thought of it had my toes curling in my boots. We were an ombré of colors on a canvas. The bright white light of love that transcended into a beautifully sensual darkness. With him I got to be everything I needed to be.
As our lips parted the alarm on my cell phone rang. Taking it out of my back pocket, I showed the reminder on the screen to Deacon.
“Only thirty minutes until everyone arrives. EEK! I’m so nervous now!”
Deacon smiled at me without abandon. The look of him had me feeling dizzy. “No need to be nervous, sunshine. Everyone’s going to love it.”
“Oh my gosh! Charlie! This is incredible!” Willow exclaimed as she took me into her arms and squeezed me tight.
“Thank you so much!” I said as she rubbed her hand up and down my back in greeting before we pulled apart.
About a month after the accident, Deacon had finally let me out of our love bubble to meet up with his friends. Willow and her new husband, Johnny, had just made it back into town from their extended honeymoon and we’d become fast friends. We both connected over art as she was a fashion designer and created a lot of her own pieces.
“I still can’t believe it’s real. I never would have imagined myself being the kind of girl who did spontaneous things on the regular, but after finishing the gallery, I honestly can’t wait for Deacon and I’s next project.”
“I don’t blame you!” She looked around with wonderment shining in her blue eyes. “It must have felt so good seeing your vision come to life.”
“It definitely did.”
Bark! Bark!
Willow and Johnny’s dog Asher came barreling through the door as Johnny strode in behind him. Kneeling, Asher almost knocked me off my heels as he dove his head into my stomach in search of scratches.
“That’s such a good boy, Asher! Such a good boy!” I scratched him behind his ears and along his spine until his body shook.
“Careful now. You don’t want Casper to think you’ve betrayed him,” Johnny said as he wrapped his arm around Willow’s waist.
I didn’t have to look behind me to know that Deacon had walked up. “Oh, he will most certainly feel betrayed.”
“Don’t say that.” I turned around and pouted at him. “You’re going to make me feel bad.”
Warmth seeped into me as he tugged me into his side and whispered, “I’ll give him extra cuddles to make up for your indiscretion. Don’t worry.”
I elbowed him in the ribs. “ OOF ,” he grunted, making me giggle.
“Y’ALL! This is amazing!” Sarah’s high-pitched squeal permeated the space as she darted through the door Ranger held open for her. We collided into a tight hug and warmth spread through my chest as we tilted each other side-to-side.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” I said to her as we pulled back and looked at one another. Her dark eyes were crinkled along the sides from her wide smile.
“Hey, brother, it’s good to see you.” Ranger clasped Deacon’s hand before pulling him into a bro hug.
“You too, I’m glad you two were able to make it out.”
“Are you kidding me? We wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Sarah gave Deacon a side hug.
“You want to give us a tour?” Johnny asked.
“Yeah, let’s start over here.”
I hung back for a moment, watching as Deacon led our friends to the right side of the space where my first art installation held the painting I’d made of Badger Creek Cabin’s backyard. It hadn’t taken very long for Deacon’s friends to adopt me into their group. Now, I spoke to Sarah and Willow on a daily basis, and it felt amazing to have such wonderful people surrounding me.
In the weeks after my accident, I thought a lot about the time I was in the hospital after the fire and how difficult it had been to be abandoned by my friends. Honestly, it hurt worse than I let on .
But this moment—right here—healed my heart in such a profound way. When I’d left Charlotte, I knew I was in search of something. A place where I felt like I belonged. Watching the man of my dreams lead our friends around the space we’d created together, I knew this was where I was meant to be all along.
DEACON
“Where are you taking me?” Charlie asked as she slipped her hand into mine before we headed out the door. My truck bed was already filled with all the necessities we’d need for the little trip I had planned.
“Can’t a man have his secrets?” I joked.
Charlie stopped in her tracks, forcing me to stop with her. Bees buzzed around my stomach when I turned to find her glowering at me. She was so damn feisty, my sunshine. Never letting me get away with anything.
“Not that kind of secret.” I tucked her under my arm. “Geez, what kind of man do you take me for?”
“The kind of man who makes his woman suffer by not telling her what we’re doing.”
I chuckled. “I like to call that intrigue. Or keeping things spicy. ”
“Oh!” She perked right up. “So, this is a sexy time surprise.”
She followed me down the steps of our front porch and when she moved in front of me, I gave her perfectly round peach a smack. “Only if you’re a good girl.”
She spun around, her fire red hair whipping across her shoulders as she said, “I’m always a good girl.” Then she winked at me before sashaying her hips all the way to the fucking truck.
Tilting my head back, I got a sobering look at the summer sky and moaned. “She’s going to be the end of me.”
“Come on, grumps! This door isn’t going to open itself.” When I looked over at her, she had a hand on her hip as she eyed me with a mischievous glint. My woman was independent as all get out, but she knew I loved opening doors for her. It was the small gestures, showing her acts of service that made me feel good.
Striding over to her, I pressed a kiss to her temple before opening the door. When she hopped in, I rounded the hood of my truck and sat in the driver’s seat next to her.
“You ready?” I asked.
She nodded enthusiastically.
“Good, because I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”
“I still can’t believe you own all this property. I mean, I knew you owned it, but seeing all of it is just incredible.” The awe in Charlie’s voice had my chest swelling with pride. She’d come to Pebble Brook Falls in search of a sanctuary. She’d wanted to get away from the concrete jungle and find a place that called to her soul. The fact that I was able to provide that place for her…it was the greatest accomplishment of my life.
“I’m glad you like it, Sunshine.”
She snuggled up to my side as I crested the top of a hill on our drive back to the house. “I love it.”
Turning the steering wheel, I positioned the truck until the bed was facing west. Right where I wanted it.
“What’re you doing?”
I looked down at Charlie, her crystalline blue eyes shining with wonder. “Getting your surprise ready.”
“I thought showing me all of the property was my surprise.”
“It is, but you haven’t seen the best part yet.”
“EEK!” She clapped her hands together and I laughed. “Okay, now I’m excited.”
Leaning over, I gave her a peck on the lips and said, “Stay here.”
“Don’t take too long!” she called out to me as I shut the door.
My heartbeat kicked up. This moment was finally happening, and she had no idea. Which, honestly, boggled my mind because the woman was damn near clairvoyant when it came to what I was thinking .
Unfolding the air mattress, I used the portable pump to blow it up before spreading the blanket and pillows over top of it. Rubbing my hands together, I patted my jeans pocket to make sure the ring was still there. It was, much to my relief.
“Okay, it’s go time,” I whispered to myself. Then, I rounded the back of the truck and opened Charlie’s door.
She placed her hand in my extended one and hopped out. As soon as she looked over the bed of the truck, her face glowed with excitement.
“Deacon! This is so cute!”
I swallowed the knot in my throat. “I’m glad you like it. Let’s get you settled in.”
Placing my hands under her arms, I lifted her onto the tailgate of the truck before I hopped up myself and we both crawled onto the air mattress.
“This is what I wanted you to see.” I pointed ahead of us where the sun was skimming the top of the tree line, hues of orange, red and purple painting the sky like one of Charlie’s art pieces.
“Wow,” Charlie whispered, breathlessly. “It’s incredible.”
“When I first moved here, I’d spend almost every night doing this. Finding random hills on my property to see which one had the best view of the sunset. It took a while, but this one…it’s my favorite spot.”
She settled her head on my chest. “I can see why. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before.”
“Well, I was hoping you’d spend your nights coming here with me… Forever…if you want to.”
Charlie sat up and maybe it was the sunset or the fact that I was about to ask her the most important question of my entire life, but she looked like an angel. The glow of the evening light haloed around her face, making her adorable freckles darken and her blue eyes shine. The sun gleamed in her hair, showing off all the shades of auburn and red. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life.
“Forever’s an awfully long time, Grumps. Are you sure you’re in for that?”
My hands were shaking like a leaf on a tree as I fumbled for the ring in my pocket. When I finally grasped it, I pulled it out and showed it to her. Those rosy lips that I loved so much popped open right before she covered them with her hands.
“Deacon,” she breathed.
I willed my voice to be steady as I said, “Charlie, before you came into my life, I was a shell of a man. I was so haunted by my past that I had stopped living. All I wanted to do was be alone.” I took her left hand in mine and stroked the top of it with my thumb.
“The moment I saw you, I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. All I knew was that you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid my eyes on and if it took sacrificing my own life to get you out of that fire, I would have.”
“Deacon—” Her eyes shuddered as she grasped my hand.
“I would have, Charlie. Because I love you. More than life itself, I love you. You brought me out of the darkness. You taught me how to laugh and smile again. You showed me that no matter what comes my way, I can survive it with you by my side. ”
Palming the side of her face, I brought my forehead to hers. “You saved me, Charlie. And it would be my greatest honor to have you as my wife. Will you marry me?”
Tears tipped over the rims of her eyes as she nodded. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
Blissful rays of light burst through my heart as her words sank in.
She was mine.
She was truly mine .
Forever.
I hugged her tight to my chest, the warm smell of vanilla wafting around me as I settled my face into the crook of her neck. Happiness flooded every cell in my body, it felt like I was fucking floating.
I was so damn happy . I thought my heart might burst from my chest.
“I love you!” Charlie exclaimed as she pulled back and captured my face in her hands. “I love you so much!”
I looked down and reached for her hand so I could make it official. Spreading her fingers wide, she watched as I slipped the ring onto her finger.
“Holy shit, Deacon! It’s so pretty. Oh my god!”
“You like it?”
Her glassy eyes met mine. “It’s perfect.”
“Phew! I had Willow and Sarah help me pick it out because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.”
We both laughed and when she smiled at me, the sunset as our background, I knew my brothers were here with me. Each one of them surrounding us with their light. Reminding me that, even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a better day.
Be sure to check out the rest of the Pebble Brook Falls love stories! Hang out with Johnny + Willow in If I Asked You to Stay and Ranger + Sarah in If You Loved Me .