Epilogue
S ix months later . . .
Devi stood beside Hayes and stared at the cabin. It was completely isolated, settled into a beautiful spot.
It looked to be in really good shape considering no one lived here. Although he’d told her that he had someone keep up the maintenance and air it out every so often.
Hayes was tense beside her and she wasn’t certain if she should touch him or back off.
Finally, she slid her hand into his. If he rejected her, then she wouldn’t take it to heart. She knew how hard this was on him. But he latched onto her hand and held on tight.
“Are you all right?” She winced after asking that. Of course he wasn’t all right.
This had been his and May’s special place together.
Her favorite place.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do,” he told her. “It’s time.”
He led her up the steps of the cabin and inside. The cabin was gorgeous with a view out to the lake. She could see why May had loved it so much. Devi followed him around as he walked silently through.
It felt odd being here, walking through the main bedroom where they’d slept together, through the playroom which had been hers. Surprisingly, it was almost princess themed and from the things she’d learned of May she hadn’t thought that would be her vibe.
There were a few pictures of them together on the wall in the main room. She paused to look at them. May had short red hair and a sprinkling off freckles.
“She hated those freckles. She always joked about getting them removed and then I’d have to playfully spank her since I loved them.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry.”
She turned to him, reaching up slowly to cup his face with her hands. Her arm still didn’t have full movement and strength, but it was getting close. “Don’t be sorry. I want you to talk about May. I don’t want her to be forgotten. She was a big part of your life and she always should be. Okay?”
He closed his eyes, then nodded. “Don’t know what I did to deserve you, baby. To deserve the both of you. I’m a lucky man.”
“Actually, I’m pretty sure we are the lucky ones.”
Hayes retrieved the other photos he had of May and they’d spent some time looking at them. To her surprise, he opened up, telling her stories that made her laugh and others that made her heart ache.
After a few hours, they locked the place up again and headed out to his truck. “Will you keep it?”
He sighed. “I can’t sell it. I just can’t. But it’s been useful over the last few years and I think other people could use it when they’re in trouble.”
“I didn’t know her, but I think May would like that.”
Reaching over, he squeezed her thigh lightly. “I know she would.”
One year later . . .
“Devi! Devi! Help!”
Devi turned around from where she’d been working on her pottery wheel to see Daisy waddle into her workshop.
The workshop had been finished for a couple of months now and she loved it. It looked like a miniature version of their cabin and was close enough that she didn’t have to walk far when the weather was bad.
Although Hayes usually grumbled about her going outside in the cold and would carry her back and forth if he was home.
Their cabin was now twice the size it had been thanks to a huge extension which had added on a large main suite and a playroom.
Life was amazing on the ranch. If she wanted someone to play with there were plenty of people around. But she also had privacy if she needed some time alone or just with Hayes.
Hayes rarely worked away. In fact, he’d outright refused to for the first six months that she’d lived on the ranch, but she’d slowly managed to convince him that she would be safe.
Now, he occasionally stayed away for the night. But generally only one night and someone always checked in on her.
She now had most of the movement back in her arm and hand. Although sometimes it still hurt at the end of the day when she used it too much, that seemed a small price to pay.
Because she was back to making pottery. And it made her heart lighter. Her first few works had been terrible, but after some calls to Michelle, the older lady had come out to help her and now she was starting to make some things she was really proud of.
Which had included the bowl that was now kind of a lump on the wheel.
“Oh no!” Daisy gasped. “Did I ruin your work?”
Daisy had become one of her closest friends. She was a bit of an introvert so when they were around lots of people, she often snuck off to hide.
And Devi liked to sneak off with her.
Of course, that drove their Daddies insane when they didn’t tell them that they were going somewhere to hide or play with their Lego. And usually resulted in some warm bottoms.
“No, it’s fine. What’s going on? What’s wrong?” Devi asked.
Daisy put her hand on her large belly. “God, I’m so puffed and I only walked from our cabin to here.”
Devi jumped up and helped the other woman sit. “You need to be careful, you shouldn’t overdo it.”
“You sound like Jed. Oh shoot! That’s why I’m here. Hide me.”
“Why?” she asked, glancing around. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m in trouble. I didn’t take my vitamins or stay off my feet all morning like I was supposed to. Jed thought they looked puffy yesterday and called Doc and he said I’m supposed to rest as much as possible. But I have too much to do!”
Devi eyed her. “Sounds like you should be resting.”
“Not you too! I can’t rest. Even though I’m carrying a small elephant in my stomach. This is all Jed’s fault! Why did he have to be so big?”
“You like that he’s big.”
“I know!” she wailed. “That’s what makes it so bad!”
Okay, she was making no sense now.
“Is Jed looking for you?” Devi asked.
“I don’t know! I just need to hide. I don’t want a spanking.”
“He’ll spank you?”
Daisy’s belly really was big. And she did look quite bloated. Considering she had another eight weeks to go, it was concerning.
“Nooo! That’s the worst thing of all.” Daisy burst into tears.
Devi kneeled in front of her and hugged her. Well, she hugged her as much as she could with a basketball between them.
“Daisy! Daisy, you better be in . . .” Jed trailed off, looking at his wife in horror. “Daisy-girl, what’s wrong? What happened, Sugar? Did you hurt yourself?”
“N-n-noo!”
Devi stood so Jed could gather Daisy up in his arms. “I think she’s just tired. She, uh, thought you’d be concerned that she hadn’t been resting.”
“You should sp-spank me! But you won’t!”
Jed looked bewildered and Devi had to bite her inner cheek. It was cute when these big tough guys had near panic attacks when their women were upset.
“I think she just wants to feel normal and she doesn’t and it’s hard to adjust. Daisy, do you want me to come over each morning and we can watch our shows together?”
Daisy sniffled. “You’d do that for me?”
“I would do anything for you.”
“What about your pottery?” Daisy asked.
“I have plenty of time to do it with Hayes away.”
Jed eyed her. “Are you all right? Are you taking breaks?”
She stared back at him innocently. “Of course I am.”
Hayes had left early this morning and wasn’t getting back until around midnight.
Jed grunted. “Don’t lie to me, girl. Or I will tell your Daddy on you.”
“That’s just rude.”
She waved them off and then returned to her wheel. She really did miss Hayes, but if she threw herself into her work it was easier to forget that he wasn’t here.
Devi stood and stretched, looking out the window of her workshop.
Oh, hell.
It was dark out and she quickly checked her watch.
“Eek!”
Oh no.
Thank God Hayes wasn’t home yet. If he had been, she’d be in a world of trouble right now.
Of course, if he had been here then she wouldn’t have been allowed to work through both lunch and dinner.
How was it nearly nine?
Suddenly, her phone started ringing.
Oh no. Oh no.
Even though he would be home in a few hours, he always tried to call to put her to bed.
Yes, she was supposed to be in bed, ready for sleep, by nine-thirty! It was insane.
Whoever heard of such an early bedtime? It was ridiculous and she wasn’t happy when he’d instigated it.
Rushing around, she turned everything off except the main light. Then she turned too fast toward the door and tripped over a wooden crate that she’d forgotten about.
“Eek!”
Arms flailing, she dropped her phone as she protected her weaker arm by taking most of her weight on her knees and other arm. “Ouch.”
That hurt.
Tears filled her eyes as her knees and hand stung.
Shit. She slid onto her ass as tears dripped down her face. Where was her phone? It started to ring again.
Hayes was going to be so upset. She saw her phone light up as he called and she shuffled over to grab it, answering it with shaking fingers. She deliberately didn’t put it on video call which is what they usually did on his nightly check-ins.
“Daddy?”
“What is it? What’s wrong? Why do you sound upset? I’m texting Jed, he’ll be there soon.”
“No! No, it’s fine. I just tripped.”
“Tripped? Over what? Is that why you didn’t answer the phone? Are you hurt? Did you harm your arm? Right, I’m messaging Doc.”
“No!” she cried. The last thing she wanted was Doc turning up. That man was way too bossy. And he liked to stick things in her bottom.
It was a sickness. He needed help.
“Devi, tell me what’s going on.”
She let out a deep breath. “Promise it won’t end up in the naughty book?”
“No, I don’t promise that. And I can pretty much guarantee that it will, considering you just tried to extract that promise.”
“Um, well, I’m still in the workshop.”
There was a beat of silence. “In the workshop?”
“Yes. I had just noticed the time when you called and I was rushing around, turning off everything and I forgot about a crate I’d set down on the floor earlier and tripped over it.”
“You were lifting a crate?” he said loudly.
She winced. Shoot.
“Are you injured?”
“No, I’m fine. I can walk. I’m going to head back to the cabin.”
“No, you’ll stay right there and I’m calling Jed. He’ll come get you.”
“No, don’t do that! He’s busy with Daisy. She’s having a bad day.”
He let out a shuddering breath. “Christ, when you didn’t answer my call straight away . . .”
Devi winced, feeling terrible. “I’m so sorry, Daddy.”
“Not as sorry as you’re going to be tomorrow when I plug that naughty bottom and spank it,” he growled. “You’re supposed to finish work at five.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Did you eat dinner?”
“Umm.”
“Oh, my girl doesn’t want to sit comfortably for a week, does she? What about lunch?”
“I need to consult my Little lawyer before I answer your questions,” she told him.
“So that’s a no,” he said in a dark voice. “You are in so much trouble.”
“Daddy! You need to be nice to Devi! I have owies.”
“Put me on video call.”
Oh crap. Why did she say that? Now he was going to freak out.
Hayes did not deal well with her being sick or injured.
A few months ago, she’d developed a sore throat and tried to keep it from him.
Unfortunately, that hadn’t worked when it got so painful she could barely talk.
She’d ended up on antibiotics for strep.
And then as soon as she’d recovered, she’d been spanked for trying to keep it from him and she’d had to write lines.
It had sucked.
Still, she never wanted him to worry about her. About losing her like he had May.
She put him on video call. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Show me.”
Sighing, she held up her sore hand. Then she drew up her pants to show him her knees.
“See? Nothing that bad.”
“Devi?” someone called out from outside.
“Who did you message?” she asked him.
“Zeke. Tell him where you are.”
With a sigh, she yelled out. “Zeke! I’m in here.”
The door opened and Zeke stepped inside, his eyebrows rising as he took her in.
She attempted to pull herself up, but he held up his hand. “Stay where you are.”
“Zeke!” Hayes said demandingly.
“I’m here.”
“Carry her into the house. Check her over. If she needs Doc, send for him and then make sure she eats. She hasn’t eaten all day.”
“I had breakfast,” she protested. “And I can walk. It’s just a couple of bruises.”
“Zeke,” Hayes said demandingly.
“I’m on it, boss.” Zeke gave him a salute.
“Surrounded by smart asses. Call me back in ten,” he bossed.
“I think I’m in trouble,” she said to Zeke.
“I know you’re in trouble, sweetheart.”
Hayes crept into the cabin later that night.
He’d done his best to get home earlier but he couldn’t get the plane to fly faster. And fucking Donovan had insisted on driving from the airport to here. Something about him being too overwrought to drive.
Asshole was so dramatic.
But he was home now and relief filled him.
He hated being away from his girl. Kent no longer sent him on anything that was longer than twenty-four hours.
Mostly, he was helping set up security jobs or doing local work in Montana.
Today, he and Donovan had been escorting a famous actress to an afternoon premiere in Seattle.
Thankfully, she hadn’t needed them the whole night.
Hayes knew that he overreacted whenever Devi got the slightest scratch or sniffle. But he was working on it.
It was definitely a work in progress.
After showering, he climbed into bed.
Zeke had sent photos of her knees and hand and they weren’t that bad. He’d also sent a photo of her eating, then in bed.
Asshole was going to tease him about this, but Hayes didn’t care.
All he cared about was his girl.
She rolled toward him, snuggling into his chest. “Daddy?”
“I’m here, baby girl.”
“I missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” he told her. “Go back to sleep.”
“Am I in big trouble?”
“Oh, yes.”
“But I’m fine. I barely hurt myself.”
“It’s not about you tripping and you know it.”
She grumbled slightly but grabbed his T-shirt, bunching it in her fist as she sucked her thumb.
“I love you, my precious girl. I’m always going to take good care of you.”
She let out a small snore.
She’s perfect for you.
The words whispered through his head, in May’s voice. He’d had two soul mates in his life. Two women to love, adore, and protect.
Which made him the luckiest man in the universe.
And he slipped into sleep with a huge smile on his face.
The End