Epilogue
Clover
I rocked on the chair Van bought for the front porch. The grass had been neatly mowed earlier this weekend. I leaned back and enjoyed the sunshine on my face.
The front door opened. The sexiest uncle-dad in the world exited with a small wrapped bundle in his arms.
I smiled. I could get pregnant again just looking at that, and actually, we weren’t doing anything to stop the possibility. “I thought you were going to lay him down.”
“I can’t bring myself to actually do it.” He lightly dropped into the matching rocking chair next to me. “I’m going to spoil him.”
“My mom is a fan of saying that you can’t spoil babies.”
“Your mom’s a smart woman.” He steadily rocked, and little Nolan scrunched his face and passed out again. Adoration crossed my husband’s face. He was smitten—with Nolan and with me.
Looking back, that month living alone seemed like years. The months back with Van? A blink.
“I want to take you out next week for our anniversary,” Van said.
“I didn’t know we decided which one to celebrate.
” We remarried on Valentine’s Day in a small courthouse ceremony.
Aunt Linda let us move back into the house.
She had canceled a prospective renter right before the lease was signed when she’d heard Van and me were getting married for real because we couldn’t stay apart.
“Easy—we’re celebrating both, and to be fair, Valentine’s Day is already a holiday. Can’t be cheated out of a real anniversary.”
“I approve of that plan. What are we doing?”
“I heard it through the grapevine that you wanted a wedding by the lake.”
Poppy must’ve started that rumor, and it was a true one. I told her when she was planning her wedding what I envisioned. “You want to celebrate our anniversary with a wedding?”
“What better way than to gather on a beach? You in that dress with the clovers on it. I’ll get a fresh trim so my hair doesn’t blow in my face. It’ll be our turn to host the Duke crew.”
“Mmm, sounds divine.” So much happened in the last year. We’d be the same people, but doing it our way. “What about our anniversary night?”
“I’ve got a sitter.”
“Jasper?”
He chuckled. “That man could start a career as an uncle day care, but he won’t take money.”
My brother accepted food as payment. “I’ll make him some cookie salad.” I caught Van glancing at me and grinned. “I’ll make extra.”
“Good.”
I admired my husband and son. The baby wasn’t the only one spoiled.
Van catered to me, and since his company took off faster than he thought possible, he was planning a remodel.
The room that used to be his office was now a nursery, and he’d had the shop remodeled to make offices for each of us.
He’d added a small bathroom and a little nook for Nolan to nap in while we worked.
Plans were already made to add onto the house if we had another baby, and I was more and more certain that was happening sooner rather than later.
Van slid his gaze to me, and an appreciative look crossed his face. “I might have to lay him down, so I can lay you down.”
“Sullivan Wagner, are you hitting on me?”
“Clover Duke Wagner, I’m never going to quit.”
“Good.”
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Thank you for reading Clover and Van’s story!