Epilogue
TRACE
I smile as I look out the kitchen window at my wife. She’s sitting in front of the easel I made her last year, facing the trees. September has turned the leaves crisp and golden, and Chloe loves to paint the changing seasons. Our cabin walls are lined with paintings and prints of her watercolors, showcasing the beauty of Crave County all year round. She’s starting to make a name for herself in the local art scene, selling her prints online and displaying her best work at the art gallery in Cherry Hollow. I’m so damn proud of her. It’s been incredible to watch her follow her dreams, and she gets better with every painting.
I force myself to look away from her and cut us each a slice of cherry pie, carrying the plates outside. Rocky is already curled up at her feet. Ever since Chloe got pregnant, our dog rarely leaves her side. He’s almost as protective as I am.
“That looks beautiful,” I tell her, peering over her shoulder. The painting is a fall landscape, bursting with warm colors—red, orange, and yellow. She’s painted an elk standing majestically in front of the trees, snow-capped mountains looming in the background, and the effect is magical as hell. My wife is so damn talented.
“Thank you.” She beams at me, putting down her paintbrush to take a plate. “Damn, this smells good. I’ve been craving cherry pie like crazy.”
She’s about to take a bite when a rumbling voice calls out, “There better be a slice of that left for me!”
Roman is striding through the forest toward us, an axe slung over his shoulder. Chloe beams when she sees him. “Dad!”
“Hey, Coco.”
I’m still not used to seeing my buddy striding around the forest, even though it’s been nearly a year since he retired from the police force and moved out to Cherry Hollow. After busting his ass on the Will Mercer case, Roman finally nailed the son-of-a-bitch. The intruder who broke into my cabin, a guy named Jake Russo, sang like a damn canary when he was questioned. With Russo’s information, Roman and his colleagues were able to build a case strong enough to take Will Mercer down. He was sentenced for a laundry list of crimes, from manslaughter to drug trafficking, as well as incitement for sending Rosso to try to kidnap Chloe. Once he was imprisoned for life, Mercer’s entire operation crumbled.
Roman got his man and then some.
That’s when he decided to turn in his badge and retire. Said he’d had enough of chasing bad guys. He moved to Cherry Hollow to be close to Chloe and swapped his service weapon for an axe. I’ve spent the past few months teaching him everything I know about working in the forest, and he’s taken to it naturally, like he’s been doing it his whole life. He seems happier than ever, particularly now that he’s engaged to Freya. They met soon after Roman moved out here, and they’re crazy about each other. I know Chloe is delighted that her dad has found someone to love, and I’m pretty damn happy for him, too.
“Hey buddy,” I say, smiling as Roman hugs his daughter. “I’ll go get you that pie.”
“Sounds good.”
I bring a piece out to him, and he gives me an affectionate slap on the shoulder. “Thanks, Trace. Sorry I didn’t mention I was coming over, but I want to talk to you about something in person.”
“What is it?” I ask.
Roman sets down his fork, his expression solemn. “Nolan’s wife reached out to me this morning. Wants to know if you and I would be prepared to head to Arlington for a private memorial service. To remember him.”
My throat constricts, and I feel Chloe’s hand on my arm, steadying me. I’ve never mustered the courage to visit Nolan’s grave in Arlington Cemetery, but if his wife wants us there, I’ll go. It will be hard, but I know it’s something I need to do. I can’t keep burying the memory of my lost friend, avoiding the reality of what happened to him. Nolan deserves to be remembered, and so I swallow down my pain and nod.
“Sounds like a good idea. I’ll be there.”
“You and Freya are invited too,” Roman says, looking at Chloe. “I know you never met Nolan, but?—”
“I’m coming.” Chloe’s voice is firm as she takes my hand in hers, squeezing it tight. “I want to be there to support you. Both of you.”
My perfect wife. She always has my back, and I lean down to kiss her cheek, muttering, “Thank you, beautiful.”
“Good.” Roman nods at us. “I’m glad you’re coming, Trace. I think it will do us both good to…you know…”
“Pay our respects,” I finish for him.
“Exactly.”
Roman and I look at each other for a moment, and I know we’re both remembering our days in the army. It feels like a lifetime ago, yet somehow still so recent. Back then, I never imagined I’d get married or have kids. Never thought I’d meet the love of my life and settle down with her in our own little corner of paradise. I wrap an arm around my wife’s waist and hold her close, my hand brushing her growing bump. I owe everything to Chloe.
“Well, I better get going,” Roman says. “Need to cut back a few more pines before the sun sets.” He looks at me, nodding down at his now empty plate. “Thanks for the pie.”
“No problem.”
“Oh, and Chloe,” he says suddenly, like he just remembered something. “Freya wants to throw you a baby shower. She has a million different ideas for it.” He grins, eyes crinkling when he mentions his fiancée. “Can you give her a call tonight? She’s real excited about it.”
Chloe chuckles knowingly. Freya is always super excited about things. She’s the opposite of Roman, though he’s definitely mellowed out since meeting her. He smiles more easily now, genuine smiles that light up his face, especially when Freya is mentioned. I’m the same way with Chloe. Thinking about her always makes me grin like an idiot, even if she’s sitting right next to me.
“I’ll call her,” Chloe says, beaming at him. “Tell her I’m excited too.”
Roman nods, still smiling to himself. “Well, I’ll see you two later.”
He gives Chloe a big hug and pets Rocky before turning around and walking back the way he came, vanishing into the trees.
“It’s getting a little chilly,” I say once he’s gone, turning to Chloe. “Let’s get you inside, princess. I’ll make you some hot chocolate.”
She smiles at me. “Sounds like heaven.”
She starts packing away her stuff, but I stop her. “You go inside and warm yourself up. I’ll bring all this in.”
Chloe rises on her tiptoes and kisses me on the mouth, her lips soft and warm. “You’re the best. Thank you.”
I watch as she heads inside, my eyes lingering on her deliciously full figure. Pregnancy has made her curves thicker than ever, and I can’t go more than ten seconds without staring at her gorgeous body.
Rocky follows her inside immediately, and I grab her paints, gently carrying everything into the cabin, including her painting. Once everything is back where it should be, I join Chloe on the couch, pulling her close to me.
“I’ll make you that hot chocolate in a minute,” I tell her. “But first, I need to kiss you.”
She giggles, her eyes shining. “Sounds even better than hot chocolate.”
I swear she gets more beautiful every day. She’s like a goddamn dream, and I still can’t believe she’s mine, even now that she’s wearing my ring and carrying my baby in her belly.
“Come here, beautiful,” I murmur, taking her pretty face in my hands and kissing her sweet lips. She tastes like cherry pie, and I slide my tongue into her warm mouth, blood rushing to my cock. Chloe moans against my lips. I pull her onto my lap, and she straddles me, her swollen belly filling the space between us.
“You look so sexy carrying our baby,” I tell her, my lips brushing her ear. “Your curves drive me fucking crazy.”
She glows with pleasure, and to prove my point, I pull her shirt up over her head, tossing it aside along with her bra. Her tits are heavy and swollen, and my cock twitches with need as Chloe gets off my lap and pulls down the rest of her clothes until she’s naked in front of me.
“I need you, Trace,” she breathes. “Please.”
“Fuck. I need you too, princess.”
My gaze roams her body as I reach for my jeans, yanking them to my knees along with my boxers. My engorged cock springs free, throbbing as Chloe stares at it hungrily. I sit back on the couch while my wife kneels over me, a wild glint in her eyes as she sinks down onto my waiting cock. We moan in unison, and I grit my teeth as Chloe’s sweet heat engulfs me, her walls clamping tight. She feels so fucking good, and I grab her plump ass cheeks, helping her move on my cock.
“Oh!” She throws her head back, her rounded tits bouncing as she starts to ride me. It’s the sexiest sight in the whole damn world. Her honeyed core squeezes me tight, and I let out a deep groan, grabbing her face in my hands so she’s forced to look at me. I want to see those pretty eyes as she takes my cock.
“That’s it, beautiful. Ride me. Be a good girl.”
She shivers as I grab her hips, forcing her body up and down until her gushing pussy is slamming against my cock, deeper and deeper.
“TRACE! YES!”
She’s close. I can hear it in her voice.
“That’s my girl. Come for me, Chloe.”
With a sweet cry of pleasure, she does as she’s told, her body shaking wildly. Her eyes roll back, cheeks blushing, and as her walls flutter around me, I lose control. My orgasm hits me like an avalanche, and my cock explodes inside my wife’s warm pussy, filling her with my release until I’m spent.
“Fuck, you’re perfect,” I grunt, smothering her with kisses. “I love you so much, Chloe.”
She wraps her arms around me, smiling dazedly. “I love you too, Trace.”
We hold each other for a while. The sky outside erupts into a colorful sunset, streaming through the windows like a kaleidoscope.
“Come on, princess,” I say eventually, lifting Chloe into my arms. “Let’s go get cleaned up. Then I owe you a hot chocolate.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” she says, her eyes twinkling.
My adorable wife. I kiss her hard, my pulse racing as she kisses me back, smiling against my lips. This woman is my whole world. My forever. Life with Chloe is perfect, and when our baby comes along, I know things will only get better.
Our kiss is interrupted by Rocky, who bounds out of the bedroom, begging for attention. We laugh as he flashes us his biggest puppy-dog eyes, and as I watch my wife cuddle him close, her hand resting absent-mindedly on her belly, I know I’m the luckiest man in the world.