Epilogue
Ten months later…
Schapelle
Remember when I said pretending to date a hot mountain man to get back at my ex was going to be the last crazy thing I did?
And then I amended it ever so slightly to marrying Brock and moving in with him?
Okay, well…my actual, real, final wild antic is this— I said yes!
Agreeing to stay married and keep living with Brock has turned out to be the best decision I've ever made.
We're out on a hike, walking hand in hand, with my precious daughter Willow Grace bobbing happily in a baby carrier across his chest.
"This one's going to be a pro baseball player," Brock says, grinning down at her.
"What do you mean?"
He lifts his hand for me to see where she's holding his finger with her tiny hand. "With this grip, she's destined to hit some home runs."
I laugh, which makes Willow gurgle contentedly, and Brock beams. He's doing that a lot lately, smiling and relaxing and just being the naturally great guy he is. It's a beautiful thing to witness the person you love rediscovering the breadcrumb trail back to their most authentic self.
"I'm so glad that Owen isn't being a you-know-what about custody," I say when we reach our usual spot.
He still wants nothing to do with me or Willow, but at least he's cooperating and not standing in the way of Brock adopting her. I take her from Brock while he lays out the picnic blanket on the grass. We sit down, and I place her snugly between us.
"I know. If everything goes to plan, she'll legally be mine in a few weeks."
I smile. She already is, and I love how strong their connection is. Brock was there the moment she entered this world, and I'm so happy my baby is going to grow up with two loving parents. We'll be there for everything, her major milestones, as well as all the small, everyday moments, too. Brock stretches his legs out and nestles Willow between them.
"I'm so proud of you," I say.
He turns to me, a little surprised. "Where did that come from?"
I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe it's seeing how you are with Willow. Or you being so generous with your money. Or how dedicated you are to volunteering with the search and rescue team and becoming a real-life hero."
He chuckles and shakes his head. "I'm hardly a hero."
"I'm pretty sure the couple you rescued out of that ravine last week would beg to differ."
"It's all part of the job."
"And I'm proud of you for going to therapy," I add. "That takes real courage."
He bats those ludicrously long lashes at me, his eyes glimmering in the spring sunshine. "Helps that I've got two of the best reasons in the world to get better right next to me."
I sweep my fingers through his beard as I marvel at the man I'm lucky enough to call my husband. "And to think, if I hadn't accidentally kissed you, none of this would have happened."
"Oh, I don't know. I think fate would have found another way."
I grin. "I love how you're so romantic."
His cheeks above his beard redden, the way they always do when I tell him that. "I'm not doing anything special. I'm just being me ," I say that last part with him because that's how he always responds.
"Be that as it may, I love you with all my heart, Brock."
"I love you, too, Mrs. Palladino."
We kiss, and I can't believe this is my life. After a lifetime of disappointments and false starts, of dating guys with mommy attachment issues or who were jealous and unsupportive of my career or who dumped me the moment they found out I was pregnant, I've finally met a decent, solid, sexy man who takes ownership of his issues, treats me like a queen, and loves our child with all his heart. They may be rare as the Sierra Nevada red fox, but good men are out there.
We begin to make our way back down the mountain, and it makes my heart melt when I see Willow latching onto Brock's finger again. She really loves her daddy as much as he loves her.
I take a few deep breaths, the clean air filling me with the sense of peace that had been missing from my life for so long. After years of crisscrossing the globe and living in glamorous, bustling cities, I'm so happy to call the mountains home. I'm still connected to the real world—we finally got Wi-Fi, and Brock begrudgingly got a cell phone, mainly out of necessity for his search and rescue work—but we're also very much cocooned in our own little bubble.
A bubble that's about to grow bigger. I can't wait to tell him the good news.
"How's the writing coming along?" Brock asks. "Did you get over your dreaded midpoint bump?"
I smile, loving that Brock is so invested in my work he's picked up some author lingo. And that he continues to bring me drinks and snacks as I write in my second-floor office. We extended the place, and by we , I mean Brock and a few of his friends did the addition over the winter while the three of us temporarily moved back in with my parents.
And that he's truly happy for me, trudging along on the short national book tour I did for my latest release, looking after Willow so that I could connect with my readers.
I know some— many? —people might look at us and think, It happened too quickly. It won't last.
But I don't care what anyone says. No one else is in my heart, no one else feels the love and peace and safety Brock gives me, no one else knows that despite our wild start, this is the man my soul has spent three decades searching for. I'm in love with Brock, and I know this is only the beginning of our happily ever after.
We're almost home, approaching the back porch, when I hear what sounds like a sneeze. "What was that?"
Brock's eyes slide to the back door. "What was what?"
"That noise."
"Oh, that was Willow. She coughed."
"I heard a sneeze." I grab him by the arm, my instincts on high alert. "What are you up to, mister?"
"It wasn't my idea," he says, then grimaces. "I mean, nothing."
"Brock Matteo Palladino," I keep my voice murderously low. "Tell me right now what is going on."
"You can't hit a man holding a baby," he retorts.
I unclip Willow from his front carrier, and take her in my arms. "Oh, look, you're baby-free. Now spill!"
Brock
"Surprise!"
Everyone springs out from their hiding spots, and to her credit, Schapelle does a good job of acting surprised, even though I revealed on the porch her sisters had approached me about throwing a surprise, several-months-belated 30th for her since she was heavily pregnant at the time of her actual birthday and didn't feel like doing anything.
"Oh, you guys!"
I move out of the way as Schapelle and Willow get swamped by a flurry of hugs from her parents, her sisters, and a bunch of friends who have flown in from all over the country.
My eyes sweep across the room. I spot my youngest brother, Culver, and his wife, Hannah.
"Glad you guys made it," I say, giving them both hugs.
"We're happy to be here," Hannah says, smiling.
Our family has known Hannah's family forever, and I'm so happy Culver married his best friend. She really is terrific.
On the other end of the spectrum…
"Where's Malik?" I ask.
My second oldest brother married a woman who, try as I might, I just can't make myself like. "Over there." Culver tips his head to the corner of the room where a clearly intoxicated Bianca is trying to…Oh. No.
"Is she twerking?" I ask.
Hannah tilts her head. "Yikes. Looks like it. Malik needs backup. I'll go, you two stay and catch up."
She kisses Culver then marches over to Malik. I'm glad our siblings could make it. Well, most of them. Our other brother, Farrow, is a firefighter, and his wife Sandy is a vet. They're both on-call this weekend and couldn't get out of their shifts. Neither could Schapelle's other sister, Allie. She's currently in Australia, training an A-lister to get him in tip-top shape for an upcoming action movie he's starring in.
"Hannah's so great," I say, handing Culver a beer.
"Yeah, she is," he replies with a huge smile. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world."
I cough into my fist. "Second luckiest."
Culver pats me on the back and smiles warmly. "I can't tell you how good it is to have you back, man. We were all so worried about you."
I take a sip of my beer. "I had some stuff I needed to get through."
"I know you did. I just hope you never forgot we all love you, even with this." He jabs at my beard.
"Hey, knock it off. And you can't talk." I jab back at his—which, incidentally, is nowhere near as soft or shiny as mine.
"Is it safe to approach, or are the children still play fighting?" Schapelle teases.
"He started it," I say before instinctively reaching for Willow.
Schapelle hands me our daughter and hugs my brother. "So good to see you!"
"And you. Happy birthday for several months ago!"
I love that our families get along so well, even if it meant I worked a little faster than I would have liked on the second-floor addition. Staying with her folks during the build showed me what she'd been saying all along—they're great, but they're a lot. Harmless, but a lot.
We chitchat for a few minutes. Culver asks Schapelle about how her new book is coming along, and she asks him how his plans to open a restaurant, now that he's quit playing hockey professionally, are going.
Eventually, Hannah rejoins us.
"How'd it go?" Culver asks, wrapping an arm around her waist.
She shakes her head and lets out a long, frustrated breath. "I don't know how Malik puts up with her."
"Eep. That good?" Culver says.
"Anyway, hi!" Hannah hugs Schapelle, brightening. "Happy surprise months-late birthday!"
They start chatting while I glance down at the beautiful little angel I'm holding. I never imagined I had all this love locked away inside of me. It took an incredible woman like Schapelle to help me heal my broken parts. This little one does the same.
But there are some things I have to do on my own. Like therapy. I go once a week. It wasn't easy, especially at the start. Some days, I'd feel worse after the session than before it. But I'm sticking to it and determined to do the work , as my therapist puts it.
He says there are two components to pain—the thing that caused the pain in the first place, and then our inability to process it, thereby keeping the pain alive. I've been through a tough situation, but I don't want it to tarnish the rest of my life. And I know Lachlan wouldn't want that, either. He'd want me to move on, so that's what I'm doing. Me living a good life is the best thing I can do to honor his.
I'm pulled from my thoughts when I hear Hannah ask Schapelle, "Have you heard about the Palladino edge?"
Beside me, Culver's entire face goes bright red. "Uh, babe. That's a Culver Palladino exclusive."
"Ohhhh, right." Hannah giggles. "This isn't suitable for a baby to hear." And with that, she whisks Schapelle away.
"Do I even want to know?"
My youngest brother shakes his head. "Believe me, you do not. I should probably go check on Malik."
"No problem."
He makes a hasty exit, and I wave to Ma and Pa on the other side of the room, happy to see her wearing the extravagant necklace I bought her, despite her protests that it cost too much. Maybe it did, but there's no amount of money I won't spend on the woman who raised me to be the man I am today.
Or my wife and child I love with all my heart.
I'm still not comfortable being a millionaire, and maybe I never will be. But it's a good feeling, knowing I'm set up financially, that my family is safe and will always be taken care of. And it's nice to be able to put the money to good use, too. I've donated anonymously to a number of women's shelters along the west coast and bought the search and rescue unit a fleet of new UTVs.
I'm not alone for long before Tenley comes over. "May I?"
"Of course." I hand Willow over to her and watch as she dotes on her niece, cooing and making all sorts of baby noises.
"Would you like to have kids?" I ask, since she's such a natural with Willow.
"I would love to have kids, but first I need a date."
"Well, there are some eligible men on the mountain." I tip my head toward the search and rescue crew I invited along.
Tenley has recently moved to the mountain. She's now running the Cedar Crest Haven Lodge. Schapelle literally jumped for joy when Tenley told her they'd be living in the same town.
"Nope," she replies firmly, not even glancing their way. "Schapelle got lucky and bagged a good one. Meanwhile, I'm dealing with the most frustrating man to ever live."
"Who's that?"
"My neighbor."
I smirk. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about Hume Rockwell by any chance, would you?"
Her eyes widen. "How do you know his name?"
I point out my search and rescue buddies. "He's a friend of mine."
"That man has friends?" she scoffs. "I don't believe it."
"Don't be put off by his alpha exterior. He's a good guy." I leave out the part about all the hard stuff he's gone through in his life. That's not my place to say.
Tenley looks up and peers across the crowded room. Hume may be approaching fifty, but the man is in better shape than me. Serving in the military when he was younger, followed by a career as one of the world's best stuntmen, has given him a rugged edge. But as he says, his adrenaline junkie days are behind him. He now lives a simple life, running a construction company on the mountain and volunteering in his spare time.
When her eyes land on him, I swear her cheeks go as red as my brother's did just a few minutes ago. She makes the same frustrated throaty sound Schapelle makes whenever she misplaces her favorite pen—it's usually buried under a stack of papers that are right under her nose—then turns to me. "I have to go. Here." She hands Willow back and makes a beeline for the kitchen.
What is with people tonight? I press a gentle kiss onto Willow's forehead. "Looks like you and me are the only two normal ones left."
"Oh, hey, you."
I spin around and am greeted by Schapelle's youngest sister Beth, her boyfriend Milo, and their two adorable kids, Josie and Jonah.
"Hey, you guys. Great to see you all."
"Think Schapelle's enjoying the party?" Beth asks.
Schapelle is still chatting with Hannah, and I have no idea what my sister-in-law is telling her, but every few seconds, Schapelle's eyes bug out and they both burst out laughing. I'm guessing that's good.
"She seems to be," I say, handing Willow to her other aunt.
"Good job on the ice cream machine," Milo says as Josie and Jonah tug him in that direction.
"And how are you?" Beth asks once they're gone.
Out of all of Schapelle's family, she's definitely been the toughest on me. But I can tell it comes from a place of love and only wanting the best for her sister. Now that she's seen for herself what Schapelle and I have is real, she's starting to mellow out a little.
"I'm doing great. I love helping out on the search and rescue team, Schapelle is halfway through her next book, and Willow is an angel."
She bounces her niece up a little higher. "She sure is."
"It's hard to explain how much I love her," I say, brushing my fingertips over her fine, downy hair.
"Oh, I think I have an idea."
I follow her gaze to Milo and the kids. Jonah looks like he wants all the ice cream "Oh, right. Of course." She does know exactly what I mean because Josie and Jonah are, biologically-speaking, Milo's kids.
"You and Schapelle thinking about having more little ones in the future?"
"One day, sure. But for now, I'm great with how things are. Besides, isn't it too early? Willow's only five-and-a-half months old."
I don't catch Beth's response, distracted when Schapelle's eyes meet mine across the crowded room. She's gesturing toward the deck.
"Will you excuse me?" I ask Beth.
"Of course. If Willow's missing and my car isn't here, it's purely a coincidence."
I chuckle at her trademark sarcasm then meet Schapelle by the sliding glass door, opening it for her.
"I see you've survived an encounter with my youngest sister," she says as we step out onto the deck.
"She's beginning to like me." I put my arms around her to keep her warm. It's a little nippy out.
"I can see that." Schapelle grins. "You're still in one piece."
"I think her problem had more to do with the crazy way we got together and how fast it was, than me, personally. That's what I like to tell myself at least."
"No. You're right. She had her doubts. Everyone did. But look at us now, proving every single one of them wrong."
I lower my head and bring my lips to hers. The world and everyone in it disappears, and I'm engulfed by the soaring love of the woman who saved me.
Her love hasn't just given me a new lease on life, she's given me something I've been missing since leaving the military—purpose.
"Something recently occurred to me," she says, keeping her hands on my shoulders.
"What's that?"
"When we got married, how come I was the one with the pre-nup? Weren't you worried I could be some gold digger who marries you for a month and then wants half of your fortune when we divorce?"
I delicately brush my fingers across her cheek. "Nah. I knew you were one of the good ones."
She grins. "You didn't even know I'd show up."
"But you did. And it didn't take long for me to realize I never wanted you to leave." I kiss her forehead. "Maybe I sensed that all along."
"See, you are a romantic."
"Or incredibly thick."
She laughs, and the melodic sound hits that spot in my chest that used to be guarded and kept me blocked off from the world and everyone in it. That spot is gone now, replaced by a desire to appreciate the incredible gift of life and live every day to the fullest.
"I love you, Schapelle," I say, staring into my wife's bright-blue eyes.
"We love you, too," she says, tugging my hand down to her belly as she says we .
"We?" I don't get it at first. "Wait…No."
"Yep." She nods, her smile lighting up her entire face. " We ."
"You're pregnant?"
"According to the home pregnancy test I took this morning, I am."
"Oh my goodness! Schapelle!" I scoop her into my arms and hug her so tightly her feet lift off the ground. A wave of euphoria surges through my body.
How did I get so lucky? I've gone from living alone, trapped by an overwhelming sense of guilt I couldn't escape from. And look at me now. I'm surrounded by friends, family, and colleagues. I'm working on my issues and moving on from the pain of the past. I've rejoined the real world and am making a difference in my own small way.
I'm a husband. A father. And now my beautiful, perfect family is about to grow.
Schapelle may think she kissed the wrong mountain man, but I'm going to spend every day of the rest of my life showing her she actually kissed the right one.
Psst. Would you like to be there when Schapelle has the baby and Brock sees Willow for the first time?