Epilogue - Hunter
Ten Years Later
“Ready. Set. Go!” The starting gun fires, marking the start of the race. With my new carbon-fiber blade prosthetic leg, I’m able to compete in the annual Wounded Warriors Sanctuary Games.
At first, I wasn’t sure how my kids would react to the blade prosthetic.
To my surprise, they all love it, and even their friends think it’s cool.
They call me the man of steel. I’m competing against other former military guys with their own blade prosthetic leg or legs.
Making us all feel normal for once in our lives.
The finish line is only a few feet away as I pick up speed, breaking the ribbon ahead of everyone else and earning my second gold medal of the games.
“Did you see that? My dad won another gold medal.” Our oldest, Bay, named after the man whose sanctuary saved my life and my future, yells to the crowd around him as I approach the bleachers for my celebratory kiss from my wife.
“You did it!” She hugs me over the fence, making sure to keep our youngest daughter, Emily, tucked safely in her other arm. At nine months old, and after six kids in eight years, Emily was supposed to be our last child, but Millie surprised me this morning with the news she’s pregnant again.
Millie still works part-time at her family's grocery store, where, someday, our kids and Matt’s kids will take over, per family tradition. But for now, I want to enjoy them while I can—life is too short to stand back and watch it go by.
“Who’s up for some pizza?” I say to my own personal cheering section. A round of yesses fills the air as I look at all their smiling faces.
“You might want to eat fast.” Millie leans in and whispers in my ear. “Nora is watching all the kids tonight, and I have plans for you.”
“We’d better get a move on, because I have plans for you to, wife.”
If anyone had told me eleven years ago, when I was recuperating in the hospital, that my life would someday be filled with so much love and joy, I never would have believed that possible. But with Millie by my side, anything is possible.
-The End-
Thank you for reading Laying Claim to the Mountain Man. If you loved Millie and Hunter’s story, you will also love Healing with the Mountain Man by Lyssa J. Cole.
Check out the whole series!
Want more Temptation Ridge love stories? Start from the beginning with Brooks and Junie’s story in Mountain Man’s Secret Crush.
Brooks
I have a crush.
That’s something I never thought I would admit. At thirty-three, I should be married with a bunch of kids running around. But I haven’t found the one I want to spend the rest of my life with until I met Junie, the new curvy baker in town.
Luckily, my six-year-old niece loves Junie’s Unicorn sugar cookies. It’s the perfect reason to visit Junie’s bakery every day. If only I had the courage to ask Junie out. The town’s summer celebration is just around the corner. I’d give anything to enjoy the special day with Junie.
Junie
I have a crush on the quiet mountain man who brings his niece to my bakery nearly every day. He still stops by if she’s not with him and picks up her favorite treat.
I’m a people person—I love talking, but I haven’t been able to get the shy mountain man to reply with more than a few words or a couple of grunts. But, oh, those grunts—I‘d love to hear those sounds when we are alone.
I plan to take matters into my own hands and invite him to the town’s annual summer celebration on a date until fate steps in to remind me why I'm not meant for romantic relationships.