Chapter 36
Ivy
One Year Later...
Rogue directs the rented truck over the cattle guard onto Heart Ranch. The rumbling and bouncing makes my bladder feel even more squished than normal. I wrap both hands around my hardening belly.
A month from now we’ll meet our little miss. I’ll get to hold her in my arms for the first time. I can’t wait.
Rebel’s car is in front of us and kicks up dust on the long tree lined driveway. Her brothers are all waiting when we reach the top of the driveway. They rush to hug her as soon as she climbs out of the car.
Rogue parks our truck as his brother exits the other vehicle to open the back door and reach inside for Romeo. Owen yanks open the door on the other side to unbuckle Royle. Arms full with the six-month-old boys, they wait for Summer to climb into the back and pick up Remi.
Yeah, that was a crazy surprise. They’d been assured that it was twins, but when the time came to meet their twins, a fraternal girl was hiding between her identical twin brothers.
But Summer fell into the role of mother like she was made for it.
And Rebel really is such a sweet dad. Watching their family grow and the love they share… I feel privileged.
Rogue takes my hand. He turns it over and puts my knuckles to his lips. “Shall we go say hi, before we steal away for a nap?”
“You know me so well.” I smile at my husband. I’m so tired all the time now. So big and unwieldly that even getting in and out of the car seems to take more effort than it’s worth.
That’s why yesterday was my last day at work. I finished up the gown for Ro’s red carpet, and celebrated the start of my maternity leave with vanilla ice cream and salt n vinegar chips in the bathtub while Rogue packed for our flight.
Now we’re here, on the ranch, where we said our vows. I unbuckle my seatbelt and Rogue jogs around to open the door.
One year ago tomorrow, we will have been married a whole twelve months. And surprisingly they have been blissfully, sweetly uneventful for the most part.
Riot and Kelsey broke up, but that was a given. After everything with Sonatina escalated Kelsey left L.A. Riot behind. They don’t even speak anymore.
It’s a shame really. I liked her for him a lot.
Rogue helps me out of the car. He’s more careful with me now than he’s ever been. Sometimes I want to tell him that I’m not that fragile, but I know he’s overcautious because he loves me, and I will never get frustrated at that.
He presses his hand to the small of my back as we approach the others. The Heart brothers are focused over meeting the triplets.
Burke, who is holding Remi, whistles. “Well, look at you Ivy Love. Aren’t you about ready to pop?”
“You can’t say that.” Summer rolls her eyes at him.
“It’s okay. I am. I feel like an overgrown pumpkin.” I smooth my hands over my swollen body and palm the weight of it. “Not long now.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” Burk’s expression turns horrified.
My phone rings. I glance at the screen.
“Gotta take that.” Rogue’s soft affection shines in the lilt of his lips.
“Yeah.” And then we’ll nap. Waddling away, I answer the call from my sister. “Dizzy, what’s up?”
“I’m going to be in L.A. next week,” I can practically hear her vibrating with excitement. “West said we could stay until after the baby arrives.”
Her enthusiasm is catching. I want to be able to share these milestones with her. She missed out on being my bridesmaid. And then disappeared with Soren and Micah after Agent Lane kidnapped West. Well, except for a weekly text message to check in so I wouldn’t worry too much.
Things got better after they found West. Since then, we’ve been able to chat on the phone, but this is the first chance I’ve had to include her in a significant and normal moment in my life since the wedding. “That would be amazing.”
She squeals. “I can’t wait to see you all. I’m going to hug the life right out of you.”
“Maybe not the life…” My lips tick up.
“You know what I meant. Anyway, West is calling. I have to go be his queen. All this Hawthorne bullshit.”
“Love you, sis.”
“Love you too.” She hangs up and I take a second to appreciate the peace around me. And the peace inside me.
Owen is talking to Summer about his role as Devil’s Bend’s mayor. And how no one asks anymore about what happened to Duke or Kyle or the other men.
It probably helped that Kyle’s body disappeared. It never made it to the Coroner’s Office. There’s a good chance it ended up in the pit. Or somewhere equally likely to hold our secret.
With no bodies and no evidence, there wasn’t much for the new sheriff to do but list the four men as missing.
Though the town gossip was the new sheriff had found Duke’s basement to be full of evidence that he was up to some shady shit. And that might have been what caused the four friends to go missing.
Rogue wraps his arm around me when I join him. He presses a kiss to my temple. “Nap time?”
“Please.” I lean into him heavily. The trip was a lot. My lower back hurts. And we’re celebrating Rebel and Summer’s anniversary tonight with a small party.
Tomorrow, it will be Rogue and my turn.
Dawson comes out of the house and jogs down the stairs. He looks a lot better than the last time we saw him.
He hands Rogue a key. “You’ve got the first cabin.”
Leaving them to catch up, we head to the cabin. The path is familiar. The aroma of spring is in the air. Rogue picks me up when we’re outside our cabin. Like he did the first night we entered our room as man and wife. Only this time I’m a lot heavier.
It doesn’t bother him at all as he carries me bridal style across the threshold. Pausing in the doorway for a lingering kiss before kicking the door closed behind us.
At the foot of the bed, he lowers me down his body.
There are blue hydrangeas—one of our wedding flowers—arranged around the room. Soft blue petals on the comforter spell out I love you.
There’s a basket of all my favorite snacks including things that meet my late fascination with salty and sweet combinations.
It’s all so sweet.
“I got Violet to organize it,” Rogue says.
“It’s perfect.” I wind my arms around his neck.
“I love you, wife,” he says. “Every day I love you a little bit more. No matter how long we have it will never be sufficient to satisfy me fully. I need a thousand lifetimes with you, and somehow, I still don’t think that will be enough.”
“Not for me.” I smile up at him. “I’m going to need much longer than that. Every eternity.”
He cups the back of my head and claims my mouth in a sweet, soft declaration of his love. “All of them.”
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