Epilogue
Vanessa
One Year Later
Vanessa stood at the kitchen window of the farmhouse, watching Dustin work a young mare in the arena.
The horse was skittish, fresh off the track and uncertain about her new life, but Dustin moved with the kind of patience that still amazed her after a year of watching him build this place from the ground up.
Fleming Training Facility. The sign at the end of the long driveway still made her smile every time she saw it.
Her phone buzzed with a work email. The consulting firm wanted her input on a new client proposal, something that could wait until Monday when she drove back to the office.
She'd gotten good at the balance over the past year, spending three days a week in the city and four days here.
Her boss had been skeptical at first about the arrangement, but her results had won him over.
Turned out she did her best strategic thinking from the farmhouse office Dustin had helped her set up in the spare bedroom.
The one that overlooked the pastures where Thunder grazed with three other horses they'd acquired over the past six months.
"Coffee's getting cold," she called out the open window.
Dustin looked up and grinned, that same boyish smile that had scrambled her brain the first day they'd met. He said something to the teenage girl working with him, one of the five students currently enrolled in his training program, and headed toward the house.
She met him at the back door with his mug, and he kissed her before taking it, tasting like morning air and the peppermint gum he chewed when he was working.
"How's Rosie doing?" she asked.
"Getting there. Hannah's got good instincts with her." He leaned against the counter, watching her move around the kitchen. "You heading out soon?"
"In about an hour. I need to prep for the Monday meeting." She refilled her own mug. "You still good to come to the office thing Thursday?"
"Wouldn't miss it." He'd been surprisingly good about her work events, showing up in jeans and boots to functions full of suits and managing to charm every single one of her colleagues.
Her boss's wife had declared him "refreshingly authentic" after the last dinner party, which had made Dustin laugh for a solid five minutes.
"It's just drinks, but Richard wants you to meet his husband. Apparently, they're thinking about buying a horse for their daughter."
"Always happy to talk horses." He set down his mug and pulled her close. "You okay? You seem distracted."
She was. Had been for the past week, ever since she'd taken the pregnancy test. Three of them, actually, because she hadn't believed the first two.
They hadn't been trying. After a year of living between two places, of building careers and learning how to fight fair and figuring out what forever looked like day by day, a baby hadn't been part of the immediate plan.
But apparently the universe had other ideas.
"I'm fine," she said. More than fine. "Just thinking about the Richmond project. The client's being difficult."
It wasn't a lie, exactly. She was thinking about the project. She was just thinking about a lot of other things too.
She'd tell him tonight. When she got back from the city and had time to process it herself and figure out how to say the words.
I'm pregnant. We're having a baby. Our lives are about to change in ways we can't even imagine.
"You'll figure it out," he said, kissing her forehead. "You always do."
That faith he had in her. It still caught her off guard sometimes, the way he believed in her abilities without question. The way he'd rearranged his entire life to build something permanent with her, and never once made her feel like she owed him anything for it.
The way he'd become her partner in every sense of the word.
"I should go," she said reluctantly. "Traffic's going to be terrible if I wait much longer."
"Drive safe. Text me when you get there?"
"Always."
She grabbed her laptop bag and headed for her car, but turned back at the last second. He was still standing in the doorway, coffee in hand, watching her with that expression that said he knew something was up but trusted her to tell him when she was ready.
"Dustin?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
His smile could have lit up the entire county. "Love you too. See you tonight."
The drive to the city gave her time to think.
About the baby growing inside her. About the farmhouse that had become more of a home than the suburban house she'd nearly lost a year ago.
About the consulting career that challenged her in ways retail buying never had.
About the man who'd walked into her life with crutches and a horse trailer and turned everything upside down in the best possible way.
Her phone rang through the car speakers. Her sister.
"Hey," Vanessa answered.
"So I was thinking about Thanksgiving," her sister said. "Are you and Dustin hosting this year or are you coming to Mom and Dad's?"
Thanksgiving. Four months away. She'd be showing by then. Very obviously pregnant and fielding questions from her entire family about timing and planning and whether they were ready.
"We'll host," she heard herself say. "The farmhouse has plenty of space."
"Perfect. I'll bring the pies. And Vanessa? Mom wants to know if you're ever going to marry that cowboy of yours."
Vanessa laughed. They'd talked about it.
They had agreed they were already building a life together and didn't need a piece of paper to make it real.
But lately she'd been thinking about it more.
About what it would mean to share a last name with him.
To make it official in ways that went beyond joint bank accounts and shared mortgage payments.
About what it would mean to raise a child together as husband and wife.
"Tell Mom we're working on it."
After they hung up, Vanessa put on her blinker and merged onto the highway, her hand drifting to her still-flat stomach.
A year ago, she'd been unemployed, three weeks behind on her mortgage, and terrified of losing everything she'd worked for.
She'd been convinced that financial independence was the only thing that mattered, that letting someone in meant losing control.
She'd been so wrong.
The best decision she'd ever made was opening her door to a broken-down cowboy who'd needed a place to stay. The bravest thing she'd ever done was choosing to believe in something that scared her. The smartest move she'd ever made was realizing that stability didn't mean doing everything alone.
Tonight, she'd tell Dustin about the baby. She'd watch his face transform from shock to joy to that fierce protectiveness she'd seen whenever he talked about their future. They'd probably both cry. They'd definitely make love, slow and careful and full of wonder at this new life they'd created.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Dustin: Already miss you. Drive safe. See you tonight.
She smiled and merged into the fast lane, heading toward the city and her Monday meeting and the career she'd built for herself.
But her heart was already back at the farmhouse, with the man who'd taught her that home wasn't a place you protected.