Epilogue
Patience
When I got married, I thought I knew what blissfully happy was.
But I had no clue then, because…
This is it.
I looked around our brand-new home, filled with the most amazing people in the world. We had moved in at the beginning of February, just weeks before our little angel was born. Then by the beginning of March, we were hosting our first gathering.
Has it really been five months since the ceremony?
Whoever said that time flies when you’re having fun was right. After I got over all the morning sickness, my pregnancy had gone off without a hitch. I felt wonderful, pampered, and loved. This time around, I had Jett with me every step of the way during my pregnancy—and my friends.
Taking a peek at each one of the ladies again, I smiled but then let out a sigh. One very special person was missing.
“I wish Dusty could be here,” I said softly.
Ruby smiled. “She’ll be here in a couple of weeks.”
Dusty hated that she’d missed the birth and had planned on coming early to make sure she’d been here, but her dad had come down with pneumonia. She didn’t want to leave him right then, which I totally understood.
“I heard she might head up the mountain to help Harland?” Alley inquired.
Nodding, I confirmed. “Yup. Sounds like people are catching wind of the fact that Luna Vale is around, and more people are making their way there to see her. It wasn’t what they had wanted, I’m sure.”
“Not at all,” Jurnee chimed in. “Braxton mentioned it to Dusty since he keeps trying to get her to join them, and she agreed to go up if needed.”
Jurnee glanced over at me, then at the other ladies. “But not before she saw all the new additions to the group.”
“At least she’ll only be a couple of hours away then,” I added.
“And…” Alley dragged out as all eyes turned toward her. “You never know. Maybe she’ll find a mountain man and stay close forever.”
Brinley corrected our friend. “It’s not a mountain man she’s looking for, remember?” She wagged her brows suggestively. “She wants the hot schoolteacher with the body of a football star.”
“Tomato, tomahto.” Alley made a pfff’ing noise. “Either way, it would be a hot man that could convince her to stick around.”
Everyone made comments on how awesome that would be. I just wanted my friend to find a good man. And thinking of men…
My gaze drifted across the room from where I sat gossiping on the enormous couch that Jett insisted we needed with our continuously growing group. Happy tears pooled in my eyes as I took in the picturesque scene that unfolded in front of me.
Jett stood with the guys, his eyes downcast, taking in our beautiful daughter. He had a hard time taking his gaze off her—ever. I didn’t really blame him. I might be biased, but Amelia Blu Adams was absolutely perfect.
My husband smiled at our little one, who had come a few days ahead of schedule. I found myself wondering if she’d inherit his dimples, which he was currently flashing at her. Then his nose wrinkled, and his voice drifted across the room.
“Wow, pretty girl, you stink.”
I giggled, and Jett’s gaze lifted, meeting mine.
As he began walking toward me, my belly fluttered as it always did when he got near.
The other guys also drifted across the room along with him.
Huntley had his and River’s sweet girl against his chest, and Bodie’s arms were full with a baby boy in each.
It was crazy how many kids were running, crawling, laying, and being held—you name it—in our home at that moment. My gaze shifted from Jett to the room. Every single little one was so darn special and having them all in our home was to me, a miracle.
There was even a group pestering Gramps, which he fully loved.
The man was in his element when children were around.
Knowing that his daughter—Ruby and Jett’s mother—had taken off and was living a hard life was just sad.
She was the one who missed out on spectacular parents, but his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many others were not.
“I’m going to go change this stinker,” he advised as he stood in front of me. “Your daughter clearly took a shit if my nose has anything to say about it.”
Clearly sleep-deprived, he wasn’t thinking before he spoke. Not that many of the guys seemed to learn from their mistakes; it was a win for the money-grubber who didn’t miss a beat when it came to collecting more.
“Your freebies are up,” Embry informed him, popping out of thin air, Alley’s daughter Noelle hanging onto her hand. “You owe me.”
“Don’t you have enough money? You probably won’t have to work a day in your life,” my husband told her.
Embry made a cute scoffing noise. “But I want to. I want to work with my daddy.” She flashed Braxton a bright smile, which he returned, clearly humbled by her statement.
Well, that was sweet, but what came next was even more adorable, along with hilarious.
“I want to write smut like my mommy,” the shy cutie chimed in, causing everyone to freeze. “That’s what my daddy calls it.” Noelle looked at Landon. “Right, Daddy?”
Landon had a sheepish look on his face but couldn’t do anything but agree with the sweet girl—something I totally understood when I looked at my kids. “That’s right, baby.”
He looked at his wife, who had the biggest smirk on her face. Those two were a fun pair and so perfectly different. It was hilarious that Noelle was quiet like her dad but wanted to be like her mom when she grew up.
Noelle looked at her dad like he’d hung the moon, but the spell was broken when Embry said, “About the money…”
It was like our own comedy show brought to life right in front of my eyes.
Jett groaned. “Put it on my tab, and I’ll pay you at the end of the day.”
She gave him a thumbs up. “You got it.” Then she narrowed her eyes at him while also giving him a saccharine smile—the girl was talented. “Don’t think I will forget.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” my husband said. “I just have more pressing matters to take care of at the moment.”
Embry plugged her nose and said, “I can tell,” in a nasally tone, causing deep chuckles from the men and crazy laughter from the ladies.
Just then, Griffin raced across the room and skidded to a stop next to his dad. “I’ll help,” he told him enthusiastically.
“I’m out of here!” Embry exclaimed before disappearing, with Noelle following her.
Griffin watched his friend run off. “She’s scared of a smelly diaper.” He slapped his leg while laughing.
Jett and I looked at each other, smirking, clearly both remembering when our son had laid down the rules; one that was very clear he would not be participating in changing any poopy diapers.
That had changed within a couple of days. Griffin wanted to be part of every aspect of his sister's life.
“Something is truly wrong,” Huntley announced. “Bre suffers through these changes, and Lennon wants nothing to do with it.” He pointed at Griffin in wonder. “But your kid actually sounds excited about it.”
Bodie chuckled. “I’m right there with you, buddy. The girls won’t come near their brothers if they have pooped.”
“I guess I won the lottery with this one,” Jett said, looking down at Griffin.
It was way too early for my ovaries to be bursting, but I swear that was what had just happened. Jett looked up at me with a knowing look, flashed me those dimples, and winked. The next few weeks of waiting to have my husband again were going to be torture.
“Ready, dad?” Griffin called out, grabbing Jett’s attention.
Jett looked down at Griffin. “Yeah, Champ, let’s do this.”
Moving closer, my husband bent down and kissed me softly on the lips. “Be right back, Roo.”
I might have been sitting, but I was sure my body swayed. He was so sweet, and I loved when he called me that.
“Love you.”
And he never went anywhere without telling me how much he loved me either.
“Love you too,” I told him.
“Geez, man, get out of here,” Kace told Jett. “You’re making us all look bad.”
Gyth clapped Kace on the shoulder and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Jett beat him to it.
“Naw, you do that all by yourself.”
Gyth roared like a bear. “He totally got you there.”
Before the two could really get going, Jurnee asked an out-of-the-blue question, giving him pause as he listened.
“What are we going to do now that we are all so dang happy and matched up with no lives to meddle in?”
I hummed, thinking. “I guess we make trips to Teardrop Falls.”
The ladies murmured their agreement, but then Alley said, “There’s always the kids one day, and there is a mass of them too.”
Usually the quiet one, but not this time, Landon looked at his wife and said, “Bite your tongue, woman.”
“Amen to that,” Paxton added, pointing at Landon.
Bronson jumped in. “I second that Amen.”
Once again, with her bionic ears, Embry called out from the middle of the room, “I’m going to marry—”
Braxton pointed at her. “Not until you’re forty. Now go play.”
She listened, but not without an exaggerated eye roll.
“My son doesn’t stand a chance with that one,” Gyth muttered.
Embry had been telling the story of her and Dexter’s union that would come when they were older since the day she met him. A smile warmed me. I guess I could relate to the girl since I felt the same way the second I’d met Jett.
When you know, you know. She just wasn’t a chicken when it came to letting the little guy know. Alley was right though; there were a lot of kids, and it would be fun to see them all grow up. I hoped they all stayed as close as the adults had, as close as they were now.
While everyone had a good laugh—including my husband—at the banter, I watched my husband begin moving again, Amelia cradled in one arm and his other hand holding Griffin’s.
“That girl already has both of them wrapped around her tiny finger,” I whispered in awe.
“Just like their momma does,” Ruby commented from beside me.
I pointed at Lyric. “He’s the same way,” I told my sister.
Lyric threw his hands up, clearly overhearing us. “I won’t deny it and I doubt your husband would either.”
My gaze went back to my retreating family, and I pushed myself up off the couch.
“Where are you going?” Ruby asked me. “Do you need me to get you something?”
She was like a mother hen, trying to help me after I’d just had the baby, and I loved her for it. But I didn’t need help with what I was doing.
I heard Lyric say something as he took my seat next to his wife, and she let out a sweet sigh.
Moving as quickly as I could to catch up, I kept my family in my sights as they moved through the house. Then, as if he could feel my eyes on him, my husband stopped and turned around.
He made a motion with his head and flashed another dimpled-smile, and I quickened my step to reach them.
“Couldn’t live without us for a minute, huh?” he teased.
They were my everything, so no.
“Not even for a second,” I told him.
His bright blue gaze, filled with love, sent my heart fluttering as usual.
“It doesn’t take three people to change a diaper,” Griffin said.
“Then we’ll watch and let you handle it,” Jett told our son.
Griffin thought that was awesome. “Wow, really?”
Jett and I both laughed as we began walking again.
My husband's arms were full, but he moved as close to me as he could, and warmth spread through every inch of me.
I had everything I could ever want in my life.
Damn, I was happy.