Epilogue
ANNA
Six Months Later
Iclose the charts I coded on the backend of both websites, happy both holiday campaigns have done really well. I schedule the rest of the week and weekend’s social media posts for the ranch and distillery and start shutting my computer down.
A hand I’m more familiar with than my own softly wraps around my throat and tilts my head back. Smiling, I look at the most beautiful green hue framed by thick lashes that gaze down at me with so much love, my heart still thumps an extra beat all these months later.
“Hey, baby,” he rasps before kissing me.
Not a quick peck, no. Luke takes advantage that we’re alone and deepens it.
I roll my office chair around, wrapping my legs around his. Luke’s hands comb through my hair and grip tight enough that chills flutter down my body.
Groaning, he breaks the kiss.
“Don’t fucking tempt me, Brown Eyes. I’m trying to make a good impression.”
Laughing, I lower my legs back down on the floor and press a kiss on the tip of his bearded chin.
“You done with work?” he asks.
“I am. I can feel Eomma and Halmeoni glaring through the wall that I’m not in the kitchen with them.”
“They keep offering me cut fruit,” Luke frowns, which makes me laugh.
“I told you. There’s an art to cutting fruit and serving guests. You haven’t refused, have you?” I ask, fighting a smile.
“Your grandmother is pint-sized, but even I know not to refuse anything that woman offers or demands.”
We both laugh before one more kiss. I can’t remember laughing so much in my life. Life with Luke has been unexpected in the best of ways. I learned so much about him, but also about myself this year.
Moving in with Luke immediately was effortless. Madi insisted on emptying my apartment in Portland and bringing my stuff here. They refused to let me face the trauma of earlier this year, and I love both my best friend and her cowboy for that.
Now, telling my parents about the move was not as effortless.
In fact, I stalled for two months before finally confessing the truth.
All of it. Turns out, their gratitude toward Luke for protecting their daughter won him brownie points.
Appa played hardball with Luke over video calls at first, but surprisingly, seeing how happy and different I was with him, stopped the jokes about him being a white boy with tattoos.
Appa respects Luke’s service and they’ve bonded on their own. My father actually calls Luke on the phone like they’re old friends.
“Anna, are you finished with work?” Mom asks.
I smile, knowing how hard it was for her not to hovering over me in my new home office. “Yes, Eomma, I’m done for the entire holiday weekend.”
“Good,” she says, “Come help your Halmeoni with the Tteok,” Mom instructs.
My grandma scoffs. “Help me, as if I didn’t make this and more all by myself when you were little,” she says in Korean.
Luke squeezes my hand and kisses my cheek. “I’m gonna check with your dad if he wants to ride with Gabe and me.”
“Love you,” I whisper for only him to hear.
The softness around his eyes happens every time I say it. It’s one of my favorite things in the world now.
“Love you,” says back, kisses my forehead and heads out.
I stare at my man walking way because, come on, it’s on hell of a view.
“Your boyfriend is very fit but stop drooling and pretend to help me like your mom instructed,” my grandma jokes in Korean which has my mom scoffing by the sink.
“Coming, Halmeoni,” I say, smiling.
They’ve been here for three days with chaos and endless groceries, preparing for this feast Thanksgiving we’re hosting for the entire ranch in our new cabin.
Two months ago, Luke and I talked about my mom inviting herself, appa, and my grandma to help with the holiday–teach Luke how to eat and appreciate authentic Korean cuisine.
Luke, my sneaky, hot cowboy already had been working with Gabe on a new cabin closer to the ranch’s main house where Madison and Gabe now live. It’s a three bedroom A-frame with our master and bath upstairs. We made one of the bedrooms my new office for my freelance marketing firm.
Since taking over marketing for Wild Peak Ranch and the distillery, other clients have reached out. I never pictured myself going at it on my own but man, I love making my own rules, schedule, and choosing clients who work well and have ethics.
My parents walked in all Connecticut class but I warned Luke not to let that fool him.
Appa talked horses with Luke and Gabe for hours, Eomma got in our kitchen and rearranged everything which had my stomach hurting later that night in bed with Luke.
He pretends it doesn’t bother him. He’s a good sport and I love him for that.
Then my grandma arrived and adorned our fireplace mantle with guardian tiger ceramics.
By lunch time, the all day feast commences.
The cabin gets full quickly as ranch hands arrives, eager, smelling all the food from outside. I’m setting aluminum trays on the long fold out table we set for the buffet.
“Holy Sh–”
“Watch your language,” Luke mumbles, reminding the boys to keep it at least PG-13 around my family.
Kidd’s around my age, rugged, but with a boyish charm. “Right,” he covers his mouth. “My bad. Anna, this is impressive!”
“Thanks but the impressive chefs are my mom and grandma,” I say, setting more heavyweight paper plates at the end of the long table.
“Remind me their names?” he asks me quietly.
“My dad is Sung-jin,” I begin. Kidd repeats and I nod. “My mom is Myung-hee but call her Myung.” He repeats the pronunciation. “And grandma is Bong-cha.”
That one takes him a couple tries but he gets it.
“Awesome. Got it. Now, where in the world do I start here?” he asks about the endless options.
“You were okay with the spice level from the other night?” I ask.
“Taste buds of steal. Loved it. Spice me up, ma’am.”
“Are you flirting with my girl?” Luke growls from across the table.
“Never, boss. I value my balls.”
I shake my head and start pointing at the dishes. “Tteokbokki, Tteok which are rice cakes, Galbi, Japchae, Spicy Pork,” I point down the line.
“Calamari Salad, Seafood Pancake, Mandu, this side is vegetable and these are Kimchi. Then that’s the Pineapple Ham, Crab Omelets, Spicy Green Onion Salad, Homemade Kimchi, Fried Fish.”
I laugh as Kidd’s eyes get bigger and bigger. “This is a four cheese mac, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes and sweet potato casserole. The turkey will be ready closer to dinner time.”
Silence.
“Um,” Kidd laughs. “When you said to prepare our bellies to eat all day, I did not expect this scale of food.”
“The Kim family doesn’t do anything halfway. Food is love in our culture. Hence, it’s an all day event. So pace yourself.”
I pat his back and great the other ranchers coming in and going through the same line up explanation. Soon, the house is full, everyone has plates, Mom and I pass out drinks, and grandma is still going in the kitchen, refusing to let me help.
Translation: You’ll mess the food up. Let me make everything the right way.
Luke’s arms wrap around me from behind. I lean into his strength, embracing this happy I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams.
“How is this my life right now?” I ask.
His lips touch the top of my hair. “Our life. Luckiest bastard alive right here, with you in my arms.”
I turn and hold him to me, looking up at the lightness he carries behind his eyes now.
His family history is dark and it’s been a tough road but together, we’ve carried each other through many darker nights.
By morning, the shadows always recede and our love shields us.
I’ve never felt more secure of my future.
No matter what life brings our way, we’ll overcome. Together.
I look around at my family, old and new. Mom feeds dad fried fish and they laugh. Gabe holds a glass of whiskey, chatting with the ranch hands while he holds Madison around the waist with his free arm.
Madi’s gaze finds mine from across the room. She raises her glass, nods, and winks.
I smile back knowing what she’s saying with that one gesture.
Look at us, living our best lives with hot men and family to spare.
What brought me here was traumatic but it also came with a reward on the other side. Luke. Wild Peak. The real me.
I am truly in every way, finally home.
Thank you for reading and welcoming the Wild Peak Ranch series into your heart!
Luke and Anna's story had me smiling every step of the way, and I'm thrilled I finally got to bring this grumpy, tattooed mountain man cowboy and his sunshine city girl to life.
Watching Luke fall hard and fast for the woman who turned his quiet, set-in-his-ways world upside down was everything.
I hope you loved every protective, possessive, swoon-worthy moment as much as I did.