Epilogue
Maya
Two Years Later
“I’m putting an ad in the Gazette,” I say as I rock back and forth in the little white rocker Holden built for the front porch. He actually built two, one for each of us.
“Yeah? What for? You thinking of selling off some of the farm stuff we have lying around? We’ve got a few garden tools we could stand to get rid of, and that milking station can go too. I think we only milked twice before the goats went to live with Wyatt.”
It’s true. Raising goats was not my thing. Turns out they’re not nearly as cuddly as they look on social media. I mean, maybe I just got some annoying goats, but mine like biting, headbutting, and stomping… a lot.
“No, but I should do that.” I rock back again, grabbing my sweet tea from the table for a quick sip.
“I was thinking I could put an ad out to start a little graphic design thing.” I rub my hand over my expanding belly.
“Once Caitlin comes, I’ll want to be home more, and the extra money coming in would be nice.
” I glance toward the giant I love more than anything.
“I mean, unless you want to steal us some money or something.”
“You really like those jokes, don’t you?” He glares toward me playfully. “I warned you the last time, I can’t let my reputation go sour. You’re gonna have to pay the price for these jokes.” He lifts his massive body from the rocking chair and stalks toward me.
I love that he’s still like this. Two years in and we’re still more in love than ever. He even got all mushy and wrote his own vows for our wedding ceremony. I’ll never forget the tear that ran down his cheek when he promised to love and cherish every bit of uniqueness I bring to the relationship.
Every bit of uniqueness. I liked that one because it made me feel separate from every other woman on Earth. Like there’s something about me he loves. Something that isn’t interchangeable.
He went on to talk about the freckle on my shoulder, the way I hum under my breath when I’m nervous, and the way I show my love with baked goods.
He’s lived by his vows too. Every day he’s pointing out something about me that he can’t live without.
Every morning he’s reminding me that I’m the only one that can give him what he needs.
Every afternoon he’s touching me like my body is different from any other body.
And every night before bed he tells me how good my love feels to him and how thankful he is for me.
His hand in mine, he guides me up from the rocking chair and lifts me into his arms. I have no idea how much weight I’ve gained from this pregnancy, but Holden doesn’t seem to notice. I guess that’s the perk of having a man who carries around bags of cement all day.
“Where are we going?” I whisper, my head against his shoulder.
“Thought we could go lay in the meadow for a while and talk about that graphic design business you want to start.” He carries me down the front steps of the cabin he built many years ago.
It’s small, but we’ve made it our own and there’s plenty of space for the baby.
Someday, we’ll add on, but right now, I’m excited for the three of us to be a family in our cozy little woodland home.
“You’re not weird that I want to start the graphics thing? That means I wouldn’t be working for Blackrock anymore.”
“I’ll miss you but I’d rather you follow your dreams. I want to hear every bit of this plan.”
I smile wide as he sets me down beneath a sprawling oak that overlooks the valley dotted with red and purple wildflowers.
“I was thinking I could set up websites for people and maybe do advertising graphics, or maybe a book cover or two. I figure I’ll start before the baby is born and get a handle on the business end of things, so I’ve got everything under my belt before she gets here. ”
“You’ll need an office, right?”
“Oh no. I can just work from the kitchen table. It’s no big deal.”
“No, I think if you’re going to be working from home, you need your own space.
” He stares off into the distance for a moment before glancing back toward me again.
“What if I build a little spot for you off the back of the bedroom? You could go in there, close the door, decorate it however you want.”
“I appreciate the thought, but we don’t have the money. We just spent a load on all the baby supplies and—”
“I could always steal the money.” He grins and tugs me closer to his chest with a growl in his throat.
I bite my bottom lip, barreling on top of him.
I can barely get my hips wide enough to straddle his lap, but I manage.
“Actually, we could just rob a bank together. I don’t want to miss out on the fun.
Plus, I won’t make it out here in the prairie without my mountain man.
But,” I pause dramatically, “there’s the possible jail time, and ya know… the baby.”
“Okay.” He grins and rubs his hand down over his beard. “Maybe I’ll build the room for you in exchange for personal favors instead.”
I smile and lean into his lips. “Oh yeah? I think maybe we can work something out.”
His arms wrap around my back, and though my belly gets in the way of us rolling around in the grass, he gently kisses my lips, brushes my hair back, and trails his way toward the little freckle on my shoulder where he lands another soft, sweet kiss.
It’s simple but effective, ‘cause with that one freckle loving kiss, everything is right with the world.
THANK YOU FOR READING.
READ ALICE’S STORY HERE.