Epilogue
Clover
Five Years Later
The summer bonfire crackles warmly in the clearing behind our cabin, casting a golden glow across the mountain night.
I’m tucked perfectly between Simon’s legs, my back against his broad chest as his arms wrap around me.
His chin rests on top of my head, and every now and then he presses a soft kiss into my hair.
Five years later, and his touch still makes my heart flutter like it did that first day on the trail.
I glance across the fire to where Meg sits curled against Roman.
She looks every bit the sunshine girl she’s always been, brunette hair in neat French braids, cozy lilac sweatpants, an oversized lavender hoodie, and her signature blush pink backpack resting beside her.
She’s laughing at something Roman murmurs, her camera never far from reach even at a casual bonfire.
Meg and I have become quite the team at the tourist center with Gloria. Between my hiking videos, social media campaigns, and her stunning nature photography, we’ve become the faces of Crescent Ridge tourism. Our brochures, postcards, and reels have put this little mountain town on the map.
Simon’s hand slides under the hem of my sweater, palm warm and protective against my stomach.
He’s been doing that a lot lately, resting his hand there over the secret we’re not quite ready to share with everyone yet.
In a few months, our little family is going to grow, and I can’t wait to tell him I already know he’s going to be the most incredible dad.
“Comfortable, butterfly?” he asks, voice low and rough in that way that still gives me butterflies.
“Very,” I murmur, tilting my head back to smile at him. His dirty-blonde hair is a little longer now, and those green eyes still look at me like I’m the best thing that ever happened to him. “Though I’m pretty sure you’d be just as happy if I never left this spot.”
He chuckles, the sound vibrating through his chest.
“Guilty. Old habits die hard. I still have to fight the urge to tie you to our bed every time you grab your camera and head out on a hike.”
I laugh softly.
“You threatened to keep me in your cabin so many times that first week. I was delighted by how ridiculous you were.”
“I know I was a bit over zealous,” he admits without shame, tightening his arms around me.
The bonfire winds down and our friends eventually head home. Once their taillights disappear down the mountain road, Simon stands and pulls me up with him, his hands lingering on my waist.
“Bed?” he asks, eyes darkening with that familiar hunger.
“Bed,” I agree, my pulse already quickening.
We barely make it through the front door before his mouth is on mine.
The kiss is deep and unhurried, full of love and the kind of comfort that only comes with time.
He tastes like campfire smoke and the chocolate he stole from the s’mores tray.
His big hands slide down to cup my ass, lifting me effortlessly so my legs wrap around his waist.
He carries me to our bedroom like he did that very first night, only now there’s no hesitation, no fear of tomorrow. Just us.
Simon lays me down on our bed and peels my clothes off slowly, reverently, kissing every new inch of skin he reveals. When I’m bare beneath him, he sits back on his heels and just looks at me, green eyes glowing with heat and love.
“Fuck, Clover,” he breathes. “Still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
I reach for him, tugging his shirt over his head.
His body is still incredible, strong shoulders, defined chest, and that trail of hair leading down into his jeans.
I trace my fingers over the faint scars he’s collected over the years, each one a reminder of the man who runs toward danger to protect others.
He sheds the rest of his clothes and covers me with his body. The weight of him feels perfect, grounding. When he slides into me in one smooth thrust, we both moan at the familiar, perfect fit. He moves slow and deep, rolling his hips in that way that always makes my toes curl.
“Look at me, baby,” he whispers.
I do. Our eyes stay locked as he makes love to me. Steady, powerful strokes that build heat between us until I’m gasping his name. He leans down to kiss me, swallowing my cries as pleasure coils tighter and tighter.
“I love you,” he growls against my lips. “Every damn day. You staying, choosing us, it’s the best decision you ever made.”
Tears prick my eyes even as my body tightens around him.
“Love you more,” I manage.
He reaches between us, thumb circling my clit with perfect pressure, and I shatter. My release triggers his own. He buries himself deep, groaning my name as he pulses inside me, filling me with warmth.
Afterward, we stay tangled together, skin slick and hearts slowing. Simon rolls us so I’m draped across his chest, his fingers tracing lazy patterns up and down my spine. The window is cracked open, letting in the cool night air and the distant sound of crickets.
“I can’t believe we’re here,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to his chest. “Five years ago, I was trying to sneak out of this cabin with your shirt.”
He laughs softly, the sound rumbling under my ear. “And now you’re stuck with me forever. Pregnant with my baby. Wearing my ring. Sleeping in my bed every night.”
I smile against his skin. “Best kind of stuck.”
His hand returns to my stomach, warm and protective. Simon kisses me slow and sweet, then pulls the quilt over us.
This is exactly where I belong. Right here, wrapped in the arms of the man who once carried me down a mountain and never let me go.
The End
Need more OTT mountain men who fall first? Check out Eloping with the Mountain Man. Cade doesn't want a wife, but when another man's mail order bride mistakenly finds her way to his porch, he'll do whatever it takes to make her his.