20. Piper
TWENTY
PIPER
The Sunday dinner table at the lodge is loud, warm, and full in the best possible way.
Laughter echoes off the wooden beams, plates clatter as food is passed around, and the smell of Harper’s pot roast and fresh-baked rolls fills the air.
It’s been a few weeks since my father’s arrest, and every day since then has felt like a gift I’m still learning how to accept.
The weight that used to sit on my chest is gone.
In its place is something light and hopeful—a future I never dared to dream about.
I sit beside Boyd at the long table, my hand resting on his thigh under the tablecloth.
He covers it with his own, warm and steady, thumb brushing slow circles over my knuckles.
Every touch from him still sends a quiet thrill through me.
I glance up at him and catch him watching me with that soft look he saves only for me.
The corner of his mouth lifts in the smallest smile, the one that makes my heart flutter every single time.
“I love you,” I whisper, just loud enough for him to hear.
His eyes darken with warmth. “I love you too, baby girl. More every day.”
The words settle over me like a blanket. I still can’t believe this is my life now. I’m safe. I’m loved. I’m home.
Harper sits at the head of the table with Poppi on her lap, the little girl happily gnawing on a soft roll.
Rafe’s beside her, one arm draped over the back of her chair, looking more relaxed than I have ever seen him.
Kayley’s helping Aidan with a small piece of chicken while Gavin watches them with quiet affection.
Sadie and Thorne sit close together, Lily between them, the teenager laughing at something Rhett just said.
Emma leans into Rhett’s side, her hand resting on her small baby bump.
Fiona and Chase are arguing playfully about who makes better cornbread.
Daisy is telling Hannah a story about the garden, both of them smiling.
Silas watches Hannah like she’s his everything.
Wyatt and Harlan sit at the far end, single but clearly content to be part of this loud, chosen family.
This is what I always wanted. A big, noisy, loving family. People who choose each other every single day. I look around the table and feel my eyes sting with happy tears. Boyd notices and squeezes my hand.
“You okay?” he asks softly.
“Better than okay,” I whisper. “I’m so happy. I never thought I could have this.”
He leans in and kisses my temple. “You deserve it. All of it.”
The conversation flows easily around us.
Harper teases Silas about burning the rolls last week.
Kayley tells a funny story about Aidan trying to pull at one of the goat’s ears.
Sadie shares how Lily is doing in her online classes.
I listen and laugh, adding small comments when I can.
Boyd stays mostly quiet, but he participates in his own way—a nod here, a dry comment there.
I love how comfortable he is in his silence.
He doesn’t need to fill the space. He just is.
After the main course, when everyone’s finishing dessert, Wyatt clears his throat. The table quiets a little.
“I’m heading out tomorrow,” he says. “Scouting a new route around Timber Creek. There have been some reports of unusual activity near the old logging roads. I want to check it out before it becomes a problem.”
The mood shifts slightly. Concern ripples through the group.
“Be careful,” Harper says immediately. “We’ve had enough excitement lately.”
Rafe nods. “Take one of the satellite phones. Check in every few hours.”
Boyd looks at Wyatt. “You need backup?”
Wyatt shakes his head. “I’ll be fine. Just a scouting run. I’ll be back in a few days.”
We all tell him to be careful. Fiona teases him about not getting lost in the woods. Daisy promises to save him some pie when he returns. The love and worry in the room is palpable. This is what family looks like. People who care enough to worry, but trust enough to let you go.
After dinner, the table is cleared and the children are put to bed.
The adults linger, talking softly by the fire.
Boyd and I slip out a little early. He helps me down the porch steps, then scoops me up when we reach the path, carrying me the rest of the way to the cabin.
I rest my head on his shoulder, breathing him in.
Inside, he sets me down gently and locks the door. The fire’s already going low in the hearth. He adds another log and turns to me, eyes soft in the firelight.
“Come here,” he says.
I walk into his arms. He holds me close, one hand stroking my back, the other cradling the back of my head. We sway together slowly, no music, just the crackle of the fire and our heartbeats.
“I love you,” he whispers. “I love the life we’re building. I love waking up next to you. I love watching you laugh at dinner. I love knowing you’re mine.”
I tilt my head up and kiss him. “I love you too. So much. I never thought I could have this. A home. A family. You. But I do. And I’m so grateful.”
He kisses me deeper, slow and full of love.
We move toward the bedroom without rushing.
He undresses me carefully, kissing every inch of skin he reveals.
When I’m bare, he lays me down on the bed and worships me with his mouth and hands.
He takes his time, bringing me to the edge again and again until I’m trembling and whispering his name.
When he finally slides inside me, it’s slow and deep, our eyes locked the entire time.
“You’re my everything,” he murmurs as he moves. “My home. My future. My wife someday soon.”
Tears slip from the corners of my eyes. “Yes. Always yes.”
We make love slowly, passionately, pouring every ounce of love we feel into each touch, each kiss, each whispered word. When we come together, it feels like a promise. A beginning. A forever.
Afterward, we lie tangled in the sheets. Boyd holds me close, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my back. The firelight dances across the walls. Outside, the mountain is quiet and peaceful.
“I’m so happy,” I whisper. “I love our life here. I love you.”
He kisses my forehead. “I love you too, Piper. More than anything. This is our home. Our family. Our future. And I can’t wait to spend every day of it with you.”
I snuggle closer, heart full. The future stretches out in front of us—bright, safe, and full of love. No more running. No more fear. Just us. Just this beautiful life we chose.
And I can’t wait to live every single day of it with the man who saved me in every way possible.
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