Epilogue - Victoria
EPILOGUE - VICTORIA
I look up at the ranch, immense pride swelling my chest. We are about to hand it over, and I finally get to meet the owner and give him the one place that has every inch of my heart in it.
“I can’t believe we did it,” I say to Griffin as we admire the finished product. The project got derailed by a few months as I healed and then moved permanently to Whispers. For the past year, I have lived either in Marie’s place or with Tanner at the distillery, but every night, we’ve been together.
“I have to say, it is one of my best projects. The photographer got a lot of great shots, and I am already fielding calls from people who have seen it on your socials,” Griffin shares, and I smile. The two of us have become close over the months. We work well together.
“I had an email from a magazine this morning. They want to do a feature on the ranch and put it in their summer edition,” I say, barely able to contain my giddiness. My portfolio has now grown. Between this and Marie’s place, my content creation has been immense. My social media has exploded, and I am now getting paid deals and sponsorships.
“So we will have a few weeks’ break, and then start on the next one?” Griffin says, and my eyes light up.
“So it is really happening?” I say in disbelief, even though we have talked at length about me joining forces with Griffin full-time to become his interior designer and consultant. My dream job with my dream builder.
Life has really progressed since the incident. As Tanner promised, Marie’s Place was completed while I was in hospital, and when I got home, I had just some finishing touches to complete. I have started hiring it out to help single moms and others who are struggling, my guests all coming from the Rothschild Foundation and the connections I made at the Baltimore gala all those months ago. Yet another thing I had Tanner to thank for.
“It is happening,” he says as we both look back up at this mansion of a ranch.
“It’s a bit sad, though, isn’t it?”
“What is?” he asks, confused.
“Well, I put so much into this ranch. This is really how I would have my dream home. I even added all the personal touches I like, hoping the owner likes them too,” I say, a little melancholy.
“Well, here comes the owner now,” Griffin says, and I spot a big black truck driving up the driveway. I squint in the sun, not able to really see much in its bright rays, but as the truck pulls up, my mouth drops.
“What are you doing here?” I say as Tanner slides out of the truck, and I almost swoon at how good-looking he is. I warm immediately, knowing how lucky I am.
“Hey, baby girl.” He smiles, coming up to me, his hand sliding around my waist as he kisses me quickly.
“Tanner,” I warn, not wanting to be seen as unprofessional. “The owner is going to be here any moment.” I straighten my dress and turn to look at Griffin, but he isn’t there anymore. Glancing around, I can’t see him anywhere.
“We are the owners, baby,” Tanner says, and my head whips up to look at him.
“What?” I just about balk. What the hell is he talking about?
“I purchased this land over a decade ago. I never thought I would develop it until I met you. This ranch you and Griffin have built and designed is ours. All yours and all mine.”
My body is frozen in shock, but my belly flutters as I take in what this means. I can’t talk, so he continues.
“We still have the distillery and Marie’s place, but the ranch will be our home.”
“Tanner…” I say, barely able to get the words out, my chest constricting, disbelief smothering me.
“Victoria,” he says as his knee hits the ground, and I almost faint.
“When I met you, my whole world opened up. I was a shell of a man stuck in a cycle of working hard to raise Connor and build the business, never really thinking or wanting anyone by my side for any of it. But you walked in, all blond bombshell, bright pink, confident, and stubborn. You were like a breath of fresh air filling my lungs after being suffocated for too long,” he says as he pulls a box from his pocket, and tears blur my eyes.
“So, baby girl, here at our new home, in our hometown of Whispers, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
“Yes,” I say without a second of hesitation before taking a big breath. A broad smile comes to his face, and he slips the ring on my finger. It is big, beautiful, and glistening in the sun.
“Yes, yes, yes!” I say over and over as he stands, picks me up, and swirls me around. Bringing my lips to his, I seal our deal. The moment is perfect, the view, the ranch I love so much, it all feels surreal. Until I hear a bleat and pull back sharply.
“What is that?” I ask, turning to face the noise, seeing a large buck walking in the field right in front of us.
“Oh, that’s Garry,” Tanner says, grinning as he puts me down on my feet. “I thought Gertie and the girls might need a man around here.”
I smile, laughing heartily, and he kisses me again. Pulling back, we both look around at the vast amount of land we now have, no neighbors in sight, but a perfect view of Whispers, the distillery, and Marie’s place, the new shed sitting tall and proud and bright red. I didn’t know I could be happier, but he just proved me wrong.
“I love you, Tanner Whiteman,” I say, cupping his face as his eyes lock on mine.
“I love you, Victoria Whiteman,” he says with a smirk before picking me up and taking me inside to our new home, carrying me over the threshold. As I lean back in his embrace, I feel the familiar caress of his thumb on my back, and I realize something.
Everyone likes a good before and after, even me.