Epilogue
Jaxon mounted Bully and reached down. “Come here, Asher.” They’d named their son in memory of Destiny’s sister Ashley.
Walt, Jaxon’s dad, handed up the eleven-month-old dressed in tiny jeans and cowboy boots. His blue button-down shirt was a carbon copy of his father’s, as were the little Western belt and buckle on his jeans.
Jaxon had hoped throughout Destiny’s pregnancy that their son would get her beautiful green eyes. But Asher had been born with Jaxon’s deep-blue irises and auburn hair, and he was okay with that. He was a beautiful child. Jaxon was just glad the boy hadn’t gotten his fair skin.
He tucked the infant in front of him on the saddle and grinned. “That’s my big boy.”
Asher made baby noises and put his fingers in his mouth, obviously enjoying himself.
Destiny, mounted on Thumper and holding four-year-old Charlotte in front of her, said, “He fits perfectly there, honey.”
Gloria, Jaxon’s mother, chuckled. “He’s a chip off the old block. Walt had Jaxon in the saddle at this age, and he loved it too.”
Jaxon, his heart almost bursting with pride, said, “He’s going to be a dang good cowboy. I’ll make sure of that.”
Destiny smiled. “I’m sure you will, sweetheart. Between the two of us, we’ll make good riders of both of our kids.” She kissed Charlotte’s cheek. “We’re going to have fun, honey.”
Charlotte laughed. “I want to ride Sandy, Momma.”
“You can ride Sandy in the pen, but not out like this, sweetheart. When you get older, you can ride your horse in the pasture, okay?” Destiny said.
Jaxon glanced at his stepdaughter and smiled.
The little girl was growing into quite a character.
He had worried at first that Charlotte’s visits with her biological father would interfere with their family life, but that hadn’t been the case.
She saw Derek and his wife every six or seven weeks for a weekend.
One of the nice things Derek had done in the adoption paperwork was to arrange to pay for Charlotte’s four-year college education.
“I’ve set the cooler with your picnic under that tree, Jaxon,” his dad said.
“Thanks, Dad.” He glanced at Destiny, then turned Bully toward the ranch drive. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s have some fun.”
She laughed and turned Thumper in the same direction. “Walt, Gloria, we’ll see you all later.”
As she rode up beside him, he met her gaze. “Honey, I love you. Having you and our little family makes me incredibly happy. Thanks for giving me my children. Thanks for loving me.” His heart was so full of love that it took his breath away.
She reached across and touched his shoulder. “Jaxon, my life would be nothing without you and our kids. I’ll always love you.” She smiled as tears came to her eyes.
Tears welled in his own eyes then, and he wished he could hold her in his arms. His life was complete in a way that he’d never imagined. He smiled at her, then looked ahead to a future full of love and joy.