Epilogue
WREN
The late afternoon sun spilled over the rolling pastures, painting the fields in molten gold. A soft breeze stirred the tall grass, carrying the scent of hay, cedar, and the faint sweetness of wildflowers that clung to the fence lines.
I leaned against the porch railing, letting the warmth of the wood seep through my palms, letting myself breathe. Really breathe.
I never thought I’d have this.
Not the ranch. Not the quiet.
Not… peace.
There was a time I didn’t believe peace was possible for someone like me, someone who’d spent years stitching up other people’s trauma while refusing to look too closely at my own.
But somehow, here I was, whole enough to notice the sky, to listen to the soft hush of the wind through the trees, to feel the ache in my chest and know it wasn’t pain this time.
It was… healing.
Part of that was Remi.
Having her here, watching her rebuild piece by piece, had done something I didn’t know I needed. Seeing her survive the unthinkable, watching her stand up for everyone, fight for everyone, even trading herself to protect me, it had cracked something open inside me.
Healed something I thought would always stay broken.
A laugh carried across the yard, light, free, full of joy. I turned my head toward the sound and smiled without meaning to.
The kids were chasing one another between the paddocks again, shrieking with delight.
Cole was leaning on the fence, watching with the biggest smile on his face.
I had never seen him so happy. Harlan stood nearby with his arms crossed, pretending to scold one of the kids while one of the rescued dogs darted circles around them all.
My family.
A mismatched, chaotic, beautifully imperfect family I never imagined I’d have. It seemed to continue to grow as our Ranch did, drawing in more people that Remi couldn't turn away.
I heard her laughing and looked to see her and Ava on the front porch swing watching the guys watch the kids.
I laughed softly under my breath.
And then, because I couldn’t help myself, I thought of Kane.
I hadn’t seen him in weeks. Too many, maybe. Which shouldn’t have mattered, except it did. Somehow, the ranch felt quieter without him.
Kane was all sharp edges and lazy drawl. He’d flirted with me from the first moment we met, shamelessly, endlessly, and I’d ignored him with equal measure.
Or at least… I tried.
Lately, though… he’d been getting under my skin.
I was still thinking about him when my phone lit up against the porch railing.
One name.
One message.
Kane
I need you, Doc.
I sighed, tilting my head back toward the sky like maybe it had answers for me.
Of course, he'd text me with some sexual innuendo at the exact moment I was thinking about him. Did he have a satellite watching me or something?
My fingers moved before I thought about it, typing out the same reply I’d given him a dozen times before:
We’ve been through this before, Kane. Not going to happen.
Even as I sent it, I knew it wasn’t true.
He’d been working his way in for too long now.
I was still staring at my screen when it lit up again.
Kane
I have someone coming to collect you who will ensure you get to me safely.
I blinked at the words.
No joke.
No comeback.
No trace of his usual humor.
Just that.
I fired off three more texts, short and sharp:
What’s going on?
Where are you?
Kane, talk to me.
None of them delivered.
The world around me shifted, tilting on an axis I couldn’t name yet, tension threading through my chest.
And then I heard it, tires crunching over gravel.
I turned, heart pounding harder than it should have.
An SUV rolled up the drive, dark paint catching the dying light. The driver’s door opened, and Gray stepped out.
One look at his face, and my stomach dropped.
He didn’t say a word.
He didn’t need to.
I swallowed hard, gripping my phone tighter, forcing the question out even though I already knew the answer.
“What do I need to pack?”