Epilogue
JENNA
* Seven Years Later *
The beautiful fairy princess lightly bops the big, strong lumberjack on the head with her wand. The lumberjack retaliates by sprinkling a handful of sand on her poufy pink skirt, which gets him another bop, and a loud, squealed giggle.
I snap photos like crazy as the other parents stand behind me, laughing.
Then Max, my three-year-old lumberjack in his overalls and cap, decides to bop fairy princess Penny on the pigtails with his foam axe.
She rolls to her feet, hands on her hips with all the rage a lady a few weeks shy of turning four can muster.
“Max, if you get sand in my hair, you don’t get cupcakes!”
My stepbrother Steven can’t stop laughing as his wife Trisha steps in and examines Penny’s hair seriously. “No sand, honey. You’re fine.”
Penny doesn’t look convinced, but Max grabs her hand and they head for the jungle gym.
“Guess the photo shoot is over,” I grin.
Firm, strong hands hitch under my elbows to help me up off the grass. “Enough shots for now?” Kellan murmurs in my ear.
“Yeah. I’ll take more when the rest of the gang arrives.”
We head back to one of the five picnic tables under a huge awning behind the house. Kellan hands me a glass of sparkling water with mint and raspberries, then nudges the crackers and cheese plate toward me invitingly.
He’s the best husband, and the best dad – always making new adventures instead of just showering Max with toys.
Usually we host the winter parties, teaching the kids to snowboard on small, gentle hills that the brothers create at the very back of the yard.
For some reason the topography of our property seems to hold the snow best and creates plenty of natural drifts.
Kingston’s yard is usually the prettiest in the spring, but we’re hosting today since his huge new gazebo is under construction, and we certainly don’t want the kids playing around that. Which they definitely would, because they’re all a bit feral and fearless.
Kaden has built several enormous shade structures, so his yard is good in the heat of summer.
Kane’s has the best view across a valley and the mountain of the leaves changing color in the fall.
Kai and Leah travel a lot, so their yard isn’t quite as polished.
But that’s okay – they bring back wine from all over the world to every gathering they can make.
Trisha returns from the kitchen with another bowl of chips that Steven and Kellan immediately dive right into. She grins, and I return her eye roll at the vultures we married.
I never managed to get close to my stepfather, and that’s fine. Mom and I have drifted even more apart because of it, but if that’s what she wants, so be it. Luckily, Steven and Trisha keep me in the loop, and the four of us get along great.
From the very start, though, I clicked with Kellan’s whole family. It’s terrific to know that we have so many options where we can drop off our toddler if we really need a night alone. Plus, hosting other kids is great practice for when we have our next one.
Two more trucks arrive out front, but there’s no need to get up. Everyone knows to come straight in and either drop some food in the kitchen or help themselves. These huge casual family hangouts every few weeks keep us all connected and give our kids a chance to truly grow up together.
I can tell from the sound in the driveway that Kellan’s parents have arrived, even without the light tap on the Jeep horn after they park. Which means our kitchen will be filled with delicious premade sandwiches in a few minutes. I smile.
Kellan grabs my hand and leads me into the house and down the back hallway to a quiet nook. “What’s up?” I ask as his arms circle me, holding our bodies close together.
"We’re almost at fifteen weeks, right?" he says, kissing along the side of my throat. "I think you said we could start telling people at fifteen."
I laugh, then hum out a soft moan as his hands gently wander around my hips and the bottom curve of my ass before his right palm settles in the center of my stomach.
"Some people say fourteen or even thirteen. I wanted to wait an extra week with our first, because I was nervous."
Kellan rocks me gently in his arms, kissing across my forehead. "I know, baby. I was nervous too. But we're seasoned professionals now, right?"
I laugh again, then quickly lower my voice as I hear his mother organizing the sandwiches in the kitchen. "It's actually right about fourteen and a half weeks now. So we might as well tell them today, when everyone is together."
He jumps back, holding my hands and actually bouncing up and down. "This time, can I tell them? Please?"
I grin, shaking my head while looking deeply into his eyes. "Why don’t we let Max do it?"
Half an hour later, once the entire swarm of family members are all lounging out in the back yard, I pause to look around at the faces that fill me with joy and comfort every single time I see them.
Kaden and Zoe, and their daughter Emma. Kingston and Sierra, with fiery little David. I can’t help noticing that Sierra’s shirt is a bit tight through the chest and she’s drinking sparkling water instead of her usual white wine, same as me. I’ll have to corner her later and ask her about that.
Kai is bouncing four-year-old Theo on his knee while Leah laughs. Kane and Sammie are collecting snacks for Marcus and Matty. From the way Sammie is moving so slowly and carefully, with a protective hand over her stomach, I would guess their daughter will be born any day now.
I wave for Max to come over, then tell Kellan what I want to do. He lifts our son up and stands him on the picnic table. "Attention, please," Kellan calls out. "Max has something to tell everyone."
Instinctively, I grab my camera. My little showman grins from ear to ear, delighted that all eyes are on him. Kellan whispers in his ear, and Max repeats the words as loud as he can.
"We have big news…something is happening…in about twenty-five weeks…when I get a brand new…"
I catch the perfect shot as Max’s eyes grow huge and he squeals, clapping his hands. "BABY brOTHER OR SISTER? Really?!"
Max has been watching Kellan's brothers and all his cousins, asking plaintively why it's just three of us. It’s truly adorable how excited he is.
Zooming out, I catch another perfect shot of Max and Kellan staring at each other in delight. Their beautiful dark eyes, so similar, are sparkling with joy, then Kellan hugs him close.
My heart practically explodes with love for the two people I adore most in the world.
And yet, in this wild wolfish family, there's always going to be more than enough love for another child.
Maybe even two.
You’ll meet Emerick (Bear), Knox, and Thane in the Loners of Wolfe Mountain series, coming in spring 2026.
You’ll meet more hot, sexy Wolfes (and their friends) in the Wolfe Mountain Men books.
You’ll meet Crow, the tattoo artist and firefighter, in She’s Got That Spark…
Emma
Quickly setting the tray down, I dash back to the front…
And stop dead in my tracks.
The most gorgeous man in the entire world is smiling at me.
He looks…dramatic. Like a movie star. No, a movie star playing a rock star.
His jet-black hair makes his dark brown eyes look nearly black as well.
He’s very tall and beyond ripped, with layers of muscle along his wide shoulders and down his ink-swirled arms. The worn black jeans and black tank top are casual, and the leather studded wristband adds a hint of danger.
I’d bet my socks that the motorcycle across the street is his.
“Hey,” he drawls. My knees almost buckle when I hear how low and smoky his voice is. “You’re new.”
“Yeah. I just started here. I’m Emma.”
A grin lights up his eyes almost wickedly. “I’m Crow.”
“Crow?” I blink in surprise, nervously smoothing down my apron. “What can I get you this morning?”
He lifts up the bright purple mug that he’d been holding at his side. Chunky white letters read: 1) Fill With Coffee 2) Stand Back. I fill the mug with coffee, then hand it back. “Anything else? Muffin, scone, maybe a tart?”
“Nah, I’m good, thanks.” He drops a five on the counter, flashing me a grin.
He hesitates, slowly turning to leave. Then he stops in his tracks so fast his coffee nearly spills. He sets his mug down and dashes behind the counter at a frightening speed.
I follow him to the kitchen, where he’s taking something out of the oven with tongs. Oh no. It’s a completely scorched muffin, smoking something fierce.
He opens the back door, getting the sad, smoldering pile of oat cinders out of the kitchen in seconds. “Open the windows quickly, so the fire alarms don’t go off.” He strides to the end of the back parking lot and deposits the blackened blob near the end of the pavement.
“Thank you so much.”
He follows me inside, turning on the oven and ceiling fans. “You’ll want to run those for just a few minutes so the smoke doesn’t settle.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I head toward the front, hoping the smoke doesn’t follow me.
“Hey.” Crow stops me in the narrow passageway between the kitchen and the front counter. His body feels huge so close to mine. “It’s okay. It can happen to anyone.”
“Thank you.” My hands nervously twist my apron. “I just can’t believe you smelled such a small bit of smoke. Have you had a lot of baking accidents or something?”
Crow chuckles, and my heart nearly stops when he reaches out to flatten the piece of my hair that always kinks into a freaky wave. “I’m a volunteer firefighter. We learn to use our noses as much as our eyes. We just finished our big annual training shindig, actually.”
He fixes a different piece of my hair… Is it just an excuse to touch me? I’m completely flustered from being this close to him.
Man, I hope I’m not blushing. He’ll think that I’m hopeless.
“I’ll see you in around an hour.” Crow grins, then winks rakishly. “I’m going to come back and ask you out tonight. Are you going to say yes?”
It takes me a moment to swallow. To breathe. Blink. Focus. “I probably know how to say yes in two or three languages, for what it’s worth.”
I love the way his entire face lights up when he grins. “Good.” He strides out of the shop, grabbing his mug on the way.
I’m going to have to serve the people who are just pulling up out front. But for ten more seconds, I’m going to downright ogle Crow’s muscular butt as he walks away.
You’re going to love Emma and Crow in
She’s Got That Spark