Epilogue
“Welcome home!”
Nash swept his wife off her feet to carry her over the plane’s threshold that led to the boarding platform. West had lent him his private jet for a quick trip to Hawaii. He’d needed to make this pretty little girl his before she came to her senses and changed her mind about becoming his wife.
Not to say that he hadn’t asked River for his permission.
Nash had never been more terrified in his life. Luckily, his new brother-in-law was of a romantic bent, even if he hid it behind a gruff look reserved especially for him. The truth was that River had never stood a chance against his sister’s big pleading eyes, those same beautiful hazel eyes that Nash got lost in every day and would for the rest of his life.
Now, they were back in Harvest Ranch. They’d had to rush back to Nashville first, so that they could pick West up on the way. Liv was having her baby, and Nash’s older brother was taking his kids for a few weeks.
Emily blocked the sun from her face as they neared the stairs. “Nash! Are you planning on carrying me overeverythreshold?”
“It’s good luck! And I’m taking it all.”
“Greedy,” she said with her bubbly little giggle. He kissed that dimple hiding in those creases of laugh lines against her cheek. Emily had officially made him the happiest man alive by going through with his crazy idea of eloping.
Now that they were back at Harvest Ranch, they could start their new life together in this happily ever after that they’d planned for themselves. Millie had worked out a deal with West that ensured that no one in her family would ever fear for their survival—far from it—and to show her gratitude to Nash for his honesty, she’d set aside a fifteen percent royalty from her proceeds to him, plus twenty-five percent of her land willed to him in the event that she passed away. Between that and Emily’s proceeds from an album that went platinum, they were set for life.
It was going to their children’s college fund. Nash planned to live the simple life of a rancher.
He set Emily down on the platform while he got their bags. They planned on building a homestead on some land neighboring his family’s ranch. Old Man Funches had partitioned off a few hundred acres from his own land for sale, and Emily and Nash had pounced on it. He’d run all over those hills as a kid, and couldn’t wait for his own kids to do the same. Putting a cattle ranch on that land would be just like living in paradise. He couldn’t be more humbled or grateful.
God is good.
Of course, now they had a lot of explaining to do to both sides of the family! Emily warned him that they might have to do the wedding ceremony and the parties all over again—everything done backwards—but he didn’t care. He just wanted Emily by his side for the remainder of this life and forever after that, too.
He brought their luggage outside and took her hand in a possessive grip.
Yeah. He was greedy. He was the first to admit it. He wanted the country life. He wanted Emily as his wife. He wanted the children that they’d have together. He wanted it all.
Lizardman barked behind them in the jet.
Oh, and a dog… he’d get himself a dog.
West still insisted on keeping his. Talk about greedy. The cute little labradoodle ran roughshod through the back of the jet where West still gathered his baggage… and someone else’s.
Yeah, everyone at home was in for abigsurprise. West had brought someone home, too.
Nash had told Porter to come pick him up at the small airport. He couldn’t wait to see his twin’s face when he introduced Emily as his wife. It had been almost miserable to keep this latest secret from Porter, but the joke would be worth it.
Below them on the runway, a familiar souped-up, black GMC Sierra monster truck drove up to the pickup area. There was their ride. Emily squeezed Nash’s hand and he played with the big diamond on her ring finger. This was just the beginning of unveiling their big surprise.
Porter jumped out of the driver’s side to help them with their bags. He seemed bored as he leaned up against the truck bed. His eyes turned sharp on Emily as they came closer.
“You still hanging around this guy?” Porter asked her.
“I sure am.” She waved her hand.
Porter didn’t seem to notice the big ring that she wore, only smirked and threw their luggage into the back, taking a little more effort with Emily’s, because… unsurprisingly, it was heavy. That girl packed carefully for every situation.
“So, I’ve got a surprise for you,” Porter said.
“Do you?” Nash crossed his arms. He was sure that it was nothing to his.
“You remember Angel?” Of course he did. “She’s in the truck,” Porter informed them as Emily opened the back door.
Emily gasped. “Wait…you’reAngel?”
“Surprise,” Porter said. “We’re married.”
Nash swiveled around to stare at his twin. “You’remarried?”
“Yeah, surprise!”
“Oh, just you wait,” Nash said. “We’ve also got a surprise you’re going to love.” He put his hand on the door to see his brother’s bride for himself.
He stepped back in astonishment, and then he grinned.
The End