She nods. “He’s been busy talking to his new squeeze, so I’m not sure he cares, but yes, I told him.”
“Someone he met online or someone in town?”
“Both,” she says, coyly. “I’ll let him tell you the details. I invited him to dinner tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”
I squeeze her against my chest. “Of course not, he’s practically family.” I don’t know Walker’s story and I haven’t asked. For the most part, he’s quiet and stays to himself. That, and we’re the only two on this side of the mountain. We need to look out for each other.
“Well, thank you.” She tips up onto her toes and kisses my lips as a light snow starts to fall. “Do you ever miss Alaska and all those big cases you were working?”
I stare down at her with all the love in the world. “Never. Being up here in this little cabin with you is everything I ever wanted. Plus, I think your dad likes all the fresh cop talk.”
She leans against my chest as we walk back toward the little shack that we rebuilt to be our own two-bedroom retreat. It’s not perfect, but it has four walls and good insulation. We’re still working on the rest.
“Really? You don’t miss it at all?”
I shake my head. “Not for a second. The day I arrested Jeramiah, I knew I was done with that life. I love being here, in this little mountain police station, working for the people. It’s like I’m really doing something, you know? Besides,” I run my hand over her expanding stomach, “I would rather this life with you and our baby girl any day. Did we decide on a name, though, because I think that was still up for debate?”
I open the cabin door and we step into the warmth of the woodstove burning. “I think I’d decided on Gia and you decided on Nora.”
“I vote for Poppy,” Walker says, stepping in front of the open door before we close it.
Violet looks toward me. “I kind of like it.”
She nods, tipping onto her toes to lean her forehead against mine. “Me too.”
“As long as we all understand this baby is going to be the most strong-willed woman on this mountain, I think we’re good,” Walker laughs, stepping into the cabin with a fresh loaf of bread.
“Hey!” Violet says. “You better mean that as a positive!”
Walker laughs, but I wrap Violet into my arms and press a blazing kiss onto her lips. I never imagined that a cult would somehow bring me to the love of my life, but here I am, warm and content, standing in front of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. My wife, the mother of my child.
My hand brushes her cheek as I look toward her. “If I have a hundred children, as warm and brazen as you, then I’ve hit the lottery. No doubt about it.”
As we sit down for our meal, I can feel myself being examined a little too closely. “What have you done?” my intuitive wife asks with her brows furrowed. God, she’s good.
I look at her, unable to hold a solid poker face. “I have no idea what you mean.”
“You’re hiding something,” she says with a smile. “You only sit in your chair that way when you’re up to something.”
I let out a hearty laugh. “You never cease to amaze me.” I look over at Walker. “Can you believe this woman?”
Walker only shrugs his shoulders like he has no idea what’s going on.
“Last chance, Special Agent,” she says with a smile, holding her fork menacingly.
“Alright. I surrender,” I say with a chuckle. I step from my chair and head over to the couch. I drop to a knee and pull a secret box from underneath.
“Oh, what is that?” she asks with a squeal.
“Something for Nora,” I say with a laugh. “I’m pretty sure when you see this, you’ll let me name her.”
Slowly, I open the box and reveal our daughter’s first gift.
“Hawk, it’s beautiful.” I hand a homemade guitar built for a toddler to the love of my life. She scans it over slowly. “Is this a map of Rugged Mountain?” Her eyes start to tear.
“It is. I’ve been working on it for a while but finding a small enough map to fit was the hard part.” I reach for my wife’s hands. “I just want her to know that wherever she goes, this will always be her home.”
Violet wraps her arms around me and wipes her tears on my shoulder. “I’ll always love you, Hawk.”
“I love you more.”