He leans onto the counter. “Where did you say she worked?”
A smile starts to form on my lips, but I try to hide it. “I didn’t. She works at the library. That’s actually where I’m going now. She left her cake, so I was going to take it to her. I’ll be sure to tell her you enjoyed the packages she sent.”
I grab the bag and cup of coffee, but Evan steps out in front of me. “Wait. I’ll take it. I need to thank her myself, I think.”
I shrug like it’s no big deal, but my heart is yammering in my chest. This may just work. I hand the cup and bag over to him. “Sure. Thanks, Evan. It’s good to have you back.”
For the first time since he walked in, he smiles. “Yeah, it’s good to be back.”
Epilogue 2
Emma
One Year Later
How do you go your whole life wondering if this is it? Is this really all I’m meant to do? Then all of a sudden everything changes, and you have a happiness that you never understood. Never even fathomed could be possible. That’s exactly what I got when I met Brett Barrett. He’s taken care of me in more ways than one. He helped me settle up everything with my dad’s property and talking to the police. It seems I was worried for nothing. No one wanted to put me in jail. As a matter of fact, half the force apologized to me for everything I’d been through and said they wished they’d known I was there instead of out of town out of town with a relative like they thought. Lost in thought, I kick my toe against the hard wood of the porch to get my swing moving.
“You doing okay, Mrs. Barrett?”
I smile at Brett as he walks up onto the porch. I’m rocking back and forth in the porch swing, and I hold it steady so he can sit down next to me. “I’m doing good, husband.”
I started calling him that shortly after we got married. I’m sure some people find it strange and old-fashioned, but for someone that never dreamed she would have a man to call her own, it means a lot. And just like always, any time I say it, he opens his arm, and I snuggle into his chest. “It sure is hot out today.”
I look at the ranch that has come so far in a year. The new barracks is up. The roof on the barn makes it look almost new, and the renovations that Brett has done to the house have been phenomenal. He works from sun up to sun down, and I try to get him to stop, but now he says he has someone to share his life with, he wants more than anything to make this ranch a success.
“You work too hard,” I tell him, even though I know it’s like talking to a wall. The man is not going to stop. “You know all I need is you. That’s all that matters to me. None of this other stuff means a thing to me. The house was perfect the way it was.”
He laughs. “So you want me to take out the dishwasher?”
I laugh with him. “I’m not saying that. I’m just saying, you keep doing all this, but it’s not going to mean anything if I don’t have you to share it with.”
“I think I’m done with all the renovations, at least until the spring. I think I’m going to be pretty busy soon.”
He reaches over and rubs his hand across my stomach. As soon as he does, I feel a kick, and I can’t help but smile. Our son is already giving his daddy a hard time.
“Oh, he’s active today, isn’t he?” Brett asks me.
I roll my eyes. “More like you rile him up. If this is any indication of what it’s going to be like when you and Baby Barrett are together, I’m going to have it rough.”
“Rough!” He nuzzles my neck and breathes me in. “I don’t think you’re going to have it rough. You’re going to have two Barrett men treating you like a queen then.”
And he’s not wrong. Brett treats me like a princess you would read about in a book. He makes sure to tell me every day how much he loves me and how much I mean to him. He goes out of his way to do anything he can to help me and be there for me. In the beginning, I thought it was something to do with Sophia, but it wasn’t long before I realized that he forgot completely all about her. She’s like a distant memory. He does everything he does for me because he loves me.
“You do treat me well,” I tell him, leaning into him.
“Because I love you…” he says.
I already know the answer, but I still ask it. “Do you ever regret…”
He’s already shaking his head. “Not for one second. I don’t ever regret anything when it comes to you, Em. You are my entire world, and I’m happy just spending the rest of my life on this ranch with you and our children.”
“Me too. I’m so glad that Violet brought us together. That was pretty sneaky of her.”
He harrumphs. “We were destined to be together, Em.”
“I know that. I just mean, you have to admit, she has a knack for these things.” I turn in his arms and kiss him. “I was thinking…”
“Oh yeah? Well, that’s a good thing because usually when you’re thinking, you’re thinking about me.”