Epilogue

SHAYLA

Each time I checked my rear-view mirror, my heart jumped at the vision that filled me with joy. There was another human in the backseat with Aria, and this one was ready to blow. His little red face was scrunched and any second the SUV was going to be filled by a healthy set of lungs.

"Mom, are we almost there? CJ is not happy." The matter-of-fact declaration as my daughter covered her ears had become a normal occurrence since her brother had been born.

"Hang in there, sis. We're here. Pop his Binky back in. He'll be fine." I heard a loud sigh as I hopped out to free him from the car seat. CJ hated the car seat and no matter what any of us did, his displeasure was constant.

"Mom, he doesn't want it. He wants the boob." Aria's matter-of-fact declaration caught me off guard and I had to bite my lip not to bust out laughing. No sense encouraging with her. "Aria, please."

"It's not like it's not true." My daughter waved a hand, then unbuckled herself from the booster seat and exited the vehicle, shouting for Colton. She was definitely growing up too fast.

But, yeah, she wasn't wrong. This little boy had a big appetite, just like his daddy. Nestling CJ on my hip, I followed Aria's excited shouts. Sounds like she discovered the outdoor jungle gym Colton insisted on getting for her.

Today's visit was extra special. The house, our forever home, was done, and we'd be moving in this weekend. But today Colt and his crew were finishing up the back patio and he wanted us there to see the design he'd done as a surprise for us.

Standing next to the patio, Colton finished spreading out the sealer, then stepped back, took off his gloves and opened his arms to Aria. She let out another squeal, launched herself into his arms and hugged him around his neck.

Tears filled my eyes. That seemed to happen a lot since Colton and I found out I was pregnant, but they were always happy tears. Seeing how he had connected with Aria and she to him was another layer of love I hadn't expected. Then when CJ was born and how he bonded with his son, all bets were off whenever the two of them were together. Our family felt complete.

Colton set Aria down so she could run over to the new play set. He held out his arms for CJ, cradled our now sleeping son close, then pulled me into his side. "You ready to see my surprise?"

Nodding, my voice failing me as I took in all the love and excitement of the moment, he lifted his chin toward the patio and said, "Take a look."

Around the perimeter, the design gleamed from the fresh coat of sealant. It took a moment to register what species the flowers were that he'd chosen. That's because they weren't real flowers at all. They were our children's handprints used as the petals in a bouquet. Each one was slightly different and linked together with vines and leaves.

"Are you kidding? When did you get CJ's handprint? Oh, my Colton. It's perfect. I love it."

"One day when you were napping, and he wasn't. I made sure to give him a bottle right before, otherwise I knew he'd fuss and wake you."

Not caring if I woke our son up this time, I tugged Colton's face down to mine and kissed him. Unfortunately, gagging sounds came from behind us and we broke apart laughing.

"How come you guys always have to do that?" Aria came up between us, took one of each of our hands, linking us all together.

"Well, when a daddy loves a mommy and she loves him, they show it with a kiss. And one day, far, far in the future, you'll understand." Colton explained, then added. "And when I say far, far in the future, Aria, I mean like when you're twenty-nine."

"Okay," she responded, and that was that as far as she was concerned.

"Can we go inside, Mom? I want to see my room again."

"Sure but go through the garage since the patio isn't ready to be walked on yet. We'll be right in." Colton and I watched her skip around the corner of the house and disappear.

"You know you're just deluding yourself, right? She's going to discover boys in a few years, then what will you tell her?" I took CJ back and watched as Colton picked up his tools before we followed Aria.

"About boys, kissing or love?" He asked.

"Any of them." I responded.

"I don't. I plan on showing her by loving her mom so well that she'll know how a boy, or a man, should treat a woman. As for the kissing part, I'm sure I'll come up with something before her first date."

Darn it, there went the waterworks again. "I'm so glad you moved back to Pineville and nearly knocked me over last year." Somehow I managed to not burst into tears.

He stopped walking, picked me up, and kept going. Laughing, I adjusted CJ, so he was tucked in closer to me. Then I mock-scolded him. "Colton, put me down!"

"Why when you fit so perfectly? Nestled right up against my heart, where you belong. All three of you are right where you belong."

Well, a woman couldn't argue with that. Especially not one who felt desired and cherished by the man who'd cemented her love.

Thank you so much for reading Colton and Shayla's book. Please consider leaving a review on the retail site you purchased this copy. Reviews help other readers discover books, and it adds to an author's joy meter.–Thank you!

If you'd like to see how Brenley and Hayden's love story began, keep scrolling. And if you'd like to check out the rest of my Pineville World, click HERE

Whether he's a carpenter, mechanic, electrician, framer, forklift driver, logger, farmer, high-voltage lineman, cement or masonry worker, tow truck driver, oil rig worker, pool contractor, septic system technician, arborist, or a welder, these blue-collar heroes all have two things in common:

They're good with their hands, and they're not afraid to get dirty.

Really, really dirty…