Epilogue

December

It was Pinetop's most favorite time of year again. The shop owners on Main Street kicked off the winter season with yet another parade. It was followed by a Snowball Jamboree. Since the first snow of the year had yet to blanket the mountain, baskets of handmade plush snowballs were handed out to the children, and a highly energetic snowball fight ensued in Town Square.

The official tree lighting ceremony was placed on the calendar, and a flurry of preparations began for the St. Nicholas Dance Off that would follow later that evening. The dance off was a new event. Pinetop's event committee was always coming up with more ways to celebrate the holidays. All the young singles in town were really looking forward to it.

In the meantime, a very special event was taking place for two no-longer-single residents. Technically, one of them was no longer even a resident. Laura and Ames were getting married.

And today was the day.

Laura stood in the dressing room off the vestibule of the First Church of Pinetop, hardly able to believe it was finally her turn to be a bride.

After one very big false start on my way here…

As soon as the thought popped into her mind, she forced it away, not wanting to give Brex and his accomplices any undeserved head space on such a special day. They'd been transferred to a higher security prison in Phoenix, so they weren't going to be causing any more trouble for her and Ames. Regardless, she was looking forward to moving to Dallas and putting more miles between them.

Lucy glided her way to adjust her wedding veil. "Dare I ask what that little pucker on your forehead means?"

"You don't want to know." Laura shivered and willed all final thoughts about the jewelry robbers out of her mind.

"It's over. He can't hurt you anymore. None of them can."

"I know." Laura gave Lucy a reassuring nod in the mirror. She should've known her sister would be able to pick up on her fretting. They'd always possessed an uncanny ability to read each other's thoughts.

"You deserve this, so try to be happy," Lucy begged softly. "Please be happy."

"I am." It was true. Laura's gaze dipped to the antique lace gown they'd picked out together at a local resale shop. If there was any truth to the story, it had been donated by a celebrity singer while passing through town to perform at Castellano's. "I'm so happy I can hardly stand it," she confessed. That was the part that scared her the most. She hadn't realized it was possible to feel…so much.

"Tough." Lucy rolled her eyes as she adjusted one of the pleats in her bridesmaid dress. She looked amazing in the sage green column gown. They'd selected a design with a classic empire waist and a skirt that draped to the floor.

"You say the sweetest things," Laura teased. "No wonder Flint is so bewitched by you."

To her surprise, Lucy burst out laughing. "You're not wrong. We're both brats, aren't we?"

Brats who belonged together, in Laura's opinion. She hoped her sister figured it out before it was too late.

The door opened and shut, and Noelle joined them. "Sorry for the disappearing act." She tugged uncomfortably at the top of her dress. "Day was ready to nurse again, and…" She bit her lower lip. "Too much information, I know. Sorry."

"No need to apologize. Everything that's said in the bride's dressing room stays in the bride's dressing room," Lucy promised as she helped her smooth out the front of her gown. "You look beautiful, little mama."

Noelle frowned critically down at herself. "Not too fat?"

"No!" Laura and Lucy chorused the word so fiercely that Noelle's expression relaxed.

"Thank you for saying that," she sighed.

Mrs. Lee breezed into the room next, looking tearfully joyful. "My precious girls!" She held out her arms to them, and her two daughters stepped into her embrace. "You, too, Noelle. We're about to become family."

Noelle gave her a grateful smile and joined their group hug.

Ayaka Lee sent up a prayer of thanksgiving over the ceremony about to take place. Then she prayed a special blessing over the days to come.

"Amen." The four of them solemnly spoke the last word together.

Mr. Lee knocked on the door only seconds later to walk his wife down the aisle. Then Nash came to escort Noelle. Though he was serving as Ames' best man and Lucy was serving as Laura's maid of honor, he'd insisted on walking his own wife down the aisle. They would make the switcharoo and take their correct positions once they reached the altar.

Flint came to collect Lucy next.

He crooked an arm at her, silently drinking her in the way Ames was forever doing with Laura.

Lucy merely rolled her eyes at him as she laid her hand on his arm. "We seem to be making a habit of this." They'd served together at one other wedding a few months earlier.

"Practice makes perfect," he quipped, wrapping her hand more firmly around his arm.

"You wish," she hissed at him.

"More than you know," he retorted.

Laura watched a blush stain her sister's face as Flint led her away.

Then it was her turn. Her father reappeared in the doorway.

"May I have the honor?" His dark eyes were as damp with emotion as mother's had been as he held out an arm to her.

She squeezed his arm affectionately and moved with him into the vestibule. "Thank you, Dad. For everything you did to get me here. For raising me. For loving me. For giving me faith. I'm so grateful for the life you and Mom have given to Lucy and me."

"It's been our honor and pleasure to raise you both." He patted her hand. "I just wish you girls hadn't grown up quite so fast on us."

They made their way to the entrance of the sanctuary. The pianist flicked a glance their way from the platform and started playing the opening notes of the wedding march.

Haruki Lee proceeded to lead his oldest daughter down the center aisle to the altar, where her favorite cowboy was eagerly waiting for her.

Laura breathlessly met his gaze. What she saw in his eyes made her feel boneless, like she was floating the rest of the way to him on a wave of pure joy. She knew she looked her best, but it was his love that made her feel beautiful, today and always.

"She's the best part of me, son." Her father's voice cracked as he handed her over to her groom. "Treasure her always."

"I will, sir."

Laura exchanged vows with the man of her dreams and pledged herself to him for the rest of her life. He was the one. He was worth it.

Ames sealed their promises to each other with a tender brush of his lips against hers. "And to think this all started with a stolen kiss," he teased.

But it was so much more than that. They both knew it.

Two weeks later

Ames and Laurasqueezed in a honeymoon at the coast. Then he flew them back to Pinetop to participate in his and his brothers' last week of performances for the year at Castellano's. They stayed so busy cramming in last-minute lunches and dinners with her parents and other friends around town that Flint felt like he was still exercising the horses and doing most of the preparations alone.

Not that Ames didn't deserve to be happy, but still…

Flint clapped on his Stetson as he exited the dressing room, trying not to dwell on the real reason he was so irritable. Tonight's show held an extra note of finality for him, since their next performance wouldn't be until March. The idea of not seeing Lucy for that long made him feel every way but the right way.

She'd all but stopped talking to him after the wedding, and the new level of distance she'd placed between them was killing him. He would do anything to change it, but it wasn't something he could do on his own. If Lucy truly didn't want to date him, there was only one course of action left. He was going to have to let her go.

The thought was eating away at him, stealing his peace and poisoning his existence. He didn't want to face a future without her in it. He craved her smart mouth too much. Maybe it was a dumb reason to fall for a woman, but her insults always made him feel more alive. Special. Like he mattered.

"Dude," one of the new wranglers hollered up the aisle at him. "Isn't that white trailer in the parking lot yours? ‘Cause it needs to be moved ASAP. It's blocking the entrance ramp."

Flint scowled in surprise. Though it was true that the horse trailer he and his brothers owned was white, they kept it parked at the far end of the lot. Whatever trailer was blocking the ramp wasn't theirs. Just in case, though, he headed toward the exit to have a look at it.

To his consternation, the white trailer parked at the top of the ramp was indeed theirs. What in the world? Unable to explain how it had gotten there, Flint hurried up the ramp. Since he'd left the building coatless, he intended to get to the bottom of the mystery as quickly as possible. Surely, there was a reasonable explanation.

When he reached the top of the ramp, his first observation was that the rusty, dented pickup it was hitched to didn't belong to the Carsons. His second observation was that an identical white horse trailer was parked on the far side of the lot where it always was. His shoulders relaxed. The one parked in front of him wasn't theirs.

Feeling even more mystified than before, he stalked around the trailer, approaching the driver's door of the truck from behind.

Before he could peek through the window, the door swung open.

"Whoa!" He had to dance out of the way to avoid being hit.

Lucy Lee hopped down to the ground, looking grim. Her eyes landed on him and rounded with uncertainty. "What are you doing here?"

His eyebrows rose. "Making sure our horse trailer wasn't blocking the entrance ramp. They're pitching a fit about it inside." He waved at the trailer. "What's going on?" Why was she driving it? Did it belong to her?

"Don't ask." Her voice was flat.

"Already did."

"It's a long story."

"One I unfortunately don't have time to hear," he growled. "They're about ready to call a tow truck." Tonight's show would begin in less than two hours.

"You think I don't know that?" She glared at him as she moved around him and tried to pop open the hood. Despite multiple attempts, it didn't budge.

With a huff of impatience, he nudged her out of the way and popped the hood for her.

"I could've done that," she muttered, peering beneath it. She puttered over the battery.

He glanced away, trying not to think about how hot she looked beneath the hood of a truck. She'd made it painfully clear that his hopeless attraction to her wasn't going anywhere.

Her sigh of despair still managed to tug at his sympathies.

Swinging his head back in her direction, he barked, "Something I can do for you?" She might not want his help, but it sure looked like she needed it.

"I don't know." She bristled at his tone of voice, waving a hand vaguely at the tangle of equipment beneath the hood. "It won't start." She drew back a leg and viciously kicked the bumper.

Flint was unable to hold back a snicker. "Want me to try to start it now?"

"Very funny!" Her glare deepened. Unless he was mistaken, there was an underlying hint of fear in it, too.

Grimacing, he leaned around her to have a look and almost immediately zeroed in on the problem. One of the battery wires was loose. He tightened it down. "Now try it."

She stomped around him to climb back inside the truck and turned the key. The engine roared to life.

He shut the hood for her and dusted his hands.

The truck and trailer jerked forward. The way she kept feathering her brakes made him wonder if she'd ever driven a hitch before. He watched her narrowly miss clipping the bumper of another vehicle as she inched her way to the far side of the parking lot. With a puzzled grunt, he followed her. No, her business wasn't any of his business, but he still couldn't bring himself to head inside until he was sure she was okay.

Which he was pretty sure she wasn't.

She parked and hopped down from the truck again, double checking the door handle to make sure it was locked.

He could tell by her agitated movements that she didn't realize he was standing there. Not wanting to startle her, he cleared his throat to make her aware of his presence.

She whirled around, blinking at him. "Flint?" For a moment, she looked so lost that he did the first thing that came to mind.

He leaped forward and took her in his arms. To his enormous surprise and gratitude, she let him. They stood there in silence, just holding on to each other.

He was the first to speak. "Any chance I can talk you into driving this rig all the way to Texas for Christmas?"

Instead of answering, she burst into tears.

Man! His heart constricted as he tightened his arms around her. He wished he knew what he'd done wrong. Why everything that came out of his mouth lately seemed to push her further away.

"There's nothing left for me in Pinetop," she quavered against his chest. "Not with Laura leaving."

He was aghast by the bleakness in her voice. "What about your parents?"

She sniffled loudly. "Ames keeps offering to build them an in-law suite in Dallas, and I think they're actually considering it."

"You're kidding!" He couldn't imagine the Lees leaving Santa's Toy Factory behind. They were the biggest reason it was such a roaring success.

"I'm not sure about anything anymore." Lucy clung to him, shivering.

His heart thumped at the realization that, regardless of what was troubling her, she felt safe with him. The smart-mouthed Lucy Lee, who was usually pushing him away, was now pulling him closer. She was the biggest puzzle he'd ever encountered, a Santa-sized list of contradictions and complications that he'd gladly spend the rest of his life figuring out.

But she'd said no, and he respected that.

He'd been hoping like crazy to cross paths with her one last time before leaving town, so he could say goodbye. The way she was plastered against him, though, was making a whole new set of possibilities swim through his head.

He reached up to trail his hand down the long, glorious, white-blonde strands of her hair. It was something he'd never dared to do before. "May I kiss you?" Emotion roughened his voice. He'd never before seen her this unraveled, this vulnerable.

She tipped her face up to his. "Why not? Heaven knows you've been wanting to for as long as?—"

He silenced her by claiming her lips. Though an icy breeze was swirling down the side of the mountain, a special brand of light and warmth blazed between them, just like he'd always known it would. She was soft and pliable in his arms, tearful and giving. She was every one of his dreams come true.

Shoot!In that moment, he would've willingly ripped his heart out of his chest and handed it to her if she'd asked him to.

She pulled her mouth from his way too soon. "Goodbye, Flint." Tears choked her voice as she slid from his embrace.

Wait! What? He stared after her, dazed, as she walked toward the dinner theater alone.

"Lucy!" He jogged after her, unable to accept that it was over between them. Not after what they'd just shared. "We need to talk." He leaped in front of her, jogging backward.

She waved a gloved hand helplessly at him. "Don't you need to get downstairs to the stable?"

"Yes, but?—"

"Don't worry, cowboy. You'll forget all about me after you're gone." There was a world of sadness in her voice that reached beneath his rib cage and squeezed the one organ in the world that beat just for her.

Frustration clogged his throat. "If you wanted me to forget you, you shouldn't have kissed me."

She looked stricken. "I'm so sorry?—"

"I'm not," he snarled.

"Yo, Flint!" someone shouted from the bottom of the ramp. "You're needed down here pronto!"

He gnashed his teeth at the interruption and hollered back, "Be right there!" To Lucy, he pleaded, "How about we grab a cup of coffee after the show?"

"Sorry, cowboy." She blinked rapidly, looking like she was trying not to break down. "I don't plan to hang around that long."

He was torn between his duties and the agony of leaving her like this. "Listen, if you're in any sort of trouble?—"

"I'm fine," she said quickly. Too quickly. "Go be amazing out there tonight, Flint Carson."

The fact that she'd kissed him and she was being nice to him only served to amplify his concerns. Yeah, something was wrong alright. "Listen." Though he remained in her path, he stopped jogging backward, forcing her to halt. "I'm gonna go put out whatever fire is happening inside. Then I'll be right back to get to the bottom of whatever is troubling you, you hear?"

"My hero," she mocked, dabbing at the edges of her eyes.

He scowled at her cavalier tone. If she didn't think he was going to keep his word to her, then she knew nothing about the Carson brothers.

Sprinting back down the ramp, he yanked open the door to the stable, anxious to handle whatever needed to be handled so he could return all the sooner to her.

"Surprise!" The entryway erupted into cheers. His heart sank as the reason became apparent. The Castellano's staff was throwing a surprise goodbye party for him and his brothers. There were banners hanging on the wall, a life-sized card that everyone had signed, and the biggest table of desserts he'd ever laid eyes on.

"Wow!" Flint gazed around the hall, deeply moved by their outpouring of appreciation and friendship. "You do realize we're gonna be back for a show in March?"

Roman Rios strode his way to deliver a teeth-rattling back slap. "It won't be the same, and you know it. We're gonna miss having you here full time. It's been a real honor working beside each and every one of you Carson brothers."

His words were met with claps and cheers of agreement.

Since there was no fire to put out, after all, it wasn't easy for Flint to break away. When folks threw a party in your honor, you were kind of expected to be present. He didn't manage to slip back outside until a few minutes before the show was supposed to begin.

To his intense disappointment, Lucy's beat-up brown truck was no longer in the lot. He tried to take comfort in the fact that her white trailer was still parked beside his. He turned dejectedly back to the building, knowing now he'd have no choice but to catch her after the show.

If she's still here. Which she'd vowed she wouldn't be.

The thought of never seeing her again was unbearable. He slid to his knees on the cold pavement and did something he'd been meaning to do for a while. He wasn't sure what had taken him so long, other than his own stubbornness.

"God, it's me. Flint Carson. I know You don't hear from me often, and I'm gonna work on that. In the meantime, I'm begging You." He couldn't bear the thought of the woman he loved hightailing it out of town while he was in the ring. "Help me find a way to help Lucy." Whatever she needed, he'd give it to her if only she'd let him.

A sense of peace settled over him. He wasn't sure if it had anything to do with his simple prayer. Maybe it was just so cold outside that it was taking the edge off his worries. Numbing them or something.

However, he liked the idea of having God on his side when it came to his pursuit of Lucy. It was something he hadn't tried before, and it felt good. It felt right. Like he might finally have a shot at succeeding with her where everything else had failed.

Dallas bound

The flight homeafter the show was a full one. Nash was present with Noelle and their snoozing son. So were Ayaka and Haruki Lee.

Laura was seated beside Ames in the cockpit as usual. "Merry almost Christmas!" She bent over his captain's chair to press a kiss to his cheek.

He turned his head to capture her lips instead. "I love you, Mrs. Carson."

His kiss packed such a wallop that her knees felt unsteady by the time she slid into the seat beside him and reached for her seatbelt. "I love you, too." She was ecstatic about the prospect of spending their first Christmas as a married couple in Texas. She had no idea how he'd talked her parents into traveling during one of the busiest times of the year at the toy store. She was simply grateful he'd pulled it off. Only one person would be missing from their holiday celebration.

"What's wrong?" Ames started his pre-flight sequence at the controls.

"Lucy," she murmured. Lately, her sister had been acting, well…off.

Ames continued to work the controls. "Don't give up on her yet. As long as Flint remains in Pinetop, there's hope he'll convince her to change her mind."

She blinked at him. "I thought he was leaving tonight, as well."

"He is." He shook his head, chuckling. "But if there's one thing I've learned about my youngest brother, it's to never underestimate him. Flint Carson is full of surprises."

"This isn't something that can be solved by one of his pranks," Laura sighed. Nobody wishes he could more than me.

"Oh, come on!" Ames reached for her hand. "It's almost Christmas, the season of miracles. All you have to do is believe."

"You're right." She placed her hand in his. "And I do." At least she was trying to.

"In that case, I have a prediction to make. You'll be reunited with your sister by Christmas."

Laura wished she shared his faith. Though she knew he was only trying to distract her, she smiled as he drew her fingers to his lips and kissed them one by one.

And then it hit her. Her new husband wasn't one to be underestimated, either. He probably had enough faith for both of them.

She felt herself falling in love with him all over again as they started rolling down the runway toward Christmas and home.

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