Epilogue

HARPER

* One Year Later *

I finish typing the last sentence of a draft blog post, then save it. Looking around, I honestly couldn't imagine a better writing room.

Although Griffin keeps referring to it as a she-shed, I think of it as my Nerd Hut. It's a large outdoor room that's screened in so I can get plenty of fresh air and filtered sunshine while I read, work on various reports, and write articles for my funny little blog about a city girl becoming a country girl.

The wind shifts, and I hear music drifting over from the garage, followed by a metallic clank. Griffin has been working in the home garage a lot more lately so that he can be close to me. His overprotectiveness is…kind of getting out of control.

Standing up slowly, I begin to walk – well, waddle – toward the house. I don't even make it halfway there before Griffin appears at my side, gripping my arm to steady me. Glancing over, I see the side door of the garage is open. "Spying on me again?" I tease.

"I just want to be able to help you. If you needed more tea or something, why didn't you just text me?"

"Not tea. I wanted to start dinner early, so I could go slowly."

"I can do dinner." Griffin flashes me that brilliant grin that he knows I can't resist. Still, I make dramatically loud grumbling noises as he helps me into the kitchen.

"You've done the past three meals, Griff. Let me feel useful. Please."

I drop into a kitchen chair as Griffin rests his hand on my swollen belly. "Baby, you're doing the most important job in the world. You're growing our baby in there! I'm not doing nearly enough."

"You've studied every parenting book on the planet," I laugh. "You have charts and studies and you've already built the baby's room. Plus, you've already got Walker ready to run us to the hospital at the drop of a hat."

His smile falters. "Yeah. About that. I was thinking that maybe we should get a hotel room in West Stoneburg right near the hospital. We could check in seven days before your due date so we're already there."

I love that he's so protective, but sometimes it's a little too much. "We'll see how I feel in a few more days, okay? Maybe talk to Jonah and get his opinion?" Since Jonah Wolfe is the town medic and an old friend of Griffin's, maybe he can help calm my nervous husband down.

"Sure." He kisses the top of my head and starts to make dinner.

Although I feel like a spoiled princess, I love that he's making me as comfortable as possible. I've never felt so nurtured. And I'm incredibly lucky to have a partner to happily geek out with over childcare books, parent blogs, and so much more.

Looking down at my left hand, I still can't believe that Griffin had more rings made to go on either side of the engagement ring. The wedding band. A slim band of emeralds, since we went to Ireland for our honeymoon. And now a delicate band with blue sapphires, given to me two days after we found out we're having a boy.

Although all that dazzling jewelry is amazing, the most important detail is that I haven't bitten my fingernail in years .

Griffin makes me so comfortable that all my nervousness and shyness is just – gone.

My Dirty boy and strong mountain man is a far better husband than I could have found in any book.