EPILOGUE

ONE YEAR LATER

FERN

It's crazy to think that not too long ago I wanted to move away from Parker's Rest and now I couldn't imagine ever leaving. My house sold as I hoped and prayed it would. I had just enough to cover the reduced bills and get the collection offices off my back, and I did indeed go to Georgia.

But only to visit and with Alex by my side.

My parents not only approved of my big and sweet boyfriend, they also didn't seem overly sad or surprised when I announced that I wouldn't be moving in with them after all because I would be living with Alex instead.

That turned out to be a good thing because my sister and her kids needed to move back in with my parents six months later. I hope that someday she can get her life back on track the way I did. Maybe I should suggest to my parents that it's time for their septic to be serviced?

I never dreamed I would love a man that worked with his hands and did such a dirty job. He's my blue-collared hero and while it's true that he's not secretly a millionaire, neither am I. We both bring to the relationship what we have and both Alex and I are happy with what we got.

Sure, a bigger house would be nice, but not having a mortgage or bill collectors calling every other day is definitely nicer. One day we'd like to get a slightly bigger tiny house, maybe go up to five hundred square feet.

Having that second loft will come in handy when we have kids. Alex is in a little more of a hurry than I am for that. And I can't lie that I don't love the way he whispers to me in the night how much he wants to fill my pussy and get me pregnant.

I do love how I'm able to flip the tables on him and surprise him with some dirty talk of my own. He's not the only one with fantasies, after all.

Before, I felt trapped by things outside of my control. With Alex, I've learned to take control, both in and out of the bedroom.

I'm finishing up my degree and then we plan to get married. I was a little wary talking about marriage. Alex insisted I needed a ring. Or more importantly, his ring.

To make him happy, I said yes. Seeing the small but very real diamond glittering on my finger makes me happy too. More so than I ever thought possible. It's the meaning behind it that makes me smile. The commitment and the love we share.

He thought he was going out to an emergency service call to pump a clogged septic tank. I thought selling my house was a means to an end and that it would take time to rebuild my life.

We were both wrong in the best way possible.

We found each other, and in each other we found love.

Life didn't magically get easier, but it certainly got better.

And now we look forward to spending the rest of our lives together.

THE END

Thank you so much for reading Alex and Fern's story. I hope you enjoyed it. If you're interested in more books featuring blue-collar heroes, check out Hauling Her In and the other books in the first Good with his hands collection. Interested in Tom and Candy? Their story is upcoming in Treating Her Right .

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…

Join your favorite instalove authors for 16 steamy love stories featuring blue-collar men who work hard and fall hard when they meet the women who steal their hearts.