Epilogue

I slide the pumpkin pies out of the oven and set them on the counter to cool. I put my dutch apple pies in and inhale the smell of crust and baking goodness.

“Mom, can we go early so I can check on the horses?” Willow asks as she enters the kitchen, holding one of the puppies she refuses to put down and plays with constantly.

“Yes. As soon as the pies cool, we’ll head out there,” I say as I hear a knock on the door. I glance at the clock on my stove as I set the timer.

I head to the door and peek out and move back in surprise when I see my dad and his family on the porch. We’ve texted a few times since I saw him last month. I texted more with Jennifer at first, and honestly, getting to know her has been fun. She’s a very sweet woman, and we surprisingly have a lot in common.

I open the door, and before I can say anything, my dad says, “Surprise!” But the look on his face is hesitation and nervousness.

“What are you guys doing here?” I ask as I notice that the girls aren’t with him.

“Mack and Anna invited us to Thanksgiving out at the ranch,” my dad says as he nervously frets with his hands.

“Where are the girls?” I ask as I look around for them.

“The girls are at their dad’s for the holidays this year.” Jennifer smiles, looking hopeful. “We were hoping we could spend some time getting to know Willow and you. I can help you cook or with anything else that you need.”

Wow. Okay, didn’t see this coming, but okay. I look back and forth between them, and they both have a mixture of hesitation and excitement on their faces. But they’re here, and they’re trying. Okay.

“Come on in,” I say as I hold the door open for them as they step in, and Willow looks at them shyly. She’s playing tug-of-war on the floor with the puppies.

I’m not sure how to introduce them.

My dad looks emotional as he looks over at her and says, “Hi, Willow. I’m your grandpa Brian. Your mom’s dad. This is my wife, Jennifer.”

Willow looks surprised but says, “Hi. Want to see my puppies?”

My dad looks around our home, and his eyes fill with tears. The way his eyes land on different places in the house, I can tell he probably sees and feels my mother here and our family’s memories. He lived here for almost twenty years; it would be impossible not to have memories that live with you here.

He nods. “I’d love that,” he says, his voice hitching slightly.

“I’ll show you around. Nash fixed it up before we moved in, but I did my best to make it feel cozy like a home,” I say as I realize I’m rambling.

“My mom made pie, too!” Willow says, luckily breaking the emotional ice that had begun to thaw over in the living room.

“I love it,” my dad whispers.

Jennifer looks at me, her eyes wet with tears, and she mouths, “Thank you.”

I nod, emotion choking me as well.

Nash

Since the first moment I laid eyes on this kid, I’ve loved her. She holds my hand as we walk to the barn, looking up at me and talking my ear off. Sometimes I forget that she wasn’t always mine.

Brian and Jennifer are here at the ranch, and at first, we worried it would be awkward, but it’s actually been good for everyone to have them here. And Jennifer seems like a really nice person. She’s already getting along great with my mom and Everly.

I’m relieved for her and glad that it’s been going well. It could have gone the other way, and Everly would have been fine, too. She has us. But I know she loves her dad, so this has been good for her.

It turns out that Brian misses Cozy Creek, and Florida isn’t where they want to be anymore. He asked me if I would consider selling him back his old house for a more than fair price. And now that Hayley is leaving and we’re moving out to the ranch, that house will be vacant. I need to talk to Everly about it, but the money would be nice to put toward our home, which we’re going to break ground on this spring. If all goes well, we’ll be in our new house a year from now.

We’re all curled up together on the couch, watching spooky movies and eating snacks. Everly gets up to make a cup of tea. When she’s gone, Willow says, “Hey, Nash.”

“Yeah, Willow tree.” I’m lounging on the sectional couch next to her, our feet propped up.

“Do you think you could be my dad?”

Whoa. We haven’t told her anything about Richie signing away his parental rights. She’s so young and might not understand, and since she doesn’t have much of a relationship with him, we figured we’d wait and talk to her about it when it felt right. She knows she doesn’t see him and doesn’t even ask about Richie, only to clarify that she never has to go to his house again.

“Do you want me to be your dad?” I ask, trying to keep it casual. I look up to see Everly in the doorway listening, and her face is full of emotion. I hold the blanket up and motion for her to join us.

“Yeah. I do. And Papa Mack and Nana Anna are like my grandparents, so I was wondering if you could just be my dad,” she asks, looking at me hopeful.

“If you want to,” she adds, looking down at her lap.

“Yeah, Willow. I’d love to be your dad,” I say as I reach over and put my arm around her, pulling her into me and giving her a little squeeze.

She nods, looking relieved. “I promise I’ll be a good kid.”

“Willow, you’re a great kid,” I tell her, leaning down and kissing her head. “I’m so lucky that I get to be your dad.”

“You okay?” I whisper to Everly.

She takes a deep breath. “I love our little family.”

I do too.

Kincaid is running the bar full time now and loving it. It’s like it’s his calling, and he fits right in. I’m hanging back, letting him do his thing. He’s the happiest I’ve seen in a long time.

After the holidays, we’re moving out to the small house Hayley has built on her land. We’ll take care of it for her while we’re building our new home and she’s traveling.

Everly loves being back at the library full time, and Willow is happy and thriving. Mrs. Caraway sold me Soupy, and my dad and I have been training him for Willow. She doesn’t know it yet, but that’s her Christmas present. I can’t wait for us to show her next month. It’s been hard keeping it a secret. And wouldn’t you know it, now that Soupy is out at our ranch, he hasn’t messed up a single horseshoe. I think he chose us, not the other way around. He’s going to make a little girl so happy and have a good life with her.

I think about my Christmas gift for Everly, and I’m waiting for the perfect moment to give it to her. I’ve already asked my dad for my grandma’s Claddagh ring, which he brought back from Ireland, so I can propose to Everly when the time is right. He said he couldn’t think of a better person to wear his mother’s ring. I’m ready for my family—Everly to be my wife, Willow our daughter, and our lifetime of memories ahead of us.

Life is good. Sometimes life is hard, but right now, it’s good. And the hard times are worth it because we get the good in the end. I’m choosing to always believe that. And as I sit here on this couch with my arms around my girls, puppies asleep at our feet, I won’t take a minute of it for granted.