Epilogue

EPILOGUE

SUTTON

Three Months Later

I was able to graduate on time. It’s all thanks to the people sitting in the stadium cheering me on.

“Sutton Rawlins,” the emcee calls my name to walk the stage. I smile, carrying a secret with me. The ring twinkles on my left hand, a new addition that included Case and his father asking me to marry him. We were out riding horses this past weekend. Ryland on Ace, Case on Maximus, and me on Maribelle, a gift from my now fiancé. I still ride with him on Ace when it’s the two of us, but when we have family days, we all ride our own. We went to the cabin, tethered our horses, then walked down to the stream, where there was a picnic set up. Case spilled the beans, scream-talking, “ Will you marry us, my Sutty!” I broke down, with big fat crocodile tears streaming down my cheeks, nodding yes as my response. Not caring about anything else, including the ring on my finger. A fact Ryland had to state it was time for him to slide on my finger.

“That’s my Sutty!” Case’s voice echoes along with a hell of a lot of clapping and whistling as I shake hands with the dean.

“Congratulations,” the dean says with a smile. I look up at my found family, giving them a slight wave and blowing a kiss to my two guys. These people are the ones who love me so deeply and are willing to do anything to help not only me but everyone. They’ve rallied when I had to study for my final exam; all hands were on deck. Ms. Catherine and Russell helped tote Case to and from school if Ryland wasn’t available. Meals were delivered on days Ryland worked late, and I’d been pouring over my books. Maeve kept us stocked in desserts, helping me out once again. I love cooking and baking when I can, but having others to pick up the slack when we need it has shown me a small portion of how amazing they are. Now that the hard stuff is done and I have an interview at Arrowleaf Elementary School, I can help out more. The best part of my job as a teacher is I’ll be off when Case is, and with the way our life is panning out, it’s going to work even better in the near future.

The dean hands me my hard-earned diploma. A part of me wants to open it and take a little sneak peek to make sure it’s there. I don’t. They said your paper could slip and then it’d hold up the line. I’ll wait until I’m with my family. I move to where there’s a photographer standing waiting to do his thing. I stop, stand on the tape, and smile. The flash almost startles me, and I try to recover as fast as possible before I’m herded off the stage. As soon as he’s done, I’m supposed to return to my seat. There’s no way I’d make it that long, sitting and waiting. It’s probably a bit selfish, not staying and doing the whole cap toss, but honestly, I don’t know a lot of the students I’m graduating with. So, we made plans. The minute I’m done on the stage, they’d quietly exit the stadium and walk outside to the covered area, and we’d have our own little celebration before we head back to the ranch.

“My Sutty!” Case runs toward me. I make sure the door closes behind me before stopping in my tracks in order to pick up my boy.

“Oh, my Case.” I breathe him in. Ryland breaks away from the rest of his family to join in our hug.

“I’m so damn proud of you, babe.” Ry’s lips touch mine. Case is out of the stage where he jokingly breaks us a part, and truth be told, I kind of miss him doing it. He still walks around doing the kissy, kissy noise, though.

“Ryland, thank you. Thank you for giving me this beautiful life, helping me through everything, supporting me, and, most of all, loving me,” I tell him. Try as I might, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to do for him what he’s done for me. My childhood home is being rented by a single mom with two little girls. They love the house so much I’m tempted to give them a steal of a deal whenever she’s ready to buy the place. Right now, we’re not in any hurry, and my renter is still getting on her feet, which works for me. Then there’s the whole Shane ordeal which had a whole lot of hands in it, and Wild is now moving to Arrowleaf with his wife, Delilah. Sheriff Liam Dane might be a decent person, but as a sheriff, he’s been kind of shitty. He must have realized it, too, because he’s stepping down and retiring, and Fletcher will be taking his place.

“Sutton, baby. I’d give you everything I possible could. This, though, you did all on your own.” I shake my head as tears stream down my cheeks.

“You’ve done more than I could ever thank you for.” It’s true. His family is now our family, his son is now our son, and our future is going to be brighter as soon as I tell him the good news. “And in about eight months, we’re going to make Case a big brother.”

“Me gonna be big brudder?” Case asks in his voice that only has one octave. We’ve tried working with him on his inside voice, even took him to a pediatric audiologist to see if maybe his hearing is giving him an issue. They didn’t find anything, and he mentioned this could be a phase that could last a while. Neither Ryland, me, nor his family mind. We were only worried about it being something that could have a long-term effect on him.

“You are,” I respond. Ryland hasn’t said anything. I think he’s in a little bit of shock. Crazy, if you ask me. I haven’t been on birth control the entire time. We kept waiting for it to happen, and when I mentioned it to Ms. Catherine, she told me not to worry, that it was probably stress. Once the dust settled, it would happen. And well, naturally, she was right.

“I love you, Sutton, so damn much.” Ryland wraps us tighter in his arms. “Love you, Case.”

“Hey, I love you, too, Daddy, and my Sutty,” Case interjects.

“And I love you both so, so much.” We have our moment, but once our moment comes to a close, Ryland nods at his family to come over and join our celebration, exactly how it’s meant to be.

I hope you enjoyed Ryland and Sutton’s story and will consider leaving a review. If you’d like a bonus scene of His to Touch click the link below for more!

His To Touch Bonus Scene

Coming next is Snowed in with the Cowboy, Clay and Minnie’s book, and releases December, 13th!

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Prologue

Minnie

Two Weeks Earlier

“I can’t believe you won’t be home for Christmas.” My sister, Lenny says into my ear as we hug for what must be the hundredth time. I’ve been trying to leave for an hour now, the faster I get on the road, the less time I’ll have to travel through the night.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” we pull apart. It’s going to be hard for both of us this year, me because I’m traveling, exploring as much of the states as I can cram for the next month before I have to buckle down and work. My sister because this is her first year as a single woman living on her own. I really hate what she’s gone through, and I’d have stayed if this wasn’t pre-planned well over six months ago when Lenny’s life was different.

“I know. Ignore me,” she waves her hands at her eyes. The tears she’s been trying to hold back are slowly going to slide down her cheeks if I don’t get this show on the road.

My big sister has been there for me even when she didn’t have to be.

That’s the type of person Lennon Maldonado is.

She’s nine years older than me and being saddled with a child at that age when Lenny should have been out doing her own thing proves it time and time again. Our parents weren’t always the greatest, they did the bare minimum for Lenny and when I came along unexpectedly, she picked up the slack. All of the slack, her childhood changed in an instant, and not once did she ever hold a grudge against me. Lennon should have, except she didn’t. The moment our parents brought me home from the hospital, my sister stepped up to the plate, doing everything while our mom and dad did absolutely nothing.

“I’ll never ignore you,” I squeeze her hand. We both have the same love language, physical touch. It’s nothing for me to walk up to my sister and lay my head on her shoulder or for her to hug me just because.

“I wouldn’t let you. I’d hop in my vehicle so fast or an airplane, depending on where you are,” Lennon’s car is a hunk of junk, yet she refuses to throw in the towel. My sister is the epitome of live within your means and the small apartment she’s in right now only proves my point further.

“Do me a favor and look at new vehicles while I’m away.” We walk toward my vehicle, it’s loaded to the brim, and I’ve spent more than my sister probably saved this year. That’s okay, this is my big adventure, finally leaving my home state of Florida for the first time ever in my almost twenty-seven years.

“I’m not making any promises, Samantha is still kicking,” I look over at her four-door maroon sedan, said car is nearing twenty years old and is starting to cost more to maintain than it’s worth.

“Yeah, yeah. Until she isn’t,” I look from her car to my rig. Okay, it’s completely different than having a vehicle, it’s a van outfitted out with a small kitchen area and bedroom. It has everything I could need minus a bathroom with a shower. That I’ll have to stop at along the way to use which Lenny helped me map out a gym she pays for yet put me on her plan in order to use during this trip.

“Get out of here or this conversation will last forever,” she opens the door for me. I know my sister, there’s some kind of basket waiting for me when I decide to park for the night. She always goes the extra mile and with this being my home for the next month, I know her well enough there will be little bits and pieces of home and probably a Christmas present or two. Lennon’s is already tucked beneath the small tree in her living room. Just because I won’t be here with her, doesn’t mean I’d ever forget about our favorite holiday.

“I love you, don’t work too hard, and I’ll text you when I settle in for the night.”

“One last hug and then get out of here,” Lennon says in a motherly sort of way. I’m bear hugged, she whispers in my ear, “I love you and I’m proud of you. What you’re doing takes a lot of courage, please don’t forget to text or call me. I’ll try not to worry too much or pester you.” She presses a kiss to my cheek and pulls back before I can respond. That’s the end of our conversation for now. Lennon is holding it together and when the brake lights to my van fade in the distance, then she’ll break down.

“I will,” I climb into the driver’s seat, secure my seatbelt, and crank the ignition. I’ve yet to name her, holding back until the perfect one comes to me. Lennon closes my door, her hands covering her mouth, she’s torn between smiling and crying, she really is the best.

I take a deep breath, double check my mirrors, and back out of the driveway. I’m really doing it, I’m setting out on an adventure, and on my own. A smile appears on my face, I wave to my sister one last time before I’m heading down the road and on my way.

———

Clay

“Thank you again,” the pair says in unison. I swear since I’ve been in Alpha Mountain, Colorado I’ve rescued more people stranded on the road leading to my side of the mountain than I care to fucking acknowledge.

“You’re welcome,” each man shakes my hand, the married men are here for the holidays and to explore the area. Last week it was an older gentleman and a younger woman. I don’t judge and I don’t ask, but man are these people talkative, by the time I help them change their tire or jump their battery or my favorite is when they get stuck teetering on the side, one wheel stuck in a rut, and I’ve got to get my truck or tractor to help pull them. Yep, three times now I’ve had to deal with passersby. I’m about to call Winston Nash my realtor turned friend and tell him to put this patch of land back up for sale.

“Are you sure we can’t pay you, something at least?” I shake my head, them leaving and letting me live in peace will be payment enough.

“Nope, repay the favor one day if you can. We’ll call it even.” I’ve said the same thing to the others too. In all fairness, the faster I help them, the faster I can get back to doing what I want. The reason I sold everything off in Texas to move up here was to get the fuck away from everyone and everything. I’m damn near forty years old, been working since the day my dad could put me to work on the family farm. I took over when he died, being the last line in the Garcia family name, I made some tough decisions when everyone around me was falling in love and started a family. So, I sold the family land, I’m sure the small town gossip ran rampant the minute the papers were signed. I was probably called a sell out among many other things, I didn’t much care. I’d done my time, ready to move on, not sweat my ass off year-round, and do something I wanted, not what was ingrained in me since I could walk.

I made enough of a profit to pay off the place in Texas plus some, putting it away until I found what I was looking for. The animals I’d been breeding and selling to other farmers all over the country gave an even added cushion and now this place is bought and paid for. I never would’ve thought I’d land in Colorado; except I got this place for a song. Now I know why, damn place is like a train station, you never know who’s going to board or step off.

The plus side is, I’m retired except for whatever the fuck I wanna do. Since, I own part of a mountain with a shit ton of land, I’m not really retired. I’m fixing fencing, cleaning up the barn that’s an absolute nightmare, chopping wood for the next few months, and a million other things.

“We will, promise,” the other guy says. I don’t reply, lift my head in their direction and watch them as they pull away.

Jesus, this shit is never gonna end. Instead of hiding on the damn mountain I’m being stuck with every person known to man. Maybe I should have stayed in Arrowleaf, Wyoming. The Johnson Brothers and Amos were able to find a woman at least then I’d have someone to warm my bed instead of jacking my damn cock every fucking day.

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