Epilogues

HAILEY

Country music played from the speakers and dust flew behind Cody's truck as he barreled down the dirt road that wound through the deep woods outside of Time River. Blips of blue sky flashed overhead as we traveled beneath the soaring trees that touched the heavens.

The windows were down, and the wind gusted in, whipping my hair into a disorder, while still managing to wrap me in the greatest sense of peace.

I looked over at the man who sat in the driver's seat, wearing jeans and a dark-blue tee and a cap with those soft locks peeking out the bottom and curling around his ears. Tattooed arms stretched out, the bulky muscle flexing and bowing beneath the intricate designs as he held onto the steering wheel.

My gaze caressed his profile. His strong brow and chiseled cheeks, his rugged jaw covered by a beard that he had let grow a bit thicker.

My breath hitched at the sight of him.

It seemed it didn't matter how many times I looked at Cody Cooper. He was forever going to have that effect on me.

"Is this it? Are we almost there yet?" Excitement rang from Maddie's voice where she sat in the backseat buckled in her booster, and she tried to push up higher so she could see out the windows.

Cody glanced at her through the rearview mirror as he slowly followed the bumpy, uneven dirt road that was little more than a path carved out by truck wheels. "One minute more, and we'll be there."

Squealing, my daughter threaded her fingers together like she was issuing a prayer. "I can't even wait," she shrieked. "I'm pretty sure this might be one of my favorite days in all of forever. What do you think, my favorite Mr. Cody? Is it going to be one of your favorites?"

Affection pounded from his spirit, and he chuckled. "Yeah, Button, pretty sure it's going to be."

At that, he tossed a glance my way. Creases deepened at the corners of his eyes as he set his delicious mouth in one of those grins when he found me just staring at him, and he reached out and squeezed my thigh with one of those big hands. "Though I have to admit, every single one of my days are my favorite."

Warmth heated my cheeks. My heart throbbing full.

Yeah, every single day had become my favorite, too, even though there were moments that were incredibly difficult. Moments when it felt like I might splinter apart from how badly I missed Lolly.

My love for her was so great that it physically hurt, and agony would spear through me like the piercing of an arrow whenever I thought of her.

When I thought of how fiercely she'd loved us. When I thought of the sacrifice she had made. When I thought of what she'd been willing to give in order to offer us safety.

There were also moments when I reeled, my spirit in turmoil over the truth of who my father was.

The truth of what he had tried to tie me to.

The truth of what he'd done to Brooke.

What he'd done to my mother.

We'd discovered evidence in the diary that Lolly kept that my father had also been responsible for my mother's death, the car crash orchestrated when he'd found out that she'd had plans of leaving with me.

It bore such sick similarities to my situation that I still couldn't fully process it.

He was currently awaiting trial for a multitude of sins. Sins that would put him behind bars for the rest of his life.

Pruitt was dead, as was Brent.

God, it was all so much, and I could spiral in it if I allowed myself to, but my grandmother didn't give us her very last moment for me to dwell on that. On the loss. She gave us this chance, so I refused to squander even a minute of it.

Cody weaved the truck through a thicket of trees before it broke open to a clearing.

A vast clearing of five acres.

Rolling fields covered in high grasses and wildflowers.

Time River ran through the far side of the land before the mountains rose up behind it. So gorgeous I was losing my breath all over again.

"This is it?" Maddie screeched.

Cody slowed his truck to a standstill and put it into park. "Yup, this is it."

"We're home!" she shouted, her little hands moving in a frenzy as she pushed the button to release herself from her booster and scrambled out the back door.

"Someone's excited." Cody rumbled his amusement.

"Can you blame her?"

"Nope, not one bit. I'm excited, too." He leaned over the console and pecked a playful kiss to my nose. "How can I not be when I think of all the fun we're going to have here?"

A seductive tease wound into his voice, and he didn't give me time to respond before he grabbed the cardboard tube where he'd had it tucked next to his seat and opened his door. "Come on, darlin'."

He stepped out, and Maddie took his hand, and she bounced backward as she dragged him farther out into the meadow.

Purple wildflowers grew up around them, the mountain behind, the green foliage and the beauty of the trees.

Breathtaking.

Simply because it was the two of them at the center of the picture-perfect scene.

She beamed up at the man who'd changed everything.

The one who cherished.

The one who adored.

The one who teased.

He looked back at me with that smirk on his face and hollered, "Get that cute butt out here, Shortcake."

"Yeah, get your cute butt out here, Mommy!" Maddie parroted.

A short giggle rolled out, and I stepped from the truck and slowly wandered in their direction.

My life.

My everything.

Maddie let go of his hand and tromped over to the area where the dirt had been cleared. Lifting her hands over her head, she spun in a circle.

"Is this where our new house is going to be?"

After that fateful, horrible day, we'd never gone back to Hendrickson. Cody had been in the hospital for two days, and once he'd been released, we'd gone to his mother's so he could fully recuperate.

It became apparent quickly that I couldn't bring myself to return to my rental house without Lolly waiting there for us when we returned.

Couldn't stomach taking Maddie back to the place where her greatest trauma had occurred, that room no longer a sanctuary after it'd been poisoned and tainted, and we felt like Cody's house would likely be too close of a reminder, as well.

So, we'd been staying with Cody's mother over the last three months as we dealt with the physical and emotional aftermath of what had happened. Maddie and I had both been seeing counselors for our grief and the wounds that littered our hearts and minds.

During that time, Cody's mother had become a mother to me.

Her care and love profound.

Even though I'd been grieving Lolly and Brooke, coming to grips at why I'd never had the chance to really know my own mother, the summer had still been magical.

Falling deeper in love with Cody as our truths had been fully exposed, our secrets revealed, our trust given. Falling in love with his family who had become my own.

Both Paisley and Caleb and Dakota and Ryder had been married during that time, and Savannah and Ezra's wedding was coming up next month.

We'd spent so many days and evenings with them.

Loving and living and learning.

Laughing and teasing and finding the place where our hearts were made whole.

Maddie surrounded by her best cousins who she adored.

Cody and I had decided we wanted to raise Maddie close to them, and Cody had brought me out here last month on a Friday evening and stood me right in the spot where Maddie was currently spinning and asked me if I wanted to make this place our home.

When I'd cried and whimpered a soggy, Yes, he laid me down and made love to me on the bank of the river then promised we were eventually going to christen every inch of the land.

I couldn't wait.

He'd been working on the plans ever since with the intention of building the gorgeous cabin himself with those big, beautiful bare hands.

"Sure is. And your room is going to be right over here." He moved to the spot where her room would be at the back of the house and lifted his hand above his head, his palm parallel with the ground. "But a little bit higher because it's going to be on the second story. What do you think about that?"

"I think I like it!" She jumped like she could reach that very spot.

"And I'm thinking those walls should be pink," he mused like it was just occurring to him though I was pretty sure he'd likely already picked the color out.

I swore the sun shined out of her eyes. "Because pink is my very favorite color, and you know all the important things about me?"

He ran his hand over the top of her head. Adoration flooded from his being. Devotion distinct and unending. "That's right, Button. Because I know all the important things about you. I know them because you and your mom are the most important thing to me."

She took his hand again, swaying at his side while she gazed up at him in that sweet, sweet hope. "Because you love us, right?"

And if anything could bring this rough, rugged man to his knees, it was my little girl. Because he knelt in front of her and brushed a wild ringlet from her face and whispered, "That's right, Maddie, because I love you."

Then he turned those honey eyes on me and said, "With every part of me."

It was just after nine that night when I stepped out onto the back porch. Rain was pouring down, a deluge from the sky. It was a summer storm that had built for the better part of the afternoon, the clouds gathering high and thick, before it'd finally unleashed its fury just as the sun had begun its descent toward the horizon.

I fucking loved storms.

Loved the energy.

Loved the blinding flash of lightning before the crack of thunder followed.

Loved the way the earth smelled afterward, like it was promising something brand new.

It made me think of that night a little more than a year ago when I'd been driving back to my house with plans to kick my boots up on the railing of the porch and toss back a couple beers as I took in that storm.

Instead, I'd found my drenched, hot as fuck new neighbor running through the rain.

My new neighbor who'd held my past and my future.

Popping the cap on the beer bottle, I sank down on the wood rocking chair. I kicked my boots up on the railing, just the way I liked to do.

A satisfied sigh pilfered from between my lips as I sank into the comfort.

Into the beauty.

Into this life that I never could have anticipated.

We'd moved into the cabin two months ago. A cabin I'd built myself.

Blood and sweat, but there hadn't been a single fucking tear.

Not when I was cherishing every second that I'd been given.

My chest squeezed. For so long, I'd thought I'd been living on borrowed time, and it just turned out my life had been set to pause.

Waiting on her to return to me.

From behind, the screen door opened then clattered shut.

Hailey's presence washed over me.

Wave after seductive wave.

Strawberries and cream.

All things sweet.

Sex and sin.

My heart's completion.

My perfect match.

Her footsteps were light as she shuffled across the porch, and I blindly reached out for her, even though I would be able to find my way to her in the pitch of dark.

She eased around the chair and slipped onto my lap, and the woman shifted to her side and curled up against me. I wrapped my free arm around her and tugged her close.

The rain fell around us, a soft, constant pattering at the roof. A whinny echoed from the barn where we kept three horses, one for each of us, though I supposed I'd have to add another soon.

"Is my Button asleep?"

I could feel the press of Hailey's amused smile. "After she read the same chapter to me four times."

A light chuckle rumbled around in my insides. "She read me the same one at least seven times before you took over."

"She's pretty proud of herself that she can read it." Hailey shifted so she could tuck her face up under my chin, and she pressed those full lips against my throat. I inhaled the warmth of her breaths.

"Seems right. I'm pretty proud of her, too."

So proud.

My little girl was as smart as a whip. Funny and kind. The life-beat within these walls.

Satisfaction swam like we were suspended, floating on a tranquil breeze.

Quiet contentment.

A blanket of ease.

"I'm so happy," Hailey finally whispered, so low I felt it inscribed on my skin rather than heard it with my ears.

I set my beer onto the porch beside me then splayed my hand over her protruding belly.

I felt my little boy kick.

Joy ricocheted back at the connection.

"So fucking happy," I muttered low.

I dipped in for a slow, lust inducing kiss.

You know, since it turned out that kissing Hailey Cooper was my favorite thing to do.

I nuzzled my nose into her hair, breathed her in. We stayed like that for forever, me sipping at my beer and my girl in my arms. When the rain tapered off, Hailey stood and took my hand, and I followed her back into our cabin.

It was rustic, all exposed woods and rugged stone, a perfect blend of luxury and comfort. Large enough that we'd have plenty of space to fill the rooms but small enough that we'd never lose touch.

Humble enough that we'd never forget how we got here.

I followed her upstairs, and we hit the landing of the big loft that overlooked the great room below, and I started to follow her to the right toward our room before a little voice hollered from the opposite hall, "Daddy! I hear your big boots. You're forgetting something important!"

Hailey gave me an affected smile, those blue eyes on me, her nails scratching through my beard. "I'll be waiting for you," she said.

I took that hand and brushed my lips over her knuckles before I turned course and headed to Maddie's room.

A dim nightlight glowed from low on the wall, and I quietly moved over to her bedside and sat down on the edge.

My little Button beamed up at me.

"You think I forgot something important, huh?" I teased.

She almost looked contrite, though her blue eyes danced with mirth. "Well, you didn't really forget since you already gave me a goodnight, but since I wasn't asleep yet, you're supposed to give me another."

"Is that a new rule?"

"Goodnights are important, Daddy! It's how we get good dreams." She said it like I was clueless.

A rough chuckle skated out, though it rolled with affection.

"Well, you get all the goodnights, then," I said, and I started poking at her belly, making her giggle as I tickled her and sang, "Goodnight, goodnight, sleep tight, never, ever let the bed bugs bite."

She grappled for my fingers as she howled with laughter. "You got me!"

Everything slowed, the energy a quiet hum of intensity. I touched her cute little nose that she had all scrunched up. "No, Button, you got me."

I swept in and pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she hunkered down beneath her covers with her Princess Verona tucked to her side. "I love you, Daddy."

Adoration pressed hard at my chest. "I love you the most."

Pushing to standing, I eased back across her room, leaving her door cracked so we could hear her if she needed us, then I moved back down the hall to the other side of the upper floor.

I opened one side of the double doors that led into our bedroom.

Hailey was sitting up in bed and leaning against the headboard.

The sight of her punched me in the gut.

Blonde hair woven in maple and honey cascading around her stunning face in soft, touchable waves.

Pouty lips.

That body that drove me straight out of sanity. Her belly round with our kid.

But it was those crystalline eyes that would forever do me in. The way they dragged me into eternity.

Yeah.

They got me.

Every day. Every night. Every minute. Every moment.

And every single morning.

The End