Epilogue

Epilogue

NEIL

Three weeks later

Connor's hands gripped the wheel as we drove up to Lennox Ranch, the road twisting through the hills. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the landscape. The tension in Connor's shoulders was palpable, and though I wasn't used to being a passenger in his car, today was different. We were heading to the ranch for a celebration, and a mix of anticipation and something heavier was hanging in the air.

"How are you feeling about being Archie's hero today?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

Connor's gaze flicked to me before returning to the road, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It's good to see Archie happy, you know? Not every investigation has a happy ending like that."

I nodded, catching the unspoken words beneath his response. Archie's stepdad and Grace were visiting, and according to Micah, Archie was over the moon about it. He'd practically begged Connor to be there to meet his sister. We were almost at the ranch when Connor pulled the car to the side of the road and killed the engine.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my stomach doing a little flip.

"Can we talk?" Connor's tone was serious, setting off alarm bells in my head. Was this it? The moment he'd tell me he was leaving, that he'd take Oberon up on his offer of a partnership in their security firm in LA. I couldn't help but be on edge since we'd visited and met Oberon, Trick, and Carter. Connor had fit in with them, the camaraderie flowing so well I'd been dreading him telling me he would accept Oberon's offer and leave.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice quieter, almost hesitant.

"Yeah," he admitted, taking a deep breath before he continued. "Before we get there, I need to tell you something."

"Okay?"

"You know I told you that Quinn and I have been talking about me working with people escaping cults…"

"Yeah?" He'd mentioned it several times, more in passing than giving it serious consideration. I tried to keep my voice neutral, but my heart was pounding. Was this his way of saying goodbye?

"Some of it… look." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "I'm not the kind of man who just sits on my thumbs, right? If someone contacts this new charity and needs help getting out, I want to be the one to help. That me ans getting my hands dirty, putting myself in danger." He glanced at me again, his expression unreadable.

"I wouldn't expect you to be any other way," I replied, confused as to why he was telling me this. Connor had always been a man on the move, chasing the next mission, the next challenge. I'd assumed he'd leave, that our relationship would become long-distance. Hell, I'd even resigned myself to it. But maybe I'd been wrong.

"But how it works is … I stay in Whisper Ridge; this is the base where I work."

"Okay." Hope bloomed in my chest despite my best efforts to stay grounded.

"I want to come home to my husband every night, get his advice, work with the sheriff, mess with the sheriff, and I want forever with you."

My mouth fell open. "Did you just say you wanted to come home to your husband?"

"Yeah, I mean, we'd need to get married for you to be my husband."

"Is that you asking me to marry you?"

He wrinkled his nose, a little sheepish. "I just told you I'd be putting myself in danger, and all you got from that is that I'm asking you to marry me?" He seemed surprised, but then a slow smile spread across his face, his eyes brightening with emotion. "But yeah, you're not wrong."

"So, you are asking me to marry you," I murmured, still trying to process everything.

"Neil Windham, will you marry me even if I'm still diving into trouble at the drop of a hat?"

Old me would have balked at his cavalier attitude about causing mayhem, but the new me, who'd fallen in love with this man, only had one answer.

"Yes."

I shifted in my seat, releasing my belt to get closer to him. He did the same, and we met in the middle, our kiss deep and filled with all the things words couldn't express. The connection between us was undeniable, and for that moment, everything else faded away. But the sound of my phone vibrating against the console broke us apart.

I wasn't on duty, but that phone was never far from me, especially since I'd asked Wyatt to stay in Whisper Ridge. He needed time to think, and every buzz made me anxious to see if he'd decided.

Connor reached for my phone first. "Wyatt said he'd stay," he announced, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

I was too pleased with Wyatt staying—on top of a freaking proposal—to care how Connor knew the number to unlock my phone. I yanked it away from him and read the simple message myself. Yes, Wyatt was staying, and did I know if Connor still wanted his place over the diner? I sent back a message that Connor no longer needed the space, and that Noah would probably be happy to have Wyatt there. Having a deputy over his business was a solid win for Noah, as it had been having a former SEAL when Connor lived there.

Once I was done, Connor pulled me in for another kiss. We might have stayed there all afternoon, tangled in each other, but then Connor's phone let out his ‘Quinn' tone. He pulled back to check the screen and winced.

"Quinn says we're late. "

"Then we'd better get a move on," I said, but he didn't start the car. "What's wrong?"

"Just making sure…" He grasped my hand, his grip firm. "We're getting married, right?"

"Yes."

"And you're okay with me doing the rescue stuff?"

"Yes."

"And you love me."

I yanked him over to steal another kiss. "I love you."

Satisfied, he settled back in his seat, a grin spreading across his face as he started the car and pulled back onto the road. We headed the last quarter mile up to the ranch, snow beginning to cover the ground, with heavy clouds threatening to bury Whisper Ridge overnight. From one storm to the next, my mind was already compiling a list of things I needed to handle. But I couldn't help hoping this storm wouldn't reveal any more bones from a well.

We let ourselves into the main house, walking straight into a whirlwind of activity. Adults chatted, kids darted between them, and the air was filled with the scent of Noah's incredible cooking wafting in from the kitchen.

Quinn was the first to spot us. "There they are!" he called out, waving us over. "Took you long enough!"

"Traffic was terrible," Connor deadpanned, earning a laugh from Quinn.

Before I could say anything, a blur of red hair hit Connor from the side. Archie clung to him; his eyes bright with excitement. "You're the greatest PI ever! Thank you, thank you!" He handed Connor a small bag of coins with all the seriousness of a businessman concluding a deal .

"Our business is concluded," Connor intoned, pocketing the change.

"You're the best PI in the whole of Wyoming!" Archie announced before he dashed off to join a little girl in pigtails who clambered onto his lap.

He tapped my chest. "I'm the best PI in all of Wyoming," Connor said smugly.

I rolled my eyes, pulling him into my side. "You're the most annoying PI in all of Wyoming."

"But you love me, so it's okay," Connor teased, handing me a plate for the food being passed around.

"You're lucky I love you," I said with a sigh, feigning exasperation. But the truth was, I was only joking.

Connor Mason had come into my life, turned my world upside down, and now he was mine forever.

And that was the best kind of ending.

THE END