Epilogue Two

ALLIE

* Six Months Later *

T he self-serve coffee station in the corner is set up, and pastries from the bakery are all laid out. I add the napkins and paper plates donated by Tidy’s Department Store, and check that everything looks perfect.

Then I walk back to where Damon is standing with his friends Crow and Liam. I nod hello and grin to Emma and Opal, whom I’ve met at other VFFT functions. We’ve gone out as a group several times, and I’m thinking about planning a barbecue for the six of us next month when it’s cooler.

Today we’re gathering in Old Hemlock Valley’s City Hall. We have no idea why, but all the volunteers and their families were asked to drop by at four. Which would be a casual enough request, except it was made by the ‘anonymous donors’ who sponsor the VFFT.

“Wow,” Damon speaks low against my ear. “I can’t believe so many Wolfes are here.”

Looking around, everyone seems a bit tense. “I guess it’s natural for humans to be on edge when there are this many Wolfes around?”

His arm wraps around me as he chuckles. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”

Carver Wolfe, who I recognize as Jonah’s father, steps to the front of the room, and everyone falls silent as our curiosity builds. He nods to an older man in the corner. “Hello. Thank you for coming. I’m Carver Wolfe. I’m sure you all know my father Spencer, who has heartlessly bullied me into taking over things like this.”

Everyone laughs, breaking the ice.

“The VFFT has technically been run by ‘anonymous donors’”…he pauses while we all laugh at his air quotes for a moment…“before the organization even had a name.”

As Carver goes on about the history of the organization, Damon rubs small circles on my lower back. He knows that I get a little nervous in large crowds, so he’s keeping me calm, as always. Although I have to say, having my incredible man at my side over the past few years has mellowed me out considerably.

Not just me – my glitches, too. My thyroid medication has settled and is working perfectly. I only get air pressure headaches a few times a year now, in the spring and fall. The last time I had a migraine was eleven months ago, and it was only for a few hours. Then all our remedies kicked in.

All the same, Damon treated me like a princess, saying even if I felt better, I should spend the day on the couch relaxing with a tranquil movie.

I’ve never known it was possible to love someone as much as I love him. And his love for me is…well?—

Oh!

I quickly grab his hand and place it on the left side of my belly so he can feel the kick too. Damon looks down at me, his eyes huge and his grin indescribable. Then we turn our attention back to the speech.

“…Which means this spring we’ll be purchasing the latest gear, replacing the six trucks that are outdated, and having a handful of experts from both rural and city departments come by to conduct training, and to examine the entire department to make sure things are as modern and efficient as possible. We appreciate that this will require some extra time from all the volunteer firefighters and are therefore tripling the honorariums to make up for the inconvenience and loss of work hours. We greatly appreciate all that you do to keep our corner of Wolfe Mountain safe.”

There’s a huge round of applause, then some people start peppering Carver with technical questions as the rest of us drift to the back of the room.

“Don’t worry,” Damon says, pulling out a chair for me. “Everyone knows which month I won’t be on call. I’ll be here for the birth no matter what. “

“And we’re always around to help,” Opal says brightly.

“Never worry about calling us to drop by, either,” Emma adds. “We love driving around here.”

Crow grins. “What they mean is they love having an excuse to hit up the shops in other towns. Please, call them as often as you like.”

“It will give us a chance to catch up, too,” Liam adds.

“Well, I was thinking of having a barbecue next month.” I look up at Damon. “Maybe mid-September?”

Damon’s eyes narrow as he attempts to look stern and fails miserably. “You know you’re supposed to rest, right?”

“Okay, okay…” I hold up my hands placatingly. “What if you make the burgers, and instead of me making appetizers, we order pizza, breadsticks and salad from Jim’s?”

“We’ll pick it all up on the way,” Opal laughs. “Done.”

Damon’s lips float across the top of my head. “Anything that makes my sweet wife and mommy-to-be smile like that is perfect with me.”

I’ve occasionally wondered about the concept of being in the right place at the right time. If I hadn’t passed out so that Damon had to catch me, would I still have met him? Where would my life be if I hadn’t taken a chance on moving to the mountain for a fresh start on life in the first place?

Reaching up to clasp my husband’s hand, I guess I’ll never know. Honestly, it doesn’t matter.

All I know is that we belong together, and that our little family, plus our extended family of neighbors and coworkers, is all healthy and safe.

People say that life can be rough up on the mountain. I’ve found that it’s the loveliest place in the world.

Although I could do without the official annual heatwave.