Epilogue
Ivy
I’ve never been happier than during these last sixteen months. Ever since I came to Winter Heights and moved in with the man I love. I got the job at the clinic, and Claire and I make a great team. On the side, I also work with Zane and Seth at the farm.
As I’m walking home after my morning shift at the clinic, admiring the view of the distant mountains, the giddy feeling doesn’t dampen. This is my backyard now. And it’s magnificent.
As soon as I enter the farm, I zoom to the barn. It’s always my first stop when I get home. When you have twenty happy pups waiting for you, there’s no other option. Plus, Zane is usually there too.
Today, there is no human life when I reach the barn. But I do get the warmest welcome, as always. The dogs all jump and bark, asking for my attention. I can name them all now, and I immediately notice the ones who are missing—probably on a ride with Seth.
I’m in the middle of a cuddle session with Bobby and Buffy when the door of the barn creaks, and more barking and jumping follow.
“There you are,” Zane says, his deep voice rumbling. As always, his booming timbre sends tingles down my spine. Just because it’s part of my routine now doesn’t mean I’ve gotten used to it. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to acclimate to Zane’s towering presence and gravelly voice. And his scent, his fresh mountain scent. I thought I’d catch it too, now that I live here, but I quickly realize it’s not about the location. It’s all Zane.
I stand up, and he quickly draws me in, kissing my forehead, cheeks, nose, and then finishing with the sweetest kiss on my lips.
“How was your morning?” he asks, hands settling on my waist .
“Good. Normal day. Not too busy, not too slow. How about you? Did you lead a ride this morning?”
“I did. Took the first one. Seth should be back soon,” he says, glancing at his watch. “And he has one more this afternoon. Oh, I was just on the phone with Daisy. She says hi.”
“How is she?”
He steps back, rolling his eyes. “Frantic. I could barely understand a word she said. Apparently, she has to convince a New York researcher to join their ranks? But I didn’t understand much after that. She started talking about architecture arguments and New York vs Chicago, and she kind of lost me. So, to answer your question, she’s . . . alive?”
I chuckle. “Sounds like she has a lot on her plate.”
“Yeah. Hey, are we still going on a hike this afternoon?” he asks, wringing his hands.
The town is still getting some snowfall, but it’s probably our last month before the off season starts. Not that it’s been particularly slow since we started offering hiking and camping trips last summer, and we’re already booked solid through late July. But winter is my favorite season in Winter Heights, and once the snow melts, I start to miss hiking through the snow and going on rides with the dogs.
“Of course we are!” I bubble .
Zane’s shoulders fall slightly, and if I didn’t know him well, I wouldn’t have noticed. He goes on plenty of rides and hikes alone, but I know he prefers when I tag along.
I turn to the dogs. “Who wants to go on a hike?”
Zane
I should be reveling in the spectacle Mother Nature is bestowing on us as we trek through the fresh snow, but I can’t seem to appreciate the way the sun is sparkling on the thick blanket of white on the ground or the crisp aroma of pine trees. All I can think of is the ring box that’s safely tucked in the inside pocket of my coat.
My throat constricts when it hits me. I’m actually doing this. I, Zane Harden, am about to propose to Ivy Clark. And even if I think she's going to say yes, there’s that annoying little voice in my head telling me she won’t. The same one that prevented me from popping the question in Paris when we attended Olivier and Hazel’s wedding in the fall, and on New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day. The voice whispers that she got hurt the last time someone proposed to her, and even if she loves me, she won’t be able to get past that. We could stay like this, unmarried. We’re already living and raising twenty dogs together. It’s almost the same thing.
Almost .
Because having Ivy as my wife means eternity. It means her taking my name. It means we’re starting a family.
My heart starts racing at the thought. I’ve never wanted anything this much in my life.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Ivy says, an eyebrow arching above her sunglasses. The sun is beating down on us, enveloping her in a beautiful glow.
“Just contemplating nature,” I say with a smile.
She hooks her arm through mine and sighs. “Yeah. It’s so pretty. I’m sad it’s already the end of the season.”
Blaze and Bandit start barking, chasing each other in the snow, while Boots strolls peacefully next to us. They’re going to miss the snow too. I have to make sure they all get their turn this week—either on a ride or a hike.
“Should we take a break here?” Ivy asks as we reach our favorite spot to relax. It’s the same place where we had lunch on our first hike together, a peaceful, untouched area at the edge of the forest.
I nod and tell the dogs to stop, but the words get stuck in my throat. This is it.
Ivy and I sit down, and she grabs some snacks out of my bag .
“Sweet or salty?” she asks, waving the bags in front of me.
I shake my head. “Nothing.”
Her eyes widen, and she lets out one of her cute chuckles. “Since when do you refuse snacks?”
As if I could eat anything right now. I can barely talk.
She’s still looking at me, expecting an answer. That’s it. I have to do this now, or I’m going to lose my sanity. Unzipping my coat, I unceremoniously grab the small box and open it.
Ivy gasps, dropping the snacks in the snow.
“Ivy,” I say, barely hearing my own voice over the thundering of my heart. “I’m hopelessly in love with you, and I couldn’t imagine my life without you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You make me see life in such a different light, a brighter light, and I’m so lucky you saw past my thick shell and grouchy attitude. Now, I want more.” I pause, gauging the look on her face. It’s giving me shock vibes, but not in a bad way, so I keep going. “I want eternity. Will you marry me?”
She’s frozen, unable to utter a word. Her deep green eyes sink into mine, and the silence is deafening.
Finally, Blaze barks loudly, and she clears her throat. “Yes, of course,” she gushes with a beaming smile. “Of course I’ll marry you. ”
She falls into my arms, and I hug her so tight I fear I might break her in two.
Yes. She said yes.
My hands cup her face, and I capture her lips in a desperate kiss. She wraps her arms around my neck, drawing me closer until we lose our balance, falling on our sides in the plush snow.
Giggling, she grazes my bottom lip with her teeth, teasing me, before pressing her soft lips to mine. I’ll never get tired of Ivy’s kisses. They’re like candy. The kind of addiction you don’t want to overcome.
We part and break for air, but I can’t stay away. Brushing my lips against her jaw, I explore every available inch of her, the thrill of shivers on her skin matching the tingles in my chest.
“Thank you for saying yes,” I say, placing one more kiss on her sweet lips.
“I love you so much, Zane. There’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you.”
My heart bursts in my chest, and I suddenly feel whole again. For once, I’m completely satisfied. All my life, I felt like I was swimming against the current. When I met Ivy, I was finally paddling in the right direction. And now? Now, I let the flow carry me away. This is happiness, right here .
The dogs bark and come scampering around us, probably wondering why we’re so quiet and lying in the snow.
Ivy laughs as Bandit licks her face. “Yes, you too.”
That makes me laugh. Again, something I didn’t do much of before I met Ivy. “Are you sure about them , though? I know I’m a catch and all. But twenty Siberian husky monsters is an entirely different beast. Pun intended.”
She giggles again, Bandit still clambering all over her. “Of course. I’ll take all of you. You’re my family.”
And that simple sentence is enough to catapult me into heaven. As I draw her into another addictive kiss, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found Ivy. We lived on different sides of the country, and on the surface, we didn’t seem to have anything in common. Not to mention the weird and awkward circumstances in which we met. But all these unexpected turns of events eventually led us to this moment, right here, and all the treasured moments we’ll have for the rest of our lives. It led to each of us finding our missing piece.
Serendipity.
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