Epilogue

SOREN

“ C ambria Alexander,” I growled. “Get your ass over here.”

She turned and shot me an exasperated frown. “I’m working. And don’t call me Cabria.”

“Exactly.” I scowled at my very pregnant wife, who was currently unpacking a box of exercise equipment. None of it was heavy, but that wasn’t the point.

“Exactly what?”

“You’re supposed to be at the cabin resting. What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Too much needs to be done around here for me to be lounging around in the cabin. Besides, this baby doesn’t seem to have any interest in making an appearance.” She huffed, frustrated because she was two weeks late with our baby girl.

She was going to be the death of me. “Then I’ll take you home, and you can rest there.”

When Cammie found out she was pregnant with our second child, we moved out of the cabin and built a house closer to the area where Raven and Caleb had built theirs. But we kept it as a kind of second home for when we needed to have some…alone time. It also came in handy when Cammie was working and needed a nap.

“Soren, you’re overreacting,” she protested. “It’s just a few boxes. With the Olympics coming up in February, we are busier than ever, and most of this stuff arrived late because of the last snowstorm.”

“You have employees for this,” I reminded her, stalking over and lifting her into my arms.

She gasped in outrage. “Soren! Put me down!” Her tone turned pleading, knowing it would weaken my resolve. The little cheater. “I only need another hour to finish.”

Sighing, I stalked out of the PT room in the main building that housed the offices and medical suites. “How about I take the afternoon off, too?” I suggested in an effort to compromise.

She stopped struggling, her interest piqued. “Whatever would we do with our time?”

“Well…” I pretended to think, using my shoulder to push open the door to the heated, enclosed garage where employees parked. Jake and Hannah just picked up Lara for a sleepover, so we could take a nap.”

“A nap,” she repeated, her face confirming her irritated tone. “I’m not tired.”

“You will be,” I promised with a devilish smirk.

Cammie looked up at me, her ice-blue eyes twinkling merrily. “Okay, you have my attention, husband. I’m willing to let you give it your best shot.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I quipped, arriving at our SUV and setting her on her feet.

After settling her in the car, I drove us home and spent the afternoon, evening, and most of the night wearing my wife out.

When she woke up the following morning, I’d expected her to be happy and thoroughly satisfied. Instead, she was holding her belly and grimacing.

“It worked. Hallelujah,” she panted.

I jumped out of bed and helped her dress, then grabbed the hospital bag and took her out to the car. On the ride to town, her comment came back to me.

“What worked?”

“I knew going into work would make you so desperate to get me home that you’d fuck me into labor.” She laughed, but it rolled into a groan when another contraction hit.

Holy shit. I’d played right into her hands. My insistence that she take it easy lately had included keeping our sex life to a minimum. If I hadn’t been so damn determined to keep her home that I’d made love to her…over and over.

“A win doesn’t count if you cheat,” I muttered.

“Says the guy who spent yesterday getting lucky more times than I can count.”

I grinned. “You have a point.”

“No,” she huffed, “I’m having a baby, so stop thinking about sex and get me to the damn hospital!”

We arrived minutes later, and as I helped her out of the car, she breathed, “I love you. Don’t forget that.”

Chuckling, I gave her a quick kiss, then carried her to the nurse waiting at the door with a wheelchair.

Cammie had said the same thing the last time because by the time she was ready to push, she cursed me to hell and back in some very creative ways.

She apologized several times when we were sitting in her room, gazing down at our little bundle.

“I love you, too,” I murmured before kissing her, then placing one on my daughter’s forehead.

I never thought being snowed in would change my life, but that epic blizzard had blown away my bleak expectations for my future and left behind love, hope, and a family.