BONUS EPILOGUE!

Charlotte came in from shoveling snow on Valentine’s Day morning, pink-cheeked and sweaty, but smiling.

The kids had a snow day, so she hadn’t woken them. Instead, she had headed out with Tag to dig out the cows and break up the ice on their water.

Tag had been grumpy when he saw the last-minute forecast, and more so when he looked out the window this morning, slowly stretching in a way that never failed to make Charlotte ogle his muscular arms and chest, even when he was frowning, like today.

But when he saw her bundling up to come out with him, his frown disappeared and the two of them actually had fun horsing around out in the snow, even though shoveling the heavy stuff had been pretty strenuous.

Charlotte had taken to getting up with her husband in the wee hours to fix coffee and then read or dream up projects for the ice cream shop before she got the kids up. By the time he came in from the early morning milking and chores, she would usually have the kids ready for school and a hearty breakfast waiting for them to eat together.

“You don’t have to do this, you know?” Tag had said yesterday, with his mouth full of bacon and eggs. “We have cereal.”

“Dad,” the kids yelled, like they were hoping she didn’t know about the cereal, and could be tricked into feeding them like this forever.

“I like a big breakfast,” she said, shrugging. “But if you guys want cereal, I guess I can just make enough for myself tomorrow.”

Tag chuckled while Chance howled his disapproval, Olivia murmuring to him that Charlotte was only teasing.

On days like that, she really couldn’t believe that this was her life.

She stripped off her boots and snowy jacket and headed for the kitchen, hoping for a hot cup of coffee, and wondering if the kids were still asleep. But she didn’t have to wonder long.

“Mama?” Chance said sleepily from the top of the steps before she even made it halfway to the kitchen.

“It’s okay, love,” Charlotte said, jogging up to see him. “You have a snow day today. No school.”

She sat on the top step, and he climbed into her lap, his warm, sleepy weight feeling heavenly against her chest. The word Mama echoed sweetly in her heart every single time, long after he said it.

“There are no snow days in Vermont,” Olivia grumbled from the hallway behind him. “We’re going to be late.”

“The snow came too close to school bus time for them to clear it,” Charlotte told her. “You really do have a snow day.”

“We do?” Olivia asked excitedly. “Can I go back to bed?”

“Of course,” Charlotte told her.

But both kids were too excited to go back to bed, and they ended up getting up with her to make heart-shaped pancakes for their dad instead.

Charlotte put on a mix of ‘50s love songs, and the kids laughed until Chance collapsed on the floor when she started lip synching “Earth Angel” with the spatula while they made the batter.

When it was ready, Olivia carefully added a few drops of red food coloring as Charlotte stirred, and Chance watched in wonder as the batter turned pink.

“Kids’ll probably sleep all day,” Tag’s voice boomed in the back door as he kicked off his boots.

Olivia put a finger to her lips, and they all stayed quiet, though Chance wiggled a lot, until Tag came in and stopped in his tracks when he saw them all standing by the stove.

“Surprise,” Chance squeaked.

“We didn’t want to miss family breakfast, Dad,” Olivia told him.

Tag’s eyes went straight to Charlotte, as if to say, You did this. You gave this to me.

But of course it was the other way around. He had given her everything—children, a home, and love that was so fierce and wild that she knew it was hers forever.

The atmosphere was festive as they ate breakfast. The pancakes had gotten Olivia into a cooking mood, and now she wanted to spend the day baking and decorating heart-shaped cookies. Chance decided he wanted to turn the family room into a racetrack for all his cars and make a real prize to award the winner of the final match.

Tag insisted on handling dishes and cleanup, so Charlotte called her mom, who was already getting ready to open the shop.

“Take a day off,” she told her. “No one will come in.”

“Someone might,” Mom said. “And we’ll be open if they do. If not, I’ll just be sitting at one of the tables, working on my projects and looking out at that gorgeous snowy park.”

Mom’s projects were hand-knitted sweaters she had always given to Charlotte and her dad on Christmas. But this year, she was starting very early since she had decided to make one for Tag and the kids as well.

“Whatever makes you happy, Mom,” Charlotte told her. “When the snow gets cleaned up, Olivia might bring you some cookies.”

“Tell her I can’t wait,” Mom chuckled.

When the kids were settled into their own fun projects, and the kitchen was sparkling clean, Tag sighed and headed for the back door again.

“Anything I can help with?” Charlotte asked.

“I just want to check on Mom and Dad,” he told her. “I know Dad probably dug out before the sun came up, but it doesn’t feel right not to dig a path over there and make sure.”

“You’re a wonderful son,” she told him, sliding her arms up to encircle his neck. “And an amazing dad.”

“Thanks,” he said gruffly.

“And the absolute best husband,” she finished, going up on her toes to give him a little kiss.

But Tag hauled her up against his chest and kissed her until she was breathless and her cheeks were flushed.

“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you,” he said as he pulled back, his intense blue gaze fixed on her. “But I’m so glad you’re here.”

She laid her head against Tag’s chest, and closed her eyes as gratitude washed over her.

The kids were laughing in the kitchen and the wind was howling outside, and Charlotte was warm and safe in the arms of her family—exactly where she belonged.

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Thanks for reading this special bonus scene from Sweet Surprises!

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