Epilogue

Evelyn

Six months later

As another deafening, explosive gunshot echoes through the otherwise quiet, somewhat chilly summer morning air, I look up from my bridal magazine and turn my attention to the dock that belongs to our property, where Noah is standing, lowering his steaming hunting rifle. He is finally getting back to his old self; his body is almost completely healed. The only challenge we face is his immune system, which is still compromised and struggling to regenerate after all the stress it has been through. It's manageable with medication, but I know he would prefer it to be the way it used to be.

A smile spreads across my face when Noah goes to his knees and just mere seconds later, Whiskey climbs out of the water and jumps back onto the dock, carrying a duck in his mouth as he excitedly waddles around Noah, wagging his tail so hard that his little butt swings from left to right.

Adding Whiskey to our family was a challenge for the first few weeks, as Noah is not the biggest fan of dogs. But now they are inseparable. Just like any other man, he was completely against getting a dog, but is now best friends with the little guy. The only line we haven't crossed is letting him sleep in our bed. But Noah's walls are crumbling with every night Whiskey sits at the foot of our bed, whining to be let in, and I'm sure in a few weeks, we'll all be sleeping together. The strong bond they have will be helpful in the future, for sure. While Whiskey is a natural at retrieving for Noah, he is also a very intuitive dog. We haven't even started service dog training yet, but there have been a few incidences when Noah has gotten anxious and Whiskey has picked up on it and stayed with him, trying to distract him.

I push off the thin blanket covering my legs and stand up from our outdoor sofa, the fresh air tickling against my warm skin. I straighten the skirt of my long white summer dress before slipping into my cozy outdoor slippers and making my way down the porch toward the dock. The moment I step off the soft grass onto the wooden planks, both Noah's and Whiskey's attention shifts to me. Whiskey immediately comes running toward me, still carrying the duck, and begins to circle me excitedly as he presents his trophy to me. "Good boy." I chuckle and pat his head .

He stays by my side as I walk up to Noah who sets the rifle down, leaning it against one of the pillars of the dock and welcomes me with open arms. Not hesitating, I wrap my arms around his stomach and press myself flush against him as he wraps his around me.

"How many ducks did you shoot this morning?" I ask, my words muffled as I bury my face in the soft fabric of his t-shirt.

"About four." He chuckles, his chest vibrating against my face.

"So many?" I tilt my head up, resting my chin on his chest to look at him. "We don't eat duck that much, baby, it's too high in fat…"

"I know, I thought we'd keep one for us in the freezer and feed the other to Whiskey. I'm sure he'll love it."

"That sounds like a good plan." I smile and he leans down to plant a kiss on my lips.

"Are you done yet?" I ask and he nods.

"Yes, I will wrap up." He lets go of me and turns back to his rifle and the bucket of ducks. Meanwhile I turn to face the lake and walk to the edge of the dock, looking down at the clear water.

"Want to go swimming?" he asks from behind me, and I shake my head.

"Not now, it's still a little chilly, maybe later today." I chuckle and turn to face him again. My eyebrows shoot up as he flashes me a smirk. "Don't you dare." I raise my finger at him. Ever since he opened up to me about his childhood and let me help him embrace his inner child over the past few months, he has been much more playful, as if he is actually letting that side of him take over and enjoying those little moments. Which I love because he seems so much happier and more content than before when he was more reserved, closed up and didn't really allow himself to have fun. "Noah Philip Holman," I warn him as he takes a step toward me, leaving me no room to escape.

The moment his long arms wrap around my waist and my feet leave the safety of the ground, I scream. Within seconds, the air is knocked out of my lungs as the cold water completely surrounds us. Holding on to him, I wrap my arms and legs around him. I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my breath as we go under, only to come up again, my mouth falling open as I gasp for air.

Pulling an arm from around his shoulders and pushing away the hair that clings to my face, I open my eyes to find him shaking his head like a dog before looking at me with a stupid grin. "I hate you." I playfully slam my fist into his shoulder. The water is up to Noah's chest, and if he were to let me go, I could barely stand on my toes. I steal a glance at Whiskey, who has settled down with the duck and is pulling the feathers out of the dead bird.

"You don't. You love me," he says and catches my lips in a hungry kiss, distracting me. My eyes fall shut and I answer in the same starving rhythm, clinging to him and running my fingers through the wet strands of his hair. His hands trace the curve of my back until he stops at the zipper of my dress and pulls it down. The heavy wet fabric clinging to my skin falls away and I break the kiss, furrowing my eyebrows.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting you out of those wet clothes." A grin spreads across his face.

I sigh and roll my eyes so hard they almost hit the back of my skull. "We're still in the water, silly."

"I know, but wouldn't it be more comfortable without the dress? It must be heavy." He pushes the sleeves down, exposing my bare chest as the fabric gathers around my hips. A low growl rumbles from his chest, sending a jolt of excitement through my nerves as his eye lands on my exposed tits, my nipples stiff from the cold water.

"It would be." A smile spreads across my face and I wrap my arms around his shoulders, pressing my tits against his still-clothed chest. Pressing my lips to his, I close my eyes and tilt my head, engaging him in a softer, more loving kiss. My fingers clutch the neckline of his shirt, tugging at the fabric. We break apart and for a brief second, he lets go of me, lifting his arms and allowing me to remove the shirt.

The moment he is free, he chases my lips for another kiss, but instead I shove his shirt in his face and push him back, forcing his head underwater. Seizing the opportunity, I break free of his hold and swim further away from him.

He immediately comes back up, shaking his head and running his hands over his face, looking around until he spots me a few feet away. "Just you wait," he says with a grin, and I can't help the bright smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

"You're going to have to catch me first."

"Nothing easier than that," he says and jumps forward, pushing through the water. In a desperate attempt, I turn to swim away, but Noah's long fingers wrap around my ankle as he pulls me back, forcing me underwater and knocking the air out of my lungs, until he hauls me back up into his arms. I gasp for air and throw my arms around his shoulders. Blinking my eyes open, I meet his gaze as he looks at me. A broad smile of genuine amusement and happiness graces his face, his eye shining with a new but welcome emotion .

Our chests rise and fall against each other's with each breath, falling into sync in a steady rhythm. Water drips from our hair as our breath mingles between us. My heart rate quickens and I can't help my smile growing wider, so much that my cheekbones begin to ache.

All I can focus on is him—my future husband. In just a matter of a couple months, we will be officially married, and the reality of the situation hits me like a roller coaster of emotions. We've come so far, survived so much, fought so hard to win back what we almost lost. The memory of the fear of possibly losing him flashes through my entire body but is quickly drowned out by the overwhelming relief that he's here, that I can feel him. I trace the outline of his back, over his shoulders, up his neck until I cup his cheeks in my hands and find his stunning green eye staring back at me.

I have accepted the fact that we will never have the perfect, quiet life I always dreamed of. No, we will always be surrounded by chaos, by the demons of our past, but I don't think I would want it any other way now. The world could fall apart around us, but as long as we're together, I know we'll be okay.

I lean forward and press my lips to his, letting my eyes fall shut as I lose myself in the sensation of his lips moving against mine.

He is mine. He is the one I'm meant to be with. My safe haven. My white picket fence. With him, I am whole. With him, I am home.