Epilogue

TWO YEARS LATER

H ow did I get so lucky?

I look out over the mountains. At this view I’ve loved since I was a kid. It’s the reason I added all the windows here. It never gets old to me. It’s still just as beautiful as it was a year ago, but it doesn’t even compare to the view I get when I look back into our home. Ours. I smile, taking in my gorgeous wife while she chases our perfect daughter around the living room. My girls.

Ivy moved in with me after the avalanche. I was worried she would want to have more time to adjust, but when you know, you know. I love her more now than I ever thought possible for me. She’s my best friend and partner in everything, including our business. The lodge has reached an insane amount of success. With Ivy at the forefront of the business, I suspect that will continue to be the case .

She stands and puts her hands on her hips, then rubs her stomach. Round with another Holloway baby. I told her I wanted five more after Raylen. She came up with our daughter's name. She thought it would be a nice way to honor my friend’s memory. It made me love her even more. She also said two kids. Period. And I can’t really argue since she’s the one who has to do all the heavy lifting, so I agreed. Baby boy will be our last.

My family will be here any minute with the other cousins. I think about my life and how I never saw Ivy coming. How if I had gone home that first night or stayed somewhere else, we might not have crossed paths. What a sad life I would have had. She is my life now, her and those babies. I would do anything for them, and I will continue to prove to Ivy every single day that taking the chance on me was worth it. Our life together will be worth it.

“Are you just going to stand there smiling, Lover Boy? Or are you going to help me wrangle the little angel?” she asks, snapping me out of my love-fest thoughts. I chuckle. Damn that mouth. That absolutely thrilling and beautiful mouth.

“You keep talking like that, and I’m going to accidentally put another baby in you before this one’s here,” I tease.

She laughs, loudly. My favorite laugh. “Baby, that’s now how it works, and it worries me if you don’t know that.”

“Dadadadada,” Ray babbles and teeters toward me. I scoop her up in my arms and kiss all over her face, making her giggle.

“We need to get you ready, princess, or Mommy’s gonna eat Daddy alive.” Ivy rolls her eyes at me and walks over.

“Mommy thinks Daddy would like that a little too much,” she coos at our daughter, and I let out a surprised laugh. Life with Ivy will never be boring. I’ll always be kept on my toes. That’s fine by me as long as I’m kept.

“I love you, Stormcloud.” She leans in and kisses me tenderly.

“I love you too, Alder. In this life and the next.”