Roderick
Years Later

“Are you sure about this?” I ask Aspen.

She nods. “It’s time.”

I pull up the long driveway, to a house I haven’t seen for nearly two decades, when I used to pick up Abby after a long day at the ranch. 

Aspen would be staring out the window, excited to wave hi. Little did I know how fate would twist. 

It’s crazy how much time has passed, and how Aspen hasn’t changed from the day she accosted me in the parking lot. 

Her hair is still the same shade of fiery red, as is her personality when pressed. 

And that’s exactly how I like her. 

We exit the car and grab the kids.

“I can’t wait to see cousin Frankie!” Juno says. 

“He’s excited to see you too,” Aspen tells her.

Before we get to the door, Frankie is rushing outside to hug everyone. 

“Thanks for coming!” he enthuses. “We saved you some cake.” He takes baby Cliff straight out of my arms and spins him around. 

“Sorry we couldn’t get here yesterday.”

“Don’t be. It’s better this way because I can give you more attention.”

We head inside to where Abby and Aspen’s father are. Abby smiles and extends her arms out to hug Aspen, who accepts without hesitation.

Donald, Abby’s husband, stands off to the side, hands in his pockets. He’s a little older, but he’s been good for Abby. We probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him. 

“Would you like a drink?” her father asks.

“I rarely say no to whiskey.”

“Well, tough shit. I went dry two years ago.”

We stare at each other for a long moment, then we both break into laughter. 

“Momma ordered pizza,” Frankie says. 

Juno claps her hands. “I want peeetza!”

Abby plates our food, and we sit outside at the picnic table.

“Sorry about all the dog hair on me.” Aspen wipes her dress down. “We just dropped off a bunch of freshly trained dogs at the ranch.”

“Dog hair is fine,” Abby tells Aspen. “I’m just happy to see you.”

“Same.”

“You know, I’m sorry about what I put you through back then. I was wild and angry and so damn confused. Then, when I saw that you were with Roddy, I saw red.”

“I understand, but it seems everything’s turned out as it should.”

“I wish I would have realized sooner what a good father Randy would make.”

“How is he doing?” I ask. 

“Still working out at the ranch, earning your cousins a shit-ton of money with that idea he had about the meat box. Donald goes over once a week to play poker with the guys, and they get along really well. His wife and kid are nice enough, but we don’t talk.”

“It’s great that you’re on good terms.” I look over at Frankie. “So I hear you’re going to school for engineering.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Donald comes over and claps a hand down on his shoulder. “Three colleges offered him free rides.”

I lift my brow. “Did they?”

Frankie shrugs, his cheeks tinting pink. “Yeah.”

“Then I guess you can spend this all on booze.” I hand him the card Aspen picked out. He opens it, his eyes widening when he sees the amount.

“It’s too much.”

Abby looks over his shoulder and gasps. “Twenty-five thousand dollars?”

“He is our only nephew,” Aspen says with a smile. 

Tears well in Abby’s eyes. “I can’t believe that after everything I’ve done, you’re still—”

“Hush,” Aspen says, wrapping her arms around her sister. “Let’s not discuss the past when we have so much to look forward to now.”

“About that.” Abby pulls away and presses her hands to her stomach and looks down. “Frankie may not be your only nephew for much longer.”

Aspen’s eyes widen. “Really?”

“We’re three months along,” Donald says, beaming. 

“I know I messed up, but I’m hoping to get it right this time.”

Aspen embraces Abby again. “I think you already have.”

We talk for hours, until the light is dim in the sky, then we climb back in our trucks to drive to the hotel we booked an hour away. 

“I wanna go back sometime!” Juno says. 

Aspen reaches over and places a hand on my thigh. “I do too.”

Once we get to the hotel, we put the kids to bed and lay awake; her curled in my nook. 

“I have something to tell you,” she says in a voice barely above a whisper.

“What’s that?” 

“I was going to say something when we were at my dad’s, but with Abby’s news, it didn’t feel right.”

I jerk my head to the side to look at her. “Really?”

She nods. 

“When?”

“At least three months.”

All at once, I’m on top of her, pressing my lips to hers, my hands all over her body. 

My Aspen opens for me, spreading my legs and giving herself over to me, as she always does. 

She’s mine. From now until my dying breath. And I’m never going to let her go.

The End

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