Bonus Scene

Ellie

“Smile for the camera!” the photographer shouts. 

We stand perfectly still while the bulb flashes a dozen times. 

“Okay, silly faces now!” 

The kids giggle and hook their fingers into their mouths to extend their grins. “Cheese!”

We pose a few more times before we’re through, happy with the new family memories. 

“What now?” Ryder asks. 

“Maple cotton candy!” Jared shouts, bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

We head down to the center of town, stopping at the cotton candy vendor. 

The kids love it when festival comes around, as there’s always so much to do and we end up being more generous with treats than we intend to be. 

Ginger points toward Threads Up. “Can I see Charlotte and Sasha? They’re supposed to be hanging out with Auntie Karmen today.”

I pull out twenty dollars from my purse and hand it to her. “Sure. Have Auntie Kar call me when it’s time to pick you up.”

“Thanks!” She grabs the bill and rushes to join her friends. 

“They sure grow up quickly,” Ryder says, staring wistfully at his firstborn. 

I, too, wish I could turn back time and play with her again when she was small. But time marches on, and thankfully, we have two other blessings to care for. 

And a fourth on the way. 

We drop our other two, Jared and Pamela, off with Tess, and head to the motel to help Dale, who’s added a petting zoo to the property. 

What’s funny is that he charges parents to have their kids clean up after the animals, which is hilarious. But the parents are happy to give their children the experience because they think it’s worth it. 

 And in today’s time of electronic everything, it is. 

Ryder gives the animals checkups while the visiting children watch and ask questions. Seeing him so patient and kind reminds me of how he was so long ago. When we barely knew each other. 

I’d misjudged him then, but I don’t regret that, because our love story wasn’t meant to be easy. 

Because Dale’s wife has morning sickness, I help tidy a few rooms and take lunch to her. 

Our families have grown close over the years, and Dale’s not too proud to admit that he and Ryder are now best friends. 

“You ready to head out?” Ryder asks from the doorway. 

I say goodbye, and for the rest of the afternoon, we walk up and down main street, putting out fires as they arise, and when we finally head back home, it’s with two sleeping kids in the back, as Ginger decided to stay the night with her cousins at the shop, as she sometimes does. 

We still live in the quarantine barn, though you’d hardly recognize it after its renovations.

Ryder carries the kids to bed while I sit out with Ginger, the horse, who’s reached her golden years. 

It pains me to know that one day I’ll wake up and she’ll no longer be there, so I give her as much love as I can, knowing she feels it. 

“Want to watch a movie?” Ryder asks. 

“I’d love to.”

He puts on a superhero flick, but neither of us pays attention to it, as we’re too busy talking about the future. 

In just four short months, we’ll turn from a family of five into a family of six, which means we’ll soon be getting a minivan. 

Ginger has already huffed about how uncool that’ll be, but the younger two are super excited because they think they look like spaceships. 

Ryder rubs my belly affectionately. “What do you say, El? Is this the last?”

“Do you want it to be?”

He pauses, considering his words. “Not really, but you’ve had to work hard to make our family grow, in a different way than I have, and I wouldn’t blame you if you tapped out.”

“I don’t plan to, yet, but you never know what the next day will bring.”

“In that case, how about a two-fer?”

I chuckle. “Seriously, Ride. Wasn’t once enough?”

“With you, never.”

“I can’t say I don’t feel the same way about you.”

We kiss like we’re teenagers, and make love like it’s our first time. 

It’s amazing that after all these years together, we still feel so strongly for each other, but our desire never seems to fade. 

I never thought I’d find love with the enemy, but that’s exactly what happened, and for as long as I live, I’ll never let him go.

The End

For the next book in the series featuring Bianca & Clint, click HERE!

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