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I want to be her shield from the world. To hold her close and love her and Audra hard. To build our own family, to make our own path.
The fear is mostly unfounded. She and I have been on the same page, in step with each other over the last few weeks. I don’t get the feeling that she’s going to leave, but with the certainty that he can never get to her again, what if that changes things?
I’m holding my breath as she leans back, but instead of doubt, there’s nothing but warm love in her gaze.
“I want that. I want yours to be mine and mine to be yours,” she murmurs.
“Yeah? Now that it’s finally over, you could go back to Oklahoma and reconnect with friends, with your old life.”
She’s shaking her head before I can complete the thought, but what kind of man would I be if I were to selfishly try to keep her here with me?
Not much of a man at all.
And I want to be a man, specifically her man.
“Harlan Calhoun, are you trying to get rid of me?” she asks with a saucy smirk.
I shake my head hard. “No, ma’am. If I had it my way you’d be tied to my bed for the rest of your life where I can keep you in a happy pleasure drunken daze.”
Heat ignites in her eyes at the comment, and she threads her arms around my waist, tipping her head back to keep her eyes locked on mine.
“I don’t know why you’re saying that like it’s a bad thing.” The throaty purr sets my nerves on fire with want.
“Stay with me Maisie. Be my family. Let me be your family. Let me share my crazy family with you until it, until everything is ours.”
Her arms come up to rest around my neck, tugging me down into the heaven that is her mouth.
Whispering against my lips, she says, “Yes.”
Epilogue
Maisie
The leaves on the trees are just starting to change colors and there’s a brisk chill in the air. But the sun shining on the backyard of our house is enough to get me and Audra outside.
Summer turned to fall in the blink of an eye. Nights spent in Harlan’s kitchen, at Hal’s place, family dinners, dates, and laughter. Every day, I fall harder and deeper in love with Everette, its sheriff, and his big, loud family.
Shortly after Sean showing up, he was transferred back to Oklahoma, where the evidence of his abuse was used to file charges against him in addition to the pending assault case. He’s awaiting trial, and I’ve erased him from my thoughts as best I can, choosing to stay in the moment with the new life I’m creating.
About two weeks after moving in with Harlan, I baked Hal a pie as a thank you for setting up the nursery for Audra. We spent the afternoon playing with my daughter while he told me about Harlan’s mom, how they met and how much he loved her and missed cooking with her.
Since then, we’ve been kitchen buddies for family dinners. I play sous chef, and together we’ve figured out a pretty good way to feed the family when we come together.
Lunch dates with him and Jem have brought us even closer, and even though I miss my own dad, Hal’s helping fill the void.
“Come on, baby girl. You can do it.” Audra’s using one of the porch chairs to hold her steady as she scoots her feet around. I’ve been trying to get her to walk for what feels like weeks at this point, but she just plops down on her butt unless I’m holding her hands.
“There are my girls.” The husky rasp is familiar, full of love and the definition of my own brand of happiness.
Harlan comes around the corner, the sexy uniform of his station still enough to get me hot under the collar.
Stable in his position as the sheriff of Everette, Harlan told me about the conversation that he had with Cormac’s dad. According to Hal and the mayor, Cormac lit out of town shortly after the talking to his father gave him and we haven’t seen him since.
And good riddance. There’s only room in this town for one sheriff, and that’s Harlan.
“Hey, babe,” I say, keeping an eye on Audra.
“Da-da!” my girl squeals when she sees him.
