“No!” I yelped, jamming it back on. “Fine. We are totally a thing.”
She laughed and rewarded me with a quick kiss. “Yeah, we are.” But then she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes. All the teasing was gone, replaced by an intense, burning gaze. “Holden and Christy are one hundred percenta thing,” she murmured. “And?”
My hands slipped down around her waist, pulling her closer. “And we will be. Forever and ever.”
She pressed one last kiss to my lips. “Without end.”
epilogue 2
CHRISTY
Three Years Later
It was the first spring day warm enough to be outside, and I’d stayed there on our wraparound porch as long as I possibly could. The air smelled like honeysuckle and the red tulips Holden and I had planted two years ago were in bloom. The breeze was just warm enough to tease at a hot summer.
My big toe was the only thing touching the boards on the porch as I sat on our padded swing, reading an article on my phone. Holden pulled up in his black truck. I stood, carrying our newest little bundle in my arms. He hopped out, cowboy boots hitting the concrete driveway, wearing my favorite suit. The charcoal gray one that hugged him just right.
He tipped his head, lips in a straight line, exasperated. “Don’t get up. You need to rest, babe.”
“Holden.” I laughed. “I need to move. My muscles are atrophying from all the sitting.”
He pursed his lips and shook his head but he didn’t protest again. Then he opened the back door of the truck andquickly loosened the car seat buckle. “C’mon here, little man.” He held his hands out, and our adorable blond-haired, blue-eyed two-year-old, Liam, jumped into his arms with a “whee!”
Holden set him down and he ran over and up the porch stairs, “Momma, momma! Up!” He held his arms out for me.
“Hey, cute boy,” I said while bouncing the baby in my arms. “I missed you.”
“Hold up, bud,” Holden said as he hurried over. He pressed a kiss to my lips like he did every single time he saw me. Didn’t matter if it was first thing in the morning, or the fourth time he’d come in the house from doing ranch work. Hot Lips was still going strong. But now I was the only girl on his list.
Well, me and Maddie.
Holden took the baby, gingerly settling her in the crook of his arm. He peeled back the pink swaddling blanket. “How’s Daddy’s girl?” He bounced her. “How’s my Maddie Ro?” I wrapped my fingers around his bicep and rested my chin on his arm, peering down at her. Her big blue eyes, which I was pretty confident were turning brown just like her daddy’s and mine, looked up at him, wide and aware.
“She already has a crush on Dad. Don’t you, cute girl.” I kissed Holden’s stubbled cheek. “Get in line, Miss Mads. He was mine first.”
“Don’t talk dirty,” Holden said. “We still have two more days till you’re cleared for…you know.” He winked.
I slapped him on the rear end. “Eh, if you’re keeping count.”
“Don’t tempt me, woman.”
I wiggled my brows. “Who’s talking dirty now?”
“Momma!” Liam was still reaching up. I squatted and put my arms around him. He squeezed my neck so tight I thought my head might pop off. I blew a raspberry into his chubby cheek and he giggled. It was my favorite thing. Well, one of them. I had many when it came to being his mom.
“Careful and slow,” Holden said.
“I got it.” I rolled my eyes with a smile. “Always so concerned.” Then I slowly lifted, using my legs, not my middle. “See, piece of cake,” I said, once Liam and I were fully upright.
Holden held the front door open with one arm, baby girl in the other. We went inside.
“Oh, that’s a big yawn for such a little girl,” he said. “Did she eat?”
“Mhmm.”
He glanced at Liam and then grinned at me, eyes greedy. “I think he needs a nap. What do you think?”
I laughed. “I thought we still had two days.”
