EPILOGUE
SAM
Four months later
The summer months have featured a steady stream of people, but now that fall looms and the evenings are cooling off, I am ecstatic.
It’ll be my first autumn in Juniper View, and then my first true, snowy winter. I can’t wait. Especially since I know Andrew is locked up for quite a while now that he’s tucked away behind bars, so there’s no chance of any more surprise visits.
Poppy and Lily returned to school last week and we’re all finding our new routine. I join them for breakfast on mornings I don’t work, but otherwise, I tend to miss them since I love the early shift at the diner and Jerry’s opens at six on weekdays.
After school, I hang out and have dinner with them almost every night, save Fridays when we all converge at the farmhouse for Ryan family dinner, and of course theoccasional girls’ night out. We’ve finally managed to get May and Eirinn to come along a few times which has been great.
“Are you ready? Finn’s already got them going.”
Grant’s voice filters through my phone, and I run around to grab my purse and a water bottle. I finished work, got cleaned up, spent a few hours driving the mobile library around because it’s my favorite thing and we had a generous donation to fill out the stock there and add more to the main branch, too, and now we’re heading over to the farm to watch the girls ride. Finn has been giving them lessons all summer and though they’ll continue into the fall, their time will grow shorter as soccer and other obligations filter in.
“Yes! I’m coming. On the way down.” It’s probably overkill to say this since he’s waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me, but I’ve found the deepening of our relationship has made me no less eager to talk to him or communicate.
I slip out the garage door and launch into his arms. He’s steady, almost like he expected it.
“Didn’t mean to rush you. I thought you might need more time and if you did, I was going to work on a few things in the garage.” He steals a kiss.
Though that’s impossible, because I am always giving them away. He doesn’t have to steal a thing.
We link hands and begin the walk. It’s warm this afternoon, but after a morning in the bustle of the diner’s AC, the dry air and hot sun feel delicious.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about asking Finn to give me lessons. I might try to only work weekdays now that the girls are back in school because I don’t want to miss any time with them, so I could come with them and maybe learn a little?”
He halts, scowling down at me. “You wantFinnto give you riding lessons?”
“Uh, maybe? He’s the one who works with the horses…”
His eyes narrow. “Would you not wantmeto teach you?”
I bite my lip because he’s adorable. This stern face would’ve scared me away months ago before I knew what a sweetheart lives inside this tough exterior. But now I know, there’s no going back.
“You want to teach me to ride?” I tug his hand and draw him closer.
“Of course I do.”
“I didn’t know you could.”
His scowl deepens. “Clearly, I haven’t spent enough time on a horse since we’ve gotten together.”
“Trust me, you haven’t. I would absolutely remember and appreciate that if you had.”
Interest flashes across his face. “You’d want to see me ride?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“That’s a thing?”
I shrug. “I don’t know if it is for everyone, but for me? Seeing my hot grumpy sheriff on horseback? Yes, please.”
His façade breaks and he chuckles low, one hand sliding into the hair at my nape and guiding my mouth to his. After a searing, melting kiss, he pulls back. “I’ll teach you to ride.”
I grin. “Okay, then.”
