by Inara Scott
Epilogue
One year later…
Simon pulled to a stop in front of the sprawling ranch house. The house itself was down a long driveway off the main highway, and to get there, they’d driven past fields with horses and cows and several small outbuildings. If the GPS hadn’t told him they were here, however, the big fenced-in side yard, which looked just as the owners had described it, would have.
He couldn’t believe he was doing this.
“Are you going to tell us now why we’re here?” Julia asked from the back of the car.
“Yeah, are you?” Jenna echoed with a smile. She was looking deliciously disheveled, with her long hair falling in a wavy cloud around her head, and her cheeks pink from a sunburn she’d gotten the day before when they’d all gone rafting together on Clear Creek.
He gave her a smile and tried to look calm. “You’ll see.”
“Can I stay in the car and read?” Luke asked. He held up a tattered copy of A Game of Thrones. “Please?”
“I feel for you,” Simon said. “I really do. But no.”
“You’re the one who gave me the stupid book,” Luke grumbled, though there was no real malice in his tone. “You should understand I don’t want to put it down.”
Simon smiled. He’d never known a kid like Luke—unless he counted himself. Skinny, not particularly athletic, a voracious reader, and a devoted fan of all things Tolkien. Once Luke had gotten over his decided skepticism of any guy hanging out with his mother, he and Simon got along incredibly well. That might have been because it was hard to argue with someone who could speak your language, particularly when that language was Elvish.
“Hey, what are those?” Matt had his face pressed against the window, staring at the fenced area, where a big white-and-black blob seemed to be moving up and down the grass.
“What?” Julia demanded. “I can’t see!”
Luke leaned over his brother and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Those,” he said softly, “are puppies.”
“Puppies?” Julia gave a tiny shriek. With lightning fast fingers, she had unbuckled her seatbelt and tumbled out her side of the car. Matt was less than a step behind.
“I should go keep an eye on them,” Luke said, his book dropping on the seat next to him.
“Good idea,” Simon said.
Jenna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she had a slightly pained look on her face. “Um, Simon…puppies?”
He checked his pocket as he got out of the car, wishing he didn’t feel quite so much like he might throw up. He grabbed Jenna’s hand as they followed the kids around to the fence, where a group of white and black spotted puppies were poking their noses through the fence and yipping with excitement.
“I thought maybe it was time to get that dog I’ve always talked about,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant, like this wasn’t one of the biggest decisions he’d ever made.
Of course, it would look miniscule compared to the next big one, but that would be Jenna’s decision. He’d already made up his mind.
“A dog is a big commitment,” Jenna said. “You can’t go running off to China any time you want. And don’t think I’m going to take care of it while you’re gone.”
“You were just saying the other day that you wanted to get the kids a dog,” Simon protested.
“I was thinking about it,” Jenna said, though the smile in her eyes belied the stern tone to her voice. “I didn’t say I’d made up my mind.”
Julia was giggling with delight at the concerted licking of one of the pups, while Matt had started running up and down the fence with another as his shadow. Luke kneeled down, more hesitant than his siblings.
“Do you think it’s safe to pet them?” he asked, when Jenna and Simon reached his side.
“They don’t look fierce,” Simon said. Indeed, the puppies, which were little more than a handful each, were more hair and tongue than anything else.
“What kind of dog are they?” Jenna asked. He knew he had her when she crouched beside Julia and started stroking one through the fence.
“Mutts. One of the guys from the office knows the family that lives here, and they rescued this whole litter. Someone dumped them a few miles down the road and took off.”
Luke looked up at them, his eyes big. “Someone left these puppies by the road? That’s horrible.”
“I know. That’s why I want to give one of them a good home.”
“We felt the same way,” a voice said from behind them.
Simon turned to see an older woman with white hair and the leathery sort of tanned skin that comes from a lifetime of working outside. He extended his hand. “Simon Hastings. I called about possibly taking one of the puppies.”
“Betty Uly,” the woman said, shaking Simon’s hand briskly. “I would love to see them go to a lovely family like yours. Poor things were half starved when I found them. They’ve fattened up a little and gotten started on their shots. The vet said they were ready to go to their new homes.”
“Can we go in and pet them?” Julia asked.
“Sure thing,” Betty said. “Follow me.”
The kids darted ahead with Betty while Jenna and Simon followed behind. Her hand was snug in his as they made their way to the backyard. Julia and Matt ran through the gate into the backyard, where they were instantly mauled by the pack of tiny furballs.
The phone rang from inside the house. “If you don’t mind,” Betty said apologetically, “I’m waiting for a call from my granddaughter. She’s traveling and we don’t get to talk very often. I won’t be long.”
“Not a problem,” said Simon, waving her toward the house. “We’ll want to take our time choosing one anyway.”
“Thanks.” Betty turned and headed back into the house.
Jenna placed her hand on Simon’s arm. “Don’t you want to pet them?” she asked, motioning toward the pile.
He looked at the kids and smiled. “In a minute. We can let the kids have their chance first.”
“I can’t believe you’re ready to get a dog,” she said, wonder in her voice.
Over the past year, he had gone from an unattached wanderer to a man who was fully integrated into Jenna’s family. They would both admit it hadn’t always been easy. Having such a strained relationship with his own father hadn’t given him a lot of experience to draw on, and it was extra hard to find his place when the kids already had a very active and present father. Still, he had figured it out. They all had.
The kids had been hesitant to accept him at first, but they’d really opened up once they realized that he had no intention of trying to replace Ross. Simon had spent time at Matt’s soccer games and gone to Julia’s first choir concert at her new school, and they all spent long weekends together over the winter learning how to ski.
He still had his own apartment, but spent most nights at Jenna’s. His business trips slowed to a trickle, and he’d set up a second office at her house so he didn’t have to worry about going into work on weekends. He liked to think that Jenna had changed, too. Of course, he hadn’t known her the year before, but he’d gotten a grudging handshake of approval from her absurdly large ex-husband and a whispered, “She seems happy with you. Keep her that way.”
She’d replaced most of the clothes in her closet, and she never tried to hide under the covers anymore when they had sex. She seemed to love her job, and just two nights ago, she’d told him that she felt younger—and yet more complete—than she had a year ago.
Meanwhile, casual mentions of the future kept slipping into their conversations: vacations they’d take the next year, renovations on the house, projects in the garden…
Simon wrapped his arm around Jenna’s waist and tugged her toward the far end of the yard, where a tall old tree provided dappled shade from the summer sun. The air had the soft, warm pine smell he had come to love since moving to Colorado, and he took a deep breath to quell the nerves that bubbled up again in his stomach. Jenna leaned
her back into his chest and looked up at him with a happy smile. The kids were completely focused on the puppies. One had collapsed in Julia’s lap; two were competing to see who could lick Luke’s face the most; and another three were wrestling with Matt.
“They sure look happy,” Jenna said.
“Until we have to pick which one to bring home.”
Jenna laughed softly against his chest. “Are you sure you want a puppy? They’re a lot of work.”
“I’m sure. But I hope you don’t mind that I sprung it on you,” he said. “I just couldn’t resist making it a surprise. And you had been talking about it.”
“Oh, I’m thrilled,” Jenna said. “The kids will never forget this.”
He dug one hand into his pocket, feeling the cool metal and abrupt edge of a large gemstone. He’d been carrying it around for the last two weeks, waiting for the right time. There were so many other, better ways to do this. Helicopters. Flash mobs. Surprises at the bottom of a bowl of spaghetti. But this felt right. This felt like a moment they would all remember. The warm air and scent of pine. The kids laughing. Jenna’s skin, soft and fragrant under his hands.
He cleared his throat. “Jenna, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.”
He felt her stiffen under his hands. Slowly, she turned to face him. “That sounds ominous. What about?”
“About you. And us. And how happy I am whenever you’re around.”
He took a deep breath. God, he was going to make a mess of this.
She reached out and touched his hand. “I feel the same. And I know this isn’t the life you pictured yourself living, with kids and puppies and desk jobs, but—”
“I couldn’t ask for a better life,” Simon said. “In fact, I had no idea how wonderful life could be until I met you.”
Jenna’s hand tightened on his. “I feel the same way. I used to wonder what real love felt like. Now I know.”
He tried for a smile, but his face had become frozen with a rush of emotion so powerful he had to stop and take a breath as he pulled the ring out of his pocket. The Tiffany’s salesman had promised she’d love it, with its heart-shaped diamond face surrounded by a ring of sparkling diamonds, and shining platinum band. His hand shook only for a second, then steadied as he held it out to her.
Her hand flew to her mouth and tears instantly filled her eyes. “What? Simon, I…”
He held up his hand to stop her. “I had no idea how much was missing from my life until I found you. I thought I had everything figured out, but it turns out I was completely wrong. I want to spend the rest of my life learning how to make you happy. I want to watch your kids grow up, and I want to be a part of their lives. I want to see you in a wedding dress and make love to you on our honeymoon. I want to start the life that I know we were meant to live together. Is there any chance you might feel the same?”
He flashed a quick look at the kids before he dropped down to one knee and held out the ring. “Will you marry me, Jenna Kellington? Will you help me make a home and raise a puppy and learn how to be a better man? Will you let me love you for the rest of your life?”
A tear escaped her eye and trickled down her cheek. She whispered a strangled, “Yes, you silly man, yes!” as she took the sparkling ring from his hand and slipped it on her finger.
He gave a whoop of joy and stood up, grabbing her around the waist and lifting her off her feet. They spun around in the warm sun, puppies yipping in the background. He heard the children yell something, and then Julia squealed, and Matt whooped, and Luke said, “Well, it’s about time.”
And he knew everything was going to be all right.
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About the Author
Inara grew up in the winter wonderland of Buffalo, New York. Consequently, she spent much of her childhood complaining about being cold. To spare the world her whining, she fled the cold climate and eventually wound up in the Pacific Northwest, where she is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. A proud author of romance for teens and adults, Inara firmly believes that great literature doesn’t have to be depressing, true love does exist, and everyone deserves a happily ever after. You can find her online at Twitter (@inarascott), on Facebook, and at her website: www.inarascott.com.
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Other books by Inara Scott
Rules of Negotiation
a Bencher Family novella
The Boss’s Fake Fiancee
a Bencher Family novella
Falling for Mr. Wrong
a Bencher Family novella
Reforming the Playboy
Radiant Desire
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