Epilogue 2

ROSE

I stared at the mirror and straightened out my dress. No matter how much I tugged on the hem, I still couldn’t quite get it to look right.

“It looked so much better in the store… I think they’ve got those special mirrors that make you look better.”

“A mirror is a mirror, sweetie.”

“A mirror is not a mirror. Otherwise, this dress wouldn’t look so different from it did when I tried it on.”

My mom put a hand on my shoulder and smiled at my reflection. “You look beautiful.”

“What about my hair—”

“Your hair looks just as beautiful as it always does. He won’t be able to look away from you. I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of this. It’s just dinner.”

“I know. It’s just… This is your first time meeting him. I want everything to be perfect.”

“Do you love him, Rose?”

“…What?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Do you love him?”

“…I do.”

“Then everything already is perfect.” She leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. She always knew exactly what to say to calm me down but never ceased to amaze me. “You should probably go out there before your father scares him away. I’ll go get dinner ready.”

My mother headed into the kitchen while I looked out the window. Ashton leaned against the low fence while he watched my father feed everything in the small coop off to the side. I took a deep breath before heading out to join him.

The sun was just about to go down. The sky was a beautiful auburn without a cloud to block the beautiful view. The weather was warm. A cool breeze against my skin made me shudder slightly but not enough to regret the dress I wore.

“Hey.” I walked up to Ashton and he turned toward me. His eyes widened slightly, as if I’d gotten his attention for some reason.

“You look… amazing.” I moved close to him, trying and failing to hide my smile by biting my lips.

“What’s amazing about me, exactly?”

“The dress. The hair. The face. The body. The skin. Everything about you, Rose.”

“You’re pretty amazing yourself, Mr. Butler.”

Ashton was dressed in the same leather kutte he always had on. A pair of jeans that hugged his muscular legs along with a t-shirt underneath wasn’t exactly fancy but damn did it accentuate everything about him.

I leaned against him, resting my head against his arm while we watched my father feed the chickens.

“How’s my dad treating you?”

“He’s treating me like any father would treat the man his daughter brought home. Questioning me. Figuring out what I’m all about. Testing me to see if I’m good enough.”

“My father always let me and Joey do our own thing but he can be protective at times. Even though I’m already grown.”

“It doesn’t matter how old you are. You’ll always be his daughter. The man lives an honest life out here. He’s got real values. I know he only wants what’s best for you.”

I wrapped my hands around his arm, moving in closer to him. I couldn’t help but sigh at how comfortable I felt.

“This is what I’ve known all my life,” I said. “I haven’t seen the entire world but I can’t imagine it gets any better than this. You think you could be happy like this, Ashton? Just an average, simple life in Ivory. Nothing extraordinary. Just… life.”

He looked down at me and smiled. I always saw that rugged, tough guy facade. It was hard not to notice with the beard and the tattoos and the leather vest. But when I looked into his eyes, I saw something more. He was more than just a man I wanted to sleep with or spend time around. Just the thought of not having him around made me feel empty inside.

“You say it’s just life but every man dreams of something like this. You’ve got a steady job now. I’ve got good, honest work back in town. Your folks are still around. I wish my folks were still around to see this.”

“I’m sorry they’re not here.”

“It’s all right… I’m sure they’re better off where they are now. Speaking of which, how’s Joey doing?”

“I got a postcard from him a few days ago. It didn’t say anything but I know it’s him. Postmarked from Miami.”

“Near a port… The man’s looking to set sail.”

I looked out toward the horizon and sighed again. “I hope he finds what he’s looking for.”

“A man like him is always looking for some kinda adventure. You just gotta be happy he’s living in the moment.”

“I am…”

“Rose!” My mother called out from the entrance to the farmhouse. “Dinner’s ready! Why don’t you and Ashton come in now? Your father is gonna be busy.”

“We should probably head inside now,” Ashton said.

He started to walk away but I tugged on his arm and pulled him close. I looked up and smiled at him. “Just a little bit longer. I wanna… I wanna enjoy this moment with you, out here under the sky.”

He smirked and nodded.

I rested my head on his arm as we both looked up toward the sky. I’d been looking at it my entire life but it never looked as gorgeous as it did now. It was so beautiful I could feel it inside of me.

That was him though. The picture of my life wasn’t complete until Ashton came into it.

“I love you.” The words came effortlessly out of me. I wasn’t looking at him but I knew he was smiling.

“I love you.” He kissed me on the top of my head and brought me in close, letting me press my head against his chest.

A moment of excitement with Ashton was more than enough to last me a lifetime. Now he and I could both have the simple life we were always looking for but never knew we really wanted. It was all right here in Ivory.