Epilogue
Two little girls with ponytails flying chased in and out of the picnic blankets spread on the ground. One of the women cautioned them, and the girls ignored them, racing faster until one caught the other.
Justus hitched his thumb in his jeans pocket and looked out over the family milling around. The guys were just cooling down after putting the finishing touches on the house building. The long gray ranch with blue shutters and a homey front porch stood overlooking the land he’d been working for a season already. The harvest spread before them in the way of food.
Bright green lettuce and vine-ripe tomatoes ready to be put atop sandwiches and home-grown potatoes were the main ingredients of Aunt Maggie’s famous potato salad.
Ford clapped him on the back. “Looks great, bro.”
Easton joined them, eyeing the commotion. “I don’t know if we’re celebrating the food you’ve grown or the number of little ones we’ve all grown.”
Justus cocked a brow at his brother. “We’ve all grown?”
Easton glanced at his wife. “Got one in the oven. Lilah wants to hold off on the announcement, though. Didn’t want to take away from your celebration.”
He and Ford bro-hugged and congratulated their brother, and Ford beamed at his wife several feet away, round with their own first baby. Just then the door opened and Tuesday emerged from their new home, Joshua riding on her hip. He was eager to be on his feet. He wasn’t quite there yet, though Tuesday had gone shopping with her new sisters-in-law and come home with his first pair of real cowboy boots.
“He’ll probably outgrow them by next week, but they’re too cute, aren’t they?” she’d asked, and Justus had agreed.
He caught her eye and she smiled as she came down the steps toward him. As soon as the boy spotted his daddy, he reached out, and Justus took him in his arms and tickled his belly. Peals of laughter added to the noise the kids made.
Slipping his arm around his wife’s shoulders, he leaned in to nip her earlobe. “I can’t wait to take you to bed in our own home tonight.”
The women had been busy setting the interior to rights while the men hammered up the last bits of siding and finished off the porch. The benefit of having a big family was things got done quick.
She leaned into his touch, a shiver running through her that had him instantly aching to get her alone. “It’s so amazing. I feel like I’m going to burst inside.”
He took her hand and brushed a kiss over her ring finger, where he’d had the honor of placing a wedding band some months before. “I feel the same.”
“And look at what you’ve grown for the family—all this food.”
He beamed. “I’m not one to brag but I did damn good.”
She laughed.
Joshua James squirmed and Justus led his wife to a picnic blanket. He set the baby down and gave him a biscuit to gnaw on. Looking at the boy, his heart grew even bigger. And when he glanced at his big, happy, thriving family, words evaded him. He’d never be able to voice how much love and joy he felt at this minute.
Tuesday got up to fetch the baby a plate of food and his cousins, aunt and uncle roamed between picnic blankets, visiting with each other.
Justus tipped his head up to the sky and finally words came to his lips—of thanks to his Maker. Then Joshua James crawled over to his lap and pushed on his chest in their game where he made his daddy fall over.
Justus tipped back with a mock cry, and the baby laughed. He cuddled the boy and tickled him again. Just then a shadow crossed over him, and he found himself staring up at the most beautiful vision imaginable.
He reached up and Tuesday sank into his arms. He drew them both tight to his chest and gave a rumble of pleasure. “We got all we need.”
She kissed the baby’s forehead followed by Justus’s lips. “We sure do.”
THE END