Epilogue
Blake’s boots were covered in mud, so he took them off on the back porch so he didn’t track it through the house. He’d promised Jill he would only be gone a few minutes after they’d arrived at the ranch, but of course, once he went out to check on things at the stable, that promise had gone up in smoke.
They’d been married a few months, but this was only their second trip to the ranch as man and wife. He wasn’t about to spend it mucking about in the pastures. He was going to shower, then spend the rest of the day with Jill doing whatever she wanted to do—though he did have certain hopes in that direction.
As he passed through the kitchen, Hayden looked up from the sandwich she was making. “Have you seen Jill? She said she was going to watch a movie with me.”
Blake still hadn’t gotten over how close Jill and Hayden had become over the last few months. Of course, neither of them had ever had a sister before. The only problem he had now was getting Jill alone in the little spare time they had away from business.
“If I see her, I’ll remind her.” Maybe.
“Thanks, but I’m going to start without her.”
“Do that.”
He walked into the master bedroom, and stopped short at the sight of Jill sitting cross-legged on the bed with tears running down her face. “What the blazes?”
Gasping, she looked up from something she held in her hand. “It’s time.”
“Time for what?” Blake was lost.
“To make decisions. About what I want and what I’m doing.”
“I’ll volunteer for both of those.”
She laughed, but only briefly as her thoughts turned back to whatever was on her mind. “I need to figure out what I’m doing with my career. I’ve been so happy since we’ve been married, free from the pressure I felt working for my dad. I love helping you manage your businesses and finding ways to improve them, but…
“But what? You know I’ll support you in anything you want to do.”
She held out a white plastic stick to him. He took it automatically but his brain felt frozen. A pregnancy test? With his heart beating like thunder, he looked down and saw the words, “Not Pregnant” spelled out in black, digital letters.
He looked at Jill, hoping desperately to figure out what he was supposed to think or say. Though he felt disappointed, he had no idea what she felt. He did know that holding her was probably the best thing he could offer right then. Forgetting about the mud splattered on his clothes, he sat down and pulled her to him. She began sobbing, so he rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, willing to be her rock as long as she needed him to be.
After a moment, when her crying subsided, he said, “Talk to me sweetie. We’ve been using protection from the beginning. You wanted time to figure out what you wanted.”
She sat back. “I know, but I was a week late so I started wondering. It wasn’t till the test came back negative that I realized how much I was hoping to be pregnant.”
Blakes heart warmed. He understood now. “You know I want to have kids. If you want them too, let’s go for it. He kissed her lips. “In fact, we can start trying right now.”
Jill smiled but held him back with two hands on his chest. “But how do I balance being a mother and having a career?”
“We’ll figure it out, I promise. You know how busy I am, but I’m determined to be a better parent than I ever had. And whatever you decide, I know you will be too.”
“But what if I decide I don’t want a career anymore? Or what if I decide I do?”
Rubbing her arms, Blake said, “Dreams change. And then they change again. The only way to be happy in this life is to be true to your heart.”
Jill leaned forward and kissed him. “You’re the best. I love you.”
“Love you, too, sweetheart. So much so that I’m going to forgive you for nearly giving me a heart attack. Next time you decide to pee on a stick, can you give me some warning?”
“No problem. Next time you come inside with mud on your clothes, can you take them off before you get on the bed?”
Blake laughed. “You’ve been telling me to take off my clothes since the day we met.”
“Just because it was so hot that day and you were wearing a suitcoat.”
“And now you’re at it again. Don’t worry though, I intend to support you in anything—having a career, having a baby… Heck, we can have a whole pack of kids if you want them. But if what you want right now is for me to take my muddy clothes off, I guess I’ll just have to man up and keep my word.”
Jill threw a pillow at his head with impressive aim, but he wasn’t fooled. She was as happy to build this life together as he was.