Epilogue
Two years later
“You know,” I said to Grant as I reached out to take his hand. “Sometimes I still can’t believe that we’re living in my old house. Like I’m aware of it, obviously, but then sometimes it hits me and takes me by surprise.”
“Do you like it here?” he asked. “I mean, are you glad that I did this?”
“Are you kidding me? I couldn’t ask for a better house. And, I like living with you.”
“I like living with you too. Especially when you go to sleep like that,” he said and lifted up the covers to look at me.
I chuckled. The night before we’d fallen asleep after a rather vigorous love-making session, and I was now completely naked, as was he. He was right; it was a nice way to fall asleep.
“I also like that after two years of being together, our sex life is still this good.”
“I’d go as far as saying it’s even better,” he said.
“Patriot and Audrey are alive and kicking.”
“Now, what can I get you eat, my lovely girlfriend?”
“You’re making me breakfast?” I asked. To this day, Grant was not the best in the kitchen. He’d tried a few times, but he was never very good.
“Surprisingly, I can actually make peanut butter on toast without burning anything down. Unless you want me to attempt something a bit more extravagant today?”
“No, let’s stick to the peanut butter,” I said and grinned. He’d once managed to burn an entire batch of scrambled eggs. This was a safe bet.
“Okay, give me five minutes and meet me downstairs.”
I stretched out when he left and sighed happily. It had taken almost a full year to finish building the house. Mostly because there had been issues with contractors, and all sorts of other things that we hadn’t considered at the time. But Brady was patient enough to let Grant stay with him in that time, especially with Grant helping at the ranch so much. And I stayed in my house. But six months after moving in, he’d invited me to live with him, and I couldn’t say no. It still felt so much like my house, even though much of it had changed. And anyway, I was spending more time at the house with Grant then I was in my own house. It had been a big move, but a good one. I couldn’t imagine living on my own anymore now that I lived with him. We gelled well together, and so far hadn’t gotten on each other’s nerves.
I climbed out of bed, put my robe on and made my way to one of my favorite parts of the house. Grant knew how much I loved the kitchen in my other house, and so he’d fashioned this one to look the same. It even had a bright yellow wall. I’d cried when I’d seen it, and to this day it makes me smile.
“Morning wall,” I said as I did every morning.
Grant laughed and handed me my breakfast. He’d slathered on so much peanut butter that there was more of it then there was bread. I held it up in admiration.
“I do like the way you make this,” I said and smiled. “Thank you. So, what are you doing today?”
“Actually, I have to work at the ranch for most of the day. But I’ll be back to get you later. I’m taking you for dinner.”
“Oooh, you are? That’s cool. Where are we going?”
“Don’t worry about the details. Just get ready by, say, six this evening.”
I smiled. “A secret rendezvous. This is exciting.”
I spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and went out to meet Terra for a quick coffee. Despite seeing her every day at work, we were constantly meeting up for coffee and wine. When I told her about the dinner that night, she gave a funny smile that I couldn’t quite understand and told me that I was going to have a great time. When I asked her if she knew where I was going, she said she couldn’t confirm or deny it. I assumed Grant had asked her for ideas. He was always phoning Terra when he wanted to do something for me. He knew that she was the number one person I went to and that she knew more about me than most people did. After meeting with Terra, I called my father, and we had a long conversation about his upcoming novel. He also invited me to come and stay with him the following weekend, to which I eagerly agreed. Every now and again we’d talk about him leaving when I was a child, but for the most part, it didn’t actually come up anymore. We’d moved past that, and I’d accepted the fact that he’d made a mistake. We were constantly working on our relationship, and I just felt happy to have a father in my life again.
At exactly six that evening, Grant showed up. I was surprised to see that he was all dressed up. Grant had become very casual since moving to Buffalo, but that was mostly because everyone else around him was so casual. And he suited the casual look. But still, he looked incredibly handsome standing in front of me in a suit and tie.
“Oh wow. You look amazing,” I said. “You got dressed there?”
He grinned. “Yeah. I knew getting Brady to build a bathroom at the ranch would pay off. So, are you ready for our date?”
“I sure am.”
“Come on, hop in the car. And Emily, you look absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I said. His compliments still made me happy.
“Oh no, I forgot my wallet at the ranch,” he said as we were just about to take off.
I laughed. “Is this your way of getting me to pay?”
“Ooh, I didn’t think of that. I’ll remember that for the future. Nah, it’s okay. We can swing by really quick before we head out. Anyway, there’s something I wanted to show you there. Might as well just show you tonight. It’s something I’ve been working on.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Oh, you’ll see. It’s hard to explain. You know Brady and I. We’re always working on things to make the ranch more efficient.”
We got to the ranch and climbed out of the car. Grant took my hand and led me toward the barn. I’d been there a few times over the past few years, and I was always impressed with how much hard work went into making the ranch work. Grant and Brady were two of the most hardworking men I’d ever met. And while Grant worked full time with the fire department, he still spent a lot of his time helping out at the ranch. He loved it. The door was closed, so Grant got out his key and opened it. The moment the doors opened I gasped.
The entire barn had been transformed. Candles had been placed all around, and in the middle was a table and chairs, with champagne and a wide selection of food. It looked absolutely beautiful.
“What? You did this?” I asked.
“Yeah, this is where I wanted to take you tonight. I call this Restaurant Maxwell.”
“Oh, I love it here. I’ve heard rave reviews about this place, you know,” I said and chuckled. “I hear the owner is pretty damn hot.”
“Oh yeah? Come on, take a seat,” he said and gestured toward the table in the middle.
I kicked off my shoes, which seemed pointless in the barn, and walked barefoot to the table. I sat down and giggled as Grant poured a glass of champagne for me. He poured one for himself and sat down beside me.
“This is amazing, Grant. I still can’t believe that you did all this.”
He laughed. “And you thought I was working today. Nope, this is what I’ve been up to all day. I even convinced Brady to help me put it together.”
“Oh, I’m sure he loved that. This is incredible.”
“I’m glad you like it. I was so nervous all day, but I’m glad it all came together. Emily, I never thought I would ever find someone like you. I never thought that I’d ever be as happy as I am right now. For a long time, I just thought I was doomed to be a lonely man. I honestly believed that. But you showed me a different side to life. You showed me how to relax, how to laugh, and how to enjoy every moment of my life. Hell, your house got burned down and you still saw the good in life. You’ve shown me a whole new side of things, and I never want to let you go. I love you so much. I wanted to do something for you to show you how much you mean to me. I want you to know that I appreciate you and that I don’t take you for granted.”
“I love you too, Grant. And you’ve made me the happiest woman in the world. You don’t need to do anything to prove your love for me. Honestly.”
“I know. But I want to. Emily Audrey Wessler, will you marry me?”
I couldn’t believe what was happening. The tears came rushing down my face. Even though he’d gone out of his way to put this all together for me, I still hadn’t realized it was part of a proposal. No wonder Terra had looked so mischievous today. She clearly knew what was about to happen.
“Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you.”
He pulled out a small box and opened it up. Inside lay a small silver band with three blue diamonds. He’d told me so many times that blue was the color that looked best on me. And this ring was the exact color of my eyes, which I knew was no mistake.
“Oh, Grant. It’s beautiful,” I said as he slipped it on.
“And so are you,” he said. “And, of course, tonight we are celebrating with lots of food and lots of champagne. And yes, there’s lots of cheese and bacon. And, in case you’re wondering, I didn’t cook a thing. So you’ll be glad to know that none of the food is burned.”
I chuckled. “This is perfect.”
“Oh, but there’s one more thing,” he said and reached under the table to retrieve a box and handed it to me. The box was about the size of a shoe box, but incredibly light.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Open it.”
I opened it up and pulled out the cutest bunny slippers that I’d ever seen in my whole life.
“Bunny slippers,” I whispered. “How did you know?” I’d never told Grant about my bunny slippers, which I used to wear all the time. I’d lost them in the fire and hadn’t been able to bring myself to buy another pair.
He laughed. “It’s a funny story, actually. Remember the first day I moved in with Brady? Well, I caught you peeping out from behind your car.”
“What? You did? I didn’t know you saw me! Oh, that’s so embarrassing. I remember you turning your head, but I thought I ducked down just in time.”
“You didn’t do it in time. I was just about to wave to you, but you ducked down under your car. It was pretty funny, and rather adorable to be honest. I couldn’t see any of you except your feet.”
“My bunny slippers!”
He smiled. “And after that, all I wanted to know was who the cute girl with the bunny slippers was. You had me intrigued from the very first day.”
I put them on and stood up to show him. “They’re even better than my last ones. They’re perfect. Thank you, Grant. This is by far the best proposal ever.”
“I love you, Bunny Girl.”
“I love you, Patriot.”
“Patriot, huh?” he said and winked at me.
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By Alycia Taylor
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Alycia Taylor
Chapter One
Ryan
I woke up that morning with a pounding headache. It wasn’t unusual for me. I hardly ever woke up without a headache. But that morning it felt worse than usual. I wanted to sleep in a little, but there was no chance I’d be able to with the way I was feeling. I got up, took two Advil, and headed straight to the shower. Afterward, I made myself something to eat and willed the pills to kick in. Thankfully, when it was time to head out to the training facility, I was feeling more like myself again.
Not sleeping in meant I was at the training facility earlier than I had planned. And yet, the moment I got in, I saw Nick there. I groaned. No matter what time I came in, Nick always beat me.
“Do you live here or something?” I asked him as I got nearer.
He laughed. “Morning, Ryan. Ah, beaten by me again. You’re early, though.”
“Yeah, but not as early as you, it seems. So, you ready to train today?”
“I will be as soon as I finish this tea. Get yourself some and join me for a little while. It’s still early.”
“You’re getting like an old man, you know. Drinking your tea, reading the newspaper.”
He laughed when he saw me reaching for the tea instead of the coffee.
“I had a bad headache this morning. I’m feeling better now but I don’t think too much caffeine is a good idea. I already had some coffee at home.”
“Ah, headaches again? You get them often, don’t you?”
“Nah, not too much anymore,” I lied. “But every now and then they come back around.”
“I’ll punch it out of you today, if you like.”
I laughed and sat down with my tea, pulling a part of the newspaper toward me to read. I loved being at the training center this early. The place got busy later on in the day, which is why we typically met up in the mornings. We usually had the whole place to ourselves. My happy place, I called it once, which I realized would sound crazy to anyone who wasn’t involved in MMA. But it was, I loved fighting more than I loved anything else in life. There was something about the adrenaline that pushed me to do more and more. And the more I did, the better I got at it.
“Hey, look here,” Nick said and pointed at his newspaper.
“What?”
“There’s some new cowboy movie that’s been shot in Buffalo, Wyoming. Isn’t that where your brother lives?”
I nodded. “Yeah, it’s actually being shot at his ranch.”
“But you just came from there.”
“I know, I went to stay with him while the movie was happening.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
I laughed. “I didn’t know you’d be interested.”
“Well, I am. I’ve never seen a movie being made before. What was it like? And how was your brother with the whole thing? Isn’t he super protective of that ranch?”
I laughed just thinking about my brother. “He’s very protective of it. And he was very upset when they decided to film there. Do you know Sloan Hill?”
“Of course I know her. Not so long ago she was all over the news. Some big scandal or something. Oh, wait, it says here she’s the lead role. Don’t tell me that you actually got to meet her? She’s so hot. Check out this picture of her.”
“I met her,” I said and grinned.
“You did? And? What is she like in real life? Tell me she’s just as hot. Did she tell you about the scandals?”
I couldn’t believe that Nick was so interested in the celebrity lifestyle. Then again, I suppose I had also been pretty excited when I found out where they were filming. My brother was the only one who hadn’t cared at all. I couldn’t believe it when he hadn’t told me something that had been such a big deal.
“Well, my brother had no idea who she was.”
“Oh dear. That’s hilarious! I thought everyone knew who she was.”
“My brother would probably not even know who Brad Pitt is. He’s in his own world out there on the farm. Apparently, he wasn’t very nice to Sloan, either. He laughed at the clothes she wore when she was supposed to be horseback riding, and he mocked her attempt at a Western accent. I think he was just so annoyed that someone from her walk of life was taking over his ranch.”
“Oh boy. That couldn’t have gone down well.”
“Not at first.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, as it turns out, the two of them fell for each other.”
“You’re kidding me!”
“I’m not. I promise. Although I realize how strange it sounds now that I’m saying it out loud. The whole thing is crazy. If I hadn’t seen the two of them together, I don’t think I would’ve believed it myself.”
“Wait, you’re not joking?” Nick said.
I chuckled. “I’m honestly not joking.”
“And you said you actually met her?”
“Yeah, I got to spend some time with her. She came to my brother’s for dinner, and she’s actually really nice. She’s nothing like what you would think. She was easy to talk to and down to earth. I mean, I saw hints of the big New York actress that she says she is, but for the most part, she was really nice. And she was clearly smitten with my brother; I could see it right away.”
“And hot?”
I laughed. “And hot. She’s even prettier up close, and way better without all that makeup on. She likes the lifestyle of being with my brother, too. Although I think it took her a while to settle in. I mean, it’s a big adjustment. And as for the scandals, well, that happened after I left. Apparently, she’s about to release a statement explaining herself. I have no idea. I’m staying out of that one. I called my brother to warn him, but you know what he’s like—he won’t listen to anyone but her. He’s not into gossip at all. But he seems very happy, and that is really all that matters, to be honest.”
“This is crazy. I can’t believe this. Wait a second—Sloan Hill is going to be a part of your family now! That’s insane. And, did you meet any other good-looking girls while you were there?”
“Nah, I’m not really into the girls from there,” I said and took a sip of my tea.
He chuckled. “Not from the farm! I meant did you meet any nice girls from the movie set?”
“Oh,” I laughed. “Well, there was a girl.”
“Oh yeah? An actress?”
“Yeah, her name is Blaire. She was one of the side actors, and she was friends with Sloan. She was really nice. And very pretty. I wouldn’t have thought her to be an actress, to be honest. I suppose she was playing a part in Wyoming, but I saw her off set, and she just seemed like an everyday kind of girl. The two of us talked for a while, and she showed me around the set, but that’s about it. It was very brief, you know. Nothing happened or anything.”
“And yet, you’re still talking about her,” he teased.
“Only because you asked.”
“So, are you going to see her again?”
I shook my head. Blaire had been very nice. There was something about her that had attracted me to her almost instantly. But I didn’t for one minute think that the two of us would see each other again. Maybe now that my brother was dating Sloan, I would bump into her, but it was highly doubtful. “No, I highly doubt it, to be honest. She was nice, but she seems like a bit of a goody two-shoes. I honestly doubt anything will come of it. We did exchange numbers, but I don’t think it will go any further than that. Anyway, she’s some movie star, and I’m a fighter. We’re from different worlds.”
“Well yeah, but so are Sloan and your brother. More so, in fact. Your brother is so far removed from the rest of society, and yet, here he is in love with a movie star. Strange things can happen. I wouldn’t put it past you.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. Anyway, she was sweet, but I don’t think anything will happen. She apparently lives around here, but I don’t think I’m going to call her. Now, enough girl talk. Let’s fight. Or are you putting me off because you’re scared?”
“Me? Scared of you? Never!”
Nick was a brilliant guy to train with. The two of us had become friends through MMA and had gotten close because nobody else in our lives could understand our obsession with fighting. Even though Nick didn’t compete anymore, he still came in to train with me. I had been worried that when he lost the sight in one of his eyes I’d end up losing a partner. But Nick had continued to be a part of it, even though I was sure that he missed doing title fights more than he dared to admit.
We trained for two hours solid until we heard the timer go off on Nick’s phone. We had started setting a timer because otherwise we’d forget about the time and end up going on for longer. Our coach had told us that training in two-hour increments was better for us than going at it all day. As usual, the two hours went by quickly.
We walked away with sweat pouring down our faces, and we waved to the two guys that had just walked in to train next. I unwrapped my hands and squeezed my fist to get the blood circulating again. It was amazing how much pressure we built up throughout the training. I never realized how tense I was until I got out of the ring and started to relax a bit.
“Can’t be easy training with just one eye. Although, I suppose at least you’ve got an excuse if I beat you now,” I teased. That was the one thing I liked most about Nick, as well as a lot of the other guys that I trained with: they didn’t take anything in life too seriously. We always joked around about each other’s misfortunes, and nobody took it too heart.
“Ha! You’re cocky now because you won your last fight. You know what happens to those who get too arrogant, don’t you? You’ll be too busy walking around with your head held high that you won’t see someone coming in and knocking you down.”
I laughed. “Ah, spoken like a true loser.”
He grinned. “How can you talk to your best friend like that? Especially a best friend with only one good eye!”
“Don’t play the guilt card with me. Anyway, I have to. You’ve spent years ribbing me, so I’m only getting you back. The amount of fights you won before me is way too many. I’m still trying to play catch-up.”
“You’re getting there, though. And now that I’m not competing, you’ll beat my wins in no time. You’re almost there, actually. Flip, Ryan, you’ve won so many fights lately. I’m putting it down to the fact that you’re training with one of the best.”
“I hate to admit it, but you’re probably right. You’re a good training partner. I just hope that I’m just not on some weird winning streak that is all going to come crumbling down around me someday. I’m enjoying all the wins.” I wasn’t looking forward to losing a fight again, which I knew would eventually happen. There was nothing quite like the feeling of winning.
Nick sighed. “That’s the thing with this game. You win some, and you lose some, and you’ve got to take the bad with the good. But if you continue the way you’re going, you’re going to be winning more than you’re losing.”
“That would be good! Anyway, I’m going to head home. I’ll catch you soon. Thanks for sparring.”
“You too man, and next time you have stories about celebrities becoming part of your family, I think you should tell me.”
I laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to happen again. But I’ll definitely keep you in the loop!”
I didn’t often talk to people about my brother. Brady was a solemn guy who liked to keep to himself. The two of us were close, but I knew he wouldn’t have been happy if I had gone around telling the world that he was in love with a famous celebrity. I still couldn’t quite believe it myself, really.
The moment I got home, I stepped into the shower, but the good feeling of the warm water washing over me was short-lived as my head started throbbing all over again. The Advil had worn off, and the pressure from the training had probably kicked in. Oh well; I’d just have to live with it. It was simply part and parcel of the fighting game.