Epilogue

Trig - four years later

I pull to a stop across from the hospital employee parking lot and see Maggie waiting at the entrance. Hard not to miss her, a gorgeous redhead dressed in teal scrubs. She waves, like she’s trying to flag me down. What does she think? That I won’t see her? That she’s not always on my radar?

Our son sniffles in the car seat. He’s nine months old and has decided he hates riding in the truck. The only thing that keeps him from yelling is the CD I have playing. Some kids’ music Jane gave me. It’s awful. Little Potato Munchkins. Jane and Wes claim the music is the best thing for driving with fussy kids. The singing is all done in voices that are about six octaves too high. Tristan loves the music, but he still wants his mama riding back there with him.

For the last mile, his sniffling has gotten louder with each passing tract. It’s like he knows we’re almost there. He’s got a mama radar.

I park by the curb and get out. Maggie gives me a sweet kiss. I open the door for her and she settles next to Tristan. Immediately he starts babbling happily.

“My baby boy,” she murmurs. “I missed you today.”

I smile as I pull out of the parking lot. Maggie only works on Fridays, and occasionally fills in on other days for other respiratory therapists. Every Friday afternoon, she climbs into the truck and tells Tristan the same thing.

We drive home, talking a little about her day. When we get home, Michael, Seth, Jimmy and Thomas meet us at the truck. It’s the last couple of weeks of summer and they’re working for me a few days a week. Michael’s in charge and keeps them busy, mucking stalls, cleaning tack and checking the fence line.

I take Tristan with me to the barn to see the horses while Maggie gets cleaned up from work. She doesn’t like to hold our boy until she’s gotten out of her scrubs, showered and dressed in clean clothes. Tristan grumbles when she disappears into the house, but I tell him we’re going to see Tex and he brightens up.

Michael’s got Tex in the cross ties, grooming him. Tex loves any attention he can get and when Michael works his coat with the curry comb, he stretches his neck forward, turns just a little and purses his lip. He’s the only one of my horses that acts like a ham when he’s getting brushed.

Seth, Thomas and Jimmy, watch the display, chuckling.

Tristan laughs too, stretching his hand out to the horse. I step closer to let him pet Tex’s nose. My horse has no problem, bucking and trying to dump me when I get on him, but he’s always gentle with Tristan and the boys.

“The barn looks good. You boys about finished?”

“Yes, sir,” Michael says. “Dad’s going to be here in a few minutes.”

He tosses the curry comb into the bucket of brushes and uses a softer brush to bring Tex’s coat to a gleam.

The boys have been a big help to me this summer. They’re just here a couple of days a week but they’ve worked hard and I’ll miss having them around once school starts. It’s hard to believe how much they’ve changed in the last few years. Jane and Wes have completed the adoption process on all four. They’re all Kendals now.

For the most part, it went smoothly until Michael’s hearing came up. It was about two years ago, just as Maggie was finishing up her degree. Out of nowhere, his father showed up and what should have been an open and shut case, turned into a lengthy ordeal. The lawyer’s fees added up. Wes and Jane were going through their savings at a pretty good clip when finally, the judge threw out the father’s claim.

By then we’d heard enough from the social worker to understand more about Michael’s first few years. Not any of it was good. Michael sat through the whole thing, stoic and unfazed. It was Maggie who started to fall apart. The testimony upset her so much I wouldn’t allow her to go to court.

Thankfully, the judge didn’t allow that part to go on too long. When all was said and done, I wanted to do something for them so they could go celebrate. Maggie came up with the idea of sending them on a vacation and we sprang for a trip to Disney for Wes and Jane and the four boys to go to Disney for a week.

Wes drives up and greets me with a mile-wide grin, waving a brightly colored CD.

“Little Potato Munchkins Christmas Carols,” he says with wicked glee. “Jane ordered it for you.”

I stare with a mixture of horror and disbelief. “It’s August!”

Wes waggles it temptingly in front of Tristan’s face. “Look what Uncle Wes brought, for his favorite potato munchkin.”

Tristan babbles excitedly, recognizing the weird little characters.

Maggie comes out of the house dressed in yoga pants and a loose t-shirt. Her hair hangs past her shoulders. Tristan reaches for her and after she hugs Wes she takes him from my arms.

“Ooh, is that the new Christmas CD?” she asks Wes.

“Hot off the press.”

“My radio doesn’t play Christmas songs,” I grumble.

“I didn’t think it played anything but Stevie Ray Vaughan,” Wes said. “I guess anything’s possible.”

The boys come out of the barn, looking dusty and tired, but happy. Thomas is going into fifth grade and even though he’s the youngest, he’s almost as tall as Michael. He’s counting the days till he can play football and I’m sure he’ll do great things on the field.

“Good work, guys,” I tell them as they pile into Wes’s car.

Maggie and I wait until they’ve disappeared down the driveway and go inside.

Later, when we’re finishing dinner, and Tristan sits in her lap, snuggled against her, I’m struck by how Maggie’s only twenty-three. Lots of women her age are going out, dating, partying. I never imagined she’d want any of this domestic life. I never thought I would either, and yet, the evenings with her and Tristan are the sweetest part of the day.

“Dinner was good. Let me do the dishes,” I tell her, kissing the top of her head.

I clean up while Maggie gives Tristan a bath. I get into the bathroom just as they finish up. She bundles him into a towel, with a hood that makes him look like a frog. Jane got it for him. My sister-in-law’s out of control with the stuff she buys Tristan. She watches him every Friday while Maggie works and is crazy about him.

She calls Tristan her baby fix.

Maggie settles Tristan down for a nap, rocking him and singing him lullabies.

The soft singing works on me at least as well as our boy. I lie in our bed, sink into the bedding as I listen. She hums a tune I don’t know, probably a song from Ireland. Every so often one sneaks into her evening lullabies. I close my eyes, drifting off contentedly.

Last night we made love twice, and again this morning. Maggie might be shy but I can always coax her into letting go of her inhibitions. I know just the place on her neck where my kiss will render her helpless. And there’s a spot an inch or so below her ribcage, a little to the left that makes her whisper dirty little promises to me, promises that make her blush when I remind her the next morning.

She’s deep inside me, part of me. I’m hers and she’s mine. We’ve been this kind of mix-up from the first time our eyes met. I smile as I drift into a light sleep and then, sometime later, I awaken. The room’s dark and she’s slipped under the covers beside me.

“Trig,” she whispers. “I have something to tell you.”

Her words have me wide awake. I pull her close. “What’s that?”

She strokes my arm with her fingertips. I can feel her heart beating fast and wonder what’s got her worked up.

“Next year, Tristan’s going to get a baby brother or baby sister.”

I play the words over a few times in my head. This isn’t a surprise, really, and yet it is. When we decided to start our family, I knew I wanted lots of kids, but didn’t want to push. I left the decision up to Maggie. I smile and kiss her and revel in the idea of another child.

“Thank you,” I say on an exhalation.

She laughs softly.

“You laughing at me, sassy girl.” I growl and nuzzle her neck.

“No. It’s sweet, you thanking me.”

Neither of us speak for a while. We’re both lost in thought about a new little one joining our family.

“You said the same thing when Tristan was born,” she says after a while.

“That’s how I feel about it. About everything. All the time.”

“Me too.”

Her breath catches.

“Shhh, I soothe. Don’t cry.”

“It’s just happy tears.”

I tuck her next to me and wrap her up in my arms. Lowering my hand, I find her hand covering her tummy. I settle mine on top of hers and hold her as her breathing deepens. Imagining another baby to love keeps my thoughts moving. It takes me a long time to fall asleep, but I don’t mind. Holding Maggie while she drifts off to sleep is perfect.

 

THE END

 

 

*** BONUS CHAPTER ***

 

Maggie surprises Trig for his birthday. She arranges a steamy night in a historic hotel, with a wicked plan to play new games. It's the best birthday Trig can remember, and reveals a deeper love than either of them ever imagined.

 

Thank you for reading Sweet Fix. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving me a review.

 

One more bonus book, The Virgin’s Offer, by Alix West. In case you didn’t know, Alix West is my alter ego, writing steamy, 19th century Texas Westerns with over-the-top alpha cowboys. I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

From the cover

 

Sophie Kerr needs a foreman to run her ranch. Not just any foreman, Zach Briscoe. Zach’s been watching out for her for years, but he’s not going to put up with any more of her sass. If she wants him to stay, she’ll need to let him run things. What’s more, she’ll need to hand over control to him – right after she apologizes for her backtalk. An apology she’ll need to make while over his knee.

 

 

 

The Virgin’s Offer

 

Alix West