Epilogue
“Charli, I love you, but this is the last time I’m moving the beam. Are you sure this is where you want it?”
Charli tilted her head to the side and stared at the gorgeous man in a checkered shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a tool belt around his hips—and, as usual, she lost her train of thought. Now that he was back in town, after spending three months in Portland when they saw each other only on the weekends, he’d been carving out time from his busy schedule to work on the renovations of his parents’ house. Dreams On The Hill, their very own B&B, would open in March, just in time for the spring festival. They’d spent the second half of October going over the details to make sure everything would be just like she’d envisioned in her mind, and over the last three weeks he’d been working on making it happen while also juggling other projects he’d taken on.
Once he’d completed the job in Portland, Kean decided to keep in touch with his client on any new projects he might have in the surrounding area. The man had been amazed by Kean’s work and had promised to recommend him to anyone looking for a good architect. The website Charli created with the help of a couple of geeky teenagers from the book club brought his company the attention it deserved—he hadn’t been out of work since coming home and he already had a full schedule until early next year. Most projects so far had involved only his architectural skills, while other clients wanted the whole package, but the money he made now allowed him to hire extra workers, especially if the sites were farther out. Since he’d come home, he’d never been away longer than two days in a row, and they’d been spending a lot of time working together on the B&B.
Sometimes her excitement tested his patience, though. Like today, when she’d changed her mind for the fourth time about the position of a beam—which she no longer wanted in the center of the room.
“You’re ogling.”
His serious tone pulled her out of a daydream that involved him, his tool belt, and no clothes. Yes, she was a perv like that—and it was all his fault.
“You know what? Just place it wherever you think is best. You’re the architect, I trust you.” She smiled when he rolled his eyes, and moved closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. “I love you, too. And I’m sorry I’m driving you crazy. I just want everything to be perfect.”
Her phone beeped and she pulled it out of the back pocket of her jeans. “I have to work on Jocelyn’s party now. Do you mind if I disappear into my office for an hour or so?”
While Kean was in Portland, she’d kept herself busy with Shotgun Events, her very own event planning company. The name had been Kean’s idea, as a reference to the day they met, and she’d thought it was perfect. Once she’d told Kean’s family, word of mouth had done the advertising for her, and she already had a full schedule of events, parties, and celebrations.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Go ahead. I’ll finally be able to get something done if you’re out of my hair.”
She huffed and slapped his arm. He chuckled, and the sound made her insides melt. Holy guacamole, he’d turned her into a lovesick mess.
“Have you heard from Adam yet?” she asked as she stepped away from him, determined to get some work done before she changed her mind and kissed him until they were both breathless.
Kean placed the beam against the wall, then pulled out his phone. Ellie was due any day now, and this morning Adam had taken her to the hospital outside town for a checkup. He shook his head. “No messages. But hey, I forgot to tell you I heard from Kyle this morning.” His face lit up at the mention of his baby brother. “His rehab is going better than they’d expected, and he should be able to come home for a quick visit on Thanksgiving. The kid’s always been tough and I’m sure his determination will help him recover faster.”
His phone rang then, just as Charli’s did. They stared at the screens, then at each other.
“It’s Adam,” Kean said, just as Charli said, “It’s Ellie.”
“Do you think…?” they said at the same time. His eyes widened, and they both answered the calls. Five minutes later, they were in Kean’s truck, headed for the hospital.
* * *
Later that night, Charli lay snuggled in Kean’s arms, her cheek on his chest and his hand rubbing up and down her arm in the soothing way she loved. Seeing her best friend’s twins and holding baby Cory in her arms had felt like an emotional storm had hit her. But seeing Kean cradling that tiny bundle in a pink chenille onesie, watching his strong arm supporting that tiny body, his big hand stroking Lily’s cheek ever so lightly, had all but razed her defenses to the ground like the worst of hurricanes. Eight months ago she’d been scared of kids, terrified by dogs, wary of men, and determined to have a successful career in a big city.
But this man, this handsome, loving, and deliciously infuriating man had turned her life upside-down, changing her mind about everything she thought she wanted. In one of her usual introspections she was now used to having, minutes before falling asleep in Kean’s arms, she’d realized that the person she was now was the woman she was meant to be. The one who loved having her hair braided by a four-year-old and going to her tea parties. The one who lived in a house with three dogs because she couldn’t bear to see them go to another family. The woman who greeted people on the street by their names and didn’t need to order her coffee or her favorite muffin because they would already be at her table two point five minutes after she’d walked into the bakery. He’d made her understand what was really important, he’d helped her remember the dreams of that eight-year-old, and he’d opened her eyes, making her see who she really wanted to be. She wasn’t going to get rid of her fancy clothes and stilettos—mainly because Kean wouldn’t let her—and she wasn’t going to stop driving into the next bigger town for her shopping. But she’d started enjoying the small-town charm Kean had kept advertising from the moment they met. Actually, she loved it. But maybe it had to do with the gorgeous man sleeping next to her.
“You still ogling me, Lioness?” His raspy voice made her body tingle—no surprise there. One look, one word, one touch, and she lit up like a fire torch. He squinted one eye open and grinned. “I know I have a drool-worthy physique, but you can’t spend the nights watching me instead of sleeping. It’s not healthy.”
“I love your humble side,” she said, smiling. “But I wasn’t ogling. At least not this time.”
“Then what was going on in that pretty little head of yours? I’m positive I could hear the cogs turning.”
They’d only been officially together on and off for five months, but he could already read her better than anyone else.
“I was thinking about today, and my life, and how meeting you—falling in love with you—changed everything I thought I knew.”
He smiled—lazy and lopsided, and plain gorgeous. She leaned closer and brushed his lips with hers. “I’m no longer the woman who got stranded outside town and wrinkled her nose at small-town life.”
“I kinda liked that feisty city girl, though,” he said, before returning her kiss with an equally chaste one.
“Don’t worry, you won’t be able to take the feisty girl out of me.” She winked, and he chuckled. “But I see things differently now. I’m no longer scared of kids or dogs, and I’m happy my job doesn’t rule my life anymore.”
She pushed herself up against his chest and stared down at him. In the light coming from the lamp on the nightstand, his eyes were as dark as the most delicious, most intense dark chocolate, smoldering like the hot coal he used for his barbecue. They locked with hers and she temporarily lost her train of thought.
“I know I said I didn’t want a family of my own, but seeing you with Lily, holding Cory in my arms… I forgot the reason why I don’t want kids. Or a husband. Or the whole fairy tale.”
She saw the moment her words registered—his eyes filled with love and adoration and they crinkled at the corners, as his lips curled in a sweet smile.
“I’m not saying I want to get married tomorrow and pop out three kids within five years,” she said, making him chuckle at her choice of words. “But I’m no longer opposed to having some tiny Bob the Builders running around our backyard, chasing puppies.”
“What exactly are you saying, Lioness?” The smirk on his face showed he knew precisely what she was saying, but no, of course he had to tease her just to get a kick out of it. She rolled her eyes.
“I’m saying that one day, in the not too far but not too near future either, if you showed up with a small velvet box and asked me to marry you, I wouldn’t tell you to get lost.”
He laughed. “That must be the most romantic declaration I’ve ever heard. You should ask Hallmark to put it in one of their Valentine’s Day cards.”
She huffed and moved as if to get out of bed, but his strong grip made it impossible for her to move a muscle.
“Chill, babe. You know I love messing with you.” His grin would let him get away with anything. She couldn’t be mad at him when he smiled like that, damn him. “And I love the idea of feisty little girls running around our backyard, too. Do you think it would be too early if we started trying for kids now?”
She rolled her eyes. “I said one day, not tomorrow. I don’t want to risk ending up like Adam and Ellie. If your genes are so, um… efficient, I’d get pregnant on the first attempt. I’m not quite ready, thanks very much.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Fine. But nobody says we can’t, you know, train for it, while still using protection? Just to make sure we’re not newbies when the time comes to, um, work on it?”
She laughed as he rolled her over and pinned her on the mattress simply with an intense stare. There were so many reasons why she loved him: he made her laugh, he made her hot, he drove her crazy. And eventually he’d made her realize that, even though she’d spent most of her life planning everything, the most beautiful thing had ended up being completely unplanned. A crazy, illogical, and decidedly unplanned love.