Sara
The colors in the sky during Oregon sunsets were really like nothing I had ever experienced anywhere else. They were vibrant in color and had a sense of peace and tranquility to them. The last two years had been a whirlwind but in a good way. Just six months after Ryan proposed, we got married. The entire town was invited, and though the ceremony was elegant and beautiful, Ryan surprised me with a town fair bigger than any before as our reception. It really was the best. After that, we easily settled into life. Ryan’s ranch had been up and running for a while, and the government was so impressed with what it did, they signed a contract with his company. They would be placing the solar stations all over the country. It was his dream made into a reality. I couldn’t be prouder of him.
The stables were running like clockwork, and Alison was having the time of her life with the barn Ryan had built. She had everything she ever needed and ever wanted all in one place. Then, to add to it, for my wedding gift from Ryan he adopted ten needy horses to add to the organization. It finally made sense why he had commissioned the barn to be so huge during the rebuild after the fire. I spent a lot of time there, even when the surprise arrived.
Just three months after we were married, during one of my routine doctor checkups, I found out I was pregnant. I guess we waited no time at all to start a family. Ryan was ecstatic, and so was I. It was an incredibly exciting time. He waited on me hand and foot during the whole pregnancy, and I couldn’t have imagined a better partner in life. In the end, we had a beautiful, healthy baby girl named Alyse who was getting ready to celebrate her first birthday very soon. She was a handful like I was when I was a little girl, but it helped that we had a lot of room for her to run. We ended up buying the piece of land adjacent to the stables and built our dream farmhouse on it. I could sit on my porch, watch the horses graze across the road, and laugh as my blond-haired little girl laughed and giggled, playing with the dogs in the front yard. She had the life I’d wanted to have for her.
Ryan was an amazing father, and I couldn’t help looking at him in awe every time I watched how gentle, loving, and kind he was to our daughter. He was the father I always dreamed my children would have. We took Alyse everywhere, and when I had to work at the practice, which had grown leaps and bounds, she would have her beloved daddy-daughter time. I ended up hiring my assistant full-time, got to spend more time with my family, and still make sure the animals of the town were cared for.
As far as Janson was concerned, I had only seen him one more time since the night he kidnapped me, and that was when I stood up in court to testify against him. He still had that same old smug look on his face. However, when the jury convicted him, pronouncing him guilty of all charges, and the judge handed down a thirty-year sentence in a high-security facility, that smile quickly wiped away. That chapter of my life closed that day, and I was more than happy to never have to open it back up again. It made me a stronger woman, and that was the only thing I would take with me into the future.
Life had turned out beyond my wildest dreams. When I was a little girl, I had hoped for a future that involved an amazing husband, beautiful children, and the ability to take care of animals like I always wanted. Well, I had that life and so much more. Ryan had turned from the man I loved to the man I respected, cared for, cared with, and walked beside. He was the person I would grow old with one day, and that in itself was an amazing feat after everything we had been through.
“Hey,” Ryan said, interrupting my thoughts. “We were just wondering where you were.”
“Hey there.” I smiled, turning around and taking Alyse into my arms. “Were you having fun with Daddy?”
She smiled and nodded her head wildly, looking out at the sun. I laughed and kissed Ryan sweetly on the cheek, turning back to the sunset behind us. Ryan put his arm around my shoulder and sighed.
“It’s so beautiful,” he said. “We have the perfect life. Now, all we need is a few more kids, and we’ll be good.”
“Well, I don’t know about a few more, but I can promise one more in about eight months,” I said, turning to him and beaming with pride.
“Oh my god,” he said. “Another one? This is fantastic.”
I laughed. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he said, cupping my face and kissing me gently. “Forever.”
“Forever,” I repeated.
I definitely got my happy ending.
The End
Author Note: Hope you enjoyed that. It’s an old one for us that we tried publishing under a new name, but it didn’t go too well, so we’ll moving all of these stories back to me and Ali. She writes like a crazy person, and I plot until I can’t see straight. We appreciate you. Enjoy our exclusive Bad Boy Collection as well. Just call into work and stay up all night... we do!