Epilogue
Livvy raised her camera and focused the shot. Two elk calves nursing off their mother, the high grasses of the valley brushing their shoulders and the mother’s knees. Summer insects buzzed in front of the lens, which only lent to the aesthetic.
She was smiling before she lowered her camera to look around for more things to photograph. Behind her, Ryan’s solid body supported her as he guided the horse through the lowlands.
“Do you miss photographing people?” His chest rumbled against her spine.
She heard what he wasn’t asking—did she miss the chance to go to Alaska. She didn’t, not one bit. She’d journeyed all over the world but was content to stay put for a while and learn about the mountain—and her mountain man.
“I photograph the Hostlers and you. There were also the hikers we ran across, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.” His bored tone didn’t fool her—he’d been more than disgusted to be interrupted in their, um…fun by two hikers coming down the trail happy to see other humans and eager for a chat about mountain living.
“At least we weren’t naked.”
“Yet. I don’t know why we live so far from civilization if you can’t even get naked in your own back yard.”
She bit back a laugh and covered his big hand with hers. The horse jostled them lightly, and the motion was making it difficult for her to think. Ryan’s hard groin nestled against her behind, inviting lewd thoughts.
“You don’t think the horse wants a rest, do you?” she asked.
He leaned close and placed his lips to her ear. “I know what’s going on in that dirty mind of yours, sweetheart. You’ve been insatiable ever since our honeymoon.”
The ceremony had taken place on the mountain before the Hostlers and Aiden Roshannon. After a big meal of fish and wild game, fire-roasted potatoes, cornbread and even a small frosted wedding cake Lynn surprised them with, Ryan had barely been civil enough for celebrations. When the guests and the preacher Aiden had brought with him had finally all left, Ryan had taken her inside their cabin and they hadn’t emerged for a very long time.
She squeezed his fingers where they rested just below her breast. “You know half the time you’re stirring me up. You can’t keep your hands to yourself.”
“Well, since you’ve got such a good opinion of me…” He stroked the undercurve of her breast, sending more need through her.
“Maybe just one small break wouldn’t make us too late to the baby shower.” Ryan teased the shell of her ear with his tongue.
She moaned and slid her fingers against his jaw. He’d let his beard grow back in, and the soft hairs made her mind snap to late nights, warm blankets and his very talented tongue.
She twisted into his arms and before she knew it, they were on the ground, the horse happily grazing for his afternoon snack and the thick grasses concealing them from the world.
By the time they got back on the horse and made it into town, the baby shower was well underway. Aiden’s wife Amaryllis was seated at the head table, a smirk on her face as she watched the shower guests trying to identify different types of candy bars smeared in the bottom of baby diapers.
Livvy squeezed Ryan’s hand before making a beeline for the glowing woman. They’d come into the valley several times to visit with Aiden and his family, and Livvy adored them all.
Ryan moved off to where Aiden sat in the corner, entertaining their little boy with a pile of blocks. Livvy caught his eye and gave him a soft smile before enveloping Amaryllis in a huge hug.
“I’m so sorry we’re late. It took longer to get off the mountain than we expected.”
Amaryllis smirked. “I’ve had days like that too.” She patted her round belly. “Here, take a seat. Can you believe my poor guests have to smell a diaper as part of a game? And the only prize is a basket of kitchen towels and pot holders,” she said ruefully.
With a laugh, Livvy took the seat next to her. “Whose idea was this game?”
Amaryllis pointed to her sister-in-law, Cecily. The lovely blonde revolved through guests with the diapers, making sure each person got to see them and write down their answers while her other sister-in-law, Stormy, encouraged the women to fight for that gift basket of kitchen towels.
“You guys did a beautiful job with the decorations here in the fire hall.”
“Again, that would be Cecily and Stormy. They’re great at organizing. I’d rather be out on the road catching cattle rustlers.” Amaryllis pushed out her lips in a pout and directed her stare at her husband.
“He still isn’t letting you leave the county?”
“No. So what if we barely made it to the hospital when I went into labor with Sawyer.” Her face softened as it fell on her son, the spitting image of his daddy.
Livvy’s gaze moved to Ryan. Her big, burly mountain man plopped to the floor and began stacking blocks for the toddler to knock down. Sawyer’s giggling fit carried throughout the hall, and she and Amaryllis both chuckled.
“Look at them. All kids.” She turned her attention to Livvy. “When were you and Ryan planning to start your family?”
“Since I was always on the move, I didn’t have time for birth control pills, so my family planning would require a visit to the doctor to start with. But I’m seeing a certain look on my husband’s face that makes me think that appointment will be in the near future.”
Joy spread across Ryan’s face as he stacked the blocks for Sawyer and this time the little guy crashed his toy car into the structure.
Amaryllis nodded. “When you’re ready, my doctor’s fabulous. I’ll give you the number.”
“Thank you.”
Cecily returned with the diapers in hand and Amaryllis wrinkled her nose. “Get those things away from me. I’ll be up to my eyeballs in diapers once the baby comes and Sawyer still isn’t totally potty-trained. When do we get to the cake part of the shower?”
Tossing Livvy an eye roll, Cecily took the diapers to another table and came back with a small plate of fruit salad for the expecting mother. “You’re a downright tyrant when you’re nearing the end of your pregnancy, you know that, right?”
Stormy appeared and nodded emphatically in agreement before giving Livvy a hug. The ladies sat chatting for another minute before Mrs. Roshannon stood in the center of the room to announce the types of candy bars in the diapers. The winner happily received her gift basket and then they announced it was time to cut the cake and open gifts.
“Thank God. I finally get a piece of this cake,” Amaryllis grumbled, getting to her feet.
The Roshannon men, Judd, Wes and their father all got in line for slabs of pink cake and joined Ryan and Aiden in playing with Sawyer while the ladies oohed and aahed over frilly pink baby clothes that Amaryllis unwrapped.
Livvy moved through the hall, snapping photos to give to Amaryllis and Aiden after the party. And she took a second to change thumb drives and capture quite a few of her husband wearing pink cake crumbs in his beard.
When he caught her at it, he narrowed his eyes. “What are you up to, woman?”
She gave a private smile and touched her chin.
“Argh. Much easier to eat rabbit. Never get crumbs in my beard.” He gave it a good rubbing with his knuckles, knocking the crumbs loose. Livvy couldn’t resist hooking an arm around his neck and drawing him close enough to kiss. She stopped short of brushing her lips over his, though, just staring into his eyes.
“Uh oh. You’ve caught the baby bug, haven’t you?” His voice didn’t often sound so rough since he used it regularly now. But the gruffness warmed her insides.
“I don’t know. I was thinking you caught the baby bug.”
He shifted his gaze to Sawyer, falling asleep on his father’s lap with his thumb in his mouth. “He’s a sweet kid. But you realize we’ll have to move to the valley if you get pregnant.”
She straightened away. “What?”
“You heard me. We can’t have you giving birth on the mountain with just me to attend you.”
“Women have been birthing babies on their own since the beginning of time, Ryan. Who said I need a big facility, doctors and nurses to do it?”
“Oh Lord, now you got her goin’,” Judd commented as he passed with a second slice of cake.
Ryan grunted and folded his arms. “My wife is not squatting in the yard to give birth to my child.”
“And I’m not leaving the mountain.”
“Damn, but you’re a stubborn person.”
She grinned. “Takes one to know one.”
Amaryllis stopped in front of them and looked between one set of folded arms to the other. “How’d you piss her off now, Ryan?”
“The crazy woman thinks when she gives birth, it’s going to be on the mountain and not in a hospital.”
“Well, who says she can’t? Women can do anything we set our minds to.”
Ryan closed his eyes slowly as if for patience, which only made Livvy pick up her camera. Before he realized what she was doing, she’d snapped several photos of him. With a growl, he reached out to snag the camera from her, but she darted away from his move and somehow ended up in his lap.
Cradled on those big, strong thighs, she had never felt so loved. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into his chest, and brushed a kiss over her brow. “We’ll discuss this later.”
“I’m not sure what there is to discuss. I made up my mind.”
He issued a primal grunt, which drew the grins of his buddies. “You’re lucky I love you, Livvy.”
She snuggled closer. “Who’s lucky?”
“Damn, I miss my silence sometimes.”
She giggled and plucked out one of his beard hairs, which made him yowl. “You’re such a liar.”
He looked down into her eyes, the depths of his warm and burning with love. “You’re right—I am a liar. I can’t imagine not having you in my life, sweetheart.”
“Even if we argue?”
He pressed his lips against hers. “Mmm-hmm. Because it means we can make up.”
She closed her eyes on a sigh as he kissed her with all the tenderness and love she’d known Ryan Stone was capable of giving from the start.
THE END