by K. C. Crowne
“Daddy!” she exclaimed.
“Tilly!” he called to her, covering her face with kisses.
My face hurt from smiling so much. He put Matilda down and it was my turn for the hugs and kisses, always plenty of them left for me.
“Something smells good,” he quipped.
“I’m making homemade chili, Mom’s recipe,” I said.
“Is there any other way to make it?” he teased.
“Not in this house.” I laughed. “I’m going to set the table. You and Tillie go get washed up for dinner.”
He nodded and kissed me again before turning to our daughter. “Come on ladybug, let’s get those hands clean.”
I went into the kitchen and finished setting the table, listening for the pitter patter of her tiny feet followed by his heavy ones. They were gone longer than expected.
“Everything okay in there?” I called out. “Food’s getting cold.”
“Be right there,” Kellen responded.
I heard Matilda giggling and assumed they were being silly or playing. Shaking my head, I took a seat, feeling a bit woozy on my feet. I wrung my hands, worried about what I was about to tell him. I had no clue how he was going to react. We’d talked about the future, but we never made absolute plans - and even after two years together, we hadn’t married or even got engaged. Matilda always came first, and I was fine with that. But what I was about to tell him might push us into getting married sooner rather than later. I wasn’t sure how Kellen would take that.
The sound of Matilda giggling down the hallway pulled me from my thoughts. She popped into the dining room with a giant grin on her face. Kellen was behind her, smiling just as wide.
“What’s going on, you two? Having a party without me?”
Matilda giggled again, covering her mouth with her tiny hand. I noticed in her other hand she was holding a piece of paper.
I raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
Kellen shrugged, but there was a look on his face - he was trying to pretend he had no idea what was going on, but his grin gave it away. He was in on it too. Matilda walked over to me and handed me the folded piece of paper. I looked at her, then at Kellen. Neither one said a word.
Kellen stepped closer to me, getting down on his knees beside Matilda so they were closer in height. I opened the piece of paper, and it said, “Will you marry Daddy, please?”
There were some drawings on it, from Matilda obviously, but she wasn’t old enough to write the message. That was all Kellen. My heart skipped a beat.
“Are you—do you mean…”
Before I could say anything more, Kellen pulled out a ring and presented it to me.
I covered my mouth. I was stunned. He’d given me no hints, nothing to suspect that this was the plan.
Kellen whispered something to Matilda, who repeated it. “Yes or no?”
“Yes, of course, yes,” I stammered, my entire body shaking from excitement.
Kellen rose, and I stood up with him. He lifted me from my feet and swung me around as we kissed. Matilda was jumping up and down. Whether she understood what it all meant or not, I don’t know, but she knew it was something good.
When he put me back down on my feet again, he slipped the diamond ring onto my finger. The ring was huge and caught the light, sparkling like crazy. Matilda wanted to see, so I showed it to her. She was in awe of the pretty sparkles.
“It’s a good thing you asked me to marry you,” I announced once everyone had calmed down.
“Why’s that?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.
“Because I have a surprise for you too,” I said. I took a deep breath and let my news roll off my tongue, hoping Kellen would respond well to it. “We’re going to have a baby.”
His face said it all. He went from shocked to ecstatic, picking me up again - then carefully putting me back down. He covered my face with kisses. “For real? How far along?”
“Just a few weeks. I found out today at my doctor’s appointment, but I’m definitely pregnant.”
“Did you hear that, Tilly?” Kellen asked, speaking to the little girl beside us. “You’re going to be a big sister.”
Again, I don’t know if she knew what that meant completely, but she had some idea. She’d been asking for a brother or sister for some time, after seeing other kids at daycare with siblings.
“Yay!” she screamed, dancing around and wiggling like a wiggle worm. “I gonna be a big sister!”
If you had told me two years prior that I’d have my own little family with the asshole I ran into at the cafe parking lot, I’d have said you were full of shit. But there I was.
We were a family, and we were growing by one.
Life really couldn’t get any sweeter.
The End
Epilogue II
“Welcome to the Henry and Alice Jenson Foundation Auction.” I smiled brightly at the guests as they filed into the hotel ballroom. An older woman smiled back at me, rushing over and whispering, “How far along are you?”
I rested a hand on my growing belly. I was only a couple months along, but getting bigger by the day. We’d been waiting to keep the pregnancy a secret until I was at least three months along, but people were already starting to talk.
“Not very. Is it that obvious?” I asked.
She grinned. That was my answer.
Before I knew what was happening, Kellen’s arms wrapped around my waist, hugging me close to him. He whispered in my ear, “Bigger turnout than I expected.”
“What can I say? I know people.”
“Apparently you do.”
The fundraiser was the first of many that we’d planned. We wouldn’t just stick to Liberty either, but it seemed fitting to host the first event in my new ballroom. It had undergone a remodel thanks to Kellen and Grant, and the little extra money we got from our properties suddenly being worth millions. We didn’t sell anything - but we were able to get some financing to help fix the place up. Kellen also contributed, and of course, did most of the work himself.
The room was astonishing, everything I could have dreamed of. But he’d done more than just that. The pool had not only been repaired but was not just a pool. There was an entire damned spa back there. A hot tub surrounded by my mother’s luscious gardens. A water feature and grotto on one side of the pool. They even heated it, extending the amount of time we’d be able to have the pool open, which was good for business.
The hotel went from being run down to an actual resort destination, in just a matter of years. Kellen had helped me fulfill my dream, and the event was my way of helping him fulfill his.
Teddy and Levi were, of course, present. Since the organization was for the families of first responders, many of our local officers, EMTs, and firefighters were present. Their families too.
Matilda was at home, in bed, with Piper watching over her. The event went too late into the night for her, but one day, if she wanted to, she could help host them. She was, after all, the inspiration for all of this. She was the reason Kellen cared so much and wanted to make sure others like her were taken care of in tragedies like what had befallen Henry and Alice.
“Oh there’s the power couple,” Felicity called out, heading our way. “The hotel looks amazing, this event looks amazing. Is there anything you two can’t do?”
I looked up at Kellen who was staring down at me. Our eyes locked and I smiled.
“Not when we’re together, no.” I gave his hand a firm squeeze.
Elle had joined us, and from the look on her face, she also had some news to share. She was holding something underneath her arm and smiled widely.
“Did you see?”
“Did I see what?” I asked.
“The latest B&B Magazine rankings, duh,” she said, playfully rolling her eyes.
“I didn’t even know such a thing existed.”
“Well good thing someone in this town does,” she said, pushing the magazine into my hands. “Turn to the fifth page.”
&
nbsp; I opened up the booklet, and my eyes went wide. I stared at with a slack jaw.
“How did they--”
The magazine had a ranking of the best-hidden gems bed and breakfasts across the country. We were not only on the list, but we were also number one. They had photos of all our latest renovations, including the pool, and mentioned that we even had a daycare on hand for couples who might want a little alone time on their family vacations.
“You bribed someone to get us on the list?” I stammered.
“No, silly. I just send some information, some photos and they came and checked it out themselves, as mystery shoppers of course. They wanted the true experience, not to be treated like VIPs or anything. And they were very impressed.”
“When did this come out?”
“Today, actually. I got one of the first copies from my friend.”
“That means--”
“It means you better get ready for some killer business, sweetie. This magazine is read around the world, both online and in print. And they listed the rankings online too.”
My head was spinning. Financially, I didn’t have to worry about much, but having a successful business - a legacy to pass down to my children - was important to me. And with a little help from Elle, and a lot of work from Kellen and my brother, we made it happen.
I barely mumbled a thank you, feeling overwhelmed at what it meant. I was thankful, however. Very thankful. Tears filled my eyes.
Kellen held me closer to him, turning me around so I was facing him now. He kissed me deeply, surrounded by our community.
We’d done it.
We’d helped each other overcome so many obstacles, and together, we built an organization to help the families of first responders and we built a business our children, including Matilda, would inherit one day.
Together, all of our dreams came true.
Book Two - Junior For The Mountain Man
Chapter 1
Grant
Screams echoed through the smoke-filled air. Babies cried, children were frantically running away, trying to find their parents. I’d broken many rules by being there, but I couldn’t let innocents die.
His name meant perceptiveness or ingenuity, and Firash was both of those things. At only four years old, his eyes were always wide, he was always picking up on everything around him. He was one of the few children who wasn’t afraid of me when we strolled into their village. He walked right up to me, no fear in his eyes. Firash seemed to fear nothing, even in his war-torn country where there was always someone or something to be scared of.
I ushered other kids to safety, helped mothers carrying infants to find shelter from the explosion, but there was no sign of Firash and his family.
I ran to their home, and what I found would haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life.
My alarm went off, waking me from the brutal nightmare. If it was just a nightmare instead of a memory I had to relive night after night, that would have been a relief. I awoke with a start, struggling for air and covered in sweat.
It wasn’t even that warm in my house. It was late fall, the temperatures in Liberty, Utah, were dropping by the day and a snowstorm was on the horizon. But I was drenched in sweat from a fucking dream.
It was the same old story night after night. At least this time, I didn’t have to relive the true nightmare that followed - the moment I found their bodies.
I’d kicked my blanket off at some point, and I always slept buck naked. I hated sleeping in clothing; it felt too constricting. Since I lived alone, I had that privilege. It also kept the sweating from the night terrors to a minimum.
I sat up in bed, then climbed to my feet - rather, my foot. I’d gotten pretty damn good at getting around with only one leg. I didn’t have to often, but no point putting on the prosthetic just to walk to the shower then take it back off again. Grumbling, I hopped to the shower and turned on the cold water. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall as the water washed over me, waking me up and reminding me that I was no longer in Afghanistan. I was home.
Even if Liberty didn’t feel like home to me anymore, it was the only home I had. Nothing in Liberty had changed since my time in the Marines, but I had.
I’d seen things that no one in our idyllic town could even imagine. I’d witnessed horrors Hollywood wouldn’t or couldn’t show you. How could I return to ‘normal’ after that?
Nothing had felt right after that day. Not even my family home, the very house I grew up in, felt right. I’d inherited the house after our parents decided to downsize to an RV to see the country, but sometimes I wished I’d let Leah have it. Being there, remembering my stupid, perfect youth before the service stripped away my naivety was its own unique form of torture. It reminded me of better, happier days - of a time when I had hope for the future.
Now I merely just went through the motions and kept myself busy to keep the nightmares at bay for as long as I could.
I quickly washed off the sweat in the shower and was out within a few minutes. I stared into the mirror, debating whether to shave the stubble on my face. I decided not to.
I returned to my bedroom and checked my phone. My sister had sent me a message, reminding me what needed to be done at Piper’s daycare today. Piper was her best friend, and we’d known her since both girls were in kindergarten. She’d fallen on some hard times, lost her daycare, and we’d helped her get set up in a new place. Her business was back up and running, but there were still some tweaks and improvements to be made. Nothing serious, but things that would make my sister and Piper happy.
I popped on my prosthetic leg, another reminder of that God-awful day. Most people in Liberty didn’t even realize I’d lost part of my leg because I did my best to hide it. Family and only our closest friends knew the real reason I came back from the war earlier than expected.
I threw on some jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed my jacket, and headed out to my truck. Piper would probably already be at the daycare, and Leah might be at the hotel. They were two of the hardest working women I’d ever known. Piper was there every morning before people went to work and stayed late into the evening after folks got off and could pick up their kids. She even offered extended hours for people who worked late. She worked more than most people I knew, and that was damn impressive.
As I drove into town, I tried to clear my head of the nightmare. I thought about anything but what I’d found at Firash’s home that day.
I thought about the plans Piper had for the daycare.
A little boy in a walker who attended the daycare had trouble getting in and out of the building because of a few stairs. She was interested in putting a ramp in and making the daycare more accessible for children with disabilities.
I was thinking of and discarding idea that would allow us to do that as I pulled into the parking lot. As expected, Piper’s car was already there, as was Leah’s. It wasn’t even seven in the morning. I’d have to start getting up earlier.
Originally, what was now Little Cubs had been the hotel fitness center. It had its own private entrance with a hand-carved sign over the door I’d made for Piper’s grand re-opening. I stepped inside the building, and decided I needed to get there a lot earlier from now on. Not just to show up Piper and my sister, but because the place was already swarming with kids.
I’d never really spent much time around kids and didn’t know what to do around them. They made me nervous, and they also brought back memories of the one kid I’d grown attached to. For that reason, I usually avoided them.
The first room after entering the daycare was where the toddlers and children played. Tabitha, Piper’s sister, had a group of them at a table with crayons and paper. She waved when I came in.
“Stop running,” Tabitha called out as three little boys chased after each other, nearly running into me. I stepped aside, and they continued, slowing their pace as they giggled, oblivious to the fact that they’d almost knocked me over.
My heart raced as I saw a little dark-ha
ired boy in the corner by himself. He had big eyes and was watching the room warily. He was perceptive, just like another little boy I once knew. He was younger than Firash, but there was something in his eyes that reminded me of him.
“Grant! What brings you by this early?” Piper’s cheerful voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I turned my attention toward her. She was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a Little Cub’s t-shirt. I knew Piper well; she would often get down on the floor and play with the kids, so dressing up for work would be silly. Besides, she didn’t have to dress up to look good.
She used to keep her hair cut pixie-short because she’d been a bit of a tomboy, but she’d grown it out. It fell to her shoulders now, sleek and almost jet black. Her eyes were more grey than brown, but sometimes they looked almost black as well.
She had the brightest smile of anyone I’d ever met.
She was petite, only 5’3” or so, and fairly small all around. Yet, in those tight ass jeans of hers, her natural curves were visible to a discerning eye. Even in such casual clothes, she had an amazing body, a feminine body with curves and roundness in all the right places.
“Grant?” she chuckled. “You okay?”
She was closer now, smiling even wider than before, but with her head tilted at an angle like she was trying to figure out what was wrong with me.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, shaking my head. “Leah told me your garbage disposal wasn’t working. Thought I’d take a look.”
“Sure, go right ahead,” Piper said, motioning for me to follow her into the kitchen area. I got a nice view of her ass this way even though I tried not to look. It felt wrong to check her out, not just because we were surrounded by children, but because she was my sister’s best friend. Piper glanced over her shoulder. “I’m sorry you came all this way for a garbage disposal. We would have been fine without it, you know. I appreciate your help, obviously. I just don’t want to trouble you.”