by Kris Bryant
“You’re incredible. I’m never letting you go.” She holds me close to her and for the first time in our relationship, I really believe her. My heart knows it and my soul feels it. Kate is everything to me. My happiness, my determination, my true better half. This whirlwind romance that took us both by surprise has turned into the best decision of my life and my heart.
Epilogue
“Hunter hates me, doesn’t she?” Kate asks. I’m helping her with her necklace as she completes her outfit for her first day of work at Channel 4 in Oklahoma City. I give her a quick kiss on her neck to let her know I’m done. She turns to me. “I’m going to do a good job. I’ll show her it’s not that bad.” I kiss her softly.
“Don’t worry about Hunter. She’s probably jealous. You’re going to do a fantastic job. You’re smart, you know your weather, and they are lucky to have you.”
Kate moved in with me last month. There was no reason for her to stay in Stillwater after her graduation, so I asked her to move to Norman. Maddox and I love having her here. I’m excited to go home and sometimes Maddox stays with her during the day. That will change now that she accepted the job at KFOR for their weather team. She will be working the equipment behind the scenes, but Hunter and I have a bet going on when they’ll put her in front of the camera. I say two years. Hunter thinks it will be sooner than that.
“It is kind of exciting. I’ll actually get paid to do what I was doing at the university.” Kate is still very determined to make it on her own even though her relationship with her father has only improved over the last few months. She won’t touch her trust fund or accept anything from her father other than his love. Her car was considered a trade. I’ve never seen a Honda nice enough to rival a Mercedes, but I’m not going to argue her logic. I’m just happy she’s safe. I hand her a mug of hot coffee and her bag.
“You don’t want to be late on your first day, love,” I say. She smiles at me.
“Can you believe I got up so early?”
“Today will probably be the one and only day you do.”
She laughs and slips inside her car. “Have a good day. Take care of my guy for me.” It’s amazing how fast Maddox attached himself to Kate. Today will be a sad day for him, but he’ll be fine. I’ll let him wander a bit around the department instead of keeping him in my office all day.
“Be safe and let me know how you’re doing.” Maddox and I stand in the driveway until she pulls out onto the highway. I can’t believe my life has changed so fast, so beautifully in just a short time. I met Kate just nine months ago and even though I never thought in a million years I’d be sharing my life with her, we wake up together every day, go to bed every night and share our thoughts, our desires, and our love. It’s a fairy tale life, but I think we both deserve this happy ending.
About the Author
Kris Bryant grew up a military brat living in several different countries before her family settled down in the Midwest when she was twelve. Books were her only form of entertainment overseas, and she read anything and everything within her reach. Reading eventually turned into writing when she decided she didn’t like the way some of the novels ended and wanted to give the characters she fell in love with the ending she thought they so deserved. Earning a B.A. in English from the University of Missouri, Kris focused more on poetry, and after some encouragement from her girlfriend, decided to tackle her own book. In her spare time, Kris enjoys traveling, hiking, photography, spending time with her Westie pup, Molly, and hanging out with her family.
Kris’s debut novel, Jolt, was a Lambda Literary Finalist for Lesbian Romance.
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