Page 70 of Saved By the Mountain Man

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her cheek.

“Welcome home, sweetheart.”

“You did all this for us?”

“With a lot of help from our friends,” I admitted. “I wanted to give you and our baby a proper home. A place where we can make new memories.”

She hugged me tightly, her warmth seeping through my clothes, her belly between us so that we bracketed the baby.

“Come on,” I said, leading her to the front door. “There’s more to see.”

We stepped inside, and I led her through the house, showing her all the rooms I’d planned out.

I’d furnished it already, getting someone in to design it. I didn’t splurge on a mansion for us, but I didn’t spare a single penny when it came to decoration and making sure that Rae was comfortable.

The living room was spacious, with a large fireplace that would keep us warm during the harshest winters. The kitchen was modern and well equipped, a perfect space for Rae to continue her love of cooking.

Our bedroom had an en-suite bathroom with a large waterfall shower, a deep corner tub, and a double basin with two mirrors to round it off.

But the real highlight was the baby’s room.

I led her down the hallway to a room painted in soft, soothing colors. It was empty for now.

“This is the baby’s room,” I said. “I didn’t decorate it—you can do that.”

Rae had wanted to wait to find out if it was a girl or a boy, and the designer had painted the baby’s room in a light gray with a mint green accent wall and a plush beige carpet.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered and turned to me. “Thank you.”

“I wanted to give you the life you deserve,” I said. “You and the baby deserve the best life possible.”

She cupped my face in her hands, her eyes shining with love. “You’ve already given me that, Tanner.” She planted a kiss on my lips. “This is more than I ever dreamed of. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, babe,” I said and kissed her, lingering a little longer. “I can’t wait to start this new chapter with you.”

The winter was still long and cold, but Rae had chipped away at the ice around my heart, defrosting me, and I didn’t even feel the cold. And soon, the spring would come and with that, the next part of our story.

And I couldn’t wait for our happy ending.

EPILOGUE - RAE

Laken and I wandered through the aisles of the baby store, our baskets slowly filling with adorable clothes, soft blankets, and all the necessities for the little one on the way. The store was warm and cozy, keeping the chilly winter air outside. Laken held up a tiny onesie, grinning.

“Look at this, Rae. Isn’t it the cutest?” It was blue, with a sleeping sheep on it and gray glittering hooves.

I smiled. “We don’t know it’s a boy.”

“Iknowit’s a boy,” Laken said. “I’m getting this.” She put it in her basket, and I laughed. Laken had been sure it was going to be a boy since the day I’d told her I was pregnant. I wasn’t sure exactly why she thought that, but I couldn’t change her mind.

“I can’t believe how many things we need for one little baby,” I said. “There’s still so much I need to do. I feel like I’m never going to get it all done.”

“You still have some time, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah, a couple of weeks, I think. But I still feel like I’d rather just sleep. What kind of a mom does that? Sleep instead of preparing?”

“Self-care!” Laken said and waggled her finger at me. “Taking care of you makes you a good mom.”

I smiled. “I don’t know, I’m just so terrified I’ll get to the point where I’m a mom and then I screw it all up.”

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