Page 107 of Candygrams

I give her a big smile. “I would love that.”

“Now, let’s leave them alone, sweetie, so they can get back to resting.” She slyly gives Tandy a wink before ushering her husband out the door.

“I like your sister.” She gives me a happy smile. “Hell, I like your brother-in-law for that matter.”

I especially like how he's cared for and protected my girl for me until I could do the job myself. I take her mouth with my own before sweeping her up in my arms.

“But I’m glad they’re gone. I have things to show you, things to listen to when you tell me, and a lot more of what we did before we both passed the hell out on one another. After I feed you, of course.”

She giggles, “That sounds…perfect! I love when we…talk together.”

Me too, baby. Me too!

Epilogue I

Tandy

About a Year Later

I’m a hot mess with my hair piled on top of my head and sweat coating my body. I realize I don’t have to do everything in one day but I kind of want to. Even if I know as soon as Rip gets here, he’s not going to be very happy about how much I have done today.

As if thinking about him has conjured him, our front door opens and he cries out for me.

“Tandy? Baby? Where are you?”

He comes bounding up the stairs just as I unbury myself and start to stand up. I can tell he’s ‘bounding’ because of how his voice bounces as he calls for me again.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” He’s by my side with his hands under my arms helping me stand before I can stop him or say a word. “You know the doctor said you shouldn’t be lifting heavy things.”

“And I’m not…unless you count lifting myself off the couch as lifting something heavy.”

His hands go to my large belly, and he bends over to drop a kiss on it.

“You need to rest, sweetheart. You shouldn’t be doing any of this by yourself. Your sister is coming tomorrow, and I can help you now that I’m home.”

Ever since we found out I was pregnant - for real this time - he has been overly concerned. In fact, he and Gray have just about driven me nuts making sure I eat what I need to and not lift anything too heavy. I don’t know how Bonny did it as many times as she did knowing she had to put up with all that male concern. But at the same time…I do love how Rip loves me and takes care of me and he’s so damned sweet I can’t even think of saying anything when he…yeah, okay. I get it. I’m the same way, damn it. I am totally loving Rip like this.

“I just…got excited.”

“Are you sure you’re alright with this?”

I give him a big smile and a nod. Rip got signed to the football team in our state. We’re moving so he can be closer to the stadium, but not too far away that we can’t make a trip back here every month or so for family time. And the best part…Aaron was signed to the same team so they will still be together. I decided to take a year off once we found out about the baby. I'll finish my degree at the state university close by.

I’m excited to move into the new home we picked out together and find out what’s next, and what our next chapter will bring. With the support and loving encouragement of Rip I am putting the finishing touches on my first book, another reason to take some time off. And my publisher is already asking me when I think I can have another one out. Rip was more excited for me than Bonny, Gray, and my mom put together. But then he understood how much it really meant to me. My secret dream I told no one else…but the man who holds my heart.

“I thought you were going to do some final edits today, love.”

I squirm and look away. I was supposed to be editing but…dog videos happened.

“You watched dog videos all day long and cried at a few of them, didn’t you?”

More than a few, but he doesn’t need to know how many.

“Come here, baby. Let me show you how much I missed you and after, we can pack together. But not before I feed you.”

How did I get so lucky?

He sweeps me off my feet and carries me to our bed and the one room we haven’t done very much to. We’re not selling the house. Just putting it into hibernation, a term Rip thinks is too funny. One day we’ll come back to the place we met and fell in love, one day we’ll watch our kids grow up here the same way we did. But for now…it will be here waiting for us to come back to it.

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