Page 83 of Dairy and Deadly

“Darling, whatever color you decide to go with will become my new favorite color,” he assured her in a triumphant voice.

“It’s brunette, in case you’re wondering.”

“I’ve suddenly got a thing for brunettes. One brunette, anyway.” He brushed away her tear.

She longed to believe him, but she was craving more reassurance. “We still don’t have anything in common.”

“Won’t that keep things interesting?” he drawled.

“Clint!” She felt the last of her reservations crumbling.

“Caro!” He dragged his mouth down her cheek. “We both know you love my farm-fresh stench. Just admit it already.”

It was time to tell him the truth about that. He’d certainly earned it. “I love everything about you, Clint Rhodes.”

“Now we’re talking.”

“You’re kind of missing the point,” she protested. “I’m trying to warn you.”

“And I’m trying to shut you up.” He claimed her mouth again, kissing her again and again. He kissed her until she couldn’t come up with any more reasons why they shouldn’t be together.

Epilogue

One year later

Ashley stood in front of the curved gray tombstone in the windy cemetery, cuddling baby Emma. “We named her after you, Mom.”

“And got you the justice you deserved.” Her father crouched down to place a bouquet of red roses on the ground. He’d spent the last twelve months struggling to forgive himself for allowing Darla and Blaire into their lives.

The nightmare was over, though. Every chance Ashley got she encouraged him to heal. Not only had they gotten justice for her mother, they’d also gotten justice for Mr. Clark and the other two farmers who’d suffered similar tragedies. And for all the other innocent farmers, for that matter, whose herds has been targeted by the genetically modified salmonella. Though they hadn’t paid with their lives, the deadly chemical had resulted in some costly recalls of their dairy products.

Her father stood and slung an arm around her shoulders. After a poignant moment of silence, they strolled together toward the Jeep where Johnny was waiting for them.

Her father pressed a kiss to her cheek as they walked. “I wanted you to be the first to know I finally put the house up for sale.”

She caught her breath. “Does this mean…?”

“Yep.” He trailed his fingers across the tiny shoulder blades of the infant sleeping in her arms. “Emma 2.0 is the new owner of my heart. I can’t stand the thought of being even a few hours away from her.”

“We’ve got a cabin with your name on it, Dad.” Her heart felt dangerously close to overflowing.

“I know, kiddo. Johnny reminds me of it at least a dozen times a week,” he griped loud enough for her husband to hear, but his smile took the sting out of his words. “I’m gonna tell you the same thing I told him — that I’ll accept your offer under one condition.”

“Oh?” She had no doubt it would be a colorful one.

“I want to try my hand at dairy farming. Ol’ Monty talked me into it during my last visit. If things go as planned, I’ll be dividing my time between Johnny’s Dairy and Chester Farm.”

Johnny helped her tuck Emma into her baby carrier in the backseat while she digested her father’s announcement. “Cows or no cows, I’m going to love having you closer. So is Emma. Every kid needs a grandfather within shouting distance.” Johnny’s parents were absolutely lovely people and had already promised to visit as often as they could, but Jeff Perkins would be present.

She was thrilled with how close they’d grown since his illegal marriage to Darla had ended, and she and her daughter had exited their lives. Their closeness hadn’t been restored overnight, and they hadn’t gone back to what they were before. What they had now was stronger and better.

Her father climbed into the backseat beside Emma and leaned her way with an adoring expression.

Johnny didn’t immediately open the passenger door for Ashley. “Pretty sure my father-in-law can handle more than one kid at a time.” He reached out to brush his thumb across her lower lip. “And he’s gonna have a lot more time on his hands once he moves into town.”

Ashley felt her insides melt as the meaning of his words sank in. “You want another baby?”

His expression grew besotted. “I want a whole herd of ‘em,” he confessed with a grin, “but I’ll happily settle for working on baby number two for now.”

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