Page 37 of The Mountain Man's Mail Order Surprise
"We did this together," Noah adds. "All of us. Because that's what family does."
"Thank you." The words feel inadequate for what they've done, what they've given me. "All of you. I don't know how to repay..."
"You don't repay family," Rosco says, pulling me to my feet and into his arms. "You just show up for each other when it matters."
"Speaking of showing up," Jake says, packing up his equipment, "I believe you two have a honeymoon to get to."
"Honeymoon?"
"The cabin on the lake," Talia explains. "It's all arranged. Three days of complete privacy while the rest of us handle any loose ends with the authorities."
"But what if..."
"No what-ifs," Rosco says firmly. "Just us, a quiet cabin, and the rest of our lives to figure out."
As we drive away from Iron Vine Estate an hour later, headed toward a lake cabin I didn't even know existed, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Zack to call, for new threats to emerge, for something to go wrong.
But my phone stays silent. The mountain air is clean and crisp, the scenery is breathtaking, and my husband's hand is warm and steady in mine.
"You okay?" Rosco asks as we wind through forest roads that seem to lead nowhere.
"I keep waiting for it to not be real. For Zack to show up, for the fear to come back."
"The fear might come back sometimes. Trauma doesn't just disappear overnight." He squeezes my hand. "But Zack won't. That part is over for good."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because Jake Winters doesn't make empty threats. And because my family doesn't leave loose ends."
The cabin, when we finally reach it, is perfect. Small but cozy, with a stone fireplace, a deck overlooking the water, and complete privacy. No cell service, no internet, just us and the sound of lapping waves.
"Jake arranged this?" I ask, setting down my bag in the bedroom.
"Jake arranged a lot of things. Turns out having a billionaire tech mogul in the family has its advantages.” He wraps his arms around me from behind, his hands settling on my belly. "And we have a loud, crazy, overprotective family who would move mountains for the people they love."
"And they love me?"
"They love you. Almost as much as I do."
I lean back against his chest, finally allowing myself to truly relax for the first time in months. "So what do we do now?"
"Now we start our married life. We make plans for the baby, figure out how to expand the cabin for a growing family, and drive each other crazy in all the best ways."
"That sounds perfect."
"It is perfect. You're perfect." He turns me in his arms, his eyes serious. "I love you, Gia Kane. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone."
"I love you too. Completely, permanently, forever."
"Forever," he agrees, leaning down to kiss me. "Starting right now."
As the sun sets over the lake and my husband carries me to our bed, I realize this is what happiness feels like. Not the absence of problems or fear, but the presence of someone worth fighting for.
Someone worth choosing, every single day, for the rest of my life.
And I plan to choose Rosco Kane every single day until the day I die.
EPILOGUE
