Page 46 of A Kiss of Frost

Johnny was equally thrilled by the wooden training sword that Jack had created for him. She looked around the cozy room and the children exclaiming over their presents, and then over at Jack, sitting with Cecil on his lap as the little boy showed him the wonders of his wagon. He looked up and smiled as their eyes met.

Yes, this was home. And she’d never been happier.

EPILOGUE

Six months later…

“Now try,”Jack said and she flipped the switch. The new light fixture hanging over the table glowed to life, and they all cheered. The light was the latest in his home improvements. He delighted in surprising all of them with a variety of small ways of improving their lives. And he had already succeeded in transforming their home, she thought, looking around with a smile.

Once they had agreed to remain at the trading post, he decided that they needed more room and had broken through the wall into the adjoining dwelling. As a result, Merry now had her own bedroom as did Lorna and the twins.

They had converted the attic space into a room for Johnny, although he spent little time there. He preferred to be with Jack, and the two of them had formed an inseparable bond. In addition to the bedrooms, he had expanded the bathroom, adding a tub and an endless supply of hot water. Although the bathroom had been a present for her, he enjoyed it just as much as she did and they’d spent many hours together in the big tub.

The decision to remain at the trading post had proved positive in more than one way. Now that the Fereg was no longer perched on the mountainside, birds and animals returned to the valley - and so did the people. The first small caravan had passed through only a few weeks after the snow cleared. It contained three families, intent on moving south. After spending a few days at the outpost, and some extended discussions with Jack, two of the families had decided to remain and set up shop. One was a potter and the other a weaver and their skills had been very welcome.

Others had joined them since then. Somewhat surprisingly, once the initial shock had passed, none of them seemed to have any issues with Jack. Perhaps it was because he smiled more easily these days, or perhaps it was because it was difficult to be intimidated by an alien who had no hesitation about carrying Lorna around on his shoulders while she used his horns to steer him like a draft animal. His love for the children – and their love for him - was apparent in everything he did.

As was his love for her, although perhaps he demonstrated that best when they were alone in their small room. She felt the familiar pulse of arousal as she remembered the previous night. He had taken a casual comment from her as a challenge and proceeded to prove to her that she could indeed have six climaxes in a row. She had suspected she would never walk again, but she’d already recovered enough to wonder if seven was out of reach.

As if he heard what she was thinking, he looked over at her and grinned. She knew she was blushing as she smiled back and bent over the stove. She was experimenting with a collection of sweet treats to be offered for sale in the new bakeshop that had opened. Most of the stalls around the front courtyard were now populated, some with temporary merchants who would stay for a few weeks or months before moving on, and others like the first two families who had decided to remain permanently.

“Kat! Kat!” Merry came bursting into the room, her face white, Johnny right behind her. When he was not accompanying Jack, he was always watching over Merry. “He’s here, he’s here.”

“Calm down. Who’s here?”

“Father! I saw the caravan.”

Merry burst into tears and she automatically put her arms around her sister, murmuring soothingly as she looked over at Jack. His smile disappeared and he was once more the stern Tandroki warrior. She had no doubt that he could protect them, but she still dreaded the inevitable confrontation.

“I need to go and talk to him. You stay here with Johnny.”

Her sister clutched her hands.

“No, don’t go. He’ll take you away from us.”

Lorna’s lip trembled and Ceci began to cry.

“Don’t go, Mama,” Lorna pleaded.

“No one is going to take me anywhere. You know Daddy would never let that happen.”

“Never,” Jack growled but his harsh voice helped settle the children.

She swiped the flour off her hands and did her best to look confident as she went to the door, Jack right behind her.

“Bar the door,” she whispered to Johnny as he followed them. “Just in case he tries something tricky.”

He nodded and she squeezed his hand. He smiled, no longer as uncomfortable with casual affection as he had been.

“I will keep them safe.”

“I know you will.”

In spite of that, and in spite of Jack’s intimidating presence, her stomach churned as they made their way back to the main courtyard. The caravan was just reaching them and her stomach flipped as she recognized her father’s wagon, her own small wagon still fastened behind it.Never. I am never going back there.

“Never,” Jack agreed and she realized she must have spoken out loud.

They reached the entry to the courtyard, and she stopped, determined to make him come to her for once. But it was not her father who climbed down from the lead wagon.

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