Page 83 of Alive and Wells

“Always happy to help with giving a guy the whooping he deserves.” Red laughs from his seat at the kitchen table. “Since Filly’s finally here, can we please eat?”

“Yes, everybody dish up.” Beryl gestures to the spread of food I hadn’t even noticed set up on the counters. I glance over at Austin, who seems as surprised by the dinner spread and amount of people present as I am.

The guys rush the food like a pack of wild dogs, and I snuggle up next to Beryl. My body relaxes into the circles her palm is rubbing between my shoulder blades.

“Since when does everybody show up here for dinner?” I look at her weathered, peaceful face in my periphery.

“Special occasions. Tonight we’re celebrating you. Go get yourself a plate and enjoy, honey. You deserve all the good coming your way now.”

Everybody’s laughing, joking about Denny’s latest buckle bunny conquest, discussing the upcoming rodeo a town over, and teasing Sundial. It’s all normal and joyful. And, like every day since I arrived here, I’m wholly consumed by the handsome, grumpy rancher seated across from me. Our feet bump into each other and eyes meet in the golden sunset cast over the table.

The lake’s now in second place. Because sitting around this kitchen table, with my family and the love of my life, is easily my favourite place to be.

Epilogue - Austin

IwishI’dgoneup the mountain with the crew. It would’ve been better than pacing my office to the point of leaving wear marks on the antique wood floor. Or I should have cancelled all my work and driven to town with Cecily, since I’m the least productive I’ve ever been anyway. Every moment of the last two hours has been spent watching the driveway from the open hay door, listening for tires on gravel, and hearing phantom phone notifications.

When the truck finally rounds the bend in the road and starts up the driveway, I sprint down the stairs. Nearly crashing as my boots hit the slick cement at the bottom. I’m waiting in front of the house when she pulls up, my teeth chattering and skin itching with nerves. She’s trying, and failing miserably, at keeping a poker face.

“So?” I watch her with bated breath.

“Do I look different? Single?” She twirls around, her yellow floral sundress floating and falling with a swish against her thighs.

“Divorced.Not single.” I wrap her in my arms, squeezing her warm body and inhaling her sweet hair. “And you’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.”

“Let’s celebrate. I bought champagne—well, I bought the closest sparkling wine Wells Canyon has to champagne.” She pulls away to grab the bottle, then skips into the house. By the time I walk in behind her, she’s cheerfully filling two wine glasses. And the biggest smile is plastered across her face.

“So, no issues with KJ then? The paperwork was fine?” I sit down on the couch and she joins me, snuggling up under my arm like we do every single night.

“Paperwork was great—the lawyer was a little skeptical about the blood stains. I told him I got a bad papercut signing them. But KJ didn’t try to contest it… nothing. Although, I said I didn’t want the things I was entitled to in our prenup, so he probably thought he was coming out the winner.”

“Good.” I take a sip and then lean in to kiss her, overcome with swirling emotions that make my head spin.It’s all finally over. Her lips smile on mine and we lock eyes. Those baby blues glitter and I swear I’ve never loved anything as much as her.

She whispers, “Now it’s only you and me. Well… for the next half hour. Then we have to go babysit Odessa and Rhett.”

“Cockblocked by kids that aren’t even mine.” Somehow, we’ve gotten roped into babysitting every other week so Jackson and Kate can have date night. It’s a damn good thing they’re cute, because I’d rather take Cecily to bed and stay there until this time tomorrow.

“Just gonna have to make it quick.” She’s straddling my lap and kissing me with reckless abandon. She sinks down into me, rocking her hips to make my cock swirl inside my pants. Unbuckling my belt and shimmying my jeans down my thighs before I even have time to register what’s happening. I’m not sure what I did to deserve this. Deserve her.

“You and me,” she repeats with a needy whine as her hand grips my quickly hardening shaft. My head crashes back into the couch cushion with a groan. “I think it’s about time I repay you for making him sign those papers.”

“Darlin’, you don’t owe—”

She shuts me up with a raw, hungry kiss as her hand pumps my cock aggressively. Sending sharp jolts of intense pleasure through me with each stroke from end to end. My fingertips dig into her thighs and I lift my hips in time with her hand. Her thumb rubs across the tip to catch my dripping precum and, looking me square in the eye, she slips her thumb into her mouth and hollows out her cheeks with a moan.

“Fuck, you’re so hot. And you’re all mine. Only mine.” I kiss her as my hand slides up the inside of her thigh, toward the wet heat between her legs.

Fuck.She’s been wearing this damn sundress all over town without any panties underneath?

Her eyes meet mine with a mischievous glimmer. I suck in a breath as my fingers slip across her soaking wet pussy, and she melts into my touch with the sweetest sigh.

“I can’t believe I get to be the only one who fucks you like this now.” I grab the base of my cock and hold it steady, letting her centre her entrance around my tip.

“It’s only ever been you fucking me like this.”

Like the filthy, amazing, gorgeous woman she is, she spits in her hand and strokes it along my shaft before sinking down with a loud moan. My chest stutters, missing a beat or two as I revel in the feeling of her.

“So goddamn hot,” I groan.

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