Extended Epilogue

One year later…

“You already checked it five times,” Luke said as Abby peeked at the cake that they’d left in the cold store to rest.

“But what if the rats get to it?” she cried.

“They won’t because Mabel eats ‘em all, and it’s on a high shelf and covered. Would you come back inside; you’re givin’ me the jitters.”

Abby turned to him, giving him a wry smile. He was in his smartest shirt, and his hair was pushed back from his face. These days, she rarely saw the brooding sadness in his expression; he was open and happy. He grinned at her as she came out from the cold store and frowned at him.

“If any rats get to it, I’m blamin’ you,” she said sourly.

“Alright, darlin’, you do that,” he said, throwing an arm over her shoulders.

“Where’s Rosemary?” she asked.

“Tucker took her out with Fay,” Luke said with an ease she knew he didn’t feel. Luke was still adjusting to Rosemary having a man courting her. Tucker seemed nice enough, but Luke would never stop being her big brother.

“I like him,” she said, watching his jaw clench.

“Well, if you keep sayin’ it, I’m gonna get jealous,” he said pointedly, and she chuckled.

They walked back toward the ranch house, which had been painted a beautiful dark red. Marcus and Harry had made all of the repairs over the past few months, and it looked like a completely different home now.

Luke had given some of the money her father had gifted them to Marcus and he’d asked for Fay’s hand the next day. The newlyweds were coming over for dinner that night to celebrate. Marcus and Fay were incredibly happy together. Luke sometimes seemed a little put out at how affectionate they were, and Abby could only laugh at him.

Things had been so wonderful over the past year. The ranch was out of debt and doing very well, with an uptick in interest in their breeding cattle. Luke had hired their bulls out to two separate farms over the summer, and with all the repairs they’d had done before the winter, the inside of the house was looking beautiful.

Abby had managed to stock their library with so many books Luke had started to scold her when she bought more, but she knew he loved hearing Rosemary read to them as much as she did.

As they both strolled back toward the ranch house, Abby knew it wouldn’t be long before Marcus and Fay arrived, and she busied herself in the kitchen, making the final preparations.

She still found it funny how much she had struggled with cooking. Now it was her favorite part of the day. She had made so many cakes and loaves of cornbread that she’d lost count, and Rosemary often helped her with the baking. She was getting quite good at it herself.

After she had checked on the food, she tiptoed upstairs and opened the door to Rosemary’s old room. She found her husband inside, standing over the crib where little Joseph was sleeping.

Abby walked over to them and smiled as he put an arm around her shoulders. The little baby was fast asleep, although she knew she would need to feed him soon.

She felt Luke’s hand slide down her back and squeeze her waist gently. He kissed her head.

“I kind of want to wake him up; I miss him when he’s napping,” he said fondly.

“Don’t you dare. We need him to sleep through dinner, or he’ll be sitting on my knee all night.”

Luke put his hand down into the cot, brushing it against the baby’s tiny hand, and Joseph gripped onto his finger in his sleep, making Abby’s heart hurt to see it. They stood like that, looking down at their son for the next few minutes, basking in the glow of their life together and the future that awaited them.

***

A couple of hours later when she was dressed for dinner, and Joseph was settled in his crib, Abby came downstairs to the sound of Fay’s wagon arriving.

The bottom pole of the steps was the one piece of the house they hadn’t replaced. The bullet Caleb had fired was still lodged deep in the banister to remind them both of all they had overcome together. She brushed a hand over it in a familiar path as she reached the kitchen.

Luke looked over her appreciatively, and she blushed at his appraising gaze spinning on the spot, proud of her new yellow dress. He came over to her, picked her up, and gave her a long kiss.

“You look stunnin’,” he said with heat in his eyes. “You sure we don’t have time before the guests arrive?”

“Put her down!” Rosemary wailed from the living room doorway as she came in, looking disgusted by their antics. “Abby, you ought to know better than subjectin’ me to this tomfoolery.”

Abby laughed as Rosemary sniffed the air and grinned. “Did you make pie?”

“I did. Your favorite,” Rosemary’s eyes were alive with excitement. She was wearing one of Fay’s old dresses that Abby had altered for her and she looked very fine. It was nice that she had dressed up for the occasion, and Abby said as much.

As they all came out of the house, Fay was getting down from the wagon, waving merrily as Marcus watched her in adoration. But it wasn’t just the newlyweds who caught Abby’s attention; Sidney was behind them, too.

He was riding a beautiful, dappled gray mare and dismounted when he saw her. Luke came out, grinning at them, and Abby turned to him in confusion.

“What in the world is happenin’?”

“I hope you don’t mind an extra mouth for dinner, but Sidney said he’d pick her up for me today.”

Abby turned again and looked at the horse. She was absolutely beautiful and must have been a pedigree of some kind. Her dark mane fell across her neck in beautiful waves, and her large black eyes were intelligent as she looked at them all.

“Where did you get her?” Abby asked. “I don’t understand.”

“I saw her at the fair last year,” Luke said happily. “She was a little dearer than I’d thought, and I didn’t want your father’s money to pay for her. I been savin’ since then, and I finally had enough. She’s from an excellent breeder. I couldn’t think of a better rider for her.”

Abby stared at him. “You bought her for me?”

“I sure did,” he said happily. “She’s trained and ready for ridin’. Hope she don’t mind slummin’ it with the rescues, but then, you don’t mind slummin’ it with all of us.” He said, chuckling merrily.

“Speak for yourself,” Marcus said as he came up to them, holding Fay’s hand. She was positively glowing beside him.

Abby turned and threw herself into Luke’s arms, who spun her around again, laughing as he lowered her to her feet.

“Why did you give her to me now when I can’t ride her straight away? I got a dinner to attend to!” she said sadly.

“I’ll see her settled,” Sidney told her. “She’ll be waitin’ for you in the mornin’.”

He led the beautiful horse away and Rosemary came up beside Abby with a sly smile and hooked her arm through hers as they went inside.

She couldn’t believe Luke had been planning it all this time; her heart swelled with love and happiness. She was desperate to take her out beside Marlo and gallop over the prairie together.

They all sat down to a merry dinner together. Everyone was very complimentary of the pie, and Luke served some of Abby’s father’s excellent bourbon around the table.

Marcus proudly told them all that Fay was expecting their first child, and there was much excitement and happiness at the news—particularly from Sidney.

It was a very cheerful party.

Gone were the days where Abby struggled to cater for her family. She even managed to sneak some pieces of meat under the table to Mabel, who sat with her chin in her lap the entire time.

Later that night, as Luke came back from checking on Joseph and settled beside her, he turned to Abby in their bed and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead.

“So, was the dinner a success?” he asked.

“You tell me. You had three helpin’s.”

“Four,” he said proudly. “I want you to make that pie again.”

“You always say that.”

“I always mean it,” he said, snuggling down against her and giving a contented sigh. “So, you thought of a name for your new horse yet?” he asked.

Abby looked up at him, those familiar brown eyes glinting back at her. She smiled, squeezing against him for all she was worth, feeling her heart settle into a gentle rhythm against his own.

“I was thinkin’ I’d name her Hope,” she said simply.

Luke’s arms tightened around her as they both settled down to sleep.

“I think Hope suits her,” he whispered. Mabel’s gentle breathing at the bottom of the bed was the only sound as they both succumbed to sleep, safe and warm in each other’s arms.