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Shepherd beams. “Five months.” He gently places his hand on my growing belly. I swear I’m going to have a permanent imprint of his palm above my belly button.
“How wonderful.” The realtor glows. “This home is perfect for growing families. Do you have any pets?”
Shepherd and I exchange glances, our smiles wavering.
“Not anymore,” he says.
“Oh. I’m sorry.” Lisa’s expression saddens.
“No, no, it wasn’t like that. His name was Banjo, but we gave him up for adoption a long time ago.”
“Oh. Well. Hopefully he’s in a better place, then. If you choose to get a new dog, the back yard is fenced in and perfect for pets.” Lisa looks at Connor who is stuck like glue to my hip. “Are you excited to be a big brother?”
“Yes,” he responds politely.
Shepherd reaches around me, rustles Connor’s hair, and winks. He is so good with Connor. He is going to be a wonderful father. I know this because he wants to be; he tells me this almost daily. After wanting children for so many years, and Rowan cruelly denying him, Shepherd is consumed by my pregnancy. From the moment our affair began, he expressed his desire to have children with me—with me. I’d remind him that he had a wife to consider, but he didn’t care. We stopped using protection the moment Rowan was convicted. That exact day, in fact.
I secretly recorded the moment I told Shepherd I was pregnant.
I’d hidden the cell phone behind the toothbrush holder in the bathroom. We were staying at a local hotel, my temporary home after walking out on Mark. It was early, six in the morning, and I’d told him the hot water in the shower wasn’t working. When he came into the bathroom, I faced him, naked, beaming from ear to ear, a tissue in one hand and a positive pregnancy test in the other.
He’d cried—actually cried. It was the first and only time I’ve ever seen Shepherd cry. Then, he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. I will never, ever forget that moment for the rest of my life. The next day, Rowan was served divorce papers in prison.
Almost daily, Shepherd tells me he’s finally where he’s supposed to be. This brings me more joy than I can express. After all he’s been through, he deserves to feel happy.
“Also,” Lisa adds, her bright expression faltering. “The fence is chain link, but I think I could get the buyer to throw in a discount so that you can replace it with a privacy fence. You can go eight feet tall in this area which would make it virtually impossible to catch a shot of you with a camera.”
Shepherd and I share a glance.
The media surrounding Rowan’s arrest and eventual conviction was extreme. The story of the haunted small-town detective turned serial killer became sensationalized, dominating both local and national headlines. Our tiny town became a media circus, with journalists from CNN, Fox News, and NBC flying in from all over the country to cover the story. Everyone knows about it. Shepherd and I kept our affair a secret for the first few months after her conviction, until he decided that he was ready to step out publicly. I’ve always been ready. Since the moment we kissed—an event we celebrated by getting matching tattoos on our wrists—I knew Shepherd was the one for me. I did everything I could in my therapy sessions with Rowan to guide her to leave him. But the woman was loyal, I have to give her that—and also, apparently, the queen of deception. Never, in a million years, did I think Rowan would kill those women. I was as shocked as Shepherd.
Connor kneels down to pick a flower, ignoring the adult conversation above him.
Lisa shakes her head, her face full of sympathy. Although I know it’s only for show. “I can’t imagine how hard this has been for you guys.” Her gaze shifts to Shepherd. “I just couldn’t believe it. Literally, I almost didn’t believe it. I’ve met Rowan several times, and I just, wow.”
“Well, our focus now is putting one step in front of the other,” I say, taking back control of the situation.
It hasn’t been easy, the mental and emotional toll it’s taken on both of us. Shepherd and I have spent many nights holding each other, sometimes saying nothing, sometimes talking until the sun came up. I’ve never been more thankful for my background in therapy. All these months later, Shepherd is still unpacking the trauma from being unknowingly married to a serial killer. I can’t imagine the effect that would have on someone’s psyche. The betrayal alone would be debilitating. Thank God Shepherd has no other mental or health issues to worry about.
I’ve also filed for divorce. Custody has been easy, as Mark wants to make things as smooth as possible for Connor. When he heard I was pregnant, he actually sent me a text to congratulate me.
It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it?
I wonder when Rowan will find out about the baby and our engagement.
It doesn’t really matter though. She will spend the rest of her life in prison, slowly fading from memory. The town, the media, the world is already beginning to forget her.
Now, it will just be Shepherd, Connor, our yet-to-be-named baby boy, and me. Forever.
The new Velkys.
I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
And I agree with Shepherd. I, too, am finally exactly where I am supposed to be.
FIFTY-FIVE
AMBER
