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“To bed, we have to celebrate.” I left out of the bathroom, straight to our room. I didn’t have to ask him again, he moved me to the bed and we spoke without a word, shared our excitement and hesitation, and I fell in love with him just a little bit more.
EPILOGUE
NORA
Christmas carols filtered through the house, and I was longing for an evening of quiet. My life had changed so much in the almost year I’d been on the ranch. I felt like I needed to breathe. Having Kipp home all the time was something I didn’t take lightly. We were lucky he didn’t have to work away from the ranch in the winter like so many other people did. I was busy planning a Christmas market and party for the community and I just needed a few days to get that done.
“You sure you don’t want to come with us?” Kipp asked as he packed the last of the stuff he needed in his saddle bag before he pulled me to him. The warmth from his body took away the chill that was seeping through my thin jacket.
“Not a chance, I’m staying here where it’s warm. Take care of our boy.” I smiled as we walked back to the porch, his arm draped over my shoulder.
“As long as you take care of this one.” He pressed his hand to my stomach and smiled.
“You better sell that stock trailer, it seems to cause trouble.” I smiled as I put my arms around his neck.
“Remembering to take your birth control would have prevented this one.” He chuckled as he moved his head closer to mine. “But I don’t even care, I want to fill this house with our babies.” He kissed me, and I shivered, but I was warm to my toes.
“See you in a few days,” I said when he pulled away from me.
“Be ready when I get home. I’m leaving Cooper at Mom’s.” He reached behind me and popped my ass. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too.”
“Mom, see you when I get back,” Cooper said as he ran by me.
“Hey, don’t I get a hug?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips.
“Sorry. See ya, Mom. Bye Sissy,” Cooper said, patting my small baby bump. From the moment we told him I was pregnant, he’s been sure it was a girl. Kipp looked terrified every time but he would be a perfect girl dad, and a terrifying one, eventually. Both my guys got on their horses and waved as they rode away from the house. They were taking supplies to Griff, Ryder, and Linc at the new winter cabin they’d rushed to get rebuilt last month.
With a storm coming, they needed to make sure they had enough to get them through if they couldn’t get back to the house for a while. Winter out here was something I hadn’t given much thought to but it had the potential to be dangerous and long.
I wandered around the house and grabbed my book from the coffee table and sat in Kipp’s chair. Nash was around somewhere and when he came back to the house, I would figure out supper.
The wedding planning book mocked me from the coffee table. I hadn’t opened it since we found out I was pregnant, it didn’t seem important anymore. We’d talked to Ryder, and he was taking the class to be an officiant. I had my dress in the closet, so when all the people we held closest to us gathered here for Christmas, we would surprise them with a wedding. I had just over a month to wait to be Mrs. Kipp Miller.
Cooper’s new birth certificate had arrived last week with his correct last name, and he couldn’t have been prouder. He wanted to take it everywhere, and I had to almost wrestle it out of his hands on the way to school the next day. I assured him everyone knew who his dad was just by looking at him. He’d never had a middle name, because I wasn’t in the headspace to pick that out when he was born, so when his birth certificate came I revealed the secret that I’d added one.
Cooper Kipp Miller now joined the ranks of Miller men that shared a name.
A knock on the door startled me from my nap. My book not open on my lap fell off when I stood. Nash was coming down the stairs as I got to the door. “When did you get back?”
“A couple hours ago, I didn’t want to wake you.” He smiled and reached for the door. Having five men watch over me and treat me like I was going to break was already getting annoying. Nash opened the door and I stared into a face I’d only seen in pictures.
“Fallon,” Nash whispered, stunned. I looked at him and back to the woman in front of me. A little child was clinging tightly to her leg.
“Oh, my fuck, get in here.” I pulled her into the house and Nash closed the door.
“You’re lucky Cooper’s gone,” Nash mumbled. I glared over at him and frowned. Now was not the time to chastise me about my potty mouth. “What are you doing here, Fallon?” Nash questioned.
“Can’t I come home?” she spat, her eyes locked on the floor.
“Of course you can, how old is this little one?” I asked gently, pulling down her hood and taking her wet mittens off. I looked up at Fallon, who in the light of the hallway wore a black eye, old yellow bruises, and a split lip. Glancing up at Nash, I saw anger flash through his eyes, and he clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles were white.
“She’s two.” She slumped against the wall and gripped her stomach. Nash scooped her up effortlessly. I didn’t need to tell him anything, he took her to the room I had been staying in up until I moved in with Kipp.
“We need to get a doctor here,” I said quietly.
“I’ll call Doc Gordon, see if he can come out. I don’t think there will be time to get her to town.” Nash disappeared and he was as white as a ghost. Looking at the toddler now hanging on to me for dear life and back to Fallon on the bed, I wondered if Doc Gordon was going to have two people to deal with.
