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Epilogue
“Miss Duncan. Miss Duncan.” Sage felt a tugging sensation at the hem of her sweater.
When she looked down, Sage was staring into the deep brown eyes of one of her students, Charlie Miller. With a face full of freckles, and short, spiky hair, he was simply adorable And a bit on the mischievous side. Each and every day he kept Sage on her toes.
Charlie rubbed his hands together. “Are we doing show-and-tell soon?”
“As soon as your special guest arrives.” She glanced up at the clock on the wall. “I hope they get here soon or we’ll be behind schedule. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me who’s coming?”
Charlie shook his head. “Nope. It’s a secret.”
Second graders and their secrets!
Sage loved teaching second grade in Owl Creek. She was so incredibly blessed to be able to see these beautiful little faces every day and be their new teacher. Her class size was much smaller now and she truly felt as if she could give each child her very best. She loved her new life in Owl Creek with Hank and Addie and her wonderful birth family, the Norths. She was still getting to know them and trying to find her place in the family. She didn’t expect it to happen all at once. It was a process, one that might take years to coalesce.
Her birth parents, Willa and Nate, were warm and generous people. They had showed Eric nothing but kindness and understanding. He’d been welcomed into the fold as if he were one of their own, and it made the entire situation so much easier to navigate. Now she had two dads! And she didn’t have to worry about her father being prosecuted. She couldn’t have asked for more.
Every Saturday she and Beulah met up at the teahouse for conversation and camaraderie.
Her grandmother was a hoot. She was teaching Sage so much about love and faith and their family. Although at first Sage had had to deal with a very guarded Connor, she had been able to peel back his layers to reveal a fiercely loyal and loving brother. Braden had been the biggest surprise of all. He’d come back to Owl Creek right after the truth about her identity was revealed. Right from the start he’d wrapped her up in a big bear hug and embraced her as his sister.
She let out a contented sigh. Everything had come together beautifully in the end. All her fears had been put to rest. All of a sudden Sage looked up and Hank was standing in the doorway of her classroom with Addie sitting on his hip. Her stomach did somersaults at the sight of him in his green winter parka and dark jeans. She quickly made her way to his side.
“Hank! What are you doing here?” she asked, concern ringing out in her voice. “Is everything all right with Addie? She’s not sick, is she?” Sage reached out and pressed her palm against Addie’s forehead. It felt as cool as ice.
“Addie isn’t sick. She’s right as rain.”
Sage let out a relieved breath. “Okay. It’s great to see the two of you, but I’m teaching right now. We’re about to do show-and-tell. We have a special guest coming.”
Hank grinned at her, sending butterflies soaring in her stomach. “I know. I’m the special guest.”
She frowned at him, uncertain if she was being teased. “You are?”
He rocked back on his heels and gave her a smug look. “I sure am.” He winked at her.
“Surprise!”
Sage felt flustered for a moment. She loved having Hank in her classroom, but she wasn’t sure she would be able to concentrate due to his close proximity. He made her feel almost dizzy with happiness. She couldn’t even put into words the unbridled joy he’d brought into her life. Her life had truly changed by coming to Owl Creek!
“Hey there! Most of you know me. I’m Hank Crawford, town sheriff. And this is my daughter, Addie. First, let me tell you how fortunate you are to have Miss Duncan as your teacher.”
“She’s real pretty,” chirped Suzie Walters.
“And nice!” Charlie chimed in.
“She’s both of those things and more,” Hank responded. “She’s transformed this town in ways that are too huge to put into words. She gave us all hope when some of us had stopped believing. Miss Duncan has healed a lot of hearts, including my own.”
Sage felt a tear trickle down her face. Addie reached up and tried to wipe it away. Sage leaned down and placed a kiss on her temple.
Hank reached for Sage’s free hand. He entwined it with his own and dropped down on bended knee. Sage let out a gasp. Before she knew what was happening, a beaming Trudy came in and scooped Addie up in her arms, then stepped to the side.
“Thanks, Mama,” Hank said before turning his focus back to Sage. “Before you came into my life I was determined to keep my heart hardened to the possibility of falling in love again. You showed me that taking leaps of faith is what we’re supposed to do in this lifetime. God wants us to love one another. And I do love you, Sage Duncan.” He took both of her hands and lifted them to his mouth for a kiss. “I want to treasure you for the rest of our days. I want to grow old with you. I want to have snowball fights with you and walk hand in hand every year on the owl walk trail. I want you to be Addie’s mother and show her what it means to be a caring, loving woman of faith. Sage, will you marry us? Will you be my wife and Addie’s mother?”
Sage wanted to pinch herself. Was this really happening? It was like something out of her most precious dreams.
She let out the breath she’d been holding. “Of course I will, Hank. I can’t think of a more blissful way to spend the rest of my life than with you and Addie,” Sage said, burrowing herself against Hank’s chest as the children in the classroom began to hoot and holler.
“Oops. I almost forgot the ring.” Hank reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cedar box. He lifted the lid to reveal a round diamond with smaller stones surrounding it.
