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Epilogue
Three years later…
* * *
After the last graduate stepped off the stage and the last speech was made, Penny Smith threw her cap in the air and cheered with the rest of her college graduating class.
Flushed with happiness and success, she hurried to find her family and friends.
Her mother reached her first and hugged her close. “Sweetheart, we’re so proud of you.”
“I knew you could do it.” Her father kissed her cheek and hugged her.
Brian, who’d grown six inches in the last three years, and whose voice had dropped an octave, hugged her. “Congratulations, Mom.”
“You’re a rockstar.” Joe kissed her soundly and handed over their nine-month-old baby Rose. “You got a degree despite being pregnant and juggling a newborn and a high school senior.”
“Couldn’t have done it without all of you,” she said, including Brian, Joe and her parents.
She’d earned her Computer Science degree with emphasis in Cybersecurity. The best part was that she already had a job, working with Hank and Swede as part of the Brotherhood Protectors. All through the studies, pregnancy and juggling a family, she’d kept up with her physical and combat training she’d worked so hard to acquire in the first place.
Her friends crowded around her, congratulating her on her success. They’d driven all the way to Bozeman to attend the graduation ceremony with their spouses.
So much had happened in the past three years.
All five of the renovation team had gone to work for Hank Patterson’s Brotherhood Protectors. They’d all moved out of the lodge and into their own homes, except for Grimm and Dezi. They’d expanded their suite to include a nursery for their newborn baby boy.
Cassie and Drake were expecting their second child. He would be born in a couple of months.
Murdock and Gabbie lived on a small ranch, raising horses and their two-year-old twin girls.
Utah, Liza and Tayla had welcomed baby Nicolas into their little family two years ago and sweet Charlotte fourteen months later.
After renovating the lodge, Molly and Parker hired a fulltime manager to run the place. Parker and Molly went back to managing the Iron Horse Ranch. Without the strain of a major renovation, they got busy making babies. They had their first child nine months after the lodge reopened. They were expecting their third next month. Molly hadn’t come to Penny’s graduation but would be at Brian’s later that day.
The five renovation couples all got together often with the McKinnon clan at the Iron Horse Ranch or the Lucky Lady Lodge.
Their children would all be around the same age and grow up as friends. Penny had loved growing up in Eagle Rock, surrounded by her friends, and wanted the same love and sense of community for her children.
After thirty minutes of shaking hands and thanking people for coming, Penny raised her hand. “Okay, enough with my graduation; we have to get back to Eagle Rock for another graduation. See you all there. Safe travels!”
They all hurried to their vehicles, jumped in and headed for the Crazy Mountains and the little town they called home to be there for Brian’s high school graduation.
Penny sat in the passenger seat, a smile permanently etched across her face.
Three years ago, she’d thought life couldn’t get better than this.
She’d been wrong. Every day with Joe, Brian and Rose got better. And that morning, she’d discovered it was about to get even better.
“Oh, honey,” she said.
“Yeah, babe?” Joe responded.
“Remember when I said I wanted four children?”
“Yeah,” he said, his brow furrowing.
“Brian and Rose make two,” she said and laid her hand over her flat belly. “And baby will make three.”
