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"Hard work, you say?" Ash smirks, pulling me closer until our bodies are pressed tightly together. "Well, I do like a challenge, Miss. Entrepreneur."
"Good," I murmur, reveling in the warmth of his embrace. "Because I may have agreed to marry you, but you still have a lot of making up to do.”
As the sun dips lower in the sky, casting elongated shadows across the land where our dreams will soon take shape, I let myself imagine all the possibilities our future holds. Rustic cabins nestled among towering pines, a wedding pavilion where love stories begin, and countless moments shared between Ash and me as we navigate this new journey side by side.
"Hey," Ash says, interrupting my thoughts. "What's that look for?"
"Nothing," I reply, smiling wistfully. "Just thinking about everything we're going to accomplish together here. It's surreal."
"Believe it, Gemma," he reassures me, his thumb gently brushing my cheek. "We've got this."
"Of course we do," I say, feeling the weight of my insecurities dissolve in the strength of his conviction. "Ash, I want you to know I'm determined to make this work. Not just for us but for everyone in this town. I promise to respect and honor the traditions of White Pine Mountain."
"Thank you," he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. "That means more to me than you'll ever know."
As twilight descends upon us, enveloping our intertwined forms in a blanket of soft shadows, I can't help but feel overwhelmed by the love and support we've found in each other. With Ash by my side, there's nothing we can't overcome – be it stubborn locals or the challenges of building a business from the ground up.
"Come on," I whisper, tugging at Ash's hand. "Let's go celebrate our new beginning."
"Sounds perfect," he agrees, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine. And as we walk hand in hand toward the future we're creating together, I know that our love will only grow stronger – like the towering pines around us, reaching ever upward toward the heavens above.
EPILOGUE - GEMMA
[3 years later]
Ash's strong arm wraps around my waist, pulling me close as we stand side-by-side, watching our children play. The crisp mountain air fills my lungs as I lean into his sturdy chest, my body fitting perfectly against his.
"Look at them, Gem," Ash's gravelly voice rumbles near my ear. "Our little Bear and Willow. Who would've thought just three years ago that this is where we'd be?"
I smile up at my husband, his beard tickling my cheek. "Not me, that's for sure."
Our mischievous two-year-old son bounds through the grass, waving a stick around like a sword. His unruly dark curls and boisterous energy remind me so much of his fun uncles.
Our daughter Willow toddles after him on chubby little legs, her sweet giggles floating on the breeze. At just one year old, she already has Ash wrapped around her tiny fingers.
My heart swells with love and gratitude. Our blended family and glamping business is everything I've ever dreamed of.
"I never properly thanked you," I say softly.
Ash's icy blue eyes meet mine. "For what, my love?"
"For taking a chance on me. On us." I gesture to our children. "I know I'm not who you imagined as your wife and the mother of your babies."
Ash brushes his knuckles gently across my cheek. "You're everything I never knew I wanted. The best surprise life could've given me."
"Even if I'm a big city girl with crazy ideas about luxury camping?" I tease.
Ash chuckles, the sound rumbling through his chest. "Even then. You and those schemes of yours were exactly what White Pine Mountain needed. What I needed."
I smile up at my rugged mountain man, my fingers playing through his thick beard.
"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, too," I whisper.
Ash pulls me closer, his strong arms wrapping around me. I lean into his sturdy chest, breathing in his woodsy scent.
"I never thought I could be this happy," he says. "That after everything that happened, I could feel so at peace."
I know Ash is thinking of his father's legacy. He’s been trying to fill his shoes for years and be a good father figure to his younger brothers.
