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Five Years Later
“Life is good, brother. That’s all I have to say.”
Luke unclasped his hands from behind his neck. He’d been leaning against one of the largest trees in the yard, watching their children chase each other around. It was something he and his brothers had done when they were small, on late summer days that seemed as though they’d last forever.
He knew they didn’t. Time slipped away so quickly as an adult. It was a privilege to watch all their children experience the wonders of the ranch, to learn and grow, as he and his brothers all had.
Luke uncrossed his legs and raised a brow at Caleb. “That came out of nowhere.”
They’d been discussing the ranch, as they usually did, and then talk shifted to the trust that he and Addie had set up for the children. She’d made quite an astounding sum from the novel she’d written about their adventures together. She’d changed some of the details, made the parts that weren’t so funny seem hilarious, but at heart, it was a story of family, friendship, and love that folks could relate to. The ranch was so successful that Addie didn’t know what to do with the funds. She’d donated some to the schoolhouse in town, where Melinda taught. They’d decided to set up a trust for the children with the rest. All of them, including Lydia’s three kids, Caleb and Nora’s daughters, Melinda’s daughter, and their own son. The trust would be amended in the future to include any new additions to the family.
“I was thinking about Gabriel off buying more horses, and Jacob on his honeymoon. About us too. About how this place is one of the best in the world.” He waved his hand to indicate the whole of the ranch.
Luke grinned. “You’re getting sappy in your old age.”
“We’re the same age,” Caleb stated dryly.
“Yes. I’m also quite sentimental as an old man. At least I can admit it.”
“Supper’s ready soon,” Mrs. Jarvis’ voice cut across the yard, sending the dusty, grass-stained children into a mad flight for the house. They had no problem abandoning Caleb and Luke for the promise of dinner.
She lingered on the porch, waiting for the mini stampede that charged across the lawn.
“Johnathan,” Luke called. His son stopped dead in his tracks less than a foot from the flower garden he’d clearly been about to leap over. A sheepish smile turned up his lips, but then he was off, chasing after his cousins.
Luke stretched his arms overhead, working out the kinks in his back and neck.
“Old,” Caleb repeated playfully, knocking his shoulder against Luke’s.
At nearly thirty-five, maybe Luke was getting old. He still rose before the sun and went to bed long after. He worked just as hard, but he had noticed how he was stiff and sore sometimes, and how it lingered longer than it once had.
“It’s not so bad,” he responded, meaning it. “Not when I have Addie at my side to get old with.”
Caleb and Nora’s daughters, Emily and Charlotte, reached the porch first and scrambled up. They gave a loud victory cry, delighted to have beaten Johnathan for once, and ran straight to Mrs. Jarvis for a hug.
She held out her arms, waiting until Johnathan climbed the steps, and Millie trudged along after. She brought them inside to get washed up. Of all the children, Melinda’s daughter Millie was the quietest. She’d known how to read since she was four, poring over books that were too advanced for her, as if she needed all the answers immediately. She was sweet and thoughtful. She liked to pick flowers, garden, and help her mom at the schoolhouse. She had Hank’s dark hair and eyes but wasn’t boisterous like her father had been. She reminded Luke much more of Melinda as the woman she became.
“How’s the writing coming along?” Caleb asked Addie.
She and Melinda sat together. Addie was working on a sequel, but she hadn’t made any promises as to when she’d be finished. Her notebook rested on the swell of her stomach. Their second child was due in October, likely around the time they’d been married. They’d both been surprised and delighted to find out Addie was expecting. After Johnathan, they’d waited and hoped for another child, but the time apparently hadn’t been right until they’d basically stopped hoping that it would happen.
“It’s going well,” Addie responded. “Thanks to Melinda’s input. She has a memory for dates and events and timing that I just can’t keep straight.”
Melinda flushed. “That’s because you have a lot on your mind.”
Addie clasped her hand. “I do, but never so much that I’m not glad that you came for dinner. I know how busy you are with school. You’re working wonders, Melinda.”
“Stop it.” Melinda swatted Addie’s leg. “I’m just doing regular teaching, same as everyone else.”
“So, everyone else travels all over half the countryside to bring books and materials to the children that can’t make it to school because it’s too far? Everyone else spends hours teaching not just them, but a lot of adults how to read and write?”
“I think we should go and wake Nora up.”
“Definitely.” Addie closed her book and tried to stand, but couldn’t quite get there. Luke surged forward and grasped her arm, then offered his hand. She laughed. “Look at me. I’m already finding it hard to get out of chairs and I still have aways to go yet.”
“I can wake Nora,” Caleb said, disappearing into the house.
Addie never was sick while pregnant, or tired, but Nora’s pregnancies were more difficult. She was exhausted in the early stages, and sickest in the afternoon. She found that lying down for a nap let her sleep through the worst of it.
“Next time you come for dinner, feel free to bring your sheriff.”
Melinda’s blush spread from her cheeks through her whole face. “Addie! He’s not my sheriff. He’s just the sheriff. You knew him before I did.”
“I would say it was about the same time,” Addie argued gently, grinning. “But the invitation stands.”
“It’s not… it’s… new,” Melinda whispered, but her soft smile gave her away.
The sheriff might have started courting her a month ago, but Luke knew it was only a matter of months between his meeting Addie and their getting hitched. He expected that it wouldn’t be long before the sheriff and Melinda were planning their own wedding.
“Come next week, if you can. Lydia and Maxwell will be here with the kids. It will be a noisy, boisterous house full of laughter.”
It wouldn’t be just laughter, Luke knew. Lydia’s boys were quite a handful. They wanted to be cowboys more than anything on earth. They loved horses so much it was all they would talk about.
Luke privately wondered if this would be the visit that Lydia and Maxwell announced they’d be moving back to the ranch. He’d asked them every year, to make sure they knew the invitation still stood. The copper mine was slowing down and without it, Max wouldn’t have any work. They loved their little plot of land, but they also loved the ranch.
Having their family back together again would make them all so happy, and the boys would get to spend every single day working with horses.
Melinda went into the house, leaving Luke and Addie to share a private moment on the porch. He brushed a kiss over her hair, struck by a thought so sentimental that it made his chest ache. He had so many clear memories of being young, learning about horses, the ranch, and cattle. So many memories filled with his father’s patient instruction.
He was the instructor now. He and Caleb, Jacob, and Gabriel. Hopefully soon, Maxwell too. They were raising the next generation of Rawlins. One day, they’d take over the ranch and raise the generation after that. It was the way life worked. It wasn’t a new concept to Luke; it just somehow hit harder.
“What are you thinking about?” Addie planted a kiss on his jaw, then moved to his lips. It was a sweet kiss but still made his blood run hot.
“How much I love this place. How happy and blessed I am to be surrounded by family, and to grow old with you.”
“Luke!” She pulled back and swatted his arm. “You’re going to make me cry before dinner!”
“That’s just fine, Mrs. Rawlins. You cry if you need to.”
She blushed prettily. He didn’t use many terms of endearment, so that was pretty much it for him. It was his favorite thing to call his wife.
Her eyes scanned the yard, the stables, the barn, the fields dotted with cattle beyond. She inhaled the fresh air deeply, scented with roses from the gardens nearby. She closed her eyes for a moment and let her own happiness and contentment wash over her face. She was so beautiful, his Addie.
“I just might do that,” she whispered, wiping her eyes. “I just might indeed.”
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Western Brides and True Loves", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Greetings, dear readers! I trust you relished the blissful conclusion of Addie and Luke’s love story. Let’s reminisce together—what was the most heartwarming moment in their romantic journey? Share your thoughts with me, for I cherish your input! ♥️📚
When they both proposed at the same time. Double weddings children growing up together and parents growing older together. Excellent story! Thanks cowboy
Thank you so much, Cowboy! 🤠 I’m thrilled you enjoyed that moment, it was such a joy to write. Double proposals, shared futures, and families growing together felt like the perfect way to celebrate their journey. I’m so glad the story resonated with you. Thanks for reading and for your kind words! 📚✨