Epilogue

 

 

May had come and she was back where she’d been before, although this time she wasn’t the one lying in a hospital bed, staring down at a newborn.

“I can’t believe I have a baby.” Holly stared at her daughter. Little Amelia Burke-Markov had a single curl of dark hair on the top of her head. She was adorable, and her two dads already doted on her.

Of course one of them had delivered her despite the fact that he shouldn’t have. Caleb had upgraded both of the rooms in the clinic that was now rated as a small hospital.

“She’s so beautiful.”

Life seemed beautiful right now. Poppy was sleeping through the night and she and Henry were…they were playing again. Oh, they often got interrupted, but they weren’t going to let that part of their relationship go.

After all, they’d learned that they could get through anything as long as they were together.

The door opened and Laura walked through, Sierra in a sling around her body and a bag from Stella’s in her hand. “Did you hear that big guy who helped save Henry bought Hiram’s old place?”

Henry had made that happen. “Yes, Ian’s not planning on staying here all the time, but he’s bringing his family up this summer. He’s got two girls and two boys. His wife seems nice. They got a membership to Mountain and Valley.”

She missed going up to the retreat, but that time would come again. She had no doubt. For now she would sink into being Poppy’s mom and enjoying this time of her life.

Laura set their lunch down and frowned Nell’s way. “I heard he’s already put in for a permit to build on to the cabin.”

Nell gasped. “That cabin is a historical landmark.”

“No, it isn’t,” Holly corrected. “It’s kind of rundown.”

It was lovingly used, and Ian should be able to see that. “It is the home of the first mayor of Bliss and should be honored as such. And if you believe Hiram, it’s where the great battle with the bear was fought. Now you know I firmly believe we should leave bears alone, but that fight with one of nature’s most magnificent predators formed many of the stories about Bliss over the years. How could he even think about changing a thing?”

“Well, he bought it and it’s his property, and like I said, a little rundown,” Holly began.

Laura shook her head. “No. Let her run with this. Come on. Don’t you want to see Nell take on the big bad ex-CIA guy?”

“The last time she did, she tamed him and now he wears Birkenstocks with socks and eats tofu,” Holly pointed out.

“Sometimes my feet get cold.” Henry was standing in the doorway. He had a sling wrapped around his body, their baby tucked happily inside. He took her wherever he could, always gentle and loving with their daughter. When he worked in his shop, he would bring her bouncy seat out and talk to her the whole time. “What’s this about Ian renovating Hiram’s old place? That’s a historical landmark.”

Laura’s lips had turned up in a mischievous grin. “Not technically. I think we’ll have to have a town hall to discuss it.”

Nell stood, a fire coming back into her that she hadn’t felt in forever. “And I shall protest Mr. Taggart. But we should also have his wife out to our club. I’ve heard she’s shot many a son of a bitch, and she makes excellent lemon tea cakes.”

“Then she’ll fit right in,” Holly replied.

“Are you ready, baby?” Henry asked. “We’ve got that protest at the Stop ’n’ Shop. I’ve put Poppy in her Fight the Patriarchy onesie.”

Then they were ready to go.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” she promised because she didn’t let a day go by without spending time with her sisters.

“Go get ’em, Nell,” Laura said.

It was time to make the world a better place. A more blissful place.

As a family.

 

Lucy, Michael, and Ty, and all of Bliss will return in Far From Bliss.