Epilogue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One year later...

 

IT HAD BEEN kind of Mr. Olson to watch the bakery while Julian treated Willa to a proper honeymoon in the red rock canyons of Arizona for their wedding anniversary. They had come across a tiny mining town that reminded him of Coal Valley, and so he’d organized a base of operations from Aspen Creek for their sightseeing. Luck had befallen him when a local man had told him of a spring nearby, and he couldn’t wait to show his pregnant wife the surprise.

“Okay,” Julian said, palm clasped over Willa’s eyes. “You can open them in three...two...one.”

Willa rushed to move his hand away. She let out a giddied gasp. “It’s beautiful.”

The red rocks formed a type of bowl and in the center was calm turquoise water. A baby blue sky cradled them in nature’s embrace and hot sun provided just the right temperatures for bathing.

“So, you like it?” He raised an eyebrow. “What does the baby think?”

“I think she agrees,” Willa said, smiling as she waddled towards the water.

“He.”

“She.”

“Both?”

Willa wrinkled her nose. “Nope. Just one baby in there. I promise.”

She had never looked more beautiful with a round bump protruding from her front. Her hair had grown a considerable length and she kept it braided, the ends brushing right above her firm bottom. He watched that hind end of hers as she crawled over a small rock and plopped down into the water.

“It’s warm,” she said. “Come on in.”

Julian didn’t need extra convincing to join his lovely woman. He took a seat next to her in the water, holding himself up on the shallow end at first, eventually moving towards the deeper end.

He chuckled. “Man, I wonder how your Pa is getting on at the bakery.”

Willa rolled her eyes as she waded. “Probably eating all our cookies.”

“Agreed.”

“What were we thinking leaving him of all people to watch the place?”

“He’s my business partner. Who else would I have posted up there?”

She giggled. “How much do you want to be there’ll be complaints about how the shop was out of everything once we get back?”

Julian splashed her. “I don’t want to think about it. Right now, I just want to focus on relaxing.”

Willa rubbed her belly under the water. “And our little bun in the oven.”

He pinched her cheek. “Always, my love. Always.”