Epilogue

Traveler

The wind is coming off the mountain peaks and into the valley that our home is nestled in. I’m on the front porch, leaning against the cedar column with a cup of coffee, watching her slender silhouette float down the running trail I carved out for her last fall. The sunlight is approaching the lavender fields as she reaches the end of our long dirt driveway.

She holds her hand up to wave and then rests both hands on her knees, bending over to catch her breath. I leave my coffee cup on the top step and jog out into the crisp morning air to meet her. She rises up and smiles, and it takes my breath away every time.

I hold her face in my hands. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too.” She gives a playful laugh. “How did the phone call go?” she asks, loosening her shoelaces and taking off the headband that holds her wild curls in place.

“It’s still the same. The last Arden heard, Vlad was moving out of Tennessee and focusing on the Georgia coast line.” My forehead creases as I look down at her. I’m thankful my mother is not there anymore, she’s not even in this decade. She knew Vlad would put the pieces together and find out her identity eventually. They also know I’m her son.

“That’s good, right? They won’t find us. There’s too many places and too many years to cover.” She leans her body into mine, wrapping her arms around me. Johanna is so certain of our safety. As if the mountains are our keeper and the valley is a cocoon of protection. Holding us in. But me, I’m not so sure. I know complacency can only bring trouble.

“We still have to be careful.” I tilt her chin up to look at me, and she nods her head.

I know that one day I will come face-to-face with Vlad again. One day I will have the pleasure of watching him take his final breath, and in his last moments on this planet, I want it to be my face he sees. He not only took something from me, but he took something from her. And for that, he will pay the ultimate price.

“Let’s go inside and eat breakfast. I want to take the horses out for a ride today.” Johanna pulls me up the driveway by my hand.

“Wait.” I stop, and she turns around quickly. Something in my tone of voice prompts her to look around for what I could have seen.

“What is it?” she asks me with a curious expression.

“I also talked to Andrew this morning.”

“Is he seriously still bugging you to bring back more buffalo burgers for his deep freezer next month?” she asks, rolling her eyes and laughing.

I smile and nod my head yes, taking her hand in mine and holding it to my chest. “Actually, I called him.” She tilts her head to the side with a curious expression.

“I needed to ask him,” I watch her face as I kneel down, holding her hand with mine and reaching into my pocket with the other, “if I had his blessing to marry the strongest, most incredibly beautiful woman I’ve ever known. That I can’t live my life another second without knowing she will be my wife. Johanna, baby, will you marry me?” I ask.

Her eyes widen and then tear over as she bobs her head up and down. She drops down on the ground with me as I slide the ring onto her finger. “Yes!” she squeals before I kiss her. I stand with her in my arms and her legs wrapped around my waist, and I carry her back into the house.

Danger may find us one day, but for now I intend to live my life with her, not wasting a second of time fulfilling all our wildest dreams.