The old me would’ve pressed further until he spilled it all, but the new me acknowledged that regardless of my concern, he’d open up when he wanted to. It didn’t have to be to me, though I’d be there for him if he wanted to talk.
“That horse for Avery?” he asked, lifting his chin in the direction of the gelding.
I nodded.
“She’s going to love him.” He faced forward, heading up the porch steps and into the house.
Behind me, a car came up the driveway, and once I turned, I saw it was Sage’s vehicle. I willed the worry I felt for Beckham away as I walked across the driveway to meet them near the barn. As soon as the car was off, Avery was out and running for the horse.
“Boots!” Avery squealed as she approached him from the side.
The horse turned his head to look at her, letting out a snort as she reached up to run a hand along his snout.
“He looks just like the picture,” Sage acknowledged, coming up beside me. “How’d you do that?”
“Took a lot of searching. When I saw his ad, it was like it was too good to be true. Went out to ride him, and I just knew he was the one for her.”
“Well, you’ve sure made her dreams come true,” she said, wrapping an arm around my back.
“I figured adding this guy to our family would make her happy.”
Avery scratched at Boots’ neck, his upper lip stretching into the air as he craned his neck.
Sage nuzzled closer into me, and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, my fingers trailing up and down her bare skin.
“You know,” she started, pure bliss shining in her tone, “we’ll be adding another member in about seven months.”
My movements froze. I looked down at her, finding her smiling up at me, then glanced at her stomach before searching her eyes for the confirmation. “A baby?”
She nodded, the smile taking up every inch of her beautiful face. “A baby.”
My arm immediately slipped from her shoulders, my hand coming to her belly. I couldn’t help the tears that sprang to my eyes.
“So I thought, maybe, I could take you up on that offer to move in.”
I laughed through the tears that threatened to spill. “I thought you’d never say the words.”
“Don’t cry, or I’ll cry.” But she already had a sheen to her eyes as well.
“Avery’s going to have a little sibling,” I said, looking down at her belly where my hand was pressed against it.
“She is.”
Sage joined me in staring at her belly, absolute joy taking over every thought in my mind.
“She’s going to love them,” Sage said.
“For a million years,” I whispered, and brought my lips to hers.
Avery and this baby were already my entire world, Sage my universe, and that was all I needed.
Words couldn’t express how much that meant to me.
How much they meant to me.
We were a family.
Epilogue
Sage
Two weeks later…
“I’m honestly surprised it’s still alive,” Oakley said before taking a sip of her lemonade.
“Or that Bailey let you keep it,” I added.
Lettie kicked her feet up on the chair next to her. “What can I say? I’m a pro at this mom thing.”
Oakley snorted. “Mother to a goldfish.”
“It’s a title I wear with honor,” Lettie announced proudly, her chin held high in the air.
Stay-at-home mother of two and part-time baker would be the official title I held soon, and I was nervous as all get-out to tell my friends. We were just waiting for Brandy to show up, and then I could spill.
Callan and I had made the decision for me to quit my job at Bell Buckle Brews so I could be home with Avery and enjoy my pregnancy without the added stress. When the baby was born, I'd be able to stay home with them, too. On the side, I’d be taking on orders for baked goods from people around Bell Buckle. Charlotte and Lettie had already declared that I’d be catering every Bottom of the Buckle event, which I’d had no problem agreeing to. Lettie had also asked me to make her wedding cake, which would be nerve-wracking in itself, but I was up for the challenge.
