Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
He chuckled. “I heard it.”
It wasn’t like he’d been careful when it came to his woman. When he was around Clarissa, he couldn’t think. Reaching for a condom was the last thing on his mind.
“I love you,” he said. “I’m going to take care of you, always.”
Clarissa smiled up at him. “And I love you too, and I will take care of you as well. There’s nowhere else I want to be. Working for you has been a dream come true.”
“Yeah, about that, you’re fired. I’m not having my wife work for me.”
She gave a shocked gasp, but then laughed.
He kissed her again, but then knelt in front of her stomach. “And little guy or girl, I’ll take care of you as well as all your brothers and sisters. Always.”
Epilogue
Ten Years Later
“That’s right, son, well done.” Axe looked toward his son as he petted the calf they had just helped one of their cows give birth to.
Nigel, his eldest son, was a natural-born rancher. From the time he was five, he wanted to be with his dad, out in the fields, working. Axe loved having his children for company. Three boys, three girls, all of them amazing. Nigel was his eldest son.
Charlie, his eldest daughter, stood back, wearing her Stetson, arms folded. At eight years old, she thought she knew everything and demanded that if he take Nigel, then she had to go as well. Michael and Lola were at home, as they were the youngest children, and stayed with their mother.
Then, out playing in the yard with their dogs were Brandon and Tiffany. Dolly and Susie were getting much older, but they had also rescued another four dogs, so he also had six dogs, two cats, and even a couple of rabbits. He had a full family.
“Well done, Nigel,” Charlie said, walking over to her brother. “That is how we do it.”
Axe rolled his eyes and then picked Charlie up, placing her on his shoulders. “Ignore her. She freaked out when the calf came out and closed her eyes.”
“I did not,” Charlie said.
Nigel laughed. “That is amazing, Dad. Can I go and tell Mom?”
Before he could agree, he heard the whistle he’d given his wife as a gift. She always found it annoying when they didn’t arrive for dinner, and his woman couldn’t whistle. He tried to teach her, but she was never quite loud enough.
“Time for dinner.”
He put Charlie back on the ground, and they left the barn. Axe did a quick check and saw that mother and calf were doing fine. He’d come out to check on them regularly. He loved to take care of his cows.
With that, he headed toward the house in time to see all six of his kids making their way inside the kitchen. He already had to change the small table to accommodate their larger family.
Stepping into the kitchen, he saw his wife already hustling their children around the table. Nigel was at the sink, washing his hands. Axe joined him, and then Clarissa was there, herding their son to the table.
She returned and grabbed his hand, but instead of pulling him to the table, she closed the distance between them and kissed him, hard.
“I missed you,” she said, with a groan.
This is the life he had always wanted. The life he had hoped to have. A woman he loved more than anything by his side, kids waiting for them. A house filled with love and laughter.
In the last ten years, they had gotten married, had six children, and spent the last ten Christmases, Halloweens, Thanksgivings, birthdays, and all the other holiday events in between. There had been rough patches, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
He loved Clarissa.
He loved his family.
And this was the best feeling in the world.
“We better go and feed them before they start eating the cutlery,” he said.
Clarissa burst out laughing, and the sound lifted his heart.
The End