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EPILOGUE

Two years later…

Watching the ultrasound screen, her breath held, Samantha clutched Connor’s hand tightly. He offered her a silent look of encouragement, and she adored him for it. She knew, even though he hadn’t said as much, that he was as nervous as she was, if not more so. This was their final try. There was nothing left in the bank. There was so much weighing on this very moment.

‘Well.’ The radiographer turned to them from where he had been squinting into the screen. ‘It looks to me like you’re having two healthy babies.’

Samantha gasped. ‘Twins, are you serious?’

His smile widening, the man nodded. ‘Yes, very.’

‘Oh my god, Connor, did you hear that, we’re having twins!’

‘Yes!’ Conner nodded. ‘I didn’t think you could make me any happier, but you just have.’ Blinking teary eyes, he cupped her cheeks. ‘I love you so much, Sammie.’

‘I love you, too, with all my heart and soul.’

The sonographer stood, took off his gloves and tossed them into a bin. ‘I’ll let you get cleaned up and meet you out the front.’

‘Thank you.’ After gently wiping her belly with tissues, Connor helped her up. ‘Come on, you three, let’s get you all home.’

Samantha brought a hand to her belly, to their babies, and smiled. ‘Us three, hey, I love that.’ Could this man get any more sweet, any more loveable?

That afternoon, after telling Joyce the great news, and now squished up against Connor while leaning against the banister of their little farmhouse, Samantha gazed out and over their land. ‘I honestly feel like the luckiest woman alive.’

‘Ditto, except for the woman part.’ Chuckling, Connor wrapped an arm around her. ‘Tomorrow, we can go into town and get the paint for the nursery, and while we’re out, we could call into Jack and Shea’s and let them know they’re going to be godparents, but for now, I just want to hold my fiancée real close.’

Samantha nodded. ‘I like the sound of all of that, my love.’

Snuggling into him, she felt peace and joy and safety, and so much love she could have burst. All along, they’d been meant to find their way back to each other. And now she was home with him. Forever. With not only one, but two beautiful babies for them to love and raise in this majestic countryside they called home. She couldn’t possibly be any happier.