SWNOVELS Chapter Here With Me: Epilogue
FIVE MONTHS LATER
Inever imagined I’d be married by the age of twenty-three.
I also never imagined I’d be married to a man twice my age.
I definitely never imagined I’d fall in love with my ex’s dad.
But still, I couldn’t be happier.
None of this was planned, and that’s what makes it even better. For my whole life, I thrived on schedules and organization, and as soon as I stopped trying to figure out every piece, I met the love of my life.
It wasn’t an easy or simple journey to get here, but it’s one I’d do all over again if it meant I got to marry Fisher.
We had an intimate and beautiful country fall wedding at the ranch. I’d like to say it went flawlessly, but nothing rarely ever does around here with horses and changing their schedules. Still, it was the best day of our lives and one I’ll remember forever.
Damien, Jase, and all four of my brothers were the groomsmen. I had Magnolia as my maid of honor and Mallory, Serena, Laney, and Ruby as my bridesmaids. The planning process was fun, but I was mostly looking forward to after the wedding.
“Home sweet home,” I say as we walk through the front door of the cottage for the first time in two weeks.
Fisher brings in all our luggage and nearly collapses to the floor with how many there are. I bought too many souvenirs and had to buy an additional suitcase just to bring them home.
But it’s not like I could go to a Taylor Swift concert on the way to our honeymoon and not buy merch for the girls.
Plus, I couldn’t pass up on the touristy items once we flew to our actual destination. I’d never traveled out of the South before, so I wanted to explore and bring back as much as I could.
“Let me help,” I say, chuckling at his attempt to carry them all in with one trip.
“I got it. You just relax.”
“That’s all we’ve been doin’ for the past fourteen days. I need to get back to work.”
Although we had a great time, I missed my family and the horses.
Once Fisher’s hands are free, he lifts me over his shoulder and carries me to the bedroom.
“Not yet, Mrs. Underwood. I have you to myself for one more night, and I’m not wastin’ one fuckin’ second.”
“You’re gonna knock me up with that caveman behavior.” I smack his ass before he drops me on the mattress and hovers above me.
“Would that be so bad?” He arches a brow.
We’ve talked about having a baby but not when.
“I’d like to enjoy married life for a while before gettin’ pregnant,” I say honestly.
“Greedy. I like it.” He winks before burying his face in my neck and sucking under my ear.
My legs wrap around his waist, and I pull him closer. “But we can practice…a lot.”
“Love the sound of that.” He pulls back and helps me out of my clothes, then removes his.
When he kneels between my thighs, I stop him. “Wait. Before you do that, I need to shower off the plane smell and sweat.”
“Don’t make me tie your wrists.” He pushes my hands away, then widens my legs. “I will eat this pussy like it’s my last meal, and you will count to eight before I let you come on my face.”
“Fuck…” I’m already panting at the thought. “Okay.”
“That’s my good girl. No holdin’ back either.”
I chuckle at the memory of when someone called guest services because they thought someone was being murdered. They asked if we had any weapons in our room, and I responded, “Only if you count my husband’s tongue.”
Apparently, that wasn’t appropriate to break the ice.
The guy’s face turned beet red, and he couldn’t even look us in the eyes when he asked us to keep it down, or they’d have to move us.
After that, we had to get creative.
I ball my fists in the sheets as Fisher devours me with his mouth and fingers.
And for the first time ever, he gets me there in seven seconds.
“Holy shit.” I pant through the words as my heart races. “That’s a new record.”
“I was takin’ it easy on you before, my love. Now bend over and stick out that ass for me.”
As soon as I get into position, he smacks it before spreading my cheeks and sliding inside. Every time he thrusts, I moan his name. The love I feel for him is unmatched by anything I’ve ever felt before. Even after all this time, I can’t get enough of him and how he makes me feel loved and cherished.
He twists my ponytail in his hand, pulls my head back, and whispers in my ear, “Get ready, baby. Rub your clit while I fuck you and come inside your tight cunt.”
God. I could explode from his words alone.
“Yes, please,” I whimper.
He unabashedly slams into me, hitting my G-spot over and over as he grunts and groans. By the time I fall over the ledge, I’m flat against the bed with my thighs squeezing his shaft.
“Lift your hips for me, Goldie. I’m so goddamn close.”
I do, and as soon as I meet his thrusts, he growls out his release.
My heart sputters as I catch my breath, and he collapses beside me.
“How did I ever go without you? How could I almost lose out on this?” He brushes a finger over my sweaty cheek and pushes loose strands of my hair out of my face. The somber tone in his voice has my stomach tightening at the thought of us never meeting.
“Maybe you were meant to live because I couldn’t be without you,” I say, wrapping my arm and leg over his body.
He pulls me closer, tightening his grip on me. “After all these years, I believe that wholeheartedly. Besides reunitin’ with my son, you were the best thing to come out of all of this.”
I bite my lower lip, contemplating my next words. “I have a confession.”
He raises a brow. “What?”
“I forgot to pack my birth control, which means I haven’t taken the pill in two weeks. I literally just realized it.” I lower my eyes, worried he’ll be disappointed or mad.
Our schedule was so messed up that I didn’t remember I normally take it with my morning coffee because we weren’t rolling out of bed until midday. We’d stay up late, exploring or making love, and then we’d sleep in until our stomachs growled, and we’d go for lunch.
I mentally smack myself for being so irresponsible. This is why I thrive on routine!
He tilts up my chin until our gazes meet and greets me with a smile. “I’d love nothin’ more than to see you pregnant with my baby and start a little family with you. If that’s what you’re worried about, then don’t be. But if you’re not ready—”
“Knowin’ that I could be changes things. I do want a baby with you. Even if it’s sooner than I expected, if I am, I want this,” I say with my whole chest. “I might be a little scared, but havin’ you by my side makes me confident we can do this.”
He brings his lips to mine, and I savor the taste. “I love you, Goldie. It’s me and you forever. Don’t forget that.”
I beam as I think about how much I love him and how excited I’d be if we were pregnant.
“I never will.”
“I fucked up,” Magnolia says when I visit the coffee hut a few days later.
Magnolia’s Morning Mocha officially opened six months ago. She saved up enough money to get started, then got approved for a business loan. She brings the trailer to the retreat twice a week to serve the guests, then parks downtown for the rest of the time. I was so proud that she finally quit her job and went after what she wanted. It’s a huge success, which I love for her. She deserves it after all the work she’s put into remodeling the trailer and practicing her skills to make the best drinks in the area.
I haven’t seen her since I left for my honeymoon and missed her, but I was busy unpacking, doing laundry, and catching up on work.
“With what?” I ask as she makes me a coffee.
“I might’ve hooked up with Travis a month ago…”
I gasp, my mouth opening in shock. “Magnolia Sutherland! You did not! And why am I just now hearin’ about it?”
Travis is her deadbeat ex who cheated on her and then gaslit her into thinking she was crazy.
“Because I knew that’d be your reaction.”
“Well…” I shrug.
“I was drunk and horny. And very, very, very stupid.”
“The start to every country song…” I snort but try not to laugh at her expense. “Okay, so are y’all back together now or what?”
They broke up two years ago, so their dating again would be a nightmare. I’d support her if she decided she wanted to give it another try, but I wouldn’t like it.
She shudders. “God, no. I told him to lose my number and blocked him. Drunk Magnolia ain’t makin’ that decision again.”
“Good. You deserve better.”
She turns and faces me, handing me my cup. “I took a pregnancy test, Noah.”
I hold my breath as I wait for her to tell me exactly what I know she’s going to say.
Tears fall down her cheeks. “It was positive.”
“Aw, sweetie.” I walk around to the side and open the door, then engulf her in a hug. “I’m not sure if I should say congratulations or not but—”
“I dunno either,” she admits, crying as I keep my arms wrapped around her.
She pulls back and wipes her cheeks, then fidgets with her fingers. “That’s not the worst of it.”
“What’s worse than being knocked up by your ex?”
“I slept with someone I really like after him, and now I’ve ruined any chance at a relationship. He’ll never want me once he finds out I’m havin’ another man’s baby.”
“Magnolia! I leave you for a couple of weeks…” I laugh, but I’d never shame her. She’s young and can have as much fun as she wants. Albeit she shouldn’t have had that fun with Travis, but it’s a little too late for that lecture. “You’re sure he ain’t the father? What happened to those Magnum XL condoms I gave you last year? Surely you didn’t go through an entire pack already.”
“Trust me, Travis doesn’t need XL, but we did use one. It was either expired or broke.” She scowls. “And yes, I’m sure. I track my period and ovulation cycles on an app. By the time I slept with the other guy, I woulda already been pregnant. I just obviously didn’t know.”
I’m on pins and needles as I wait for the news so I can finally share my news with her.
“Alright, so who is it?”
She lowers her eyes, and my heart jumpstarts with her reaction.
“It was Tripp.”
And now it just flatlined.
“Wait…” I scratch my head as if my brain’s trying to figure out a calculus equation. “My brother Tripp?”
She winces at my raised voice I didn’t mean to release. Clearing my throat, I try again.
“Tripp, as in the guy you’ve crushed on for nearly a decade and has never shown an interest in you, Tripp?”
“Yep.” She sucks in her lip as she nods. “Turns out he does kinda like me.”
Fuck. This is going to crush him.
“If he truly does, he’ll accept you and the baby,” I tell her. “But he might not be ready for that, which you’ll need to prepare yourself for that possibility.”
“Oh, I am. I’m expectin’ him to push me away and never speak to me again.”
She sounds so defeated, and I hate that she feels that way.
“Well, I’ll be here for you no matter what.” I hug her again. “My little niece or nephew will be spoiled as hell.”
“Thank you. I can’t believe you get to sit behind me and chant push, push, push durin’ my labor before I get to do it for you. My hot girl summer just turned into fat girl winter.”
“Oh my God.” I burst out laughing. “First, that was never gonna happen. Second, summer was over before your little one-night stand mishap, but if it makes you feel any better, we’ll at least be fat together.”
She straightens her shoulders as she lowers her gaze to my stomach. “What?”
I nod with a smile I can’t contain. “Yeah. Just found out this mornin’.”
Her jaw drops as she smashes me in a hug. “Holy shit! I never thought we’d be pregnant together!”
“Me neither. We weren’t even tryin’!”
“Damn. Daddy Fisher sperm workin’ double time.” She waggles her brows, and I playfully smack her arm.
“I swear it was the water at that place. Either that or honeymoon sex works faster.”
She grins wide, leaning against the counter. “What if our kids grow up and marry each other? We’d be in-laws!”
“You’re nuts, you know that?”
“I do. These hormones are about to make it worse, too.”
“Now we can annoy Fisher and my brothers together.” I lean over to grab my coffee and taste it since I’ll be switching over to decaf after this.
“About that. I need you to keep this a secret, at least until I can tell Tripp myself.”
“Yeah, of course. Are you gonna tell Travis?”
She groans. “Eventually. I wish I didn’t have to, but if he finds out before I tell him, he’ll be even more immature about it. If it were up to me, he wouldn’t exist at all.”
“You know that ain’t fair, though. He deserves a chance to be a father; if he chooses not to be, you can cut him out completely. Just don’t let him back into your life, if you know what I mean.”
She crosses her arms and sighs. “Yes, Mother. I don’t wanna anyway.”
“Good. Then all you need to focus on right now is eatin’ healthy, stayin’ stress-free, and gettin’ enough sleep.”
“What ’bout you? Are you still gonna ride?”
“Yes, but I won’t do tricks or stunts. I’m sure Fisher will try to ban me from all trainin’, but it’s literally my job, so he’ll just have to deal with it. But otherwise, I’m gonna make sure I don’t overdo it, either. We can be accountability partners.”
“I love that idea. This is much more excitin’ now that you’re knocked up, too.” She giggles, then takes out her phone.
“Happy to have forgotten my birth control for you.” I snicker.
“I downloaded this pregnancy app. You should get it, then we can track our progress and milestones. It says my baby is the size of a lentil.” She holds up her hand to make a tiny circle.
Once I have it pulled up on my phone, I input the date of my last menstrual cycle, and it shows I’m four weeks along.
“Mine is the size of a poppy seed.” I show her the photo on my screen. “Hm, Poppy. That’s a cute name.”
“Sorry, but I’m not namin’ mine Lentil.”
I burst out laughing at her deadpan expression. “Fair enough.”
By our dates, Magnolia’s two weeks ahead of me, which means we’ll still go through a lot of our milestones together.
“I’m excited to go through my first pregnancy with you. Even if the circumstances aren’t what you’d hoped for, you’re gonna be a mom, and that’s somethin’ to celebrate,” I tell her when she stares at her phone.
When she looks up, I notice the wetness in the corner of her eyes. “You’re right.”
“We’ll plan a dinner and sleepover at my house this weekend. What do ya say? I’m sure Mallory and Serena would love to come for a dance party.”
“Can you still have slumber parties when you’re married?” she teases, wiping her cheeks when the tears fall.
“Um, duh. Fisher knows who he married. If he wasn’t prepared for Taylor Swift sing-alongs and pajama nights, he shouldn’t have proposed.”
“You’re so lucky to have each other. You won the husband lottery.”
“And you will find someone equally as lucky to have you. I promise.”
Before leaving, I give her one last hug, then promise to call her later after work. I haven’t even told Fisher I took a pregnancy test, so I need to figure out how to announce it.
At least he’s prepared for the possibility, considering we went unprotected, but I’d like to do something special like he did when he proposed.
Since he’s already working in the barn, I sneak over to my parents’ house and dig through the scrapbooking supplies. We’ve been working on a second-year-together album, and I plan to do a separate one for the wedding photos, but for now, I’ll add a new page for finding out we’re pregnant.
“What’re you doin’, sweetie?” Gramma Grace walks into the dining room with a mug in her hand.
“Just makin’ somethin’ to show Fisher later.” I smile, closing the book before she can see the page.
There’s a vintage frame in the center surrounded by little wheat clippings. On top I wrote, Our First Ultrasound. Once we have a picture, I’ll add it inside.
She walks around the table and pats my shoulder. “You’re gonna make a great mom, Noah.”
“H-how?” My mouth drops open. “How do you always know stuff before anyone else?”
Gramma Grace’s dimples deepen as she sits down next to me. “I’m a good observer.”
“But I literally just found out, so what could you have noticed?”
Her eyes lower to my chest as she smirks. “Your breasts are swollen. That’s one of the first symptoms. I saw you walkin’ into the house earlier, and your hand was on your stomach. We’re instinctively protective when we know we’re pregnant. And finally, you’re glowin’.”
“I’ll give you the first two, but I think you’re confusin’ my glow for sweat. I walked to the retreat and back.”
When I went to visit Magnolia, I didn’t bother driving since it’s only a mile, but I didn’t think about how I’d have to walk back to get to the ranch.
She raises her brow and smirks. “That is the pregnancy glow.”
“Great.” I chuckle.
She stands with her coffee and pats my cheek. “Just wait till you find out what tradition you get at your baby shower.”
I furrow my brows, wondering what she could be talking about.
“Well, now I’m scared to know.”
“You’ll find out soon enough…” Gramma hums as she walks away, leaving me to my thoughts.