In the Firelight (27 page)

“I love you, Shea…” he whispered. “I’ve never loved anything in my life like I love you.”

Epilogue ~ The Dream

Two years later…

Rhys walked down the stairs into the unfinished greatroom with an appreciative eye. Now that the walls were closed in, the windows were installed, and the rockwork on the fireplaces had been completed, he could almost picture everything in its place.

Wolfie’s bed in the corner, thick and soft to rest the big old dog’s weary bones. A large table in the dining area near the wide-open kitchen, big enough to seat ten with ease. The glass doors that opened onto a large deck looking out west across the gulch, perfectly aligned to catch the glorious Montana sunsets.

And one of the rooms was entirely finished out. With a little help from Michelle, it looked incredible.

It had taken him almost a year to convince Shea to build. Sometimes he’d cajole her, sometimes he’d sweet-talk her, sometimes he’d piss her off just to see the fire light up in her eyes. Then he’d ravish her until she was begging for release.

Through it all, though, Shea couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her grampa’s cabin behind. Nor did she want to alter it with more rooms. It was sacred to her. As much as Rhys understood this, he wanted a space for the two of them, a space they could grow into.

And so he continued to cajole and sweet-talk and piss her off and then ravish her until she begged.

And then one day, it hit him. He started to sketch out a plan.

After coming back to Snowcreek, back home to Shea, he’d begun to work with an architecture firm in Polson. Twice a week, he’d make the long drive into town, spending long hours there meeting with clients. The trade-off was that he was able to work from home the rest of the time.

When this idea had come to him, he spent every spare minute creating his vision of the perfect home. The blueprints grew and expanded until he had the specs all mapped out. A similar look, almost identical from the front, but bigger, roomier. A wing on the back with a few extra rooms on the main floor and an expansion of the loft above.

Plenty of room for the both of them.

Plenty of room for a family.

When he was done, he had taken the original sketch and cleaned it up, in essence creating a smaller copy of the design. Rhys rolled it tightly until it could fit through a dainty silver Yogo sapphire ring.

With his heart in his throat, he walked over to where Shea sat in front of the fireplace staring into the flames. It was their first fire of fall. The days were getting shorter and the nights were getting colder. But the smell of the pine burning in the fireplace brought the warm memories back to him.

Some scorchingly hot ones as well.

The facets of the large, light blue stone glimmered in the flickering firelight as he walked up behind the couch. Rhys didn’t say a word. He simply slid the rolled up plans along her shoulder.

“What’s this?” she had murmured absentmindedly, but then she froze at the sight of the ring. She slowly sat up straighter, turning to look up at him.

“It’s a surprise.” Rhys said back, his voice deep and warm.

“It’s a ring.” Shea’s eyes warily rose to look at him.

“It’s more than that, sweetheart.”

Shea gently slipped the ring off the rolled paper and held it cradled in the palm of her hand. On a delicate silver band, the unique dusty blue gem was set in the center with a few smaller diamonds on either side. Rhys watched her closely as she studied it. It was the perfect ring for her. Not huge and ostentatious, but delicate and sweet.

So very, very Shea.

He gently took the rolled up paper from her and unfurled it to reveal the drawing it held, drawing Shea’s attention from the ring that was cupped in her palm.

“What is this? Plans? Rhys, we talked about this. I don’t want to change Grampa’s cabin…”

“It’s not for this cabin…” Rhys motioned to the small cabin around them. “But we’ll build out in front, on this land, down the hill a little. And this, your grampa’s place, can be your own. To do your transcription, or maybe a guesthouse. Maybe just a quiet place to read or relax. Whatever you want. It will be untouched, kept whole.” Then he tapped his finger lightly on the plans. “But this one is bigger. The overall scale is about double.” He pointed to the diagram for the second story. “Upstairs in the loft, this can be my office for the days I work from home. These doors will open into the master bedroom that spans the whole upper level of this wing. A big bathroom with a nice soaker tub. A beautiful retreat… just for you and I.”

Shea nibbled at her lip, and looked up at him with a soft, adoring smile. “Rhys, this whole house is kinda for you and I, isn’t it?”

“Not totally,” Rhys shook his head. “The lower level of this new wing, under the master… it’s got a few more bedrooms.”

Shea looked back down at the blueprint spread out before her, and then she grinned sweetly. “Family-sized?”

Rhys nodded. “Yeah, family-sized.”

“And this?” She held up the ring. “So is this what I think it is?” she whispered as she studied it.

“Yeah,” Rhys soft answered. “I love you, Shea. I need you. You’re my lifeline. I want to marry you. And I know what this little cabin means to you. I don’t ever want you to have to leave. So, I want to stay
here…
with you… forever.”

Shea looked back at the ring in her palm. Slowly, deliberately, she placed it on her left ring finger. Then she turned around, kneeling on the couch, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him hard.

“Okay,” she murmured against his lips. “Deal…”

On midsummer night of Shea’s thirtieth year, she walked through a path to a small clearing in the trees. She was dressed in a simple, long sheath dress draped with a silky, diaphanous material. Sparkly slipper flats (Shea had quickly vetoed Rhys’ request for heels) covered her feet, and the sparkles caught the faint light as they peeked out beneath the skirt.

Michelle and Shea had woven what seemed like a gazillion strings of solar lights through the branches of the surrounding trees, and, combined with the bright moon, they cast an iridescent glow over the small gathering. A small number of people from town sat in the small audience of chairs… even Trinity, because there was
no way
she was going to miss this. Michelle’s boys stood by Wolfie, Sam holding the big dog steady while Joey carried a little round box cut out of a short and narrow log with a little carving in the bark along the outside.

It was hollowed out and inside were two silver bands.

Jenna stood by her mother, both with harebells and shooting stars woven through their hair, both of them holding small bouquets of wildflowers similar to the one Shea carried. Robert stood just across from Michelle… next to Rhys.

Rhys in a suit.

Damn he looked hot in a suit.

Shea’s eyes pricked with tears as her heart felt outgrown. Bursting at the seams.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she leaned a little on the arm of the man beside her. His weathered hand patted her small, delicate one, and she glanced up into the eyes that were so familiar. An older version of the ones she loved so dearly—a bit of crow’s feet and some deep smiles lines.

Looking at Rhys’ dad, she felt a frisson belonging that had so long eluded her. He would now be family. Grampa to her future children. And, as soon as the new house was finished, he would be moving in the little cabin behind it, living there just as her own grampa had.

“Let’s go, sweetheart,” Thomas Weland said with a gentle smile. “My boy’s never been the most patient fella in the world.”

The rest of the evening was a bit of a dream. A lovely swirl of hugs and kisses and the sweetest of words.

I do… forever and ever…

The night wore on and the guests began to leave. Michelle and Robert stayed for a bit, putting their kids to work cleaning up. Finally, they too said their goodbyes, and Rhys swooped Shea up into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.

“I have one last little surprise…” he murmured.

Shea looped her arms around his neck and kissed the bristly, coarse hair on his jaw. “What is it?” she asked playfully.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered.

For a second, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, he thought she might challenge him a little. But then her eyes drifted closed and she buried her face in his neck, inhaling deeply as though she could breathe him in.

He carried her into the new house and up the split-pine stairs. Through his would-be office space. Through the double doors leading to their future bedroom.

“Okay, sweetheart… open…”

Shea’s eyes went wide as she looked at the room before her. Michelle’s last chore had been to rush up here and light the candles that were scattered on every level surface throughout the room. The large log-frame bed was made up with soft, plaid flannel sheets, piles of pillows, and a heavy down quilt. The fireplace along one wall had a lovely little blaze dancing about and tossing shadows across the room.

Rhys lowered her to the floor as she gaped around her, and he watched her with fascination. He gently kissed her soft, auburn curls, the tendrils dotted with wildflowers, and murmured softly in her ear.

“Like it?” he asked.

Shea turned around in his arms. “It’s beautiful. How did you do this?”

“Your, um… your kiwi helped. A lot. As much as I’d like to take all the credit, she’s the one with the decorative touch. I kinda mentioned that I’d like to stay in here tonight, and she said ‘Sweet as!’ and went to town.” His forehead furrowed. “What the fuck does ‘sweet as’ mean?”

Shea laughed softly. “Kiwi-ism,” she explained. “I’m not sure I understand it either.” She brushed her fingertips along his jaw, studying him lovingly. “So this… this was all your idea?’

He nodded slowly.

“Good God, I love you,” Shea murmured as she lifted her lips for his kiss.

It started so gently. Rhys tenderly kissed his
wife
, sweetly pouring the depth of his love into her. With a whimper, Shea pressed closer, triggering the wildness to build inside him.