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  “There’s nothing to explain, Wellington. I’m going to kill you!”

  “Dad!” I shout, again. “You’re not killing anyone! Listen to me, damn it!”

  He stops, blinking as he finally seems to see me, surprise on his face. I’ve never spoken back to my father before, especially cursing and he’s looking at me very closely now..

  “Are you hurt, Cora? Did he hurt you?”

  “Dad! God, no! Of course not! Judd would never hurt me. In fact, it’s just the opposite. We like each other. And whether you approve or not, we’re going to be dating each other,” I said, hoping like hell Judd hadn’t changed his mind now that it’s daylight and he’s seen how truly upset my dad is. As if an answer to my unknown question, I feel Judd’s hand touch the small of my back and I take a deep breath.

  “Well, I don’t approve, young lady! No way in hell you’re dating a firefighter. Are you crazy, Cora? Have you seen the hell your mother goes through?”

  “Daddy, listen,” I implored, looking up into his eyes. “Yes, I’ve seen firsthand what Mom goes through. I go through it, too. We both worry about you, every single day. And I understand you don’t want that for me. But you can’t pick who I date, Dad, no matter what. And if I choose to date a fire-eater, then that’s my choice.”

  “Well, you can’t date someone who’s dead,” he said, lunging towards Judd again.

  “Dad, enough!” I said. “You aren’t touching him. And you aren’t firing him, either, do you understand me? I won’t have it. I like Judd, and I’m dating him, end of story.”

  “Actually, Chief, if you’ll allow me a moment, I have a little more to add to the story.”

  I turn and look at Judd, who is pulling something out of his pocket. I wrinkle my nose in confusion.

  “Talk, boy. Because you don’t have much time before you won’t be able to talk at all.”

  “Well, sir, I hope you’ll reconsider that,” Judd says with a sigh.

  “I’m listening,” Dad replies, his face dark red with anger.

  “I’ve tried for years to stay away from Cora, Chief. Out of respect for you, to be honest. And I respect the hell out of you, Chief. Don’t for a second think that I don’t. That’s what kept me away from her. But when I saw her car in that ditch, and I thought she might be hurt, the feelings I had for her all welled up inside of me and I couldn’t deny them, any longer. I couldn’t leave her alone on the side of the road in the rain, so I brought her here to keep her safe. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a good man, Chief, but I’m only a man. I tried to resist her, I promise. But she’s special, sweet, funny and beautiful. Damn it, she’s everything I’ve ever wanted in my life.”

  “I am?” I ask, my eyes filling with tears at his words. He’s so sweet, and such a good man. My heart feels like it might burst out of my chest.

  “You are, Cora,” he says, turning to me as he lifts his hand, a small black velvet box sitting in his palm.

  I stare at it, blinking in disbelief.

  “Judd?”

  He smiles, taking the box and opening it as he kneels down on one knee. The most beautiful ring I’d ever seen is nestled on a bed of red satin.

  My hand flies to my mouth and I scream.

  “Cora, you’re everything I ever imagined you’d be and so much more. I can’t imagine spending another day without you by my side. Will you please marry me?”

  “Yes!” I cry, as he slips the ring on my finger. It seems like fate that it fit perfectly. He stands up and I throw my arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. He kisses me back, then pulls away, staring down at my tear-stained cheeks. With a thumb, he wipes them away and kissed me again, before turning back to my father.

  I expect to still see anger on his face, but he’s softened in his old age and instead, I see tears welling up in his eyes, too.

  I throw my arms around him and kiss him.

  “I love you, Daddy.”

  “I love you, too, baby girl,” he said, before turning to Judd.

  “Sir, I know I did all of this backwards and I’ll apologize if you want. I know I should have asked you first. But I didn’t want to waste another second without knowing Cora was mine forever. I promise I’ll treat her like a queen.”

  “You’d better,” Dad growls.

  “So, we have your blessing?” I ask.

  “You could have done a lot worse, Cora,” Dad says, grumbling, before embracing Judd in a bear hug. “Welcome to the family, son.”

  I feel the tears stinging my eyes again, as I stare at the ring on my finger, knowing I’ll never forget this moment for as long as I live.

  I smile over at Judd, knowing my life will never be the same again.

  The joy I feel in that moment will stay with me forever, and I know that as long as I had Judd’s love, nothing can ever take that joy away.

  THE END

  Epilogue

  Judd

  Five Years Later

  Cora and I have been together five years. That’s hard for me to fathom, because it seems like just yesterday. A lot of changes have taken place in that time. We’ve moved to a house in town with a large fenced in yard and plenty of bedrooms for our children. We only have our daughter, but we’re going to have more. If Cora has her way, we’ll have plenty more. The house is also close to Cora’s beauty shop. We still own the cabin and I’ve added a few bedrooms on it, but it’s more a small vacation home than anything else. We needed more room and I didn’t want to risk having my family caught in a flood. Cora and Lara’s safety will always come first.

  “We heard there was a party!” Ophelia laughs as her and Braden walk through the gate, pulling my attention back to the present. I go over and hug Ophelia taking my godson Storm out of her arms.

  “Then, you heard right. Jules and Cora are inside trying to get Lara to decide what dress she’s wearing.”

  “Your little girl is a diva,” Braden jokes, slapping me on the back. “You should have had a boy like me. They’re simple.”

  “Yeah, simple,” Ophelia says, rolling her eyes, before going up on the tips of her toes to kiss her husband on the cheek.

  “Well I’ll let you know that theory in about five months,” I joke, shifting Ty over to my other arm as Rain and Hale—their twins come running in behind their parents.

  “Wait! It’s my turn to throw the ball. Dad said you had to share,” Rain complains.

  “I’m still playing!” Hale argues.

  “Dad! Make Hale give me the ball!”

  “Oh yeah, boys are so simple,” Ophelia mutters, shaking her head. “I’m going to go see if I can escape the testosterone and help the birthday princess settle on a dress,” she laughs, walking away.

  “You like my testosterone,” Braden growls, laughing and not giving a damn that people are staring at him. The change in my friend is remarkable since Ophelia came into his life. Then again, I could say the same thing about having Cora in mine.

  She’s everything.

  “I’m just saying you need to try harder to give me a little girl next time!”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Braden mutters. “Damn woman has barely popped out one kid and wants another,” he complains, but I can tell he doesn’t really mean it.

  “There’s worse things in the world,” I tell him, laughing.

  “This is true. So, Cora’s having a son?”

  “Yeah, we found out yesterday at the doctor.”

  “I bet Chief Lance is happy.”

  “Yeah, he’s already telling the men how his grandson will be the town Fire Chief someday,” I laugh.

  “The old buzzard has to retire for that to happen.”

  “Lana, Cora’s mom, finally got him to agree to hang it up,” I tell him, and Braden looks at me in shock.

  “You’re shittin’ me!”

  “Nope, barring no opposition from the town counsel this time next month, you’ll be looking at the Thickwood’s newest Fire Chief.”

  “I’ll be a son of a bitch. Congrat
ulations, Judd. You deserve it for all the hard work and time you’ve put in.”

  My godson, Storm picks that moment to cry so I hand him back to his dad, with a grin.

  “Nah man, I already got my reward,” I tell him, looking up just in time to see Cora and our daughter, Lara—a combination of Cora’s mom’s name and Cora’s—come outside. Cora picks that moment to look at me, her green eyes shining with happiness, as her hand goes to her slightly rounded stomach.

  “I love you,” she says, mouthing the words, because there’s no way I can hear her from this distance.

  “I love you, too,” I respond, and when she smiles, I feel like I won the lottery.

  “What do you mean?” Braden, asks, not looking up from his son, instead making funny faces at the little boy to get him to grin. Storm reaches out and wraps his fingers in his daddy’s hair and I have to admit, I miss those days, Lara is fun and I love watching her grow into this amazing little girl. Still, there’s something about a baby and I can’t wait until my son is here.

  “Cora and my kids, Braden,” I explain. “They’re the biggest reward I’ll ever have in my life. They’re the reason I work as hard as I do. I want to do them proud,” I tell him.

  “You do that and more son,” Chief Lance says, from behind me. I look at my father-in-law, still smiling.

  “Thanks, Chief,” I tell him, and I don’t get time to say anything else, because my daughter comes running to me, I scoop her up in my arms, my gaze locking with my wife’s.

  “Papaw!” Lara says excitedly, squirming from my hold to reach the Chief.

  He takes her weight from me, but I don’t mind because I quickly take Cora into my arms.

  “Missed you, baby,” I whisper.

  “Love you, Judd,” she murmurs curling into my side looking at her father and Lara, our friends surrounding us.

  This was the life I always wanted. The life I dreamed of years ago when I first saw Cora laughing up at her father and knew that with one look I was falling in love. I had no idea that I would ever get to claim her, but I’m grateful every fucking day that I did.

  And I’ll never take it, or my family for granted.

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