Wild West Hauntings, page 17
Epilogue
New Year’s Eve
Music blared from the sound system. The booze flowed, and food was abundant. When the Dougans threw a party, they went all out.
Bristol had come home from the hospital a few days before, completely rested and well, with the little one, who’d shown remarkably quick progress in becoming healthy, and her husband who seemed to fret with each whimper, breath and noise his son made. It was quite comical watching the big, tough rancher deal with the tiny infant while the momma hovered, telling him not to worry so much and to let someone else have a turn holding him.
Devon Michael Dougan would be a heart-breaker just like all the Dougan men before him.
When asked, Bristol explained what happened when Kane ‘put her under’ so he could fight off Seth. She said the magical experience was hard to describe. It’d felt like she’d been floating on a cloud but still connected to the ground. She had the sense of knowing everything, yet her mind was calm and clear. The strikingly beautiful woman with light umber skin and flowing raven hair had held her in a comforting embrace on her lap like a mother would a child. The spirit soothed her and Baby D, assured them everything would be well. There was an ambiance of peace surrounding them. It’d reminded her of a warm, cozy blanket she’d had in her youth. She almost hadn’t wanted to leave, but the woman said it wasn’t her time to stay in the mystic realm yet.
No one doubted her story. Everybody agreed with Bristol that she had plenty of life to live.
There were moments Rachel caught her gazing off at nothing, with a wistful smile on her face. Rachel figured the new mother was remembering her tranquil time in the spirit realm. Bristol would probably draw on that memory many times over the next few years.
As a Christmas present, Dakota and Damon’s parents gave the two couples plane fare for vacation and use of the family estate on Grand Cayman whenever they wanted to visit there. Bristol and Damon planned to use the flight toward their honeymoon in several weeks when the doctor released her from her post-natal care. Damon almost couldn’t contain himself and kept mentioning that they’d have to get a new carryon bag for their toys. The flush that crept into Bristol’s face as he spoke let people know without having to ask exactly what kind of toys he referred to.
Dakota stated he planned to whisk Cassie away as soon as possible so they could work on their relationship.
Marianne and Miguel were engaged. The two love birds couldn’t keep their hands off each other and kept moving their wedding date around. One moment they wanted to wait a year, the next they talked about just running down to the courthouse, getting a license and doing a quick ceremony at the drive-thru wedding chapel.
Rachel stood in the doorway between the recreation and dining areas observing her sister and fiancé dance and her own love, Andrew—now called Dru by most of the family since they sure loved their D names—cradling his cousin. A number of times people tried to figure out what level of cousin Dru was to them and the newest member of the family, but it all became too confusing. In the end they decided he was a cousin—family—and blood was blood. This also meant he was making a permanent home in Nevada on the Double D ranch.
He’d been taken into the cowboy fold, she’d joked with him on more than one occasion. Her Christmas gift to him was to call back east, decline the job and tell Nonna of her decision to stay. Her grandmother had told her she figured as much. If she could wrangle herself a cowboy she would stay, too.
Dru glanced up at her and winked. Rachel smiled at him, and he returned the sentiment—a special smile just for her. Hot and lusty desire gripped her, sent heat straight to between her legs. She’d seen him grin at other people, but the expression hadn’t had the same dazzle as the one he used for her. He was her cowboy. He only smiled for her. Rachel couldn’t wait until midnight when the hour struck the time into the New Year so she could take him up to her room and have her way with him. Seeming to read her thoughts, a flush crept up Dru’s face, and he bobbed his head once to acknowledge her.
Rachel fingered a new ring on her right hand. Andrew had given the emerald and ruby studded white gold band to her that morning. The Christmas colored piece of jewelry wasn’t an engagement ring, but a promise of things to come.
“Wonderful things that will take a lifetime to create and share,” he’d said.
With a sigh, she enjoyed the fact she no longer felt on edge. She wasn’t crazy. She was totally sane, loved and in love.
She was where she was meant to be—with her sister, with Andrew and the rest of his family.
She was home.
The End
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C.R. Moss, Wild West Hauntings
