Hearts Ablaze (Hearts On Fire Series) (19 page)

EPILOGUE

6 MONTHS LATER

AUBREY

Ever since the morning of the fire, life has changed in so many ways. Although it was going to be happening anyway, Noah and I are officially living together. We have replaced most of what I lost in the fire—it was just stuff, after all. The most important things to me were photos, and luckily most were either at my mom’s or were saved digitally to an online drive. Kennedy stayed with Grayson for several weeks until her insurance money came in and she rented a new apartment. Those two are still dancing around each other like idiots, but we’re convinced they’ll eventually figure it out. We’re almost halfway through the school year, and I am loving my class and the new classroom. Life has been really good to us.

My mom was hysterical after she heard about the fire, and she came over to our house that night to make sure I was really okay. Landon came with her and hugged me extra tight when he saw me. After telling them over and over that I was okay, they finally headed home. Grayson and Kennedy spent the day with us, then went back to his apartment. That night, when we went to bed, we made love again and it ended with us both in tears. Noah had a bad nightmare that night, screaming for me in his sleep. When I woke him up, he held onto me as he cried. I knew it would take him a while to realize that I was okay. That he hadn’t lost me.

He took a few days off work and we spent most of that time in our bed. After a couple days, he finally seemed to realize that he couldn’t hold onto me every minute of every day. His first shift back, he called me every hour until I told him to knock it off. We had our first fight that night. I told him he was smothering me and that, although I understood why, he needed to back off. He thought I was irrational because I hadn’t been there and didn’t get it. I hung up on him and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, he was lying in bed next to me. He immediately apologized and told me that he talked to the department psychiatrist during his shift. Noah said he helped him realize that he couldn’t protect me from everything. That it had to have been scary, but I was okay. I was shocked to hear that, but so proud of him. I told him as much, and he promised to talk to me whenever he was feeling anxious about it.

His anxiety tapered off as the weeks passed and everything returned to normal. We settled into a routine with both of us working. Noah’s been working towards the lieutenant’s exam, and I’ve been busy with the kids at school.

I’m finished for the afternoon, so I poke my head into Kenni’s classroom to say bye and then I head home. When I get home, Noah’s truck isn’t there. Weird. He’s off shift today, so I figured he’d be home.
Whatever.
I unlock the front door and drop my purse and bag on the couch before padding into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. I’ve just opened it when I hear Noah’s truck. A few minutes later, he comes walking in the front door with a huge cardboard box in his hands.

“Babe, I’m home.” Noah enters the kitchen with a huge smile on his face.

“Hey, you. What’s in the box?”

He places it at my feet and gestures for me to open it. I kneel and pull the top off to find a small golden retriever puppy inside.

“Oh, my God!” I squeal and pull him out of the box.

“Meet the newest member of the family. I thought you could name him, Aubrey.”

I’m laughing as the puppy starts licking me on the face.

“Well, I dub thee Brady. Hello, Brady! Welcome to the family, buddy!”

I kiss the top of his head and stand up with him in my arms. When I go to put him down, I notice he has a small pouch attached to his collar, so untie it. I put Brady down, pull the drawstring, and turn it over. Into my palm falls a sparkling diamond ring. I can’t help the gasp that comes out of my mouth and when I look up, Noah is kneeling in front of me.

“Aubrey Marie Stevens, these past nine months have shown me what true happiness is. You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I thank God every day that you came into my life. Baby, I love you so much. Make me complete. Will you marry me?”

Tears are falling down my cheeks, and I can see them shining in his eyes.

“Yes!” I shout, dropping to my knees in front of him. Noah grabs my face in his hands and kisses me, breaking away quickly. He takes the ring from me and places it on my finger.

“I love you so much, Noah.” I lean over and hug him.

“I love you too, Aubrey. So damn much.”

Standing up, I bend over to pet Brady. I see the sparkle from my ring catch the light and I can’t help the tears. My dad. He’s going to miss my wedding. I look over at Noah and an understanding crosses his face. Taking me by the hand, he leads me to sit on the couch with him.

“I know this is bittersweet, baby, but it’s gonna be okay. Your dad is always with you, and he’ll be with you when we get married. Where do you think I got the ring? It was his mother’s, babe. I’ve had that ring since the Fourth of July.”

Noah tells me about the conversation with my dad, and by the end I’m in tears. I lean my head against his shoulder and he wraps an arm around me.

“Thank you for telling me that, Noah. It means so much to know that he wanted this for us. He believed in us. And so do I.” I lean up and kiss him. We head outside with Brady, letting him run around the backyard. Noah holds his leash tightly and races around with him. The sun is shining down on us, and I can’t resist looking up.

I met Noah on the worst day of my life, and it turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to me. As we stand there, I remember my father’s last words to me.

“Make sure you love fiercely, baby. Make sure you tell Noah every day just how much you love him. Cherish each other. And never forget how much I love you.”

Touching my ring, I close my eyes. I can see my father’s face.

I promise, Daddy. I love you.

THE END

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I first have to start by thanking my incredible husband. You have always supported me in everything I do and I couldn’t be more grateful. I love you so much.

To all my friends and family: Thank you for your unwavering support. I appreciate each and every one of you more than you could ever know.

Carmen & Heather: You girls have been the best Beta’s and friends I could ever ask for. Your support and encouragement has been amazing and I am so glad I chose to explore this with you guys. I love you both!

Melissa Gill: Thank you for such an amazing cover design! I look forward to working with you again in the future.

Hot Tree Editing: You all helped make my book the best it could be and I will always be grateful that you helped me through this whole experience! I can’t wait to continue to work with you!

Allan Spiers: Thank you a million times for the cover photograph, it was absolutely perfect. Thank you for being so wonderful and helping me out so much! It was an honor to be able to work with you.

Chase Ketron: Thank you so much for agreeing to be a part of my first novel. I honestly can never thank you enough, and I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors. The world needs more kind hearted individuals like you.

Kaylee Ryan: You have been one of my favorite authors for a long time now, and your support and encouragement have been amazing. Thank you so much!

My girls! Tiffany, Jamie, Kiki, Lisa, Nancy. You guys made everything easier with your constant kind words and support. Thank y’all for making this such an incredible experience. Thank you for sticking with me through the reveals, the teasers, and all the fun. Love you all!

To all my “Lovelies” you are amazing and I am forever grateful to each and every one of you!

To everyone who reads this book. Thank you so much for taking a chance on me! I hope you fall in love with it! I have so much more to share with you all!