Bourbon Harmony (Bourbon Canyon #5)

Epilogue

EPILOGUE

June

Bethany streaked into the apartment. We’d just finished a whirlwind day at Disneyland. “This is even more fun than last year!”

Hannah danced into the place, her arms full of stuffed animals and her mouse ears still on her head. “I wanna swim!”

Rhys wrapped an arm around my waist. “Can’t they just pass out for a two-hour nap like last year?”

I laughed. “They built up stamina.”

Last year, Rhys and the girls had met me on the Southern California leg of my tour. They’d stayed for most of the Christmas and New Year’s break. I’d upgraded apartments since then. This one overlooked the city with a wall of windows like the place I’d just sold in Tampa, and it had a pool on one of the lower levels for tenants.

During my big tour, I’d made new memories of New York City with Rhys. We’d visited Broadway, and he’d opened up more about what he remembered of his time there. Then we’d placed flowers on the corner where his mom had died. After the trip, I’d let my apartment there go. The urge to be home more and travel less was stronger than ever.

My tour was done. Even though breaks had been planned between major city jumps, I had been exhausted by the time it was over. The international travel had gone smoothly but had seriously hampered the time I could spend with Rhys and the girls. They’d been able to meet me in Toronto over the summer, but any other international travel would be done on our time, without the frenzy of a stadium event.

I’d been in Bourbon Canyon for the last two months, recuperating and enjoying getting to know the girls even better. I wasn’t going to retire, but I was going to slow down. A lot. I’d write and release albums and feed my fans via social media.

Rhys and I had had a small fall wedding at our place. Then we’d enjoyed our own little honeymoon over Thanksgiving weekend while the girls were with their mom in Bozeman. She’d gotten a small house so she had a home base and could be just a mom when she had the kids instead of a traveling photographer mom.

Things were going really well.

And they were about to get busy.

“Hey, I have some news,” I said.

Rhys gave me a questioning look. I smiled and slipped my hand in his. He pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Okay?” Bethany was digging out a fresh swim towel. She had her goggles in one hand and her swimsuit over her shoulder. They’d been swimming every day since we’d arrived.

“Do we get to go to London yet?” Hannah asked. She’d been devastated that she couldn’t visit every country I had played in.

“Um, no. We might have to put London on hold next summer.” I took each of Rhys’s hands and moved them down to my lower belly. “We’re going to be busy with something else.”

His hold on me tightened. “Are you serious?”

Hannah scratched the side of her head and looked around, probably for the swimsuit hanging up in the bathroom behind her. “Why are we going to be busy? Daddy hired a guy to cut hay.”

That had been Cruz, but no. We’d be home to cut hay next year. “We’re having a baby.”

The girls stopped, their eyes wide.

Rhys buried his nose at my nape and inhaled. “I love you so fucking much.”

I held my breath. I was thrilled. The last two months of domestic life had been so many dreams come true, and I was already so incredibly humbled that I’d already had pie-in-the-sky dreams unfold. But I wanted the girls to be comfortable with everything that was happening too.

Bethany sucked in a big breath. “A baby?”

“I’m going to be a big sister?” Hannah asked in awe.

“Is that okay?” Rhys asked.

Cheers broke out and they tackled us. A giant group hug was all I needed to erase the anxiety. “I’m so happy that you’re both happy.”

“I can’t wait.” Bethany’s expression grew serious. “Now can we go swimming? ”

“Go get ready, you two,” Rhys said, but he didn’t let me go. “I’ve gotta talk to June.”

When they disappeared into their bedroom, he twirled me around and cupped my face. “Are you ready for this?”

We’d talked about kids and when I’d go off birth control, but Rhys never quit doing check-ins, making sure he was doing what I needed out of him and that I was content.

I turned my face into his big, warm palm. “I am. Are you?”

The love that filled his eyes was staggering. “I’m always ready to fly right next to you, songbird.”

_____

Ruby only meant to pick up some shifts working in the tasting room at Copper Summit. She didn’t mean to corner one of her bosses into going to a wedding with her as a plus one to show her ex she wasn’t hung up on him. But Tenor agrees to a little fake dating relationship to sell the whole image. Then he shows her how low she’s set the bar for her dating life. The arrangement was only ever meant to be fake. So why does it feel so real? Read Ruby and Tenor’s story in Bourbon Summer .

Find out what Junie and Rhys name their next collaboration (it’s a baby!) in a special bonus epilogue .