Destined (The Rangers of Ridge County #1)

Epilogue

EPILOGUE

EMMETT

“ Y ou’re a hard woman to get ahold of, Millie Rushing,” a husky voice boomed through the speakers of Millie’s new car.

I scowled, eyeballing my girlfriend who was in the passenger’s seat and wondered what this fucker was implying.

She glanced over at me and laughed. But I didn’t know if it was because of my expression or the man’s comment.

“Sorry, Wells.” She chuckled before sobering. “It’s been a trying month.”

I kept my eyes forward, but my grip tightened on the steering wheel.

That was a damn understatement considering, weeks later, we were still dealing with the aftermath of Thomas Jones. Or whatever the hell his real name was.

My department had officially turned over all the evidence we collected to the FBI, and they were able to link him to more stalking cases in surrounding states—thanks to his homemade film collection. I shuddered at the degree of depravity it must have taken to do something so wicked.

It was evident the man had been one sick individual.

The bureau’s updates had slowed. Though, I couldn’t say I wasn’t grateful to be moving on from the trauma he’d put the people I loved most through.

Millie still struggled with some effects of having back-to-back concussions—which was why I insisted on driving today. The occasional headache and difficulty concentrating were minor issues given all she’d been through. Yet, even though her doctor told us these things were to be expected, I worried.

It had been a long day of running errands in the Valley, and I was concerned it might have been too much. But she was laughing and chatting animatedly about work with whoever this client was.

We left home this morning with every intention of being back before nightfall, but the sun was already setting behind the mountain range as we drove up Peak Street—having taken the longer route to avoid Highway 82.

We passed the dark windows of Sips, and my thoughts drifted to Greer. She was the reason we made the trip today. Mom called earlier in the week fretting about my sister. Evidently, Greer spent her days moving between the bed, couch, and front porch swing. And almost a month into her recovery, the doctors expected her to be more active—getting out of the house at the very least.

Greer was fucking depressed. It didn’t take a genius to see that, but my mother was in denial. And after visiting with them, I wondered if it was time Greer came back to Ranger Ridge. Maybe I could convince Mom to consider it the next time we spoke.

Tonight, I wanted to focus on my girl and everything I had planned for her.

The fact she wanted to stop at the Anderson family’s dealership threw a wrench in my plans, but I couldn’t say no to her.

The insurance company totaled her car after Thomas siphoned the oil from it, irreparably damaging the engine. Based on cost analysis, they determined it wasn’t worth repairing. She received a check in the mail last week that had been burning a hole in her pocket ever since.

But I must admit—this ruby red Jeep she spotted suited her well. The dealership even arranged to get the loaner we’d been driving back to Tim. It was a win-win, but it kept us from home longer than I anticipated.

I lifted my hand to wave as we passed Jeff on his evening patrol. This wasn’t his normal shift, but I was thankful for a group of deputies who pivoted without complaint. Scheduling had been chaotic after I sent Bria to Bozeman to assist Sheriff Thatcher in his efforts to get a handle on the Thumper situation.

Another worry that could wait until tomorrow.

“Maybe we could catch up over lunch soon,” Wells said, stealing my attention. I grunted, resolving to question her more about this client. And his intentions.

“If you’re ever in Montana,” Millie said, leaving the statement open-ended.

The man cleared his throat, and the sound echoed in the confined space.

“About that,” he voiced. “I’m actually here now. Indefinitely.”

My eye twitched, and I had to bite my tongue.

Mine .

Millie was mine.

“Oh!” she answered. “I’ll have Emmett bring me up sometime then.”

“Perfect,” Wells replied. “The quicker we roll the new marketing out, the better.”

My tense shoulders relaxed. This man was all business, and I could handle that.

As we turned onto Bent Creek Road, Millie said her goodbyes and disconnected the call.

“Client?” I asked, unable to deny my need for answers.

“Clearly,” she laughed. “Wells Harrington purchased Spruce Heights Resort, and I’ve been working on targeted marketing for months while renovations were underway.”

So this was the project that brought her to Montana. Maybe I owed the man a thank you instead of the right hook I’d been considering.

“I’ll drive you up whenever, honey,” I offered, earning a smile from her that tamed the jealous beast inside me. “It’d give me an excuse to check in with Denver.”

I was worried about my best friend, too. Something about what happened with Greer made him pull away—again. And I was determined to not let the past repeat itself. So I was going to be checking on him whether he liked it or not.

As we pulled up at the house, my nerves kicked into overdrive.

Shifting the Jeep into park, I wiped my damp palms down my jeans before reaching across the console for Millie’s. My large hand held hers captive, but it was a farce. Because in actuality, she owned me. Every single piece. Even the jagged, sharp ones that kept her at arm’s length initially.

“Do you know how much I love you?” I choked out, regretting every second I wasted distancing myself from her.

“Not enough to lose at Ticket to Ride,” she said, cocking a brow.

My nerves vanished, and the laughter I let loose came from the depths of my soul.

“Do you want me to let you win?” I asked, as I attempted to catch my breath. This woman was sunshine, lighting up my days every time she turned my way.

“No,” she huffed, but I saw right through the grumpy facade.

“That’s what I thought.” I smirked as I climbed out from behind the wheel. By the time I made it to her side, she’d opened her door and was readying to step down. Before Millie’s feet could hit the ground, I swooped her into my arms and carried her bridal style up the steps and into the house—only pausing long enough to unlock the door.

Moving through our space, I bypassed the door to the basement which was where we spent most of our free time and headed for the stairs to the second level. This part of the house was rarely used now that my siblings no longer lived here. Which is why it’d been so easy for me to sneak up without Millie suspecting anything.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked as I hurriedly took the stairs two at a time.

“You’ll see,” I teased as I toted her down the hallway. She nuzzled into my neck contentedly. And if I hadn’t been holding her, I would have pounded my chest like a caveman. But I settled for a quick kiss to her hairline before depositing her on her feet in front of the ladder to the Lookout Loft instead.

Her brows rose in question, and I nodded my head in the direction of the cutout in the ceiling.

“I have something I want to show you,” I admitted before reaching for the first rung.

I climbed them quickly, hoisting myself onto the landing before turning and reaching a hand down to help Millie. Once she was safely beside me, I moved to reveal the small space .

What had originally been a small alcove with a picture window enclosed by untreated boards was now a small room overlooking the meadow and mountain range in the distance.

I watched as she took everything in appreciatively. I’d sanded and painted the walls a deep blue that reminded me of her eyes.

In a corner sat an extra large adult sized bean bag. Beside it, I’d filled a shelf with books Rory guaranteed Millie would love. On another wall, I’d hung photos of Jet, her with my sisters as well as her parents, along with a couple of us. Though I wasn’t sure how well she could see since there wasn’t a lot of light up here now that the sun had set.

I reached for a nearby plug and inserted it into the closest wall outlet, and a strand of twinkle lights flared to life—illuminating the space in a warm, albeit dim, glow. The moon peeked from behind the clouds adding a little extra assistance.

When I glanced back at Millie, prepared to ask her what she thought of the loft, I saw tears spilling from her lashes.

I cupped her face and thumbed the droplets away.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Do you not like it?”

She shook her head, and my stomach pitted.

“Emmett, I love it,” she breathed. “Though not nearly as much as I love you.”

With a growl, I leaned in—capturing her lips and tasting her tears. Our kiss deepened, and I backed us up until my calves hit the bean bag.

Lowering onto it, I brought Millie down with me—positioning her on my lap. She leaned back, breaking our kiss, and her gaze speared me. The expression on her face reflected the overwhelming happiness I felt.

“When did you have time to do all of this?” she questioned, looking perplexed.

“It wasn’t easy, but nothing worth having is,” I stated. “I wanted you to have a space of your own. So for a while, after you fell asleep, I would slip out of bed and come up here.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she murmured. “Besides thank you.”

“It’s the least you deserve,” I replied, and her eyes found mine despite the darkness. “You deserve my all, and I promise to try my damndest to give you exactly that every day for the rest of my life.”

She responded by kissing my neck, and I squeezed her tighter—relishing the feel of her body against mine. I doubted there would ever come a day I didn’t crave this woman with every fiber of my being.

She peered around the space, until her eyes fell to the picture window. The stars were twinkling down on us as she nestled into my chest. My chin comfortably rested atop her head, and we stayed like that for a while.

A star shot across the sky, and Millie gasped. “Make a wish!”

Raising my hand, my fingers tilted Millie’s chin up so her gaze met mine. I might have fallen in love with her slowly. But somehow, it felt more like the blink of an eye—as if forever occurred in a single moment.

Maybe we were always destined to end up here.

Together.

Despite it all.

“Honey, I don’t need to,” I finally said. “I have everything I could ever want right here in my arms.”