A Rancher’s Bride on the Run – Extended Epilogue

Two Years Later

“Mama!” Lucy ran toward her, Buddy bounding along beside her. “Come and have a look at this!”

“Slow down, Lucy!” Eliza looked up from tickling her son in his bassinet. “I can’t leave the twins on their own.”

“Please, Mama? It’s so sweet!”

A movement behind her got Eliza’s attention, and she saw Nancy sticking her head out of the kitchen door. The cook smiled and nodded at the two baskets.

“Don’t worry about the babies. I’ll keep an eye on them while you go with Lucy.”

“I don’t want to put too much on you…”

“Nonsense! They’re settled, aren’t they? Go on, go with your daughter.”

Daughter. Eliza liked the sound of that. She’d been happy hearing that since the first time Lucy called her mama. Two years on, and she was still feeling the warm sensation in her stomach whenever it reached her ears. Never did she think that she and Lucy would get to the point where her stepdaughter would call her mother. That felt like so much weight was off her shoulders, and she felt the lightest she’d ever been.

Nathaniel was equally pleased about it. He’d been more worried about it than he cared to admit, and to hear that was enough to stun him. Now he smiled more, practically beaming, knowing that his family was one complete unit instead of two separate ones.

Standing up, Eliza gave her sons one last look before she joined her daughter in the yard. Travis and Andrew had been a shock for her. She never thought that would happen, that she would get pregnant with twins. Finding that out had been like a bizarre dream, and Eliza was relieved she had given birth. The pregnancy had been hard work, and she’d felt constantly exhausted. Nathaniel and Lucy had looked after her as much as possible, and Nancy had also stepped up to help. Now the twins were here, and almost six months old. They were going to be mobile soon, crawling around and getting into everything.

Eliza wondered if she could keep them at the age they were for a little longer. They were easier to handle when they were in one place. Two toddlers running around, along with a precocious nine-year-old, was going to be interesting.

“Come on!” Lucy grabbed her hand. “I want you to see this!”

“Slow down! What is it?”

But Lucy merely grinned and tugged her toward the hen house. Buddy trotted ahead, barking and jumping about when he got near the chicken coop. Then Lucy pointed.

“There! Can you see them?”

Eliza looked. Sure enough, she saw four baby chicks nestled in the straw next to one of the hens by the fence. They looked content, three of them sleeping with a fourth looking around curiously. Her heart warmed. Lucy had wanted to have some chicks, so Nathaniel had left a few eggs behind to let them hatch on their own. Now there were little babies.

“Oh, they’re adorable!”

“Can I name them?” Lucy asked, practically bouncing up and down on Eliza’s foot. “Can I?”

“Ouch, Lucy!”

“Oh, sorry!” Lucy moved away and continued the bouncing. “Can I name them? Please?”

Eliza crouched and looked at the chicks through the fence. They did look very cute. The one that was awake started cheeping. The mother looked at Eliza with a baleful expression, as if she expected her children to be snatched away from her.

“I’m sure there won’t be a problem with that,” she said. “But you’ve got to be careful when holding onto them. And make sure the mother is all right with it.”

Lucy rolled her eyes.

“Mama, I’m nine. Almost ten! I can look after hens and babies.”

“I’m just making sure.” Eliza got to her feet. “Is that what you wanted to show me?”

Lucy nodded, her cheeks flushed with her smiling. Then she looked toward the house.

“Can I play with Travis and Andrew? Are they awake?”

“Travis is, but I think he’s falling asleep right now.” She winked at her daughter. “Maybe when they’ve woken up? You can help tire them out so they’ll sleep better tonight.”

“I hope they do.” Lucy made a face. “That’s the only problem with babies. They just don’t stop crying, especially in the middle of the night.”

“Babies can’t tell the time, Lucy,” Eliza said with a laugh. “But you can play with them later. Anyway, I’d better get back to them. Are you needing anything, or are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Buddy and I are going for a walk in the orchard.” Lucy stroked her dog’s head. “We won’t go far, I promise.”

“Just as long as you don’t.”

Lucy gave her a hug, and then she and Buddy ran off. Eliza watched them go, marveling at how much Lucy had grown. She was taller now, more mature, and incredibly bright. She didn’t seem to be as grumpy as before, laughing more and being relaxed around everyone. Especially when it came to Eliza. They had bonded strongly over the years, and Eliza was grateful for that.

She wanted to have a similar bond that she had with her mother in the short time her mother had been alive. Eliza wondered what her mother would say about Lucy. They would’ve gotten on really well, she was sure of it.

“What are you doing out here?”

Nathaniel was walking toward her. Eliza’s heart leaped at the sight of her husband. She couldn’t stop the reaction whenever she saw him; it was like she fell in love with him all over again. It was a strange thing to admit, but Eliza didn’t care. She had never felt more grounded than she did right now with her family.

Smiling, she walked toward him, accepting the kiss he gave her with a sigh.

“Lucy wanted to show me the baby chicks. They’ve hatched.”

“Good. I can see her fawning over them the next few weeks until they’re too big to be cuddled.” Nathaniel chuckled, slipping an arm around her waist. “She seems to be obsessed with babies. She keeps going to see the newborn foal in the stables, and whenever there’s a baby animal, she’s right there.”

“She was like that with the twins.”

“I remember. I’ve never seen anyone so excited to be a big sister.”

Eliza couldn’t, either. She’d been worried that Lucy would be upset that she was pregnant, but they’d been surprised that Lucy had been delighted, talking about what she would call them and what she would play with them. She declared that they were going to be her best friends. She’d even joined in with naming the twins, much to her joy. Nathaniel had thought it would help with making their family unit stronger.

Eliza had a feeling Lucy would’ve done it whether they said so or not. She’d never seen anyone so excited about that sort of thing. At least it was a good reaction rather than being sulky and refusing to look at her brothers. She wondered if she would’ve done the same if she’d had any siblings. Then again, her father would’ve had a lot of influence, and he would likely have groomed her brother into being a part of the gang. Eliza would’ve been fighting a losing battle there.

She was glad that it was just her who had to deal with him.

“How are Abigail and Thomas?” she asked, linking arms with Nathaniel as they walked back to the house. “Is Abigail coping with the pregnancy?”

“Yes. She’s resting more because Thomas is insistent, but she’s looking happy and content.” Nathaniel chuckled. “I think she’s enjoying the attention Thomas is lavishing upon her. It’s quite amusing.”

Eliza laughed.

“It can get tempting to order people around when you’ve been told to rest.”

“I know. I did a lot of that while you were pregnant.”

“I had twins in my belly! I was lucky I could get up and move around as much as I did.”

“You still made sure I did a lot for you.” He winked at her. “Not that I minded. For the most part. I’m just glad the children are starting to sleep through the night now.”

Eliza couldn’t argue with that. It was bad enough when one baby started crying, but then that would set the other one off. Until a couple of weeks ago, they didn’t do that anymore, but at least one of them was always up. She was going to feel like she was lying on fluffy clouds if she was ever left to sleep all night.

“Abigail sent her regards and said she hopes to see you soon,” Nathaniel continued. “She misses the twins and Lucy.”

“I miss her, too. It won’t be long before she’s had her baby, and we’re spending more time together. I can’t wait for that.”

“I don’t think she can, either. By the way…” Her husband slowed and took a letter out of his pocket.
“This was waiting for you at the post office.”

“It was?” Frowning, she took the letter. “Who’s it from?”

Nathaniel didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. Eliza saw the return address on the back of the envelope. It was from the prison where her father was. She felt something in her gut that made it twist into a knot. She’d been doing her best to think of anything other than her father, for the most part, but he did tend to seep into her thoughts. Mostly when Eliza thought about what things would be like if he wasn’t a bad person, or if he’d completely left her alone. In the beginning, he’d apparently blamed
Eliza for his gang falling apart because he went to chase her down and bring her back, but Nathaniel had pointed out that Silas was the one at fault, and he put himself into the position he was in right then.

Eliza was content not having anything to do with Silas, so to have a letter from him, the first in two years, was a shock.

“I…”

“Do you want to read it?” Nathaniel asked. “Or would you like me to read it for you?”

“No, I’ll do it.” Eliza shook her head. “I’d better do it myself. I can’t keep hiding from him forever.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can do it.” She managed a smile at him. “Don’t worry about me, darling. I’ll be fine.”

Her husband didn’t look so sure, but he nodded and kissed her cheek.

“I love you, Eliza,” he whispered. “Always remember that.”

“I love you, too.” Eliza smiled. “I have never forgotten that. And maybe this is something I need to do. Just to see if he’s changed.”

Nathaniel arched an eyebrow.

“Do you think he would? He didn’t seem the type to be repentant when it came to stuff like that.
Especially when he was blaming you in the beginning.”

“Anything’s possible. That might be why he’s writing now.”

“And?” he prompted. “Do you think you can forgive him for what he’s done? I haven’t forgotten what he was planning to do to us.”

“Neither have I. But at least I can hear him out.” Eliza looked toward the bassinets, where Nancy was leaning over, tickling one of the twins. “I’ve learned a lot about tolerance and forgiveness over the last few years. Maybe I’ve got it in my heart to forgive him, even if I never see him again. It might give me some closure.”

Nathaniel smiled and kissed her.

“You’re a strong woman, Eliza.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Only a strong woman would have enough room in her heart to forgive what happened to them. I’m glad that I chose you as my wife.”

Eliza smiled and turned to him, putting her arms around his waist as she leaned her head against his chest.

“I’m glad you did as well.”

Because if he hadn’t, she wouldn’t be standing in her husband’s embrace, her family’s happiness around them like a breeze. And she wouldn’t experience what it was like to be truly a part of something good.

THE END