Page 106 of Entangled with a Mountain Man

For a moment, there's silence. Then, all hell breaks loose.

The girls are out of their seats in an instant, jumping up and down and shouting with excitement.

"Babies!" Hazel is jumping up and down like she's won the lottery. "We're gonna have babies."

"When? Where is it? Can I feel it?" Harper squeals, throwing her arms around me.

Hazel's right behind her, peppering us with questions. "Is it a boy or a girl? Can we name them? Can one sleep with me and one with Harper?"

Everett laughs. "Whoa, slow down there, munchkins. The babies need time to bake. But when they come, we're going to need your help to take care of it. Think you're up for the job?"

The girls nod solemnly, their eyes shining with determination. "We'll be the best big sisters ever," Hazel declares.

"The very best," Harper agrees.

As the excitement settles, we move to the living room for our nightly routine. The girls curl up on either side of me on the couch as Everett lights a fire in the fireplace. The warm glow fills the room, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

"Can you tell us a story, Miss Kenzie?" Harper asks, her voice sleepy.

I smile, running my fingers through her curls. "Of course, peanut. What kind of story would you like?"

"Tell us how you and Daddy met," Hazel pipes up. "That's my favorite."

Everett chuckles from his spot by the fire. "You've heard that one a hundred times, button."

"But it's the best story," Harper insists. "Please?"

I laugh, settling back into the couch. "All right, all right. Once upon a time, in a little town called Silver Ridge..."

As I recount the tale of our first meeting at the bus station, I thank God for every hardship I've had to overcome to get here. Then, I move to the first misunderstanding to where we are now.

What a journey.

The girls listen with rapt attention, even though they know every word by heart. When I get to the part about Everett rescuing me from Paige and Ian, Hazel cheers.

I leave out Ian and Paige's arrest and possible imprisonment because it’s not for them to know. But maybe we’ll tell them everything when they’re older.

"Daddy's a real hero," she says proudly.

Everett comes to sit beside us, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Nah," he says, his voice soft. "Kenzie's the real hero of this story."

I lean into him, feeling the steady beat of his heart. "I think we're all heroes in our own way," I say. "Sometimes it just takes a while to figure that out."

As I finish the story, I notice the girls' eyes drooping. It's been an exciting evening, and tomorrow promises to be even more so.

"All right, munchkins," Everett says, standing up. "Time for bed. We've got a big day tomorrow."

There's some token protest, but soon enough, we're tucking the girls into bed. As we close their bedroom door, Everett pulls me close.

"You okay?" he asks, his thumb tracing circles on my hip.

I nod, leaning into him. "More than okay. I'm happy, Everett. Really, truly happy."

He smiles, that soft smile that's just for me. "Me too, Kenz. More than I ever thought possible."

We make our way back downstairs, settling on the couch in front of the dying fire. Everett pulls a blanket over us, and I snuggle into his side.

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