Isabella (The Mitchell/Healy Family #2)(60)
Author: Jennifer Foor

From the smile on her face I could tell that had been the correct answer.

There was no telling what our future had in store for us, but I’d been given a second chance, and I was going to live every day like it was a treasure.

Epilogue – 1 Year Later

Isabella

“Jax, please don’t break that mirror. We drove all the way to Indiana to get it. I’d hate to see it damaged after we got it all the way here.” My brother steadied his hold and helped me get it into our mimi and poppy’s front door. I still couldn’t believe that we were moving into the original farmhouse in North Carolina.

A lot had changed in the past year. Aside from planning the biggest wedding that my family was ever going to see, for my cousin Noah, and his fiancée Shalan, Rusty had started practicing medicine again. We were content in Kentucky until my parents offered us an opportunity that we couldn’t refuse. My grandparents were getting older, and barely used the upstairs of their house, except for storage. With a little work, my dad and uncle Conner had remodeled the entire second floor, giving us plenty of space to move in. For the most part my grandparents used four rooms that were located downstairs. My mom and dad had started making all the meals when my mimi had fallen asleep one night and almost burned down the house.

When my parents asked us to move back it wasn’t just so that I could babysit my grandparents. It was so they could all see our daughter Sarah more.

Sarah Mitchell Tillman was born on a cold winter’s night, during a full moon. The airports were closed, and it was impossible to drive from North Carolina to Kentucky. After they’d missed her first six days of life, my mom and dad were determined to be around for everything else that happened in her first eighteen years of life.

Aside from being amazingly supportive to me, my dad had given Rusty back something he’s been working hard to get. He had the front of a part of our property commercially zoned. In six months he and my uncle had gotten all of the permits, and started the construction of a state of the art Veterinary hospital.

The Tillman/Mitchell Medical Hospital was opening it’s doors in two weeks, and we hadn’t even finished moving from Kentucky yet.

We’d spent the past week in Indiana, introducing Sarah to Rusty’s parents. All it took was one glance and they were both in love. For the first time I felt like they were finally able to look past my appearance and see that I loved their son, and he felt the same about us.

We returned from the trip with his late daughter Sydney’s bedroom suite. I was reluctant at first, but could see how much it meant to Rusty to give it to Sarah. We also brought pictures to keep in her room of her sister that was up in heaven keeping her safe.

It was funny how things that would have once bothered me no longer did. Rusty hadn’t just proven to me that his love was real. He’d become close with my parents. He and my father hit it off early on, and even my brothers came around. Now, I had to fight with them to be alone with my boyfriend.

Speaking of my dad…

I turned to see him holding my daughter, then throwing her high into the air. My little nine month old was full of giggles, making me smile immediately. He wasn’t just happy to have me back home. The fact that he could spoil her every day had made both of my parents the happiest that I’d seen them in years. Not to mention the fact that they always wanted to babysit.

Just as I was watching the two of them bonding, I noticed Noah coming down the dirt road pulling the last of our things on a long trailer. Shalan waved before climbing out of the passenger seat and making her way over to where my dad and Sarah were. I met her halfway and hugged her, before heading in the direction of my cousin. “It took you long enough.”

“Shalan had to pee five times. I told her not to bring that jug of tea with us. I’m surprised she ain’t jigglin’ around.” I hugged my cousin mid-sentence.

“Thanks for doin’ this, Noah. I know you’re probably happy I’m gone, aren’t ya?”

He gave me a grumpy face. “Now, come on. You know I loved bein’ able to see my favorite cousin every day. It was only a matter of time before you came home to your daddy and momma. I just hope my sister doesn’t think she’s movin’ into that house now that it’s vacant.”

“Good luck with that. I think Christian needs some freedom, if you ask me.”

Noah lightly shoved me. He wasn’t good with hearing that his little sisters were growing up. Lord help him when they get serious with a guy.

“Mommy, somebody pooped her pants.” My father pretended to maker her fly as he handed her to me.

“What’s wrong, Dad? Can’t you change her?”

“My years of changing shitty diapers are over.”

Rusty walked up and held out his hands. “I’ll take her. Go grab all the bags out of the back. Me and this little princess will meet you upstairs.” Sarah leaned toward him, going right to her daddy. I couldn’t get over how much she looked like me. We were thankful that it wasn’t the other way around, not that it would matter.

Tate’s life had taken him in a different direction. His parents sold their property and moved to Florida, where they were originally from. My mom said that after his baby was born that him and Jenn followed them. Our secret was going to stay buried. Tate had his family, and I had mine.

I turned my attention back to Rusty and Sarah. He kissed her on the forehead before lurching back to kiss me. “Don’t forget that little picture under the seat of the truck. I want to hang that tonight with the rest of them.”

I watched him walk in the house before smiling to my father. He made a sound and pretended to be cracking a whip. “You’ve got that man by the balls, honey. I’m so proud.”

“You’re terrible. I’m goin’ inside with my family. You should get on over there with yours.”

“My family is dwindling. Pretty soon your brothers will move out too.”

I shook my head and laughed when he pretended to cry. “Dad, this family is growin’. Don’t worry about Jake and Jax. They’ll live with you forever if you let them.”

I saw fear in my dad’s eyes before he turned to walk away. It was funny seeing him getting older, but rewarding to watch him loving all over his granddaughter. Why I ever thought that my family wouldn’t support me was beyond me. They obviously would move Heaven for me if they could.

I found Rusty inside with Noah and Shalan. The guys were putting the twin-sized bed together, while Shalan changed Sarah’s diaper. “How’d you get conned into this?”