Ginny released his hands to hug him close. “You won’t be holding a son you created, but you will hold your son. It’s doesn’t mean it won’t be just as meaningful.”

Isaac moved up next to him, placing his arms around him and Ginny. “You can hold my son first,” he offered.

Matthew felt Jody’s and Jacob’s arms surround them.

“Mine, too,” Jody said.

“Same, bro,” Jacob added.

Moses’s hand landed heavily on his shoulder. “Ezra won’t tell me how many I’m having, but, dude, you’ve got first dibs.”

Matthew heard the slam of the screen door.

“You can have mine. I don’t want kids.” Fynn sidled under his brothers to wrap his hands around Mathew’s waist.

Matthew lifted his eyes to where Ezra and Silas were still sitting, seeing the same thing in their eyes that he had always seen when they talked about his future with Alanna. Never-ending love.

“At least tell me you didn’t lie about how old we’ll live to.”

Ezra gave him a stank face. “Bro, I don’t know why you want to live so long. You’ll have to have prosthetic balls.”

Matthew felt love surrounding him and knew he didn’t have anything to complain about. He was already blessed with his family, his soul mate had finally found her way to him, and she seemed to be starting to like him. Having his own children would have just been the cherry on an already heavily decorated cake.

“That’s easy to answer,” Matthew scoffed back. “At least one of us has to outlive Greer.”

Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

“I’m not going.” Alanna took another look at who was sitting in the front seat with Silas and started walking back to her trailer.

“Come on, Alanna.”

Alanna heard Matthew hurrying to catch up with her.

“I promise he will behave. This is the only way the sheriff will let you go.”

“Then I won’t go.”

“Come on,” he wheedled. “He won’t say a word, I promise. They have fresh apple cider and caramel apples.”

He had her at the apple cider.

Spinning on her tennis shoes, she gave him a threatening glare. “If he so much as touches my caramel apple, I will shove it down his throat,” she warned.

Matthew raised a hand, as if pledging. “I’ll do it for you.”

Alanna poked a finger in his chest. “I’m going to hold you to that promise.”

Matthew nodded solemnly.

They walked back to Silas’ truck, and Matthew held the back door open for her behind Greer, allowing her to slide inside. Alanna stared straight ahead as Matthew closed the door and went to the other door.

“Let’s hit the road,” Matthew said enthusiastically, closing the door once he was inside.

“About time.”

Greer’s sarcastic voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to her.