The Cowboys pregnant fiance

Epilogue

Heartbreak hills lonely view of Panama City wasn't as lonely as usual today.

Not with a good deal of the town here, gathered under the spring sun cheering while Cody took Sherilyn to be his wife.

As the ceremony ended they kissed amid a shower of rose petals that four year old Kristy their flower girl impulsively tossed into the air.

The first this Cody did after he hugged his wife to him whispering. " I love you." into her ear was open his arms so that gran their matron of honor could bring his and Sherilyn's new daughter to them.

Angelica Tyler, who was swaddled in a lacy white blanket merely pursed her lips and fisted her little hands as he and Sherilyn held her and their guests hooted and hollered some more.

Cody kissed his daughter loving her baby smell before Sherilyn did the same. Then they handed her back to Gran so they could take a run down the grassy aisle.

At the end of it Emily  and Conn whom they gotten to know well these past few months met them.

"Congratulations!" they said hugging the bride and groom.

Rita looked as if her belly was about to pop, she was so big and ready to have this baby any minute it seemed.

Soon, Sherilyn and Cody were surrounded by well wishers, Sherilyn;s friends from Houston whom she been able to invite now that she didn't have to keep her location a secret from Brett anymore.

Davis and Vicky came to the reception circle at the end after everyone else had retreated to the buffet tables that had already been laid out by the caterers. Cody and Sherilyn hadn't seen any sense in having everyone wait to celebrate.

Davis shook Cody's hand. "All the best to you two."

Sherilyn had just finished hugging Vicky and she went for Davis now. "You two found the best in each other like just like us. I guess that makes us a club of sorts."

As Vicky started to compliment Sherilyn on how svelte she looked in what Sherilyn had described to Cody as a slim gossamer chiffon gown with cap sleeves.

"This day wouldn't have been as happy without your help." Cody said. "We appreciate all you have done."

Not only had Davis and Vicky kept tabs on Brett's social life in Houston thanks to some journalist contacts there but there been the matter of Curtis too.

"Don't even mention it." Davis said.

"You have been real stand up about everything."

"Hey the recorder never publishes stories unless the facts are straight."

With one glance Cody saw that Davis meant it. He and Vicky had never published what they knew about Curtis and Cody had never broken his vow to Gran about divulging the secrets about Curtis and Tessa. Even so Cody had no doubts that Davis knew there was more about the tale but Panama City was already in the flush without having to exploit Curtis. The recent cowboy festival had lured more crowds that they'd known what to do with and it promised to be a lucrative venture for years to come.

Cody even had covered up the holes he'd dug in Sherilyn's garden leaving the past where it belonged.

Vicky had evedintly caught wind of the conversation and she came to Davis her hand on her belly.

"I am actually glad  that the investigation is over." she said. "We are going to need time for ourselves."

"Are you...?" Sherilyn asked.

Both Davis and Vicky nodded and Davis said. "I guess I will be asking Cody for fathering tips."

After more congratulations all around Cody stole Sherilyn away heading for the copse of the trees that offered the best view of Panama city.

"Alone at last." he said.

"Not for too long." Sherilyn held her veil to her head as a gentle wind combed over them, whistling and rustling the spring leaves. "I cant wait to meet Missy."

Cody merely nodded unable to speak. After Valentines day when everything seemed new and possible with Sherilyn at his side he had gathered his courage and contacted his ex wife asking if it would be ok to do more than send money for his daughter every month.

Gradually he had gotten to know his eleven year old over the phone and through email and she had asked to meet him in Reno, where they'd moved years ago. Cody and Sherilyn decided to make it a part of their honeymoon and they would introduce Angelica while they were at it. He would have invited Missy to the wedding but Jolene had said it was too soon and he had respected that.

He nuzzled Sherilyn's cheek. " Missy is going to think the world of you,"

As the wind kept playing around them it almost felt as if there was another presence here. A superstitious man would of thought it was Curtis if the town founder really was buried up here somewhere.

Sherilun must have felt it too. " I wish they could of been as happy in the end as we are."

"Who knows? Maybe they are."

Sherilyn got a glint in her blue eyes and she started plucking petals from her bouquet.

"What are you doing?"

"Making things right." She gave a few petals to him then closed her eyes. "Cant you see them Cody? Standing together watching us blessing us?"

Yes he could now that he closed his eyes and put his mind to imagining. He saw Curtis dressed in the suit and vest that he wore in most of his old time pictures in town, with a watch fob hanging from his pocket.

And he saw his great grandmother Tessa with a sparkle in her eyes as she linked arms with the love of her life.

When Cody felt a shower of petals come down around him he realized that Sherilyn had thrown some in the air, just as if Curtis and Tessa had gotten married and Cody and Sherilyn were here to cheer them on.

He tossed his petals too. A benediction. A cleansing.

For all of them.

In his mind he saw Curtis looking at him with his dark eyes nodding, acknowledging his great grandson...a part of something bigger than what Cody had ever dreamed possible.

I finally came home Curtis. he thought and your the one who brought me here.

When he opened his eyes Curtis and Tessa were gone and he only saw his own bride, Sherilyn who smiled just before she fell into his arms squeezing him loving him.

Yes. He'd finally come home to her arms, Cody thought embracing her with all the love he'd discovered here in Panama City.

And in the woman he would love forever....

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