The McEllis Boys

Epilogue

Epilogue

Cavanaugh had been gone for three days. He could have come home the night before but he had seen those bright pink boots and known that his five year old daughter would love to have them.

Samantha, or Sam, as everyone called her was cowgirl through and through but her favorite color was pink. Cavanaugh lit a cigarette and wondered what his one year old son would think of the stuffed bear he'd gotten him. Jackson liked anything that had fur and that was why the cats ran from him when they saw him toddling toward them on his chubby legs. Cavanaugh and Nicole hadn't yet been able to convince the boy that cats weren't meant for riding and chewing.

Cavanaugh smiled as he thought about his life. Nicole was just as beautiful now as she'd been six years ago when he'd married her. He loved that woman more than he had ever thought a heart could love another person. She was his heart and their children were his soul.

Just another couple bends in the road and a hill and he'd be home. He could already hear the chickens raising up a fuss and figured that Sam was probably out there trying to get them to lay eggs on command. She swore that she could do it and while Cavanaugh and Nicole had yet to see it happen, they weren't going to tell her she was wrong.

Suddenly a chill passed over Cavanaugh's spine. An uneasiness. He felt like he was being watched. He looked all around him but saw no one. He urged his horses a little faster from his cart and prayed like hell that nothing was wrong.

But as he neared the house it was quiet, too quiet. No Samantha out bossing the animals around. No Jackson harassing the cats. No Nicole on the porch shaking her head and attempting to get the kids to behave. He was nearing panic, sure that history was repeating itself, when he caught sight of the back of a wagon in the barn that wasn't normally there.

And then the door to the house burst open and kids came running out. Cavanaugh jumped down from the wagon, without worrying about pain in his leg. Ever since he'd come to terms with his past and let himself move on, the leg hadn't been bothering him nearly as bad.

Cavanaugh dropped to his knees and let his children and his nieces and nephews tackle him to the ground, "We missed you, uncle Cav!" his five year old nephew Theodore exclaimed.

Theodore was Jamison's oldest son and had his father's serious nature and his mothers bright red hair. Theodore's little brother Gary was currently trying to stick his two year old hands into Cavanaugh's pockets in search of money.

"Gary, you got more than a little blood from your outlaw uncle," Cavanaugh scolded as he pulled the boy away.

"Guess what, Uncle Cav?" Maggie, Andrew and Bethany's three year old daughter said.

Cavanaugh smiled, "What's that?" he asked as he ruffled her dark hair.

She giggled, "We made a pie."

Cavanaugh jumped to his feet, "A pie?" he exclaimed as he scooped Jackson up into his arms and kissed his son soundly.

"Yep. Mama said it's your birthday but you don't like cake so we made you pie." Sam informed him.

"Did you help, Maddy?" Cavanaugh asked the now ten year old girl and she nodded as she picked up her little brother Trevor and plopped him on her hip.

"Of course. It's harder than you would think wrangling all these kids," she stated, before blowing out a tired breath.

Cavanaugh laughed happily. He loved this. Surrounded by the laughter of children. He looked up on the porch and saw his beautiful wife step out.

"It looks like you've been attacked." she teased.

He made his way through the pack of little ones and kissed her tenderly. He had missed her, "I was. What is everyone doing here?" he asked as he saw his brothers coming out of the barn and could hear his sisters in law talking in the house.

"They came for your birthday. I knew they were coming but I wanted it to be a surprise."

Cavanaugh looked at his brother's. Jamison hadn't changed much. He still tried to act like a hard ass but his sons had softened him quite a bit. He was still acting as deputy in Dodge City where Hallie ran her business.

Ian and Leslie had settled in nicely at the big house and Cavanaugh was proud of just how grown up and responsible Ian had become. While he still flirted with everything in a skirt and he drank a bit too much now and then, he ran the business well and worked hard and he loved his wife and children with a passion.

Andrew and Bethany had lived the gambling life for a few years until Maggie had been born and then they'd come back to settle down. They had a small house at the edge of the McEllis Spread, nearly a three hour ride from Cavanaugh and Nicole's place. Andrew had grown up as well and while he didn't work real hard (he'd made a small fortune during his gambling career), he was a good husband and father.

The women had adjusted well to life in the past. Though they still complained about not having indoor plumbing, the water closet and shower Cavanaugh had installed in the houses had stopped at least some of that.

He'd learned that Nicole couldn't sew to save her life but she was trying to learn and he was hopeful that with a seamstress in the family she'd learn soon because some of his clothes were looking a little worse for wear.

"Daddy, come eat your pie!" Sam exclaimed as she tugged on his hand.

"Yeah, go eat your pie," Ian agreed. "Looks like you've been eating too much pie, you're getting fat."

Cavanaugh patted his stomach which was still lean and hard but might have been just a tad bigger than it had been a few years ago and winked, "You're just jealous because mine cooks."

"I heard that, Cavanaugh!" Leslie scolded from inside. Cavanaugh grinned sheepishly and ushered his wife and children into the house.

***

"He seems so happy." Leah said with a smile as she stood beside her children and Evelyn and watched Cavanaugh celebrating with his family. "He was so lost for so long and I was so scared for him."

"Daddy is happy now," Susie said wistfully.

"Yeah he doesn't cry anymore," Timothy added.

"Now we can all really rest," Evelyn added with a nod. Her boys were all settled down and happy. She had more grandchildren running around than she had ever thought she would and she had two grandchildren right here with her.

"And you had the nerve to doubt me," Mary said with a tsk as she came up behind them all.

"Thank you, Mary. Thank you for helping my boys," Evelyn said graciously.

"And for giving Cavanaugh what he needed. I really think she is his soul mate," Leah added.

"I don't know what you all are doing here when you have paradise waiting," Mary scolded as she looked at the clouds surrounding them. Leah took her children by the hands and they followed Evelyn.

Mary watched them disappear into light and then smiled, "You did good, Mary. You did good."