Layers of Us (Second Generation Book 2)

Epilogue

MILES

It was a month of planning and secrets and lying. I hated lying to Ember, but I told myself it was for her own good. That’s weird to think that, but it was true. She didn’t expect a thing, at least, I didn’t think she expected anything. I had sworn all the girls to secrecy and they were all on board with my plan. Well, they were not only on board with it, but they were essential in planning the entire thing.

I was with Peyton in the bakery kitchen and we were wasting time waiting for the text from Stef letting me know that they were on their way back to the ranch. This was the first distraction of the day, I needed to get Ember off the ranch. Bev asked Stef and Ember to head to the wedding supply store and pick up an order of the fake flowers and decor that they use decorating the cake tables and what not. Of course, the girls went with no questions asked.

This gave me at least four hours to get everything ready. Ember’s parents and brothers were staying at a hotel in town and they made their way onto the ranch and were chilling at Bev and Walker’s house for the time being. I made it very clear to both Deacon and Carson that they were to put their differences aside and if either of them ruined this for me I would never forgive them and I knew Ember never would either. So far I have to assume they were all behaving.

Stef: Just drove past town, be there in about fifteen.

Me: Roger that.

I sent Jace a quick text to let him know that they were going to be there soon. He was going to ride his horse out towards the entrance of the ranch to let me know when they drove in. I also sent a text to Harlow to get everybody ready down by the pond and Granger and Mitch got a text as well.

“Are you ready for this, Peyton?” She crawled over to me and grabbed my face.

“DaDAAAAA”

I couldn’t help but smile, she just started saying “dada” and it melted my heart. I knew that she was just making familiar noises, she even started to make sounds that sounded a lot like mama, but Ember refused to believe that was what she was actually saying. She’d come around. I knew that Peyton knew that was mama.

“Let’s get your pretty outfit on for mama.” I put her into this pink tutu that I actually went to the store and bought. Never in a million years did I imagine I would be doing things like buying fluffy pink tutus, but I did and she looked pretty fucking cute in it. I put on the shirt that Harlow bought for her online and she was looking just perfect. My phone went off again and I saw Jace’s message cross the screen,

Jace: The eagle has landed.

Me: You’ve been waiting all day to say that haven’t you?

Jace: Months...waiting months.

I chuckled but knew I couldn’t stay long, I needed to get in my spot. I knew it was a tad bit risky, but Ember would be in here soon, so everything should be fine….hopefully.

“Okay, Peyton. You be a good girl and don’t get into any trouble. Mama will be right here.”

I kiss Peyton on the head and set her down in the middle of the kitchen, rushing out the back door and following the path that I had set up for Ember to follow once she found Peyton. I heard the car doors close and I booked it so that I could get in place. 

Down in front of the pond, I impatiently waited for Ember to make her appearance through the trees. Stef was with her, so I knew she’d find me eventually, but the seconds felt like hours. The sun was just setting over the horizon, everything was perfect, just like I imagined. I heard the giggling before I saw the girls. When Ember made her way into the opening and saw me, I could tell that she was already in tears, I was just hoping they were happy tears. Stef was right next to her, but once she made it through the clearing, Stef took a step back, letting Peyton and Ember walk my way.

“Hey, Sugar.” I pulled them both into my arms for a hug and then kissed Ember.

“Hi, Miles. I think we need to speak with our little girl because she was messing around in my kitchen.”

I acted surprised, but she knew I was full of shit, “Peyton Beverly, what in the world were you doing?”

Ember laughed and then placed her hand against my cheek. “I was confused at first, then I saw this little message,” she moved Peyton so she was facing outward so I could see the onesie that said, ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Forever,’ “and I figured that maybe she had some help getting in there.”

“It is possible.” I took her hand from my face and held it down between us. I had been going over this for the last month, but now that it was here, the words felt stuck in my throat. “Ember, when I met you I was a broken man. I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere and I was navigating this world without direction. You were my northern star, giving me direction and telling me where to go. You unselfishly have opened your heart to me and gave me a chance when I didn’t feel like I deserved one and you loved my daughter as she was ours.”

I pulled the ring box out of my pocket and got down onto one knee. Peyton made one of her famous nose dives down to be, helping the calm my nerves a bit and focus on her. I took her from Ember and sat her on my bended knee. “We love you, Ember. We carry a part of your within us and you carry a part of us within you. The only thing to do to make this story come full circle would be for you to marry..wel..us.”

Ember began sobbing once again and I opened the ring box to present her with the ring I had picked out with her mom a couple of months ago. “Ember Nixon, make our forever come true, Marry me.”

She nods her head and drops to the ground next to us, planting a messy kiss on my lips. “Yes, yes, yes! Can I say yes again? Oh my god yes!”

I slid the ring onto her finger and took her hand to stand up. I took her hand and held it up in the air, the signal to Harlow to let everybody come out the celebrate. The back door of Bev and Walker’s house flew open and our entire family, plus Ember’s family made their way over to us.

“Miles!”

“We couldn’t possibly celebrate without them.”

As our family members all take their turns hugging us and giving us our congratulations, the night sky lights up the fireworks that Granger and Mitch had set up in the far-field. They had a timer system so they could be here to celebrate and set off the display. Ember found her way through the crowd and back to me, holding onto me tight as we kissed under the moonlight and the fireworks. 

“To our forever.”

“And ever and ever, Sugar.”