It Started with a Bang by Piper James

Epilogue

Annabelle

Three Months Later

“Chase called. He’ll be here in fifteen minutes to discuss the renovations and amend the budget of the Taylor house.”

“Great. Thanks, Emily.”

I leaned back in my chair as my assistant walked out of my office to return to her desk. A smile curved my lips for the thousandth time since I opened the doors of the ARPFoundation—my non-profit organization to help provide housing for those who desperately need it. I’d only been in this office downtown for a couple of weeks, but I’d already made great strides in getting the foundation up and running.

I’d put in some of my own money and secured donations from each of my brothers to get the foundation off the ground, but that was only the beginning. Several large corporations donated money, while others supplied us with physical resources—wood, metal, and sheetrock, as well as tools and other necessities. In addition to the tax write off, the companies were featured on our website and received plaques to hang in their offices advertising their generous contributions.

And Perry Brothers Construction spearheaded a campaign to convince professionals in their industry to donate their time and skills to the cause, saving us the cost of hiring contractors and laborers for most of our current projects.

Ryder and his brothers were spending half their days at their ranch and the other half at the Taylor house, an old two-story craftsman that we’d purchased for a steal after the roof caved in during a storm last spring. The guys had already replaced the roof and were in the process of renovating the whole place for a mother with five small children who was currently living in a single motel room in Oakley.

“Hello, gorgeous.”

I looked up to find Ryder leaning against my doorjamb, looking sexy as hell in a pair of jeans and a dirt-streaked white t-shirt. I smiled as my gaze roved down his tall form and back up again, my body reacting the way it did every time I saw him…I had to squeeze my thighs together and shift my weight.

“Ryder,” I said as he straightened and stepped inside. “What brings you by?”

“Do I need a reason to visit my sexy wife?” he asked, swinging the office door closed behind him.

“No. Of course, not,” I said, rising and moving to the front of my desk.

Propping one hip up on the surface, I watched Ryder take slow measured steps toward me. He was like a panther on the prowl, lunging forward at the last second to kiss me senseless. His hand slipped under my skirt, smoothing up my thigh to brush against my center.

“You’re already wet,” he groaned against my lips.

“Always for you,” I whispered, nipping at his bottom lip before pushing him back. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to reschedule this for tonight.”

“I’ll lock the door,” he offered, his voice husky with need.

“Sorry, hubby, but your brother will be here any minute.”

He turned his face to the ceiling and sighed. “I know. He asked me to meet him here.”

I shoved at his shoulders with a laugh. “So, why did you start something you knew you couldn’t finish?”

“I got one look at you behind that desk and forgot everything else,” he said, his husky tone warming my insides.

“Annabelle, Chase is here. Should I send him in?”

I moved to the phone on my desk, pressing the button for the intercom. “Yes, Emily. Send him in, thanks.”

“To be continued,” Ryder said as his brother pushed open the door behind him.

“Am I interrupting something?” Chase asked, his eyes darting between us as he moved to stand next to his brother.

“No. Not at all,” I said as Ryder said, “Yes,” at the same time.

Chase chuckled, handing me a sheet of paper. “I’ll make this quick. Here are the new estimates for the Taylor house.”

“These numbers are lower than anticipated,” I said meeting his eyes. “I assumed you were coming in to increase the budget.”

“Nope,” he said, grinning. “We’re ahead of schedule and under budget, and I thought you’d want to know.”

“This is great, Chase. Thanks,” I said, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over me.

He was really putting his heart into this project, and it showed. When Perry Brothers was done with the Taylor house, it was going to be perfect for the family we’d chosen to donate it to. And Ms. Taylor and her kids had no idea just how nice and upgraded the place would be when we finally handed it over to them. I couldn’t wait for the big reveal.

“My pleasure,” he said. “There was something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Well, school will be starting soon, and I don’t want Daniel to fall behind. I wondered if you could give me any insight into the school system here. I’m trying to decide between the public elementary school and the private academy north of Oakley.”

“I don’t have any kids—”

“Yet,” Ryder cut in, and my gaze darted to his face.

I studied his expression, finding it…hopeful. We hadn’t actually discussed having children, but it was obvious he wanted to be a parent. I swallowed thickly, emotion clogging my throat as I realized I wanted the same thing—to have his children and raise a family with him.

“Yet,” I repeated, and was gifted with the most brilliant of smiles. Refocusing on Chase, I cleared my throat and added, “But my best friend Sage is a teacher at Red River Elementary, and she loves it. She says the teachers are all amazing, and the principal keeps the environment upbeat and pleasant for the students as well as the staff. They also have some of the state’s best test scores, if that kind of thing is important to you.”

“Thanks,” Chase said, looking from me to Ryder and back again. “I’ll take that into consideration. I should probably get going.”

“Good idea,” Ryder said, his gaze never leaving me.

Chase left with a chuckle, closing the door gently behind him. Ryder continued to stare at me, his eyes shining with joy.

“You want kids?” he asked with a huge grin.

“Someday,” I said, smiling back.

“Someday…soon?” he shot back as he moved in to grip my hips.

“How soon are we talking?”

“How soon can you get that IUD removed?” he whispered, nibbling my neck.

“Next month?” I moaned as I tilted my head back, giving him better access.

“Mm, I guess I can wait that long. But I think we should go home and practice the baby-making process so we’ll be ready when the time comes.”

“Practice, huh?” I asked, chuckling as his hands slid up my sides.

“Yep. You know what they say. Practice makes perfect.”

“They do say that,” I groaned as his palms covered my breasts.

Pressing his mouth to mine in a hard kiss, he took my hands in his squeezed them. “You’ve made me happier than I’ve ever dreamed of being. I love you, Mrs. Annabelle Rae Perry.”

“And I love you, Mr. Ryder Dean Perry,” I said, sealing the vow with a kiss.

He pulled me out of the office, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the suspicious expression on Emily’s face as he shouted something about an emergency at home over his shoulder as an excuse to get me out of there early. I shot Emily a wink, and she shook her head, chuckling.

It wasn’t the first time he’d rushed me out of there for some “emergency,” and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last. Ryder was insatiable in his love and desire for me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We were perfectly matched.

And, hopefully, our little family would be growing soon. The thought of having Ryder’s child excited me more than I’d thought was possible. A little boy with his dark hair and roguish smile. A girl with my blonde waves and blue eyes.

A baby we would love to distraction, just as we loved each other.

I could hardly wait.

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Thankyou for reading Belle and Ryder’s story! I really hope you loved it. And I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a review on Amazon! Reviews are crucial to authors like me, and your support is everything. Thank you!

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Read aheadfor a sneak peek of Red River Romps #2: It Started with a Crush.

Sage

I was a hot mess this morning.

The power went out at some point in the middle of the night, resetting my digital clock, which meant my alarm didn’t go off when it was supposed to. I always set an alarm on my phone as a backup, but I’d been so exhausted last night after spending the whole day prepping my classroom, I’d totally forgotten. Which meant I overslept.

Then I’d wasted precious minutes running a straightening iron through my hair, only to have it immediately frizz up the second I set foot outside. The storm that knocked out my power had left a fresh wave of ungodly humidity this morning, leaving my skin sticky and my hair…well, it was very quickly pulled up into a messy bun on top of my head.

So glad I spent fifteen fucking minutes straightening it this morning.

Minutes I could’ve spent enjoying a cup of hot coffee at my kitchen table. Instead, I filled a travel mug and rushed out the door so fast, I forgot to make sure the lid was secure. I hadn’t even taken a sip when I arrived in the school parking lot and grabbed my things from the passenger seat with one hand and the mug with the other. As I climbed from my car, the cup tipped and the coffee spilled out, splattering against the asphalt and all over my new white tennis shoes.

So I was a messy, coffee-stained, under-caffeinated jumble of nerves by the time my students arrived and started to file into my new classroom.

The space was new, but not the faces. The school administration moved me from second grade to third, so I’d taught most of these kids last year. I smiled as I greeted them, their bright, shiny expressions making me forget my bad morning. They always had that effect on me, though.

I really loved my job.

A new face straggled in at the end, and I greeted him with an extra-warm smile as he shuffled toward my desk. He handed me a slip of paper from the office as his brown eyes darted around the room nervously.

“Hi, Daniel. I’m Miss Barlow,” I said gently.

“I know,” he said, his gaze finally settling on me. “Aunt Annabelle said you’re really nice, and I shouldn’t worry.”

“Well, she was right,” I said. “You have nothing to worry about. Go ahead and find an empty seat.”

I watched him search the room, and my heart warmed as Tyrell Howard waved him forward and patted the empty seat next to him. Daniel’s pace quickened, his expression relieved as he slid into the chair at Tyrell’s table. I smiled at them as they introduced themselves and got acquainted.

Daniel Perry was my best friend Belle’s new nephew. She married the boy’s uncle a few months ago in a scheme to trick her father, but the joke was on both of them when they actually fell in love with each other. Now, they’re blissfully happy, living their best lives like it had always been meant to be.

While I had met Belle’s husband, Ryder, I’d yet to meet his brothers—Ethan, Noah, and Chase, who was Daniel’s father. Both times Belle had tried to get us all together, something had come up, and we’d had to postpone.

The four brothers owned a construction company together called Perry Brothers Construction and moved to Red River from Los Angeles to renovate a ranch home they’d inherited. They’d only intended to stay here temporarily—they’d fix up the property, sell it, and go back to California—but with Ryder marrying Belle, I had no idea what the others planned to do.

They’d be here for a while, at least, considering Chase had enrolled Daniel in school.

As I watched the boy interact with the students around him, I was impressed. He seemed to be a bright, well-adjusted kid who made friends easily. Most of the time, the new kid was shy and nervous, but not Daniel. He had several boys leaning toward him as he flipped the pages of a book he held in his hands…something about insects and lizards, it seemed.

I knew from Belle that Daniel’s mother had died in childbirth, and Chase had raised him on his own with the help of his brothers. And from what I could tell so far, they’d done an excellent job.

The bell rang, and as I walked across the room to close the door, the students settled in their seats to wait quietly. Giving them a smile, I headed back to the front of the classroom.

My day may have started out shitty, but it was getting better by the minute. I loved my job, and I was eager to start this year off on the right foot. This was my happy place—helping these kids discover their strengths and interests by keeping the curriculum fresh and entertaining—and I thrived here.

Well…most of the time.

“Miss Barlow?” Timmy Madison called out, his hand shooting into the air.

“Yes, Timmy?” I responded, internally flinching.

The kid had a penchant for asking the most off-the-wall and, sometimes, inappropriate questions.

“Why does your hair look like a bird’s nest today?” he asked, pointing to the messy auburn bun I hastily tied my hair into on the car ride over.

A few giggles echoed through the room as several students covered their mouths with their hands. Timmy stared at me unapologetically, a smirk on his adorable freckled face. That boy was going to grow up to be a comedian, no doubt about it.

My gaze moved to Daniel, who was staring at Timmy with wide-eyed disbelief. While the rest of the kids were used to Timmy’s jokes and my good-natured acceptance of his sense of humor, Daniel wasn’t. And I was sure he was mortified by his classmate’s apparent disrespect. I didn’t see it that way—Timmy always expressed himself through humor and tended to shut down completely if reprimanded. So I humored him unless he took it too far…which was rare.

“Because a blue jay got lost in the storm last night and needed a safe place to sleep, of course,” I answered, garnering another round of giggles.

Daniel’s gaze slid from Timmy to me, and I shot him a wink. His little body relaxed, the tension draining out of him as he realized I wasn’t mad. I called for the class to settle down, and the room quieted with two-dozen sets of clear, focused eyes watching me with rapt interest.

Yep. It was going to be a good year. Time to get it started.

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