Page 120 of Her Summer Hope

"Goodnight, Kyle," she whispered back against his lips.

He pulled her head into his chest and she wrapped her arms around his middle, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

“I love you,” he murmured, almost to himself. “I think I always have, even before I knew you.”

She smiled and touched his cheek. “I love you too.”

Epilogue

Madison

“I’m flying!”

She opened her eyes and shielded them from the bright sun. It was chilly outside with summer ending and autumn beginning, but the sun was still warm.

“Mom, I’m flying!” James called out. “Push me higher so she can see, Uncle Murdock!”

Murdock was pushing the boys on the newly installed swingset that looked more like a training ground than anything else. Murdock and Wyatt had insisted that the boys would love it, and they’d been right.

Their only concession had been the smaller equipment specifically for the baby and a hammock that Ellie had wanted to read in.

“Any higher and you’ll need a chute,” Murdock grumbled.

“Hey, Dad, can we have smores now?” Jackson called from the dirt.

Kyle looked at Maddy and she could see the pride on his face as Jack called him Dad. Ellie and Jack had both started that shortly after Kyle had started spending the majority of his time at their house—as much as he could anyway while still being there for the guys.

Madison felt a profound sense of responsibility towards these men who had become like family to her. She resolved to keep trying, to find ways to reach out to them, to help them heal.

She loved them, not just as protectors or friends, but as brothers.

“Aw, let ‘em have the smores,” Helen said, breaking her chain of thought and waving her hand dismissively. “They’re just baby teeth, they’ll fall out anyway.”

Maddy grimaced and shook her head at Kyle. “They’re on the counter if you want to go get them.”

They were at McClellan’s Hope for a few days as Kyle had some meetings lined up with business owners in town, including Christian, about setting up jobs for the guys who might want to work.

John added more hardwood to the fire, and she caught him staring into it a little too often this afternoon. He seemed a bit more zoned out these last few weeks, and even though he was generally happy and easygoing, she knew he was dealing with something that he hadn’t spoken to her about.

Kyle hadn’t been able to get it out of him yet either, and he was worried.

Murdock and Wyatt traded places, with Wyatt pushing Jackson, and as James pedaled by on his bike, Murdock lifted him off. The bike crashed to the ground and Murdock carried the boy off into the house, protesting.

“Should I be worried?” she asked Kyle.

“Nah, Murdock and Helen bought the kids Nerf guns to tide them over until they are old enough to shoot real ones.”

Maddy shook her head. “Couldn’t they just, I don’t know, play with Legos or make mud castles or something?”

John looked at her like she was crazy. “Are you joking? Legos aren’t even in the same league as Nerf guns.”

“Whatever,” she said.

Kyle set the tray of dessert down and picked Emmie up from her stroller.

Madison’s heart warmed as he blew on her chubby baby cheeks and made her laugh. Helen sipped her beer and smiled. “Now that’s a fine man right there. It’s lucky for you that I’m old, otherwise I might have gotten to him first.”

“Are you supposed to be drinking?” Maddy asked her.