I hope you’ve been enjoying my faith-based sweet romance novel, Gone to the Dogs. While the novel finished up last week, I have one more treat for Reagan and Josh fans.
This epilogue was not part of the published book, but was written to serve as a mailing list magnet for a now-defunct newsletter for my romance pen name.
Currently, this is the only place where this final chapter can be read.
Reagan Dunn’s life has gone to the dogs -- literally. Still recovering from a broken marriage that turned her life upside down, she searches for a new life on the road as a travelling pet sitter. When she takes a job in the little Oklahoma town of Redbud, the best she hopes for is a hot shower and a couple of nights sleeping in a real bed -- until she meets Josh, who is not only incredibly handsome, but also everything her ex-husband turned out not to be: kind, hard-working and loyal. Trouble is, he’s also taken.
Epilogue
Reagan exited the church building and stood on the stoop, scanning the parking lot with a puzzled frown. Josh’s truck was nowhere to be seen. He usually arrived early to pick her up when she finished a counseling session with the pastor. When they didn’t attend together, that is. She wondered what was keeping him.
Not that she minded waiting. The late afternoon was pleasantly mild. It was still too early for the leaves to put on a big show, but bright red tipped the Japanese maples decorating the church lawn, and the crepe myrtles’ bright pink blossoms gave way to berries colored a deep maroon. Growing up in California, Reagan hadn’t really got to experience all four seasons, and these signs of fall gave her a small thrill. She could understand why her beloved Anne Shirley was so grateful to live in a world with Octobers.
Anticipation of her first real fall wasn’t the only thing that thrilled Reagan. Both she and her pastor agreed she was ready to stop regular counseling sessions, though she could still come and see him if she found herself struggling. Looking back over the last six months since she’d come to Redbud, she couldn’t believe how much healing she’d experienced. Biblical counselors weren’t qualified to diagnose, so in the beginning, Pastor Rob had sent her to see a licensed therapist. He thought she showed all the characteristics of complex PTSD, characterized by emotional flashbacks rather than sensory ones.
The therapist had agreed. It explained why she sometimes got so triggered to go into fight-or-flight mode and either shut down or melt down emotionally. All those years living with Spencer’s manipulation and psychological abuse, she had buried so many negative emotions. Once she got free from him, her body finally felt safe enough to release all those pent- up emotions, which happened any time anyone said or did anything that even slightly resembled Spencer’s treatment of her.
But nothing had triggered her like that in a long time. Not since that awful night when Spencer had shown up and tried to ruin everything. She’d possessed a newfound strength ever since she’d stood up to him and sent him packing with his tail between his legs. And between the love and support of Josh and his family, Ellie’s mothering, and her pastor’s trauma counseling, she’d come so far in such a short time.
Through it all, she’d grown closer to God than ever before. Countless nights alone in Big Winnie, when everyone in the house was sound asleep and nobody but the Lord could hear her, she had poured out all those old hurts, all of her anger and heartache and bewilderment and grief, sometimes raging, almost always sobbing, but every single time receiving peace so deep and complete she wouldn’t have thought it possible.
She carried that peace with her as she stood there and breathed in the mild October air. She also felt joy, verging on giddiness as she thought about all the possibilities the future held for her. But she didn’t have time to indulge in daydreams before Josh’s truck rumbled into the parking lot and pulled up in front of her.
It wasn’t Josh who leaned over and pushed open the passenger door, but his brother. Reagan looked at him in mild alarm. “Is Josh okay?”
“He’s fine,” said Sam. “He needed to take care of something and asked me to pick you up. Sorry I was late.”
“Not by much,” she assured him, climbing into the truck. Once she got settled and buckled in, Sam handed her an envelope. “He asked me to give you this.”
It was a padded mailer with her name written large in Josh’s impeccable script. Even as she wondered at its contents, she marveled at his handwriting, so much neater than her own barely legible scrawl, which could never keep up with her thoughts as she scribbled them down. Her thoughts raced even as she tore open the envelope and poured its contents into her hand.
She looked at Sam, puzzled. “What are these for?”
He shrugged. “Josh said you’d tell me.”
Reagan let out an incredulous laugh and looked back at the objects in her hand. Three keys, each of them labeled with a number. “What is that brother of yours up to?”
“Don’t ask me. All I know is that I’m supposed to take you wherever you tell me to.”
Reagan nibbled her bottom lip as she picked up the first key, small with an orange plastic handle that had numbers stamped on the back. “This looks like it goes to a storage locker.”
“Not a lot of places that could be.”
“You know this town better than I do.”
Sam nodded and shifted the truck into gear. “Let’s try the rec center.”
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The Redbud recreation center bustled with activity. It seemed like half of Redbud’s inhabitants showed up to take advantage of the indoor track and pool. Sam pointed to a bank of lockers by the swimming pool. “Let’s try there.”
The air around the heated pool was warm and thick with humidity and the scent of chlorine. Reagan examined the numbers on the back of the orange key and scanned the lockers until she found one to match. She fit the key into the lock and felt a mix of satisfaction and anticipation as it turned. Sparing a quick glance at Sam, who nodded encouragement, she opened the locker and peered inside.
A paper gift bag sat neatly in the center of the locker. Reagan picked it up and handed it to Sam, then made a thorough search of the locker before closing the door. Pocketing the key, she turned to Sam and eyed the bag. It was dark blue, with a large, winking half-moon on the front.
“You gonna see what’s in it?” asked Sam.
She took the bag and looked inside. It held a large paper book and an object wrapped in white tissue paper. Reagan removed the book. It was a United States road atlas. She didn’t even think they made these anymore, in these days of GPS and Google Maps. With a puzzled frown, she tucked it back inside the bag and took out the other item. It felt like a jar and had some heft to it. Josh’s handwriting graced the tissue paper in black marker: “Don’t open until you get where you’re going.”
She read it out loud, and quirked an eyebrow at Sam. “Where, exactly, are we going?”
He shrugged. “I guess the keys will tell us.”
Back in the truck, they both sat staring at the keys spread out between them. Besides the pool locker key, there was a regular-sized silver key and a small one that looked like the sort that might fit a little girl’s diary or jewelry box.
The larger key sported a round sticker with the number 2. Reagan picked it up and examined it. “It just looks like a regular house key.”
“Yeah, but whose house?”
“You’re sure you know nothing about this?”
Sam threw up his hands. “I’m just the driver.” He regarded the key she held. “That could fit a padlock, maybe.”
“Oh, that narrows it down.”
She laid the key back on the seat and bent to rummage in her bag for her own set of keys. Whatever he was up to, Josh apparently expected her to either recognize the key or be able to figure out where it belonged. Maybe her own key ring held a clue.
Flipping past the keys to Big Winnie, she held up the house key Ellie had given her. She still lived in her RV, parked next to the Bakers’ barn, but she had a key to the house for emergencies, and to access the downstairs shower and laundry room. She would need to get her own place by winter — something with more substantial walls between her and the cold weather. Ellie kept trying to coax her into staying in Lydia’s old room, but it didn’t feel right to live under the same roof as her boyfriend, let alone sleep right across the hall from him.
Holding up her house key, she picked up the mystery key and compared them. They were a match. She looked at Sam in bewildered astonishment. “It’s a key to the house.”
“Then I guess we’re going home.” He turned toward the steering wheel and started the truck.
“What on earth is your brother up to?”
Sam chuckled and shook his head. “We’ll find out when we get there.”
Reagan mulled over this mystery on the way home. She’d gotten to know Josh pretty well over the last six months. Well enough to finish his sentences and be in synch on so many things — not everything, but all the things that mattered. But she had no clue what this was all about. Why send her to the rec center? What was up with the atlas and the mystery jar? And why the theatrics with the keys?
She was no closer to understanding any of it when they turned down the driveway and made their way to the house. Sam parked the truck, and Reagan grabbed her purse and the mystery moon bag and climbed out.
“I’ve got to check something in the barn,” said Sam, heading off in that direction.
Reagan climbed onto the porch and paused a moment, halfway expecting Josh to open the door and greet her. When that didn’t happen, she sighed and selected the second key, pocketing the others. She tried it in the door. It slid in and turned effortlessly.
The sound of nails tapping excitedly on the hardwood floor greeted her ears as she opened the door, and she smiled. Eager paws assaulted her knees before she even made it all the way inside. “Hi, Beebs! Mommy’s home!” Reagan pushed her way in, set her bags on the bench next to the door, and scooped up her wiggly floof.
After an exchange of kisses, Reagan realized there was no sign of anyone else in the house. Not even Zeke. “Josh?” she called. “Ellie? Anybody home?”
No answer. Ellie and Lydia had been busy getting things together for an engagement party Ellie was catering that evening, so she didn’t expect them to be there. But what about Josh? Reagan slumped a little and looked at Bibi. “Where could he be?”
That’s when she noticed the note tied to Bibi’s collar. More of Josh’s handwriting. “Outside,” it read.
Reagan set Bibi down and picked up the mystery bag. Something told her it still had a part to play. She made her way through the living room to the back door and peered outside. Nobody there, either.
But the deck was transformed. She’d arrived just as the sun was setting behind the hills in the distance, its golden glow giving way to orange and pink brilliance lighting up the clouds. A gazebo had been set up in the middle of the deck, strung with old-fashioned lights. A small table with two chairs sat beneath the gazebo, festooned with flowers and candles. In the middle of it all sat a wooden box.
Reagan had an inkling she knew what the third key was for.
She also had an inkling that she was on the verge of something momentous.
After several deep breaths to calm the flutters rising in her chest, she slid the door open and stepped out. Bibi bounded down the steps ahead of her and ran over to sniff the new addition to the deck. Reagan scanned the yard and still saw no sign of Josh. Sam, too, seemed to have made himself scarce. Was she supposed to wait there for Josh to show up?
She went to inspect the table. The candles weren’t yet lit, and the flowers were fresh. Roses of every color, dozens of them, their petals strewn around the table and the rug on which the table sat. She leaned down to breathe in their perfume, which was when she noticed a note card propped against the wooden box. She plucked it up to read.
“Open me after you solve the puzzle.”
Perplexed, Reagan shook her head. But then she set her shoulders in determination to solve this mystery and see where it went, although the rising bubble in her chest anticipated where all of this was going.
“All right,” she said, “I’ll play.”
She laid the contents of the gift bag on the table, after first clearing away some petals so they wouldn’t get crushed. Then she drew the keys from her pocket and spread them out. An atlas, three keys, and a mystery jar, with its instructions to open when she got where she was going. “I guess I’m there,” she said, picking up the jar and removing the tissue paper wrapping to reveal a jar of honey. She held it up and pondered it. “Ooookay. So, I’m his honey? He thinks I’m sweet?” Shaking her head some more, she set the jar back on the table and considered it among the other items.
“An atlas. Honey. Keys.” How did these things fit together? Reagan picked up the atlas and flipped through it for some kind of clue. She found one — a dog-eared map of Florida. She looked from the map to the keys. “The Florida Keys? But what does honey have to do with that?”
She got her answer when her gaze fell on the gift bag, its winking moon smiling knowingly at her. “Honeymoon,” she said, her heart about to burst. “Honeymoon in the Florida Keys.”
“I’m down for that.”
She turned to see Josh stepping up onto the deck, his smile wider and more knowing than the moon’s. He pointed to the little box. “You can open that now.”
He came up behind her as she turned back to the table and selected the smallest key. He slid his solid arms around her waist as she slid the key into the lock with trembling hands and gave it a turn. She lifted the lid, revealing another box, the little kind that comes from a jewelry store. Josh reached past her. “I’ll take that.”
He released her and stepped back. She turned toward him, heart pounding, and took his outstretched hand. He squeezed it. “Reagan—”
“Yes.”
He chuckled. “I’ve prepared a whole speech.”
“I don’t need a speech.”
“Well, you’re going to get one.” He cleared his throat, suddenly looking nervous. “I don’t know why the Good Lord brought you into my life when he did, but not a day has gone by that I haven’t thanked him for it. For you. These last six months, watching you grow in your faith, walking beside you as you’ve recovered from your past... I know it hasn’t been easy, but it’s been such a privilege. I don’t just want to walk you home every night. I want to be your home, and I want you to be mine. I want us to walk each other all the way home.”
Reagan nodded through his entire speech. She just wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him. But she stood still as he lowered himself to one knee.
“I don’t have the words to tell you how much you mean to me,” he said, “but I want to spend the rest of my life showing you. Reagan Dunn, will you—“
Just then, Bibi ran up to him. She hopped up on his knee with a bark, making them both laugh. Josh buried his hand in her white fluff and cleared his throat. “With Bibi’s blessing, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” she shouted with her whole being. Only when Josh stood up and swept her into his arms did she realize tears were streaming down her face. Happy tears. He paid them no mind as he kissed her — the first kiss of the rest of their lives together.
He kissed her until she was breathless. Then he released her and offered the little box for her to open. The ring inside looked like an antique, white gold with delicate scrollwork around the band. A diamond in the center was flanked by dainty diamelles on each side.
“It was my grandmother’s,” he said, taking it out of the box. “There’s a band to match. Mom wants you to have it, and so do I. But if you’d rather have something more modern, we can go shopping tomorrow. We’ll both understand.”
Reagan shook her head, a lump forming in her throat at the realization that Ellie wanted Reagan to have her mother’s wedding rings. She wasn’t just getting a wonderful husband who truly loved her; she was getting a mother. A family. “It’s perfect,” she choked out past a fresh round of tears, holding out her left hand.
Josh removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger, and then took her face in his hands, wiping the tears with his thumbs before kissing her again. “I love you, Reagan.”
“I love you, Josh.”
He drew her against him, and she tucked her head into the hollow of his neck as she wrapped her arms around him. She breathed in his earthy scent. Salt and sweat mixed with soap and shampoo and a musky cologne he’d worn for the occasion. Mine, she thought. Mine for as long as we both shall live.
They held each other until a deep-chested bark interrupted their private thoughts. Reagan lifted her head and peered out to see Zeke racing through the twilit yard. He bounded onto the deck and over to them.
“There’s my boy!” Josh said as the giant German shepherd jumped up, his tail wagging as though he knew something special had happened.
Bibi followed suit, jumping up on Reagan’s knees. She stooped to pick her up, grinning from ear to ear as she did. She felt fit to burst like an uncorked bottle of champagne at the thought that they’d be sharing these dogs together, even as she realized they would also share each other with the dogs. And that was fine by her.
Zeke had led a procession of people. Ellie, Lydia and Sam came cutting across the yard, each of them carrying trays with covered dishes. Behind them trailed several other members of the extended Baker clan, bringing with them tables and chairs, more food and other accoutrements. Ellie and Josh’s siblings brought their bounty up onto the deck and made room on the little table.
“Ellie,” said Regan, “when you said you were catering an engagement party...”
Ellie turned to her. “Did I lie?” She held out her arms with a wide smile. “Come here, daughter.”
Reagan gladly embraced her future mother-in-law.
“You’re already family,” Ellie said, patting her on the back, “but I’m so glad it’s going to be official.”
“So am I!” Lydia spun her around and grabbed her in a fierce hug as soon as Ellie released her. “There’s nobody I’d rather have for a sister.”
Sam hung back a bit, smiling shyly. Reagan placed a hand on her hip and gave him a pointed look. “You knew, didn’t you?”
He held up his hands in innocence. “I didn’t know about Josh’s scavenger hunt. I just thought I was keeping you occupied while they set things up here.” He stepped forward, arms outstretched.
“Welcome to the family, Sis.”
Even as they embraced, Ellie began shooing them away. “Let’s give these love birds time to themselves. We’ve got plenty to do to get things set up.” With a wink back at the couple, she herded her remaining brood down to the lawn and began barking orders at them and various cousins.
“I hope you don’t mind the surprise party,” Josh said, pulling her close. “Mom and Lydia were both so excited. Everybody was. I figured you and I would have plenty of time to celebrate on our own later.” He waved toward the table. “I know Mom’s got a romantic dessert planned for us.”
“I don’t mind at all. This is perfect.” She looked up at Josh. “Thank you.”
“Mom was the mastermind. I owe her thanks for making me look good.”
“And the scavenger hunt? Was that her idea, too?”
He let out a laugh and ran his fingers through his hair. Reagan reached up to smooth it back down and thought of all the times she’d longed to do that before they became a couple. “No, that was my idea. I needed to distract you while we got things ready. And you’ve always talked about wanting to drive Winnie down to the Keys someday.” He shrugged. “Sounds to me like a perfect honeymoon getaway.” He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. “Just the first of hopefully many adventures we’ll have together.”
She squeezed his hand. “I can’t wait.”
He leaned in for another kiss, slow and tender, and then released her and stood back. “Well, future Mrs. Baker, what say we head down there and mingle with our guests while Mom puts the finishing touches on everything?”
Reagan nodded, but then said, “Go on. I’ll be right behind you.”
He tilted his head and studied her. “You okay?”
Smiling, she nodded as emotion welled up in her. It came out in a mixture of laughter and tears. “I’m more than okay,” she reassured him. “I just need a minute to...” she waved her hands, fanning her tears and doing her best to show how overwhelmed she felt. “To process everything.”
“Okay.” Josh caught her hand again and kissed the back of it. “Come down when you’re ready. I’ll always give you all the time you need.”
He squeezed her hand and released it as he turned toward his family. Their family. Reagan watched him as he went down the steps and his cousins greeted him with high fives and hugs. She stood amazed at how her life had done a complete one-eighty in the last six months.
It wasn’t the first time she’d gotten spun around. The first time had devastated her. But she could see clearly now how God had used that devastation to tear her down so he could build her and her life back up into something so much better. As much as the love of Josh and Ellie and the rest of the family overwhelmed her, it was the love and grace shown to her by her heavenly Father that made her want to drop to her knees in a heap of joyful and grateful tears.
And she would, later on, when she was alone. For now, she wiped the tears she’d been unable to hold back. She took a deep breath and looked up at the purpling sky, at the stars that were uncovered as the sun sunk below the hills, and whispered, “Thank you.”
And then she went to celebrate her new life with her new family.
I hope you enjoyed this diversion into something more lighthearted and grounded in the real world. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll get back to business as usual with the serialization of the second installment of my ghostly Spirits series, Kindred Spirits!
Until then, if you liked this lighter, sweeter turn, here’s another story you might enjoy:
And if you missed the last installment of Gone to the Dogs or need to go back to the beginning, follow the navigation links below:
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