Braxton's Run: Cattle, Whiskey and Women

Epilogue

5 years later

"For crissake it's colder than a well diggers ass out there!" Braxton exclaimed as he came stomping into the house beating snow off his boots.

"Quiet!" Laura exclaimed. "The baby is napping." Braxton gave her an apologetic grin as he peeked through their bedroom door at their three year old son, sound asleep on their bed.

"Sorry, honey." he said as he kissed her cheek and she gasped at the feel of his frozen nose against her skin.

"So just how do you know how cold a well diggers ass is?" Brandon asked from where he sat with his legs stretched out in front of the fire. Maynard and Claire both laughed lightly from where they sat on the sofa and LeAnne giggled as she continued to roll out the pie crust.

"That would be because I was one." Braxton replied with a wink. Laura rolled her eyes and wiped her hands on her apron before going back to cutting up the potatoes for supper.

"What are the children doing?" she asked him. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and laid his palms on her expanding stomach.

"All five of them are determined to kill each other with snowballs." he replied.

"Looks like they wanted to kill you too." Brandon said matter of factly as Braxton shook snow off his hat.

"Yep, but I called retreat and hightailed it for the house." he agreed. Laura smiled as Braxton moved away from her and the brothers and Maynard fell into easy conversation while her mother joined her and LeAnne in the kitchen. It was hard for her to believe that everyone was here, gathered together in she and Braxton's home in Montana.

It was peaceful and happy and more than she could have ever asked for. Audrey was nearly six years old now and her son, Max, was three and here she was nearly eight months along with she and Braxton's third child.

"I don't think Braxton and I told you all thank you for coming all the way up here for Christmas." Laura said to the other two women as they worked together on preparing the meal.

"You couldn't very well come to Greensburg in your condition." LeAnne replied.

"Yes and we've missed far too many Christmas's together. I wasn't about to miss out on another." Claire agreed.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Audrey exclaimed as she came running into the house letting the cold wind blow through the open door.

"What is it, Little Bit?" Braxton asked as he turned and then he burst out laughing. Audrey was covered from head to toe in snow.

"I'm outnumbered." she grumbled in a very Braxton-like way. Braxton sighed and headed for the door.

"That's because all your uncle Brandon and Aunt LeAnne know how to do is reproduce." he replied and Brandon laughed.

"You're catching up." he reminded him.

"I have to defend my first born." Braxton said to Laura just before he slipped out the door with Audrey.

"Pa! It's not fair that Audrey gets a grown up to help her!" LeAnne and Brandon's youngest son Parker exclaimed from outside. Brandon sighed and stood up. He pulled on his coat and kissed his wife's cheek before walking out the door.

"Why exactly did you have to move to the god damned north pole?" he demanded of his brother as they moved to their opposing sides.

"What's the matter old man? Is the cold weather wreaking havoc on your rheumatism?"

"Haha." Brandon replied and the war of snowballs was on.

"That's a nice sight." LeAnne said as she watched out the window and Laura nodded in agreement. No one in the family heard much from Bradley or Maryanne these days but Braxton and Brandon had grown very close and so had Laura and her mother.

"Oh I meant to tell you, Laura, I was in the mercantile in Austin the other day and guess what I saw in the catalogue?" Claire asked and Laura shrugged. "An entire section devoted to Laura McAvery dress designs."

"That's great!" LeAnne exclaimed and Laura smiled proudly. Her life was more perfect than she could have ever dreamed.

"Merry Christmas, my daughter." Claire said as she wrapped Laura in a warm hug and Laura hugged her tightly in return.

"Merry Christmas, mama."

A/N: That's the end of Braxton's Run. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it! Thank you so much to everyone who supported this story. You all are the best :) I already have my next story in the works and chapter one should be up tomorrow... 'Give my Love to Rose' will be the title. Thanks again for all of your support with Braxton!