Give My Love to Rose(1st in Outlaw Series)

Epilogue

Epilogue

Five Months Later

"Ugh.. I forgot how much this hurts!" Rose exclaimed as the birthing pains wracked her body.

Marston was sitting behind her in the bed and she was sitting between his legs with her back against his chest. He had his hands on her large, firm belly and he could feel it tensing and tightening beneath his palms.

Hearing her cries of pain filled Marston with pain—as did the fingernails that she was currently digging into his thighs. He used his bandana to swipe some sweat from her brow before it ran into her eyes.

Marston kissed her damp hair. "If I could take your pain away, I would."

"I know you would," Rose gasped as the pain began to subside. "And if you ever get me with child again, I will shoot you in the foot."

"Shooting me in the foot won't stop me from getting you with child," he reminded her.

Rose snorted. "No, but it will make me feel better!" The last words was louder than the rest as yet another pain hit her body. Her grip on his thighs tightened and Marston knew there would be bruises. He didn't voice a word of complaint, though he knew there was a chance he was bleeding.

"You're almost there," the doctor spoke comfortably from beneath her nightdress. "The next time you feel a pain I want you to..."

"Yeah, yeah! You want me to push. This isn't my first time!" Rose snapped impatiently.

Marston hid his smile in her hair but the smile quickly turned to a grimace when she let out a scream and her nails dug into him once again.

Ten minutes, multiple screams and several curses later, Marston was holding his brand new baby girl. Never had he felt a love so all-consuming as the one he felt staring down at her squishy, pink face.

"She's beautiful," he whispered.

Rose beamed with tired pride as she watched him.

Langley and Kaitlyn tentatively came into the room and perched themselves on the side of the bed. "Can we see her?" Langley asked.

Marston motioned for them to come closer and they stared down at their sister with awe. "What's her name?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Lucy," Rose spoke.

"Eleanor," Marston said at the same time.

Rose stuck out her stubborn chin as she met his gaze and he found himself chuckling. "Lucy," he agreed.

Rose yawned as she curled up beneath her covers.

"Children go downstairs," Marston said, motioning to the door. "I'll be down in a minute. Your mama needs to rest."

"Love you mama," Langley and Kaitlyn said in unison as they kissed Rose's pale cheeks.

Rose smiled a tired smile. "Love you too."

Langley and Kaitlyn left the room and Marston laid a sleeping Lucy down in her mother's arms. Rose kissed the girl's dusting of dark hair. "Thank you, Rose," Marston said gruffly as he watched the scene.

"For what? "she asked softly.

"For giving me purpose," he replied. "For giving me a family and a home."

Rose laid her hand on his rough cheek. "Thank you, Marston."

"For what?"

"For giving me love."

Marston smiled and pressed a tender kiss to her full lips. "I'll be giving you that until the day I die, love. You and this family are all in this whole world that matter to me."

"Langley, give that back!" Kaitlyn's angry voice from downstairs interrupted the peace of the moment.

"I guess you'll have to catch me if you want it!" Langley called.

"Pa!" Kaitlyn yelled.

Marston sighed as he stood up. "Get some rest, beautiful. I have some official pa business to tend to."

Rose offered a sleepy smile. "Go get 'em, pa."

Marston gave Rose and Lucy one more tender kiss before slipping from the room and closing the door behind him.

He stopped for a moment in the hall and sent up a prayer of thanks to the Heavens. He had never imagined that he'd want this kind of life. He was a true family man now. He ran a gunshop, had learned to farm, came home to his wife every day and tucked his children into bed every night.

Jeremiah and Duke still loved to give him hell when they came around, which was getting to be more and more often these days.

Marston loved his new life. He was still an outlaw, through and through, and always would be, but now he was an outlaw with a family.

"Pa!" Kaitlyn yelled again. "Langley took my sewing and won't give it back!"

"Pa, Langley took my sewing and won't give it back!" Langley imitated her shrilly.

Marston laughed quietly and then put on his sternest face to head down the stairs and take care of his children. 

A/N: Thank you for reading 'Give My Love to Rose'! The next book in this series is called 'Give My Heart to Kaitlyn'.