Miller Family Wrap-up Story (PAPERBACK)

Hello readers! You’ve asked for it, so here it is! My Miller Family Wrap-up Story packaged up all on its own.

This is for my readers who have already read all three of my Miller Family Sagas. It contains an update on each couple from Brothers of Miller Ranch, Miller Brothers of Texas and Brides of Miller Ranch, N.M. That’s seventeen couples in all. Phew!

If you haven’t read any of these stories, I’d highly suggest you go back and read them before you read this book. This book is not a standalone love story.

TROPES
✅ Family Saga
✅ Sweet & Wholesome

I hope you enjoy your entire Miller family epilogue!

Chapter One
Benedict

Ben wiped his hands on his jeans, standing there on the sidewalk, looking up at the building that seemed like it was looming over them.

“Are you okay, Daddy?”

Ben looked down to his boy, who let go of Chastity to grab Ben’s hand instead. He looked so much like his mother, with her dark eyes and thick lashes, but every now and then, Ben could see some of his features in the little guy too.

It was hard to believe that Danny was almost five, and he was about to head into his very first day of kindergarten. Hadn’t he just been born the year before? Hadn’t he just started speaking last week? And yet, it was definitely a school-aged kid standing in front of him, decked out with a superhero backpack and sneakers.

“I’m fine, Danny. Just excited for your first day. You’re gonna have so much fun.”

Danny narrowed his eyes and goodness, he was definitely the spitting image of his mother. “Are you sure? What if I don’t make friends?”

“You will, buddy.”

“You’re gonna have a great first day,” Chastity piped in.

“Okay. I hope so.”

“Give mommy one more kiss before you go,” she added.

“Moooom, everyone is gonna see.”

“Everyone else is getting kisses from their mommies, daddies or guardians. You’ll fit right in.”

“…I dun think that’s right.”

“Please?”

“…alright. But if I get made fun of, you owe me.”

Ben had no idea where he’d learned that, and he also had no idea what they could possibly “owe” their child other than a happy meal, but those were things that could be talked about after his first day.

“Deal,” Chastity said, offering their little tyke a hand. He shook it, then stood on tiptoe while she bent towards him. Danny placed a quick kiss on her cheek, then looked around furtively. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no one flooded out of the school to mock him.

“Now it’s my turn.”

“Daaaaaddddd!”

“Come on, it can’t be so embarrassing to give your dad a kiss.”

“I guess.”

Despite Danny’s suspicious look, he did indeed plant one on Ben’s cheek before letting out one of those impatient sounds that only kids could make.

“Can I go now?”

“Alright, Danny, go ahead.”

“Okay, I love you. I’ll see you later!”

At that, he rushed away as fast as his legs would carry him. Ben reached out for Chastity, and she gripped his hand tightly.

“When did he grow up so much?” Ben asked, trying not to sound mournful and failing pretty spectacularly.

“I don’t know. But I’m gonna lose it when Dakota and Daniella start school.”

“Thankfully we’ve got a couple of years before that.”

“The time goes so fast though.”

“That it does.” Ben squeezed her hand and turned to her, pulling her in close. “But I’m glad to spend that time with you.”

“Awww, you really know how to talk to a girl, don’t cha?”

“No, but I might have an idea of how to talk to the love of my life.”

Chastity blushed beautifully, the red rising up her neck and over her cheeks. After all their years together, Ben had never gotten tired of that blush.

“You’re being real smooth for an emotionally devastating day.”

“Hah, I don’t know about emotionally devastating, but I might still be in denial.”

“That’s alright. Want to go be in denial over a plate of biscuits and gravy?”

“I knew there was a reason I love you.”

She squeezed his hand again. “I love you too, darling.”

Ben tilted his head down to give her a kiss, and she returned it, sweet and kind and perfect, as always.

“So, about those biscuits and gravy?”

He couldn’t help but laugh at that. “You’re on.”

But he still held her hand the entire way to the car and the drive back home.
 


Chapter Two
Chastity

“Okay, that take was good, but can we do a safety one just to be sure?”

“Of course,” Chastity said with a grin. She was in LA on a filming shoot, and at that moment she was exhausted through and through, but it was better to suck it up for another fifteen minutes than to have to come in for reshoots another day.

“Perfect. Let’s run it from your entrance.”

Chastity nodded and went to her mark. Most of her work in the past two years had been educational, which meant there wasn’t a ton of blocking and a whole lot more sitting. But when she’d been invited to do a series of sketches for a popular internet news channel, she’d jumped on it.

She just hadn’t counted on her segments being so popular that they invited her back again and were filming enough sketches to use for three of their episodes in the future. Normally that would never work for a news channel—as it needed to be current by its own nature—but their format with pre-filmed comedy breaks was perfect for stocking up on footage.

“Action!”

With one last deep breath, Chastity went through the take again. Thankfully, it went just as well as the previous one and their safety was in the bag. And thank goodness, because Chastity’s feet were killing her. Next time she wouldn’t wear new shoes!

Still, she said her goodbyes and began to make her rounds. After all, it would be impolite to just bounce, but right when she was about to finish, a gentle hand brushed against her arm.

“Yes?” she asked, expecting to turn and see a PA telling her she forgot something, or perhaps someone asking for a selfie. Except it wasn’t anything like that at all.

“Ben!” she cried, a smile breaking out across her features. “What are you doing in LA? Where are the kids!?”

“Missy and Dani are watching them, don’t worry. They’re all very excited to have a sleepover party in the main house with their cousins and Aunties.”

“I can’t believe it. You flew all the way out here for me?”

“I did. I figure we can have a lovely dinner together tonight, maybe see some sights tomorrow, then take an overnight flight back home.”

Chastity couldn’t believe it. Throwing her arms around his neck, she peppered his face with kisses. “You’re incredible, you know that?”

“Aw, y’all better stop being so adorable or I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Chastity looked to one of the two main hosts, who was standing a bit away and looking entirely amused. Chastity wasn’t embarrassed though. She’d spent far too much of her life running away from the love of her life to waste even a moment being bashful about it.

“Sorry, an unfortunate side effect of being in love means we’re adorable all the time.”

“Hah! I need to go home and tell my wife that.” He laughed good-naturedly, as did his co-host who was approaching. The two were funny like that. The latter, a tall man with a reddish beard, didn’t even know what was going on, but if his friend was laughing, he was too.

Either that or he had exceptional hearing. It was a coin toss, basically.

“Thank you again for filming with us, Chastity. We really appreciate you taking the time, especially since it involves being away from your family.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” she answered with a sappy grin. “Turns out my family came to me.”

***

Chastity held Ben’s hand from across the table as they lovingly stared at it other. It was sappy. It was cheesy. And it was oh so perfect.

Sometimes she bemoaned the decade that they’d spent apart, but she’d always remind herself that it was that time that allowed them to develop their personalities and become the people they needed to be to come together in the end.

But still, it would have been nice not to have been so alone that whole time.

“When was the last time we had a romantic dinner with just the two of us?” she mused, squeezing his hand. It was an old habit, the sort of fakey Morse code that they would squeeze into each other’s palm, but Chastity loved it. A percussive sort of reminder of just how much they meant to each other.

“It’s certainly been a while. Maybe before Danny’s last birthday?”

“Sounds about right.”

“We should try to make a better habit of that.”

“We absolutely should.”

Strange, how easy it was for time to get away from them. Marrying into the Millers had certainly changed Chastity’s life. Suddenly money was never an issue, and she was free to pursue the career she’d dreamed of. But even with pretty much everything she’d ever wanted, too often she found herself falling into the rhythm of work, sleep, manage the kids, manage the next social event, cook food and eat. And that was with Ma Miller insisting that she continue to make dinner at her house for anyone who wanted to drop in. Somehow, there was always enough, which seemed particularly impossible, but was true nonetheless.

But she had Ben in front of her for the moment, and she wasn’t going to take it for granted.

“I love you,” she murmured, beaming dopily at him.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

Chastity didn’t care that they were in a restaurant. She leaned forward and captured his lips with hers, hoping he could feel just how much he made her heart swell. She had no doubt that she and Ben had been meant for each other. She’d found the love of her life and couldn’t be more grateful.

When they parted, Ben had that dazed look on his face he had whenever she kissed him especially well, and Chastity sat back in satisfaction.

Their server came soon after that, and they ordered their drink and an appetizer before returning their attention to each other. But before they could start up a conversation, Ben’s phone rang.

“Oh, it’s one of my cousins from New Mexico,” he said, eyebrows shooting up. “They never call. Do you mind if I take this?”

“Is it the cousin with the name that sounds like mine?”

“Charity? No, it’s Cassidy, the second eldest.”

“Of course, you can answer, dear. I was just being a bit cheeky.”

“Right, sorry. Little bit of jet lag still.”

“It’s alright; you don’t have to deny that my kiss left you off-kilter. It’s not the first time.”

He huffed a laugh then answered, asking if it was important and explaining he was on a date. Even though the timing wasn’t convenient, Chastity couldn’t help but rest her chin in her hand and just look at her husband.

He was ruggedly handsome, but at the same time, boyishly cute. From the earnest smile he had from talking to a family member, to the hearty laugh he let out—no doubt Cassidy said something particularly snarky. Chastity couldn’t help but think about how her son Danny had his father’s chin through and through. She wondered; would little Dakota have his brows? Daniella his laugh? To her, they all looked so much like him, but that didn’t bother her. She loved seeing his reflection in them just as much as she loved that they were individual beings with their own lives and wants. And she loved that she was getting to watch them grow up with him.

She was so caught up in emotions; it was like being in her twenties again. Her heart picked up and the blood rushed to her cheeks. When Ben finally hung up the phone, there was no stopping her mouth as it moved of its own accord.

“Sorry about that. Apparently, there’s—”

“I want another baby.”

That froze him still and he looked at her, eyes wide. “Pardon?”

“Uh, I mean, if that’s alright with you. No, I mean…” She took a deep breath, trying to gather herself. “Ben, would you like to have another baby with me?”

She wasn’t 100% sure how he would react. After all, she had to admit that it was pretty out of the blue. But then Ben’s expression grew soft and his other hand reached out to stroke her cheek.

“I would love that.”

Oh. Even after so many years together, he still knew exactly what to say to make her swoon.

“It’s a plan then.”

“It most certainly is.”

Regular Print Paperback
Font: Athelas 12.5
Dimensions: 6 x 9
ISBN: 978-1-964875-38-5
Publication Date: July 21, 2012
Publisher Name: Kenzo Publishing, LLC