About this bonus epilogue

Set around six months after Where I Belong ends, this bonus epilogue offers a quiet glimpse into the life Bryson and Casey are building together. It’s soft. It’s real. It’s for the readers who wanted just a little more of their story.

This is where they are now. Still holding on, still choosing each other, every single day.

Bryson

It’s just past seven when I pull into the driveway, headlights cutting across the front of the house. The porch light glows warm against the fading evening sky, and through the living room window, I can see the flicker of the TV.

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I shut off the truck and sit for a moment, soaking it all in.

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The house. The scent of pine from the trees. The quiet.

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Home.

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A year ago, I wasn’t sure I’d ever have this again.

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I walk up the steps and push open the front door. Instantly, I’m hit with the smell of something sweet—vanilla, maybe cinnamon.

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And there she is.

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Casey.

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The love of my life.

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She’s curled up sideways on the couch, bare feet tucked under one of my old flannel shirts—stolen from my side of the closet and now clearly hers. Her hair’s up in a messy knot, and our new Golden Retriever pup, Laddie, is sprawled across her lap, all ears and clumsy paws.

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“You’re late,” she says without looking up from her book. “I was about to send a search party.”

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Casey doesn’t read often, but when she starts a book that gets her hooked, it’s hard to pull her attention away from it. I’ve woken up at three in the morning and she’s perched up in bed, her head buried in a book.

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But I certainly don’t complain when it’s a romance book. If it’s full of sex, I benefit from how she gets turned on by fictional characters. Our sex life is always five stars, but those sexy books she reads takes it to the next level.

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“Long day. That new bull wasn’t too fond of the chute.”

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I’ve been at the ranch helping Dad and the vet vaccinate the cattle. Casey and I moved into a house not far from both our parent’s houses, and I stayed on working for Dad while Casey accepted the real estate job.

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She finally looks up then, setting the book aside. Laddie lifts his head, tail thumping once, then decides he can’t be bothered to move, and collapses down on Casey’s lap again.

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“Dinners in the oven,” she says. “And by ‘dinner,’ I mean leftover lasagna and maybe a slice of apple pie if you’re nice.”

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That explains the scent of vanilla and cinnamon.

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I walk over, kneel in front of her, and rest my hands on her knees. Laddie flicks her ear and nudges her nose against my hand, and I give her a quick pat, my attention focused on Casey.

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“What if I’m really nice?”

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Her lips tug into a smile. “Then you get two slices.”

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I lean in and kiss her, softly and slow. It’s the kind of kiss that says I missed you. The kind that still makes my chest feel too tight in the best damn way.

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When I pull back, she brushes a thumb over my jaw. “You smell like dirt and sweat.”

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“Yeah?”

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“And I love it.”

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She pats the couch beside her. I sit, and she swings her legs over my lap, Laddie flopping dramatically to the floor with a groan. She shakes it off then jumps up on my lap, plopping down on top of Casey’s legs. I rest one hand on Casey’s ankle, needing to touch her, and I pat our lazy dog with m other hand.

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“Tell me something,” Casey says, reaching down and patting the dog as well. “Something about your day that has nothing to do with bulls or mud.”

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“Hmm.” I pretend to think. “Clive sang along to a Taylor Swift song in the truck and didn’t realize I was recording.”

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Her eyes light up. “You did not.”

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“Oh, I did. You should’ve seen the passion.”

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“I need that video.”

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I pull out my phone and start scrolling, but she stops me with a gentle hand on my chest. “Later,” she murmurs, eyes soft.

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She nudges Laddie off the couch then swings her feet to the floor. She shifts around until she’s straddling me. My back presses into the couch as I look up at her, my heart full of love.

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Leaning down, she places a kiss on my temple then moves her lips down to my mouth.

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I sit here while she controls the kiss, taking her time with exploring every inch of my face before she moves lower, sealing her lips over the hollow of my neck and sucking hard.

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“Ow, Jesus,” I say as I push her head away. “That’s going to leave a mark.”

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“I know,” she says, a smirk on her face. “That’s pay back from where you left a hickey on the back of my neck that I couldn’t see, and didn’t know about until Callie pointed it out.”

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“That’s what happens when some hopeful dick tries to pick you up in front of me. I’ll make sure the next guy knows you’re mine.”

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She laughs, wrapping her arms around my neck, leaning in for another kiss, but instead I stand up, lifting her with me, making her squeal.

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As I carry her toward the bedroom, Laddie already trotting ahead like she owns the place, I can’t help but think how damn lucky I am.

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Because sometimes, life doesn’t give you second chances.

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But every once in a while… it gives you exactly what you didn’t know you needed.

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And this time, I’m not letting go.

© C.J. Welles. All rights reserved.
This bonus scene is a work of fiction and is the intellectual property of the author. It may not be reproduced, distributed, or shared without explicit permission from C.J. Welles.

Note: This scene is provided as exclusive content for readers. While every effort has been made to ensure accurate spelling and grammar, please excuse any small errors that may have slipped through. 💗