Sharing Love’s Secret Recipe – Extended Epilogue

It was the day of their fifth wedding anniversary. 

Zoe stepped out of the house and walked to the end of the porch, shading her eyes with one hand. She swept her eyes from one side of the property to the other. She remembered what it had looked like those years ago. She’d thought they were going to have an exciting life and that’s exactly what she got.

The Chow House Restaurant was buzzing with customers. Two years after the additions had been made so Bert and his family could come and live with him, Hanson had given the property and building to the family as a gift, along with the money to turn it into a legitimate restaurant, where they could serve customers. The men who worked on the ranch ate for free but customers could come in and have Bert’s meals or Zoe’s stew or any type of baked goods the restaurant had for sale at the time.

Directly across from Zoe, standing on the front porch, was the road to go out and come in. It was no longer just a path for a buggy or two. It had been widened, trees had been taken down, gravel had been laid. Now it was two verified lanes for people to come and go from the restaurant. 

Or the bakery across from the restaurant, to Zoe’s left. 

Although Marcus had recovered from his fall and the subsequent smoke inhalation from the exploded cake, he remained rather weak and relied heavily on his wheelchair or a walking stick to get around. Zoe wanted her parents close by. She was afraid if they remained in Georgetown without her and something happened to her father, her mother wouldn’t survive alone. 

Hanson was the last man on earth to keep Zoe from her family. He was as concerned as she was and as a result, he built a large home with a private bakery in a round room on one side of the house and an actual bakery like the one they had in Georgetown in the front. He made sure to tell them they weren’t going to be living there for free. Since he built the house and provided everything they needed for their bakery so they could keep the one running in Georgetown, they were to bake for him a lifetime supply of daily bread. 

It was the first thing Marcus and Marie made in the morning and the last thing they prepped at night. Fresh bread. Every day. They told Hanson it was a small price to pay and no doubt they meant it.

Zoe’s life was just the way she wanted it.

“Mama, Mama, get outta the way!” 

Zoe jumped to the side just in time as her son Zachary, who was four years old, whipped around her, his tiny legs pumping as he ran.

“Be careful!” she warned, leaning down toward him. She jumped back as his twin brother, Alexander, came barreling out the door and almost collided with her. 

“Look out, Mama!” Alexander called out in the most adorable tone Zoe had ever heard. She shook her head as both boys slowed all the way down and ended up turning around on their stomachs and going down the steps that way.

She walked over and went down on the other side, her eyes watching them. She always stayed one step ahead so that if one of them slipped, she would be there in less than a second to grab him up.

But they both made it to the bottom of the steps and went running off toward the crowd of people down by the overhead tent shelter. 

The day was bright and beautiful. Zoe had nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.

“Zoe! Zoe! Over here!” 

She turned her head and leaned slightly, spotting Laura down the hill. She was standing on a white blanket. When Zoe stepped a little further to the right, she saw a man stretched out on the blanket, one arm propping him up. Hanson was crouching in front of the man, one hand in front of him holding him at balance. They were talking.

“I’m coming!” she called out. As she walked toward them, Zoe scanned the nearby grassy hill where all the children were playing. She saw Alexander darting around, playing, she assumed, that he was a monkey while Zachary ran around flapping his arms like a bird. They were circling several other children their age. An older girl and boy, probably thirteen or so, stood by, talking while the children played.

Zoe strolled down to the blanket. Hanson looked up at her when Laura called out, “We’ve been looking all over for you, Zoe. Where did you go?”

“I went inside to make sure the boys had clean socks and shoes on. They went around jumping in the mud puddles after church, you know.”

Hanson laughed. “Oh, those boys,” he said, his grin wide and happy. Zoe couldn’t have been happier to have Hanson as the father of her children. She only had the two so far but expected they would have another eventually, maybe a girl, this time. Hanson was the best father in the world. He obviously loved his twin sons with every ounce in his heart. He beamed proud from the moment they were born and was still bright as the sun with pride to that very day.

“Yes, those boys, that I have to keep changing and washing clothes and cleaning up after.” Zoe didn’t really mind. That was what she loved about being a mother.

“Bah.” Hanson was standing now, stepping directly over Jack, who protested loudly at Hanson’s boots coming so close to his face. “You are with them half the time making those messes. Don’t think I wasn’t inside watching while you showed them how to make mud pies and told them the only thing you don’t do with mud pies is eat them.”

Zoe giggled, covering her mouth with one hand and trying to look innocent. “Didn’t stop them from trying to taste them though. I don’t know what comes over those boys!” 

The four adults laughed. Jack pushed himself to his feet since he was the only one not standing. Hanson pulled Zoe to him, his arms around her waist. She tilted her head to the side and grinned, closing her eyes as he kissed her cheek and snuggled her neck passionately. 

“I’m glad you decided to rejoin us out here,” he said, his breath against her neck giving her chills. She had to push him off her because her knees were going to give out on her and his touch always turned her legs to gelatin.

He chuckled, knowing exactly what she was doing and why. 

“All right, all right,” he said gently, making sure he kept hold of her hand. “What do you say we take some plates and go sit by the fire in the pit? We can talk about old times and all the adventures we’ve had.”

Laura and Jack looked receptive to that plan, though Laura said as they cleaned up their picnic, “You mean you and Zoe tell us about your adventures. We never get into anything, do we, Jack?”

“No, but there have been reasons for that,” Jack replied.

“That’s true. Busy with everything going on.”

Zoe waited with Hanson, leaning against him, one hand on his chest and an arm around his waist so she could hook her thumb in the belt loop of his trousers. She was content. It was obvious to her that her friends were content, too. Everyone was happy. That’s how she liked life. It was peaceful.

Zoe felt a tug on her skirt behind her. She turned and saw it was Alexander. His big blue eyes were wide with wonder. 

“What’s wrong, honey?” Zoe asked, moving her eyes up to where the group of children had been playing. 

They were no longer there. None of the children were there. It appeared Alexander was alone.

Zoe frowned, detaching herself from Hanson, who was now on alert as well. 

“Alex? Where is everyone else? Where are your friends?”

Alexander looked behind him, also to the place where they’d all been playing.

“They lef,” he said plainly. 

Zoe nodded. “I can see they left, Alex. But where did they go? And why didn’t you go with them?”

“They all lef and Zachy in trouble.”

Zoe’s breath caught in her throat. She was stunned into silence for a moment. It was Hanson’s movement that brought her out of her trance. He was immediately on one knee in front of his son, grasping both of the child’s arms. 

“Alex? Son? You gotta tell Papa and Mama where Zachary is, okay? You show us where he went, okay?”

Zoe could hear Laura’s murmured cries of worry behind her. Hanson swept Alex up into his arms and started striding toward the hill where the children had been playing.

“You show Papa where Zachy went, okay?” he was repeating over and over, his voice frantic but, at the same time, calm. Zoe knew Hanson was doing that so their son wouldn’t panic and start to cry. It would be impossible to get anything sensible out of him if he was frightened to death.

“He wanted to play with the water,” Alex said. “That’s what he said. He wanted to play with the water.”

“Oh no,” Zoe mumbled, turning worried eyes to Laura, who had come up beside her. They had repeatedly told the boys not to go to the water at that time of year because the winter weather had produced enough moisture that the river winding around the mountain was overfull. The waters were calm in some places but rough in others, creating dangerous water hazards should someone fall in. Especially a little boy who didn’t know how to swim.

Zoe tried not to think about it. Her son would be found and he would be fine. She repeated that in her mind over and over. He would be found. He would be fine.

They had attracted the attention of other adults in the area who began gathering their children and asking them questions about Zachary. 

“Hanson!” One of the men called out. 

Zoe looked at the man but she and Hanson didn’t stop moving.

“Joey says look down at the river! Zach was talkin’ about goin’ down there. Margie and Brian didn’t see him leave so they went out to look for him. That’s where they went too but haven’t come back!”

That entire bit of information didn’t make Zoe feel at all better. If the older children had gone after her son but hadn’t returned, what did that mean? What did that mean for any of them?

She choked up and put one hand over her mouth, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from blurring her vision. She couldn’t afford to lose it now. Now was the time to keep it together and be smart. 

Hanson must have heard her because he glanced back at her around their son, whom he was still holding. His eyes were steep with worry. He suddenly turned around and handed Alex to Laura.

“Please, Laura, if you’ll keep Alex here. Keep him safe. We’re gonna go get our son.”

Laura grabbed hold of Alex, who went willingly into her arms. “I’ve got him, Hanson. I’ll keep him here. Good luck. I know you’ll find him and everything will be all right. I just know it.”

“Thank you, Laura.”

Hanson grabbed her hand and the two darted over the hill and down the other side. Jack was keeping up with them but otherwise, everyone fell back, letting them take the lead. 

Zoe didn’t want any more adventures. She was tired of the pounding heart, the fear that someone would lose their life, the adrenaline rush when they came out on the other side of the storm. She didn’t even want to feel triumphant anymore. She wanted the peace and tranquility that came with being the wife of a successful rancher. She should be attending sewing clubs and book clubs and the like. Not running off to another county to try to talk someone into a cheaper price on horses only to discover massive fraud and ending up with a guilty verdict for all involved by a jury of their peers.

Not chasing down her wayward son who had to get himself lost trying to find the river when he knew he was not allowed to do that alone. Zoe didn’t know what the child could have been thinking.

She felt a renewed sense of energy when she heard the sound of rushing water. It was by no means calm at this bend in the body of water. It was rushing downhill. Only at a slight slant but enough to make the water plummet down like a slow waterfall. At its full capacity, the water would be rushing past, rough and white in some places.

A four-year-old would not be able to survive that kind of water pressure.

“I hear the water,” she remarked. “I think we should be going that way. That’s where he’d go if he was in here by himself.”

Hanson put one hand on her chest, stopping her from moving. His eyes roamed through the air and he held up one finger. “Do you hear that?” he whispered. 

Zoe stayed perfectly still and silent. She heard it. At least she thought it was what he was listening to. It was the sound of a girl crying.

“Hello?” Hanson yelled out. “Margie?”

“Mr. Tuttle!” They heard Margie’s voice in the distance. 

“Keep talking, Margie!” Hanson cried out. “We’ll come to get you!”

“I’m right here on the path!” Her voice came through the sparse brush and the three of them left the main trail behind to take one off to the right side.

Zoe could see Margie standing by the edge of the water, the bottom of her dress covered in mud. She looked terrified. The young girl moved her head, turning it so she was looking out over the rushing water of the river behind her.

Zoe let out a terrified scream when she saw what Margie was looking at. 

Hanson turned on her, his eyes on fire.

“Zoe!” he snapped. “Be quiet! You’re going to terrify our son and he’s already scared enough!”

Zoe clamped her mouth shut, her eyes on her husband. She could barely move but forced herself to go down to Margie and wrap her arms around the girl.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said quietly, hoping she wasn’t lying.

On a long tree that had fallen over the river, at the very end where the branches would have been the highest, both Zachary and Brian were holding on for dear life, the water rushing over Zachary’s head at times but Brian boldly holding him above water. He looked exhausted, which was probably why he was unable to fight the water to get back to shore.

“Mr. Tuttle!” he shouted weakly, his voice carrying over the space between them. “Please help! Please help!”

“I’m coming, Brian!” he yelled out. “Zachary, you just hold on to Brian, okay? You on to him! Don’t you let go! You hear me! I’m coming for you.”

“Papa!”

Zoe’s heart broke hearing her son’s pitiful cry for his father. 

“I’m coming, Zach! I’m coming!”

Zoe watched as her husband hopped up on the trunk of the fallen tree and began to scoot across the top of it carefully. Even if he fell in, he would be strong enough to pull the boys out. It wasn’t too much water pressure for a man his size. For a teenage boy and a toddler, though, it was nearly impossible. Especially pinned against the tree the way they were.

Zoe’s heart was racing with anticipation as he slid closer and closer to the two boys. Finally, he reached in the water and first plucked out his son. He put Zach on the tree trunk behind him and the boy scooted toward the shore as fast as he could. 

Brian was the next to come out of the water. He was bigger so he helped pull himself out and helped Hanson as the two made their way over the tree trunk and back to solid land.

Zoe met Zach near the end of the tree trunk, where the roots had lifted out of the ground and lay dangling in the air. They were just as thick and hard as the rest of the tree so Zach climbed through them and jumped into his mother’s arms.

“Oh, my Zachary!” Zoe cried out, holding him tight against her chest. “Now you are going to have all these adventures and give Mama and Papa a fright all the time, aren’t you?”

“I don’t mean to, Mama, I’m sorry.”

Zoe’s heart filled to the brim with love for her boy. She swung back and forth, holding him tight. 

“I don’t know if I can take that,” she heard Hanson say behind her. She looked up to see him smiling wide at her. He was standing next to Brian, his arm resting on the boy’s shoulders. Brian looked proud. Zoe could tell Hanson had complimented him and thanked him for rescuing Zachary and holding him above the water till an adult got there. 

There would be an even better reason to party when they got back to their guests. She and Hanson would see to that.

“Thank you, Brian,” she said, smiling, holding out her hand as Margie came over to them. “Thank you, Margie. We might have lost our little boy if not for you two.”

“Come on,” Hanson said, pushing Brian gently to get him moving. “Let’s get back. This is enough of an adventure for today. I’m ready for some lemonade. How about you?”

“Yes, sir!” Brian said with a smile. He held out his hands to Zachary. “Want some lemonade, Zach? I’ll race you back!”

“Yes, yes!” Zachary practically jumped out of Zoe’s arms and took off after the bigger boy. 

“I love our family,” Zoe said, moving to walk with Hanson’s arm around her shoulders. “I just wish we weren’t so…”

“Reckless?”

Zoe laughed, looking up at her amused husband. “Yes. I guess we are.”

He laughed with her, pulling her closer so he could kiss the top of her head. “That’s just the way it works with us. But we’ve got each other. And as long as we’ve got each other, we’ll be just fine.”

“I believe that, you know,” she said with a grin. “I really believe that.”

THE END

---

Readers who read this book also liked