Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
WHITNEY
Fresh sawdust and warm earth might just be my favorite smell.
It’s been nearly a month since Wyatt and I made things official—and since we watched our lives quite literally burn to the ground.
Now, we’re outside watching as it slowly begins to take shape again.
It’s not finished yet. Exposed beams and raw wood still make up half of the house—but it’s ours.
Wyatt had the construction crew lined up before the smoke even fully cleared.
Thankfully, there wasn’t as much damage as we thought there was.
Wesley and Haden are both on-site every day with a hammer in hand, too.
The space will be done in no time. For the meantime, we’re staying with Wyatt’s mom.
She’s more than ecstatic about that to say the least.
Bell’s Coffee Shop will still be out of commission for a while longer.
We’re building the original building from the ground up.
I hate not having that small part of my life back yet, but I also want this time around to be perfect.
It will be the same coffee shop, just a little…
different. But different is good. It’s even welcomed nowadays.
I shift my weight in the saddle, glancing down the hill. Wyatt is at the bottom, chasing Brinley in wide circles around the half-built porch. She’s squealing and belly laughing as her arms flail around.
This version of my life seemed so far-fetched; it still feels like I’m dreaming.
My chest squeezes when Wyatt finally catches up to Brinley.
She waves around a white rock she scooped up like a trophy.
Wyatt plucks it from her hand and pretends to inspect it.
“A rare gem,” he declares. “We must get this into a museum as soon as possible.”
Her giggles echo across the field. Vivienne rides up beside me on one of our new horses.
I’ve been giving her riding lessons for the past few weeks, and she’s been killing it.
It’s been great exercise for us both, and an excuse to see each other more often than not.
She tucks a piece of hair back into her ponytail as she shoots me a teasing grin, “You two ever gonna move in, or are you just gonna keep camping at your mothers-in-law’s? ”
I grin. “What can I say? I like the free coffee and built-in babysitter.”
My sister huffs a laugh, her grin as genuine as it is heart-warming. It’s been that way since the fire. More steady and strong. We’re finally working towards that sisterhood we didn’t have growing up. “We’re thinking about hosting Christmas,” I add. “If the floors are done by then.”
“Good. It’d be nice to have everyone get together again.”
She crinkles her nose, and a part of me wonders if she’s thinking about our mom.
This will be her first holiday without her.
Vivienne hasn’t gone to see her, and neither have I.
We’ve talked here and there about the situation, but she seems content with never speaking to her again.
There’s no apology big enough to undo what she tried to take from us.
But more than that… I’m done yearning for a love that was never unconditional to begin with.
Some goodbyes are necessary, and this one was as healing as it gets.
The biggest thing I’ve learned since meeting Wyatt?
The value of just living. About how love is messy.
It’s fighting and sacrifice. It’s jumping over hurdles and climbing mountains.
It’s swimming to the bottom of the ocean because the other is drowning.
It’s not just compromise or clinging to what could be.
“Whit,” Vivienne nudges her horse closer when she notices I’ve gone quiet. “You, okay?”
I look out across the land. Towards the house.
My daughter. My soul-horse. The man I love.
“Yeah. I am,” I finally say. And for the first time in a long, long time, it’s true.
I dismount slowly, boots hitting the ground with a soft thud, and head down the hill toward Wyatt and Brinley.
She sees me coming and takes off again, arms flailing, curls bouncing behind her like she’s flying.
Wyatt grins up at me as I reach him, dirt on his shirt and pure love in his blue eyes. “You gonna help me catch her?”
I wrap my arms around his shoulders. “Nah. I think I’ll keep chasing you instead.” He laughs, head tipping back. The sound is warm and easy, making my skin flush. “You don’t have to chase me, Winnie. I’m right here.”
For so long I thought I didn’t deserve this. But then I met him, and I had Brinley. And standing here now, I see it for what it is. This life, this family–it’s my chance to break the cycle.