Epilogue
ONE WEEK LATER
“I love you.”
It’s only been a week since I sent those pictures to my boss, and I never imagined being able to say these three little words to him so soon.
I was set on taking things slow. But William doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of slow when it comes to us.
Within a couple of days, he was practically moving me into his house.
Not that I’m complaining, because William lives in a beautiful ranch house just outside of Wild Bronco, far out enough that the lights of the city don’t conceal the twinkling stars.
At night, we’ve been sitting on his porch.
My uptight, formal boss is all relaxed in the evenings with me, and I’m still getting used to seeing him in a pair of worn out jeans and cowboy boots.
I had no idea that he owned a place like this.
Just like he had no idea about my photography business and my big dreams.
Now that he does, though, he keeps trying to get me to let him help me with my business.
After I let slip that I was trying to buy a specific kind of camera and lighting setup, the equipment arrived at my studio the very next day.
He must have placed the order after I fell asleep in his arms and sprang for express shipping.
When I said my business’s website was a huge mess, he got the person who did his law firm’s website on the phone and now I’ve got a meeting with them next week to talk about it.
The biggest thing he’s done, though, is get Heather Mayes to take down all her fake negative reviews.
I didn’t realize how badly those one star reviews were hurting my business until they were deleted.
Suddenly, I was receiving so many emails and phone calls that I didn’t know how to keep up.
At this rate, I’ll need to raise my prices.
And I’ll still be booked until the middle of next year!
I’m scared, though. What if this is all a temporary phase? What if William stops loving me? Then I’ll be without a lover, without a job, and without all of this added support for my small business.
I’ve never had an easy time trusting anyone, especially romantic partners. I’ve seen what my parents have been through. I’ve watched as my mother endured disappointment after disappointment, broken promises stacked on top of one another.
The thing about having a father like mine, is that it shatters your illusion that there’s such a thing as perfect. For most of my childhood, I believed my parents had the perfect marriage. And then that belief was struck down, wiped away in an instant.
Things change.
People lie.
William squeezes me tightly.
“What did you say?” he asks with a grin.
“You didn’t hear me?”
“I heard you. I just want to hear it again.”
“I love you.”
We’re in the porch swing right now, still only half clothed after a session of the most mind-blowing sex I’ve ever had. There’s nobody around for miles who could see us, and I’m in no hurry to watch William put his shirt back on.
“I love you too,” William whispers into my hair. It’s not the first time he’s told me he loves me, but now that I’ve said it back, it feels different. “I want to marry you.”
I jolt, looking back at him.
“I’m not proposing,” he says hurriedly. “I’m just telling you what I want.”
“I’m not ready.”
Although, as I say these words, I’m not totally sure they’re the truth. Am I ready for that commitment? What would it feel like, if William made that vow to me? Would it assuage some of my fears? Or would it magnify them?
The bigger the promise, the harder the fall.
Marrying William would be handing him my heart and trusting him not to drop it. Would be listening to him vow to love me all his life and…believing him.
I’m not ready for that yet.
But to his credit, William’s not asking. He’s just letting me know. He wants to marry me.
“I’ll wait until you’re ready,” he promises me, squeezing my hand. “I know you need time. I’m going to be here regardless. You’re waiting for the day that you wake up and I tell you that I don’t want you anymore, but that day will never come. Never.”
I close my eyes and rest my head back against his chest. The breeze sweeps over us, gently ruffing the grass in the darkened pasture.
“It’s enough just to know you love me,” William says. “I don’t need a ring or a ceremony. I just need you.”
I close my eyes and doze off. I only wake up when William’s phone buzzes from the pants he discarded on the porch beside the swing.
“Okay if I get this?” he asks.
I nod. I’m used to William taking work calls in the evening. I don’t expect that to change just because we’re dating now, although I appreciate that he always asks me if it’s alright.
William eases me off his lap and picks up his pants, grabbing the phone. He frowns when he sees the screen.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Your friend Katie,” he says, tapping the screen. “Hello?”
William hands his phone to me.
“She needs to talk to you.”
I’m fully alarmed now, getting up from the porch swing and trying to right my underwear and bra. This must be an emergency. Otherwise, Katie would just text me and wait for me to respond when I had the time. For her to call William, it must mean she’d already tried my phone.
“Hey,” Katie says. “I know you had a night planned with William, but it would be great if you could head to your parents house. Like…soon.”
“What?” I gasp. “What’s up? Is someone hurt?”
“No. Well technically yes. Darren punched your dad.”
Shit.
I’ve been waiting for this day. It’s not even a surprise, really.
My older brother has had a major problem with our father ever since we discovered his pattern of infidelity.
My brother is ordinarily a gentle giant, but the exception is when it comes to the women in his life.
He’d fight anyone for me, for Katie, and for our mother.
But I thought that once he found love with Katie, that his anger towards our father would subside.
I guess I was wrong.
“Is Dad okay?” I ask.
Behind me, I hear William’s belt buckle and the sound of him donning his t-shirt again, grabbing his keys and ready for whatever I need.
“He was bleeding and said he needed to go to the hospital. But it wasn’t an emergency. More like he needed a reason to get away from Darren. Honestly, if you don’t come quickly I think Darren and Sam are going to fight, too.”
“Who’s Sam?”
Katie hesitates.
“Who the hell is Sam?” I repeat.
“Your half brother,” she says timidly. “We just found out. He came by the house to talk and that’s when all hell broke loose.”
I don’t respond. I need to process what I’ve just heard. I can put the pieces together without Katie needing to explain anything further. Our dad is a cheater. It’s not impossible at all that he fathered other children outside of his marriage.
“I’ll be right there,” I say, hanging up the phone. I look at William apologetically. “I’m sorry. I think I need to go.”
“So I heard. I’ll drive you. Do you know if the police were called? Darren shouldn’t speak to anyone without me present.”
I hadn’t even considered this. Surely our idiot dad wouldn’t press charges against his own son. Then again, he’s not really loyal to family, right?
“Katie didn’t mention the police. I don’t really know what’s going on. Just that Dad’s choices are imploding our family. Again,” I add bitterly.
William takes my hand.
“It’ll be okay,” he says.
I don’t know why, but I want to believe him. And even if it’s not okay, even if this is finally the thing that breaks my already-splintered family…I know I’ll still have him.
That’s just enough to keep me strong.