Epilogue
Zach
Four years later
The notes peeled across the foggy loch, disappearing into the mist. Zach stood on the cliff playing a song of farewell for Jebediah Alistair Baxter. His grandfather had had such hopes and dreams that never came true.
It had taken six months and the weight of the Whitebark County Sheriff’s personal intervention for Zach to find his grandfather’s remains. The urn at his feet would be interred in a nearby Baxter family cemetery.
The wind whipped around his legs and up his green and red kilt. He hadn’t intended to wear one, but the small town filled with Baxters insisted. He was one of their own now. It was the closest he’d felt to any of his family since Grandpa had died. They’d welcomed him and Colton like lost sons.
This send-off was a year and a half in the making, but it felt right. Playing out all the sadness in his heart left him room to fully embrace Colton’s family as his own.
A second violin joined his, and he lost his place. Turning around, he nearly dropped his Guarneri off the cliff.
“I’m sorry, lad. Didn’t mean to scare you like that,” the man said. “You play with such heart I wanted to join you.”
HolyFuckShitFuckDamn! “You’re Keith Douglas!”
“And you’re Zachariah Baxter.”
Zach wondered if gas had seeped out of the loch, because this had to be a hallucination. “How do you know my name?”
Keith smiled. “I might have my own YouTube channel, and I might see your posts.”
In a life filled with craziness, this was up there at the top. “Oh, my God. This isn’t real.” He looked at Colton, who smiled ear-to-ear. “Do you know who this is?”
“I do. Nice to meet you in person, Mr. Douglas.”
“Good to meet you too, Deputy McAllen.”
“Wait….” He waved his bow back and forth. “How do you know each other?”
“Yer boyfriend wrote me and told me what you’d planned. He said you were a big fan, which I appreciate since you’re damn good.” Keith nodded. “He asked if I could accompany you while you send your granddad off for the final time.”
Zach thought his stomach would empty itself on the grass. Keith Douglas, the Keith Douglas, was here to play for Grandpa?
“Honey, instead of gawking at us—which I need to say isn’t your best look—why don’t you and Mr. Douglas do what you came here to do?”
“With your permission,” Keith said. “I’d like to join you in sending off a friend.”
Zach’s voice deserted him, and all he could do was nod. He was nine years old again, and Jeb told him to go out and play. Instead of looking up, he stared at Keith and waited as he counted off their beat.
Keith played all three songs Zach had prepared, and when they finished, Zach finally wiped the tears from his cheeks. They’d sent Grandpa off in royal fashion.
“Thank you,” he choked out. Before he slammed his eyes shut in a futile attempt to hold back the tears.
Two arms grabbed him, and Keith pulled him in close. “That was so beautiful. You must have loved him very much.”
Zach sniffed and blew out a plume of air. “He was all I had growing up. I wanted… needed to say thank you for getting me here.”
“You did that and more, son.”
He opened his eyes and swallowed the lump. “Thank you.”
Turning to look for Colton, he didn’t expect to find the entire town had turned out. They were planning a big event in town, and he figured no one would pay him much mind. No doubt they’d heard Keith Douglas was coming and decided their setup could wait.
There was a camera crew, and they seemed to still be filming. Keith stepped up beside Zach.
“I won’t use it without your permission, Zach, but that was something the world should hear.”
He wasn’t sure he wanted to share this moment with anyone else. It had been meant just for him and Grandpa. But the man asking had done something so amazing he didn’t want to say no. “Colton handles all my business stuff.”
Keith laughed. “Neil handles mine. They can work this out.”
Colton stepped up and shook Keith’s hand. Zach faced the water, wondering if his grandfather had heard. A pair of arms slipped around his waist, and Colton pulled them together. “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. You put your heart and soul into it.”
“I needed to say goodbye for me as well. My past is gone. You’re my present and future, Colton. I can’t tell you how much I love you. You got Keith Douglas to play for Grandpa. That’s… that’s the most wonderful thing anyone ever did for me.”
“I got one more thing, if you’re up for it.”
Zach leaned back against Colton’s chest. “I’m fine now that you’re holding me.”
“Well, honey, I need to let go for a second.” A strong hand steadied him before Colton let go. Zach missed the contact the moment it was gone. Colton had been his rock since that first hectic night when they fled the fairgrounds.
Colton circled around until they were facing each other.
“I’m going to screw this up, because I’m not good with words, but I love you more than anything.
You’ve been my world since I laid eyes on you.
Nothing comes close. We’re a team, you and me.
You helped me get back to the work I love, and I hope I helped you find the career you wanted. ”
Something was off because he’d told Colton how much he helped Zach become the player he wanted to be. “You know you have, Colton. You’re the best man I know.”
“Thank you, honey. I feel the same about your big heart and beautiful soul.” Colton swallowed and looked a little green.
Colton pulled his hand out of his pocket and dropped to his knee. “I’m not rich or real talented, and God knows I’m not pretty like you, but I reckon my heart is big enough to love you better than anyone else. Zachariah Baxter, will you make my life complete and marry me?”
Zach’s knees wobbled, and he thought he’d topple over. “Yes.” It came out as a whisper because his voice failed. He swallowed and nodded vigorously. “Yes.” This time he shouted it, and the crowd behind them clapped.
Colton stood and tugged him into a hug and let out a loud “yeehaw.” He twirled them around and kissed Zach hard before setting him down. “I will always love you right.”
Zach brushed their lips together to give him time to collect his thoughts. “Back at you, cowboy. I will always love you like you deserve.”
They rested their heads together, and Zach soaked in the most perfect moment of his life.
“Now, this part you can say no to, but I hope you’ll hear me out.”
“Every time you start a sentence like that, I get scared.”
Colton pulled out a second box. “Marry me here, by the loch? The mayor will do it. We’ll need to do a big one when we get home, but I want to do it here. This is your family’s home. We won’t get a chance to do it again. Not like this.”
“Are you sure?” Family meant everything to Colton. “Won’t Momma and everyone be upset?”
“They’re watching right now. That camera”—he pointed to a different one than Keith’s people used—“is for them. Momma, Maddie, and Nanette are already hard at work planning now that you said yes.”
Zach laughed, because yes, that is exactly what those three would do. “Colton, I’d marry you anywhere you wanted, at any time. If the family is fine with this, there isn’t any reason to wait.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” He raised his hand and waved to someone in the crowd to come over.
The mayor came first, followed by two brothers from the family whose B&B they’d rented a room from.
“What’s going on?”
“We each need a best man to get married.”
Zach finally lost his hold on his emotions. “You’re so amazing. Because of you, I’m not alone anymore. I love you so much, Colton.”
“I love you too, Zach.” He planted a soft kiss on Zach’s lips. “Now how about we go get married? They’re having a party in town for us.”
The End!
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed The Music Between Us.