Chapter 39 #2
She watched from a distance as Tex, Trace, Gabe, Jem, and Blaze crowded around Reeves, all of them leaning in to hug him. They all seemed to be talking over one another, even Trace and Blaze, who Bailey knew to be two of the quieter cowboys in the Young family.
Reeves smiled and shook hands. He laughed, and he talked back with them as if he’d been in their brotherhood for decades.
He glowed with something Bailey had never seen before, and her heart filled over and over with love for him and love for those who’d welcomed him into their fold.
Tears filled her eyes, and she couldn’t contain them before they spilled down her face.
She had no idea when Bryce had left her side, but she watched him embrace Reeves and pound him on the back, and she turned toward Codi when she handed her a tissue. “You better go kiss him before my husband does.”
Bailey looked at her. Then Codi’s face crumpled too. She pulled Bailey into a hug and held on. “Why are you crying?” she asked quietly. “He’s okay.”
Bailey had no idea why her emotions had chosen to betray her in such a way. She didn’t want to be crying in front of all these people, because, yes, while parts of yesterday had been tense and filled with desperate worry, she’d known for hours that Reeves was okay.
She’d had photo evidence that everyone with him was okay. She knew their campsite was safe and dry, and that they were warm and had plenty to eat.
No, she wasn’t crying because Reeves had returned to her healthy and whole after a minor incident. She was crying because she got to see him be part of a good family who loved him, and she alone knew he’d never had that before.
She quickly wiped her eyes and looked back toward Reeves.
He was still surrounded by Youngs, as the wives had made it over to him now, and even the kids seemed to be pressing in around him.
She caught him searching the crowd, though, and she beamed at Codi and said, “Thank you,” before she pressed past her and hurried through the crowd.
Eric’s mother had just hugged him and stepped back, wiping her eyes, when Bailey’s gaze met his. The world narrowed to only him, and Bailey pushed past the last couple of people in her way and threw herself into Reeves’s arms.
He grunted and held on. “There you are, my wildflower.”
“You’re home,” she whispered, not realizing the weight of those words until she’d spoken them.
She’d been away from home for so long, but this small town had called to her heart, whispering promises of love and comfort and belonging, if only she would come home.
She’d gotten all of that too, in her family and with the Youngs, with her employees at her clinic, and the animals she loved so much.
The quiet longing of home had never left her, and she wanted nothing more than for Reeves to feel that and know he had come home too—to Coral Canyon, sure. To the Youngs, all right.
But inevitably and irrevocably to her—always to her.
She pulled back and held his face in her hands. She searched his eyes, but she couldn’t find the right words to say.
Reeves smiled at her. “I wish you didn’t look so nervous.”
Bailey breathed in, and then pushed her breath out, trying to relax. “I’m just so glad you’re back.”
“We were okay,” he said.
“I know.” A smile graced her own face. “But I’m always glad when you come home to me.”
Reeves leaned down and kissed her, and Bailey didn’t care that there were several dozen people who could be watching. She simply wanted Reeves to know that she would be his safe place to return to, where he could be himself and she wouldn’t judge him no matter what.
He pulled away and said, “I have something I want to talk with you about later.”
“Okay.” She tucked her hand in his and turned toward the crowd.
Luke pushed through Tex and Bryce and asked, “You two are staying for lunch, right?”
Bailey smiled at him and moved in to hug him. “Thank you so much for taking care of OJ and Reeves,” she said. “And all the other kids.”
Luke scoffed as he hugged her back. “Please,” he said. “I didn’t do anything. If we hadn’t had Reeves with us, I’m pretty sure that stream would have risen without me even knowing. We would have been swept down the mountain.” He chuckled as he stepped back, as if such a thing were laughable.
Reeves shook his head and chuckled too. He slid his arm around Bailey’s back and rested his hand on her hip. He looked at her, and then surveyed the crowd once more.
“Come on,” Luke said. “They’ll let us get our food first.”
“I’m not going to say no to that,” Reeves said, and he led Bailey through the crowd and back inside Luke’s house. She couldn’t stop smiling, which was far better than the sob fest that had come over her unexpectedly.
She gestured for her mother to come with them, and she did.
“Daddy’s on his way,” she said as she stepped to Bailey’s side.
“Great,” Bailey said, as she took in the massive number of pizza boxes on the counter, along with four giant bowls of salad.
She couldn’t believe this much food could be consumed by any one family.
Then she remembered who she was with, and she giggled as she looked at her mother.
“I think there’ll be enough food for him. ”
She and Reeves got in line behind Luke, Eric, OJ, Lars, and Corrine.
Reeves leaned down and pressed his lips to her temple. “I missed you, Bay,” he said, his mouth right at her ear.
She cuddled into his chest, wanting to be as close to him as possible.
The megaphone screeched with feedback, and then Sterling said, “If you’re under the age of eighteen and you aren’t sitting at a table, you need to go into the backyard to eat.”
“Snake’s alive,” Harry said from across the buffet that had been set up on Luke’s kitchen island. “Does she have to use that megaphone indoors?” He lifted a dark glare to Bailey’s face.
She only laughed. “They’re your family, Harry. I’m surprised you’re not used to it.”
“Oh, he is,” Belle said, as she pressed in beside her husband and reached across him to get a piece of all-meat pizza. She grinned at Bailey too. “It’s still just a little surprising, to be honest.”
“Where’s your baby?” Bailey asked. “I’d love to hold her.”
Harry looked around for a moment, and then focused on the pizza buffet once more, selecting a Canadian bacon and ham Alfredo slice.
“Kassie took her,” Harry said. “She gets a little overwhelmed by us Youngs too.” He grinned, his grumpiness over the indoor megaphone suddenly gone.
Bailey reached for a piece of supreme pizza, because she liked the peppers, onions, and olives that came with the meat. Perhaps she wouldn’t be holding Lyric this afternoon after all, not if she had to face Kassie to do it.
Why not? she wondered. She told herself she didn’t have to be afraid of Bryce’s best friend. She belonged here; everyone here wanted her here. She wasn’t the Bailey McAllister from fifteen years ago, and she needed to stop letting that woman dictate anything in her life.
She held her plate steady as Reeves piled cheese bread on it. “Is this all for me?” she asked with a laugh.
“No, that’s for me, sweetheart,” he said.
She giggled again, because she knew Reeves had eaten steak for breakfast and certainly hadn’t starved on the camping trip. She did enjoy this loud celebration, but she also couldn’t wait to be alone with Reeves, cuddled on the couch with their trio of dogs at their feet and his mouth against hers.