Chapter 13
“I still can’t believe it’s gone,” Lincoln said to Hudson as they paused their morning jog to stand in front of the bare foundation where their parents’ home once stood. Three weeks had passed since Ivan had shot Charlotte. She was mending well, but bad dreams often woke her at night, so she often slept in. Lincoln was struggling to sleep as well, but staying in bed didn’t seem to help, so they’d swapped habits. Now he was the one who went for a run or ride after their mornings together while she settled in for more shut-eye.
Nearly losing Charlotte had brought to the surface tough memories of his own—things he’d seen and experienced during his service he’d never sufficiently processed. He’d taken to joining Hudson on his morning jogs. The exercise settled his mind—and sometimes they even talked. It was almost like the old days.
“I keep waking up expecting it to be back somehow,” Hudson confessed. “That house was as solid as they come. It was the basis for… everything. ”
Lincoln knew what he meant. All their best childhood memories took place there.
“Charlotte’s lawyer thinks we can get some money from Ivan’s estate if we file a claim. I’m not sure, though. Sounds like he’s implicated in at least one other arson. Who knows how many other people will go after his cash.” He shrugged. “Even if we don’t get much, we’ll build it back, just as it was.”
“Not exactly like it was,” Hudson countered. Lincoln turned to him.
“What do you mean?”
“Mom’s been sending me ideas. Improvements, she calls them. This is her chance to fix all the things that bothered her about the place over the years.”
“That house was perfect,” Lincoln said. He didn’t want it to be different.
“Except for the lack of a dishwasher,” Hudson pointed out.
“Well, yeah, that kind of sucked,” Lincoln had to admit.
“And the washer and dryer being in the basement, so Mom had to lug all the laundry up and down the stairs.”
Lincoln supposed that wasn’t entirely practical.
“And the way the dining room was just a foot too narrow so the people on the far side of the table couldn’t get out without everyone standing up.”
“So Mom’s designing new house plans?”
“Something like that. It’ll be the same but better,” Hudson said .
“That isn’t going to be cheap,” Lincoln said.
“No, it isn’t.”
Lincoln knew they’d make it work, though. Somehow. The fire had thrown another obstacle in their path, but that only served to make them all that much more determined to reach their goal. Even Gage wasn’t talking about selling the town anymore. They’d known Warrington would come sniffing around trying to use the fire to his advantage, but Gage had taken the bull by the horns and gone to see him first, telling him in no uncertain terms to stay off their part of the Ridge.
Women , Hudson signed in their secret twin language.
Women , Lincoln agreed and turned to jog on.
Anticipation tugged at Lincoln when house number37 came into view. Hudson, Nate and Gage had all chosen homes in Lucy’s Corner to camp out in now that House number1 was gone. They’d lost clothing and personal belongings in the fire and were each starting fresh, but they were used to traveling light, and none of them complained.
Lincoln was simply grateful all the people he loved were alive. Returning to Elliott Ridge for the first time in twelve years in April had been sweet. Returning to this house after Charlotte got out of the hospital was far sweeter. His service had taught him that life was fragile, but now each day seemed made of gossamer and thistledown. Something as permanent as his childhood home was gone—but something new had taken its place in his heart. Lincoln knew that from now on, wherever Charlotte was would be his real home.
Charlotte was still sleeping when he slipped inside the house, so Lincoln showered and drove to town, humming along with the radio. Rose Johnson, the sheriff’s wife, had agreed to open her jewelry store early for him so he wouldn’t be late to work. These days they were racing to catch up at the mill, but with the brand-new edger they’d purchased, their output had nearly doubled. Carter was busy finding more contracts and had taken over hiring the rest of the workers while Lincoln had been distracted by caring for Charlotte. Now she was on the mend, Lincoln worked as many hours as he could stand at the mill, knowing how important it was to keep morale high as they transitioned from the last of the temporary workers to permanent ones. The best news yet was that Megan had sold houses in Lucy’s Corner to two of those new workers, and the proceeds would pay off the loan they’d taken out for the edger. Megan was pleased with the small commissions she’d earned and eager to sell more, so she was frequently on the Ridge. She visited Charlotte every time, bringing gossip from town and helping with chores around the house so that Charlotte didn’t do too much.
Everyone was pitching in to make the community work, except Dennis, who seemed to have gone missing. Lincoln had gone looking for him several days after the shootout because he wanted to thank the caretaker for the loan of his pistol. Without it, he wasn’t sure Charlotte would be alive.
“Haven’t seen him since,” Hudson said when Lincoln questioned his brothers about the man’s whereabouts a few days after the fire.
“I think he’s sulking,” Gage said.
“About what?”
“He’s not sulking; he’s… examining his life choices,” Nate said.
Lincoln had sighed impatiently. “You want to explain that?”
“When the shooting started, he saw Veronica’s crew head for the lake and went after them. He tried to give Veronica one of those pistols of his—for their protection. They had no idea who Dennis was, of course,” Nate said. “They figured he was one of the bad guys.”
Lincoln could picture it.
“They ran off screaming,” Nate went on. “Most of them dove straight into the lake and swam away. I guess Veronica ran back toward the shooting. What did Dennis expect? The man skulks around like he’s a backwoods serial killer and then bursts out one day waving a gun at them? Of course they’re going to freak out.”
“Veronica saved my life,” Lincoln said, “so I guess that means I should be doubly thankful for Dennis.”
“The whole thing hurt his feelings,” Nate said. “He’s been gone ever since.”
“He’ll turn up sooner or later.” Hudson had clapped Lincoln on the back. “Let’s get to work.”
Dennis still hadn’t shown up, but Lincoln figured he would when the time was right. His thanks would have to wait until then. He’d caught Charlotte and Amanda leaving picnic baskets full of food and beer around the periphery of the settlement for Dennis and hoped the man understood how grateful they all were for his help. Meanwhile, he needed a ring.
He parked on the street and entered the little storefront. As Rose waited for him behind the counter, he threaded his way through the display cases to get to her.
“Lincoln Elliott, it’s good to see you. Cab told me all about what happened on the Ridge. You’ve had some bad luck up there. I’m glad you’re safe.” She came to give him a hug. “Come and take a look at what I pulled out for you.” She already had several trays of rings laid out on the counter.
“How the hell do I choose one?” Lincoln asked, taken aback by the array. He’d pictured a circle with a diamond on top, like a child’s drawing, he realized now. He’d never paid much attention to women’s jewelry before.
He pushed down memories of the last time he’d bought an engagement ring, when he’d slunk into the store with a pit in his stomach and asked to see the cheapest ring they had. He’d known he was doing the wrong thing back then.
This time was different. Proposing to Charlotte was absolutely right.
“Is she casual or sophisticated?” Rose asked.
“A little of both.” Charlotte worked hard as a veterinarian and dressed the part, but she had a kind of natural grace.
“Ornate or clean lines? ”
“Clean lines.”
“Subtle or bold?”
“Bold.” Charlotte knew what she wanted and what she believed in.
Rose picked out five rings and put the rest to the side. Relief filled Lincoln. He could see at a glance that any of them might suit, but one in particular drew his gaze, a bold swoop of five diamonds that increased in size.
“That one.” He pointed to it.
“Couldn’t have done better myself.” Rose picked it up and held it a moment, shutting her eyes. “You’re right; that’s the one. You and your bride are going to be very happy.”
Lincoln’s chest swelled. He’d heard stories about Rose’s predictions and the way they seemed to come true. In any case, he liked that he had her goodwill. “You think she’ll say yes?”
“Of course she’ll say yes.” Rose gave an exasperated sigh. “How could anyone say no to a handsome man like you? It would be like saying no to the prince in a fairy tale.”
“I don’t know about that.” But his heart warmed to think Rose thought of him in such a positive light.
She smiled at him and patted his hand. “Lincoln, you deserve happiness. I’m sure Charlotte does, too. I’ll box this up for you. Bring it back to be sized when she’s proved me right.”
“Will do.” Lincoln paid for the ring and tucked the little velvet box in his pocket. Back in his truck, he found himself humming along to the radio as he drove home. He had a feeling this was a new habit that would last now he’d found Charlotte. He was… happy.
The shower was running when he made it back to number37. Lincoln was able to climb the stairs, pocket the ring and be ready to face Charlotte when she came out of the bathroom a minute later, one towel wrapped around her torso, another around her hair.
“Got a minute?” he asked.
“For you? Of course. You know I don’t start work again until next week.” She bent at the waist and gave her hair a final, vigorous rub with the towel.
“Good.” Lincoln took the opportunity to drop to one knee. When Charlotte straightened, she gasped.
“Lincoln?” She clutched the towel to her chest.
“Charlotte—will you marry me?”
Charlotte stared at the man kneeling in front of her, trying to comprehend what was happening. Lincoln was asking her to marry him?
And he had a ring and everything?
He held a little black-velvet box in his hand and was waiting for her to answer his question.
But she wasn’t wearing anything. She wasn’t ready for this. Wasn’t she supposed to see it coming and get her hair and nails done and—
“Charlotte?” Lincoln prompted.
She nearly laughed at her own confusion. What did hair and nails and outfits matter at a time like this? Lincoln was on one knee. He had proposed to her. He was offering her everything—his heart, his love, his home. Well, her home, she supposed. But his town. Elliott Ridge and everything in it.
“I…” She couldn’t seem to get the words out. She’d thought this might happen… hoped it might… someday. When she’d proved herself worthy of it. When she’d stopped making so many damn mistakes—
“Charlotte?” Lincoln scanned her face, alarm dawning over his handsome features.
“Yes!” She blurted out the word before she lost her chance, suddenly terrified he’d change his mind and take it all back. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He surged to his feet and caught her in his arms, and when he bent to kiss her, she went up on tiptoe to meet him.
“Thought you might say no for a minute,” he admitted when they finally broke apart.
“I couldn’t remember how to say anything!”
“You’ll really marry me?” He picked her up and carried her to their bed, placing her on top of the covers carefully. She pulled him down on top of her.
“Of course I will. You’re all I want in life.”
“You’re all I want, too.”
“Forever.” She cupped his face as he fit his body carefully to hers, avoiding any pressure on her hurt shoulder. “Promise me, Lincoln. We’ll be together always.”
“I promise.” He bent to kiss her again. Charlotte let everything else slip away as the man she loved most in the world proved to her how much he loved her.
This was the man she’d always wanted to share her life with, a man who understood her vision for the future and matched it with his own. Lincoln was everything she’d hoped for, even during the years when she’d settled for so much less.
All her dreams were coming true. “Yes,” she said again.
Lincoln laughed. “Yes, what?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you. I’m going to say that every day of our lives, because I’m going to choose this every single day. I will never take this for granted, Lincoln.”
“Neither will I.” And he gathered her close again.
“Are you sure you’ve got it?” Charlotte said. She placed a screw to a predrilled guide hole and steadied the electric screwdriver.
“I’ve got it for now,” Lincoln said as he held the cabinet they were installing in place against the laundry room wall. The thing was heavier than it looked, but he’d hold it in place as long as necessary. Charlotte was working as quickly as she could to screw in each fastener with the electric screwdriver, but she was a novice when it came to renovations, and this was taking some time.
It was the end of August, and Charlotte’s shoulder had gotten steadily better. Lincoln’s brothers had stepped in to relieve him of most of his hours at the mill the past few weeks so he could help take care of her and work on the house’s renovation, but today they were both going back to work. They’d gotten up early to get this job done before they left.
With the floors refinished, the bathrooms and the bedrooms done, fresh tile laid in the laundry and a new washer and dryer installed, putting up the cabinets was that last job they needed to finish before they could tackle the kitchen renovation.
“There,” she proclaimed. “You can let go.”
“Are you sure all the screws are in tight?”
“Positive.”
He tentatively let go and grunted his approval of her handiwork when the cabinet held. “Looks solid enough.”
When she jumped down from the step stool she’d been perched on, Lincoln took her in his arms. “Of course it is. We did it together.” She surveyed all they’d accomplished.
“Do you like the way the room turned out?” He kissed the side of her neck appreciatively. He liked working with Charlotte. She was calm and steady. Always read the directions and sorted the hardware before they started a project. He teased her for being so methodical, but he had to admit things went far more smoothly when she did.
“I love it. I’ve never been a fan of laundry, but I’ve never had my own beautiful laundry room to do it in.” She ran a hand over the smooth countertop.
He gathered the rest of the tools as she screwed in the handles on the cabinet doors. When everything was tidied away, they took one last look at the room.
“We make a good team,” Charlotte said, leaning against him.
“You got that right.” Soon they’d make it official. Their wedding was coming up fast, which meant they needed to start working on the kitchen right away. He wanted everything completed before they tied the knot. Somehow it was important that they start the rest of their life together in a real home.
His hands slid to her hips, and he bent to kiss her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Every time she came to him willingly, Lincoln’s heart melted a little. It was gratifying that she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted her.
When he lifted her on top of the countertop they’d built over the washer and dryer as a surface to fold their clothes on, she squeaked in surprise. “Don’t break it.”
“We’re not going to break it. We built this thing to last.” He leaned into her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Lincoln undid a button of her shirt and drew kisses over the rise of her breasts.
“We have to get to work,” she reminded him.
“We will.” He undid another button and nudged a bra strap off her shoulder. Kissing circles around her exposed breast, he teased her nipple until she moaned.
“Lincoln.”
“We have all the time we need.”
She laughed, low and throaty. “We can be fast, can’t we?”
They’d discovered a hundred ways to be together in the past few weeks, taking it slow and luxuriously after her stay in the hospital, then fast and hard in the quick breaks they took between doing projects on the house once her shoulder had mended.
“We can be fast. If that’s what you want.”
He wasn’t sure who moved first, but after a flurry of unbuttoning and shucking off extraneous clothing, Charlotte was naked in his arms, his jeans were pooled around his ankles, her legs were wrapped around him again and he was lifting her off the countertop and sliding into her, carrying her weight as they came together, each of them moaning with the heaven of it.
“Don’t drop me,” Charlotte said into his ear, clinging to him for dear life as he began to move with her, his hands firm on her bottom, lifting and cradling her.
“I won’t drop you,” he growled and caught her mouth with his own, showing her exactly how he felt as he plunged into her.
There were no more words after that—only Charlotte’s cries and his own guttural sounds as he swiftly brought her over the edge. Her orgasm brought his, and he bucked against her, moving one hand to the countertop to keep them upright, cradling her with the other to keep from banging her against it.
Charlotte was laughing by the time they were done.
“What’s so funny?” he demanded.
“You’re amazing. You can do it anywhere, and you make me see stars every time.”
“You sure you didn’t bump your head?” He pretended to inspect it.
“Lincoln.”
“You make me see stars, too.” He set her on the counter and kissed her all over so she knew he was serious. “I want this to be our life.”
“Having sex in the laundry room?”
“Wanting each other like this. Working together. Laughing together. There’s going to be times when it isn’t easy. Life has ups and downs.”
“I know.” She kissed the corner of his mouth. “I’m willing to work hard for our marriage. I know it won’t always be sunshine and roses, but we’ve got something worth fighting for.”
“I agree.” He wrapped his arms around her, loving the feel of her resting against his chest. “I will always fight for you.”
“I’ll always fight for us.”
Charlotte was still glowing from their morning bout of lovemaking when she arrived—five minutes late—again—for work at the clinic, where she and Craig met before morning rounds.
“Have you heard how Rally is doing?” Bella asked her.
Charlotte nodded. “He’s doing great.”
After Ivan’s death, his solicitor had appointed a Saratoga local to supervise Gasparyn Stables while he searched for Ivan’s closest living relative. Ivan didn’t seem to have any family in the country, and it seemed likely that his property and horses would be sold and the proceeds distributed to his kin in Albania.
Meanwhile, the new supervisor turned out to be remarkably willing to update Charlotte about the horses she’d once tended. After Rally was shipped back to New York, she’d told him all about the horse’s previous injury and the care he needed to regain his health. The supervisor assured her he’d follow her advice, which had relieved her of some of her worry.
“I wish I could open a home for racehorses past their prime,” she said wistfully, thinking Rally could use a place like that someday.
Bella perked up. “That’s an amazing idea!”
“Bella,” her brother warned. “You have enough animals. What’s Evan going to say?”
“He’s going to ask what I need to make it happen, and then we’ll get to work.”
“She’s right,” Craig said ruefully when Bella wandered off to help a client who’d arrived with a rabbit in a cage. “That’s exactly what he’ll do. I hope you don’t regret saying that out loud.” When Charlotte laughed, he shook his head. “You don’t know Bella. You’re going to be running the Chance Creek Home for Retired Racehorses within the month. You’ll see. You won’t have time to work with me anymore.”
“I’m not going to stop working with you. I like this job too much. If Bella does create a home for racehorses, I’ll just stop by and spoil them all from time to time.”
Craig kept grumbling, but Charlotte’s heart was singing as they climbed into his truck and drove to their first appointment. She loved her work.
She loved her life.
Three months ago, she’d been sure her life was over, but it turned out it had only just begun.
When her phone buzzed in her pocket, she pulled it out, thinking it would be a message from the clinic, adding an appointment to their already full day. Instead it was from Veronica.
Check it out , she wrote. There was a link.
Charlotte clicked it to find the influencers had created a virtual campaign to raise funds to rebuild house number1, a “home of great historical significance in the Marryingest Town in the USA.”
Charlotte laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Craig asked.
“Veronica and her friends seem to think you can declare something to be true—and then it will magically become so.”
“What are they manifesting?” His mouth quirked at her surprise. “What? You think a country bumpkin like me hasn’t heard of manifesting?”
“I didn’t think you’d believe in it, at the very least.” She told him about the influencers’ campaign.
“That’s a great idea. I hope they manifest a lot of money for the Elliotts.”
Charlotte spotted the “funds raised” part of the site and gasped.
“What now?” Craig asked, turning a corner but sending a worried glance her way.
“People have already pledged thirty thousand dollars!”
“How long have they been running that thing?”
She looked. “Five hours.” Her voice sounded funny to her ears, and her eyes filled with tears. “People are helping. People who don’t even know the Elliotts.”
“That’s what people do when you let them.”
It was true. When you surrounded yourself with the right people, they were there for you. Charlotte still couldn’t believe her luck at finding a community like that just by landing at the Chance Creek airport.
“You okay?” Craig asked a few minutes later when Charlotte was still dabbing her eyes.
She nodded. “I’m crying because it’s all so good.”