Epilogue
Cordelia
“Be careful, Gordie!” I yell as the excited little girl surges ahead, unmindful of the rocks, twigs, and other dangerous obstacles scattered in the forest.
Renthrow laughs at me.
I give him the stink-eye. “What’s so funny?”
“Gordie’s been hiking out here since before she could walk,” he tells me. “She’ll be fine.”
I duck as a bug comes flying straight past my face. “Ugh. Nature.”
“Don’t you work outside?” Renthrow points out, holding up a tree branch, so I can pass.
“Yes, in a nice part of town. Not in the woods.”
“Says the woman who loves riding her motorcycle in the hills out here,” Renthrow teases, offering his hand and helping me step over a mossy stone.
“Key word ‘riding.’ I don’t get off my bike to enjoy nature. I admire the beautiful scenery as a blur, the way it was meant to be admired.”
Renthrow shakes his head and gives me a bemused smile.
Up ahead, Gordie shrieks, “Grandma Sasha!”
“Grandma Sasha?” I murmur in shock.
Renthrow and I quicken our pace and arrive at the campsite.
Or what was supposed to be a campsite. It’s now been transformed and glamorized with four RVs fitted with string lights and funky, patterned comforters hanging from their open side windows.
A state-of-the-art grill, still shiny from the store, sits next to a campfire.
A table to our left is barely standing under the weight of hotdogs, chocolates, Graham crackers, and smores.
Gordie flings her arms around my mom and gives her a hearty hug. “This is so cool!”
“Glad you think so,” Brenda says, coming out of one of the RVs.
Rethrow’s eyes dart over the RVs. “This is incredible.”
I nudge him with my elbow.
He grunts. “I mean…this is outrageous. Why would a parent spoil their daughter and grandchild in such an over-the-top manner? They should be ashamed of themselves.”
“What was that?” Mom asks, coming nearer.
Renthrow clops his boots together and stands straighter. “Nothing, ma’am.”
I frown. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
“Gordie invited me to watch the meteor shower with her.” Mom hefts Gordie into her arms and grins.
“And you were so adamant that you didn’t want to watch it from my backyard, so I brought my backyard to the woods.
Isn’t it fabulous? Damion and his team did a superb job.
Cordelia, you must come and see the RV. There’s even a little foot spa.
And I hired a wonderful nail tech to do our toes while we wait for the meteor shower. ”
“A spa?” Gordie shrieks. “Where?”
“I’ll show you.” Mom carries Gordie into one of the luxury trailers.
I smack a hand against my forehead. “A foot spa? A pedicure in the woods? What am I going to do with her?”
“I think this is sweet.” Renthrow massages my shoulders.
“You shouldn’t encourage her.”
“Believe it or not, this is your mom’s way of getting close to you.”
“Then she doesn’t know me at all,” I grumble.
“To be fair, you don’t know her either,” he points out gently. “It takes time to learn a person’s true heart. At least, she’s trying.”
I sigh.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Rebel’s voice clangs through the woods, getting to our ears long before we see her.
Gunner holds Rebel’s elbow in a supportive gesture, and in his other hand, he’s carrying fishing poles. His stern eyes dart to the RVs and then to Renthrow.
“I guess we won’t be hunting for our own meals tonight,” the hockey player says in a deadpan tone.
April arrives right after them. She freezes in place when she sees the lavish decorations.
“Am…I at the right place?”
Rebel, who’s already gotten comfortable in one of the lawn chairs, tips her drink up to her best friend. “Ain’t no party like a Davenport party, am I right?”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself.” Mom preens in the doorway of an RV.
Gordie shoots past Mom’s legs and runs to me. She looks adorable in a fluffy and oversized Hello Kitty sweater with a hood and matching Hello Kitty pajama pants. Her face is red from excitement. If she grins any harder, her cheeks are going to explode.
“Delia, this is the bestest day ever.”
I melt at her exuberant declaration. If it makes her this happy, then I can’t exactly be mad at Mom for going overboard.
Rebel coaxes April to try the spa first while Gordie takes Mom and Brenda to collect sticks for the fire.
I sit with Renthrow and listen to the guys talk about the team.
“Max is trying to act tough, but he’s taking it hard,” Chance says in a hushed voice. “I’ve known him since college, but I’ve never seen him so conflicted. He gained Nathan Campbell in exchange for the original Lucky Strikers but at what cost?”
“I don’t think we fought hard enough to keep everyone together,” Renthrow says, running a hand down his scruff.
Usually, I love it when he does that, and it ends with me kissing him just because. But this time, I can tell he’s bothered.
“Why don’t you guys protest?” I offer.
The men stop talking and look at me.
I shrug. “You’re all that’s left of the original team. If you leave…”
“Max won’t sit back and do nothing,” Renthrow muses.
Gunner nods. “It’ll force his hand.”
“Not that his hand needs to be forced that hard. I think he wants an excuse to keep as many of the Lucky Strikers together as he can,” Chance adds thoughtfully.
“It’s not just whether he wants to or not,” Renthrow reminds them. “It’s a lot of money to host a training camp. He’s paying for all the out-of-town trainees to stay at the bed and breakfast too. I’ve seen the team’s accounts. He’s sinking everything he has into this.”
“I’m willing to take a pay cut,” Chance says.
“So am I,” Gunner agrees.
Renthrow nods soberly. “If it means we keep the team together, I’ll figure things out. The world will always need accountants, right?”
There’s no way I’ll let Renthrow work so hard. There are perks to dating a Davenport. I’m willing to use my family’s name, resources, and all the benefits that come with it to help him.
Not that he would ask.
Which is why I’d have to do it secretly.
“I think this is a good plan,” Renthrow says, glancing at Chance and Gunner. “It’s worth it for the team.”
“For the team.” The men clink their bottles together.
At that moment, April and Rebel emerge from the RV.
Rebel looks ecstatic while April seems relieved that it’s over.
“You have to get the pedicure, Delia. The tech is amazing!” Rebel squeals.
“I’ll pass,” I say, waving my bosses on.
Rebel goes straight to Gunner to show off her designs while April shakes her head and whispers something to Chance that makes him laugh. I can imagine my not-so-girly boss is ruing the fact that she agreed to let anyone touch her toes.
Renthrow picks up a blanket and drapes it over my shoulders. “It’s getting colder, and that sweatshirt is pretty thin.”
I look down at my favorite shirt, the gray one with his name on it.
“I’ll have to give you a thicker hoodie next time,” Renthrow says, his eyes softening on me.
I cup his jaw and drag my finger across his stubble. “Fair warning. I’m not returning any of the hoodies you give me.”
He laughs and kisses my hand. “Noted.”
At that moment, Gordie runs out of the woods with Mom and Brenda a few paces behind.
“Daddy, look what I found!” Gordie shrieks. She runs to Renthrow and drops a beautiful, woven wooden ring in the center of his palm.
I stare at the ring in the campfire’s glow and raise a skeptical eyebrow in Mom’s direction.
“Wow. This is beautiful,” Renthrow says. “Thanks, pumpkin.”
“We found it by the lake,” Gordie explains in a stilted voice.
“Really?” I stare straight at my mother who suddenly finds the leaves on a nearby tree a hundred times more interesting than our conversation.
“You should put it on, Daddy.”
“I don’t think it’ll fit me,” Renthrow says.
“Then Delia should try it!” Gordie exclaims.
I wave my hands and shake my head no, but I feel Renthrow staring into my face. He calmly extends his hand to me.
“Our moms are scheming again,” I whisper. “I know how you feel about marriage, Renthrow. Don’t let them push you around.”
“Cordelia,” Renthrow says in a patient voice. “Give me your hand.”
My breathing quickens, and I slowly rest my fingers in his palm. “Just put it on my pinkie or thumb.”
Renthrow bends his head, ignoring me. It feels like all of nature holds its breath as Renthrow slides the woven “twig” on my ring finger. It fits like a glove, even more evidence that neither Gordie nor our moms found this “by chance” in the woods.
It really is beautiful though.
I raise my finger to the moonlight, watching the silver beams play over the hues and textures in the woven ring.
Suddenly, gasps break out.
At first, I think everyone is gasping at my reaction to Renthrow putting a ring on the finger that’s generally reserved for couples who want to get married.
But Gordie shrieks, “Look!” She bounces on her toes and points at the sky. “It’s starting!”
I scramble to my feet, my eyes locked on the heavens. Mom and Brenda snap pictures. Renthrow swings Gordie onto his back so she can marvel from up close.
Stars streak across the sky in a quick but brilliant display.
It’s breathtakingly beautiful, and my heart overflows with how vast the world is.
Growing up, I’d felt so small, so alone in this huge universe.
And though the size of the universe hasn’t changed, I have way more people on my side, and so, it feels a bit more cozy from where I’m standing.
After the shower passes directly overhead, Gordie squirms to be put down and pulls me to the telescope to find the meteors in the distance.
“Come see!” She directs me to press my eye to the telescope.
“I can’t see anything,” I admit.
“Let me see!” Rebel jogs over to us.
Then April, Gunner, and Chance crowd around her, wanting to take turns too. I smile at April and step to the back of the group to let others get in line when a strong arm slides over my waist.
I let out a startled gasp as I’m pulled into Renthrow’s side.
He looks down at me with heated eyes. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I smile gently.
He nuzzles his nose into my neck and whispers, “That ring looks really good on your finger.”
“Does it?” I stretch out my hand.
“What if you never took it off?”
“I don’t know about that,” I mumble, enjoying the feel of his stubble lightly scratching my jaw. “I don’t think twig rings have a long shelf life.”
“How about I replace it with one that lasts much longer?” he breathes.
My heart jumps to my throat, and I look at him, finding love and forever in his gaze.
Turning in his arms, I press onto my tiptoes and whisper against his mouth, “Did you make a wish on the stars?”
“Huh?” He arches a brow.
I lean closer. “It doesn’t matter if you didn’t.” I press my nose against his. “Because all your dreams of filling the house with a big, happy family and lots of friends…I’m going to make that come true.”
Renthrow grins from ear to ear, dips me in a dramatic pose, and kisses me to the applause of our mothers, the hoots of joy from my friends, and the jubilant shrieks of our precious little Gordie.
Thank you for reading Ice Darling.