Chapter 4
four
. . .
Savannah
A lot of people had come out for the funeral to say their goodbyes to Abe.
One notable person that was missing today was Sheana, a woman he’d married after Lily had passed away.
Their union was brief, as she’d clearly been after his money, no doubt, and she’d preyed on the goodness of a lonely man who was much older than her.
I’d struggled with his decision to marry her, but she’d gotten what she wanted and managed to leave with a large sum of money.
In the end, Abe realized he’d been scammed, and he’d said it was worth the money to be rid of her.
Of course, she hadn’t bothered to show up to his funeral.
But he’d told me what he wanted for his service, and he’d set the money aside so it would all be taken care of.
He had prepared me for everything, aside from the fact that he was leaving me his estate.
Oh, and also the fact that he was giving me one month to find a husband.
It was ridiculous. Ludicrous. But it was also a very Abe thing to do.
He never stood on ceremony.
He was a straight shooter and an honest man.
A good man.
A few of his friends had gotten up and spoken, and I was the last one to go up there and say a few words. It had been a long time since I’d been back here in Magnolia Falls, and I no longer cared if everyone was gossiping about my family.
When I was a teenager, I cared.
When people whispered in my presence back then, I cared.
When I saw the hurt on my father’s face, I cared.
But today was about Abe. And he was loved by everyone who knew him.
I’d already hugged everyone who’d shown up, and it was good to see so many familiar faces. Faces that I’d missed. Faces that were part of my childhood.
One face in particular that was staring at me right now.
Hayes sat between his group of friends, and they’d all been really sweet when they’d come to say hello.
I’d grown up with most of them. River, King, Romeo, and Nash were always with Hayes when we were young, and they’d welcomed me into their group with open arms back then.
Saylor had been my neighbor, just like her brother, and she was like a little sister to me.
We hadn’t kept in touch after I’d left because I’d needed to walk away from her brother.
But I knew that she and Hayes had gone through their own hard times, just like I had.
I was happy to see that she and King were married, because they were two of the nicest people I’d ever known, and they appeared to be ridiculously happy.
And Romeo and Demi were adorable. I didn’t see that as a possibility when we were young, as they were from two different worlds.
But they were really cute together, and I was glad they’d found their way to one another.
They’d both always been really kind to me and never judged me, even when everyone else in town did.
This group had been different. And River and Ruby…
I should have predicted it. They were both strong and fierce, so seeing them together seemed like the world made sense.
Nash seemed very happy with his fiancée, Emerson, whom I’d met today and liked immediately.
She was the local pediatrician and had been the one to introduce me to Nash’s son, Cutler.
Beefcake.
I mean, how cool is a kid who can pull off a handle like that? It made me emotional to meet his son. I’d known Nash since preschool, and seeing him as a dad had me a little choked up.
Every time I looked up, I found Hayes watching me.
I wondered if he felt bad about the way our friendship had ended. If he’d had any idea how badly he’d hurt me.
I took to the podium just as Midge Longhorn squeezed my hand and stepped away. Her speech had been inappropriate and hilarious, and Abe would have loved it.
I set my note cards down and cleared my throat.
“Thank you all for being here today. I’m grateful, and I know that Abe would be, too.
I’m sure Lily’s looking down on all of us, smiling because everyone in town came out to say goodbye to the love of her life.
” I reached for my water and took a sip, my gaze locking with Hayes’s, and he gave me the slightest nod of reassurance.
I quickly looked away, my attention back on my note cards.
“I was ten years old when Abe and Lily invited me to come help out at their ranch. It was during the brief time that I wanted to be a professional horse racer,” I said, pausing as everyone chuckled.
“I’d never even been on a horse, but I knew they were beautiful, and I wanted to see what it would be like to run through a field and let the wind blow in my hair and just, I don’t know, be free, I guess. ”
I let out a long breath. “Abe and Lily never made fun of my dreams. They encouraged me. They were like the grandparents I never had. They offered me a job, and I’d go every day after school and clean the stalls and help feed all the animals on the weekends.
Abe taught me how to ride, and Lily taught me about home décor, which turned into a profession for me.
They both believed that I could be anything I wanted to be, and for a young girl with big dreams—” I pushed the lump in the back of my throat away. “It meant everything.”
I took another sip from my water bottle. I wanted to be upbeat. Make this more of a celebration of life than a sad occasion. But I was struggling at the moment.
“After Lily passed, I spoke to Abe every single day. Even if either of us were sick, we found a way to check in. Abe Wilson became my safe place over the years, and I hope I was that for him, too. He was a good man. A hard worker. He had the kindest heart, and when I went through difficult times in my life, he never left me. He never judged me.” My gaze locked with Hayes’s, and it was clear that he was listening intently.
“He is the reason that I continue to chase my dreams every single day. And I miss him so much. I hope I can help keep his legacy alive by renovating the home he and Lily shared, just the way he’d always wanted it to be.
But we can all keep his legacy alive by remembering to be kind to one another.
To offer a shoulder or a hand to someone in need.
Because that’s who Abe was. And whenever I’m out on a horse, running through an open field with the wind blowing around me, I’ll think of Abe.
Because he taught me how to live and how to love and how to let go of things.
” I took another sip of water, trying hard not to cry.
“People come into your life for a reason, and my world was always a better place with Lily and Abe in it. The last time I spoke to Abe, which was on the morning of the day that he passed—” I paused, needing a minute to pull myself together.
The entire church was packed, but it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, aside from a few sniffles.
“He knew his time was coming to an end. We talked about it often. And our joke was that even if we couldn’t talk every day on FaceTime, I’d still be talking to him wherever he was.
He laughed and said he had no doubt that I’d find a way to talk his ear off in the afterlife.
” The room erupted in laughter at that, and I smiled.
“Rest in peace, sweet Abe. I’ll love you forever. ”
I smiled before gathering my note cards.
“Thank you all for coming. Abe didn’t want a reception or for me to throw a luncheon after.
He said to tell everyone to go to the Golden Goose and to go out and live their lives.
No sulking. No tears. Just happy thoughts about a man who had a very happy life. Thank you.”
People applauded, which caught me off guard, and I made my way down the steps as they started to exit the church. Pastor Joseph gave me a hug and thanked me for sharing my story.
I looked up and was surprised to see Scotty waving at me from where he stood near the exit. What are the chances that my Uber driver would be my ex-boyfriend?
Apparently, the odds were high because, according to Scotty, there were only two Uber drivers in Magnolia Falls.
Wonderful.
“I can’t believe you stayed. I could have walked home,” I said when I made my way to him.
“I liked Abe. He was always so good to you. I didn’t mind hanging out and waiting for you.
And that’s a long walk back to the farmhouse from here,” Scotty said.
He’d filled out since I’d last seen him, but I guess that was to be expected when more than a decade had passed.
His hair was still shaggy and long, and he wore the grunge look well.
He was the lead singer of a band called The Disasters, and he’d talked incessantly about it on the way to the funeral.
But my mind was elsewhere.
I was actually looking forward to walking home and being alone. But I couldn’t very well turn down the ride since he’d waited two hours for me.
“Well, thank you. I appreciate it,” I lied.
As we stepped outside, Hayes was standing there, and his gaze moved from me to Scotty and back to me. “Hey, do you need a ride?”
“She’s got a ride,” Scotty said before I could respond.
“Just making sure she wants to take that ride.” Hayes squared his shoulders, and I rolled my eyes, because they were both ridiculous.
They’d never cared for one another.
Maybe I’d let Hayes’s dislike of Scotty sway me back in the day. But today, I could make decisions for myself. I certainly didn’t rely on Hayes Woodson anymore.
“I’m all set. Thanks for the offer, and thanks for coming,” I said, and he nodded. I brushed past him and found my stride beside Scotty as we made our way to his car.
I was emotionally drained.
I wanted to be alone.
Cry it out.
But the minute Scotty slipped into the driver’s seat, he started talking. “You two didn’t keep in touch after you moved away?”
“Me and Hayes?”
“Yeah. You were so tight growing up.”