Epilogue
Chance stared his father down, trying to tell if he was lying.
“You took all your meds?” he asked.
“Of course.” Holden was offended. “They watch me while I do it.”
Since the staff was all Bucklands, they probably got a kick out of that, forcing meds down the throat of a Kessal like he was a misbehaving dog. However, despite the abundance of Bucklands, Chance had to admit that Shady Oaks was very nice. Holden had a room to himself, a view of the backyard with lots of shade trees, and three square meals a day of pretty decent food.
They also had bingo on Thursday nights, and it turned out Holden was a bingo fiend. He’d already gone through two whole paint daubers.
“All right,” Chance said. “What about your exercises?”
“Done. Ask Tom.”
Tom was one of the smugger Bucklands, so Chance wouldn’t be doing that. “Fine then.” He opened his phone and started playing the latest video of Madeleine. “Here you go.”
Holden smiled from ear to ear as he watched Madeleine doing tummy time. “She’s so strong.”
“She’s incredibly strong.” The pride shone out of Chance’s voice. “And she’s growing like a weed. We’ll bring her by this weekend for a visit. Oh, and Bowie’s coming in a week.”
“Good, good.” Holden handed the phone back. “You tell Madeleine I’m proud of her. Did the lawyer talk to you yesterday?”
Chance tucked the phone in his back pocket. “Yeah, he did. We’re on track to set up the trust for the ranch.”
Holden had decided that with his heart attack, it was time for him to settle who would get what when he died. Strange thing was, he didn’t seem ready to die anymore. No, Holden was more alert and active than he’d been since Mom had passed. Moving to the Shady Oaks had been good for him.
But he still wanted to take care of things. So, the ranch was being put into a trust in which the entire family had ownership. Chance hadn’t wanted anything special, so Madeleine was getting a college fund instead. Rye was getting the bunkhouse, Ruby was getting her student loans paid off, and Bowie was getting a plot of land next to Chance’s house.
“Have you gotten a hold of Lane yet?” Holden asked.
Chance shook his head. “Going to try again this afternoon.”
Holden ran a hand down his face. “All right.”
There wasn’t much Chance could say. All four of them, Bowie included, had been trying to contact Lane since Holden’s heart attack. But Lane hadn’t answered.
It would be a lie to say Chance thought Lane would call eventually or that Lane might even come home. But Chance would keep trying.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Chance told Holden. “You let me know if these Bucklands mistreat you.”
“They’re all right,” Holden said. “For Bucklands.”
Once Chance was in his truck and back on the road home, he dialed Lane’s number. He wasn’t expecting an answer like the last dozen times he’d called.
“Hello?”
“Lane?” Chance was so shocked to hear his brother’s voice he almost crossed the center line. “You answered.”
“Look.” Lane sounded tired. Older than he was. “I’m not coming back. I don’t care if he’s sick. He’s been sick. What’s different now?”
Chance might have said the same before Holden’s emergency. “He had a heart attack. He almost died.”
“But he didn’t. And isn’t that what he wants?”
“Not anymore. Look, unless you see him, I can’t explain how he’s changed. And I understand if you don’t care in the end.” Chance rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s giving you the house.”
That had been Holden’s big gamble—that offering the family home to Lane would entice him to come back.
There was a long beat of silence. “I don’t want it.”
Chance sighed. “Doesn’t matter. It’s yours.”
“You take it.”
“I’ve got my own house.”
“Fine. I’ll sell it then.”
Chance tamped down his frustration. He would have reacted the same way if Holden had given him the house out of the blue. Lane was even more angry and hurting than Chance had been. Pushing back would only make Lane lash out worse.
“If you want,” Chance said. “But you’ll need to come deal with it.”
“Fine. I’ll do it. But I’m not seeing him.”
“There’s another reason you’ll need to come home.”
“What?”
“I’m getting married.”
Lane busted out laughing. “Okay, you don’t have to lie to get me home. I said I’d come.”
“I’m serious.”
“To who?”
“You don’t know her.”
“Oh yeah, she lives in Canada, right?”
Chance bit back a laugh. “Her name is Cordelia Johnson. She bartends at the Swing Inn. Ask Ruby, she’ll back me up.”
Lane clicked his tongue. “What the hell? You are serious.”
“Yep. Got a baby, too.”
“A baby ?” Lane choked on the exclamation. “I just talked to you in August; you never said anything!”
“Well, Reed Saxon is her bio dad. But she’s mine too. Wait until you meet Madeleine; she’s so perfect.”
There was another long silence. “You did it,” Lane said finally. “You fell in love. Really in love, like a Kessal would.”
For a moment, Chance considered telling Lane that Dakota was back in town. But he decided not to—that would be another fun surprise for Lane when he got home.
“I did,” Chance said. “Cordy is… She’s the heart in my chest. And Madeleine is the blood pumping through it. I’d die without them.”
“I’m happy for you, brother.” Lane’s voice was thick. “Of course I’ll come home for your wedding.”
“Good. I’ll count on it.”
After his brother hung up, Chance turned off the radio, needing the silence. Holden was improving each day. The ranch was finally being passed down to the Kessal boys. Lane and Bowie were coming home.
Things weren’t fixed—honestly, Chance was still pretty pissed at Holden for everything—but he could see a time when they might be good. Really good.
As Chance pulled into his driveway, Cordy and Madeleine were waiting on the porch, their noodle dog at their feet. Cordy was waving to him, Madeleine nestled against her chest. Nothing had ever looked so good to come home to.
So he dashed up the stairs to give the good news to his two favorite people. His family. His hearts.
I hope you loved Chance and Cordy’s story! For a bonus Christmas story with them (and Madeleine and Iggy), join my newsletter!
The Star Crossed Springs saga will continue with Rye and Liberty’s story.