Epilogue 1
HOLDEN
Six months later
“What is wrong with you?” I barked, kicking my boot into the dirt.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a month.
I put it off until you could be here and you show up like this?
” I waved a hand over my youngest brother, Ford.
Drunk as a freaking skunk, with some tramp he’d probably met at the gas station on his way down here.
But hey, he had his guitar, which he’d pointed out first thing after arriving.
He was supposed to sing a love song he’d written just for this.
But there was no way I was letting him do that now.
He smelled like cheap beer and body odor.
His hair was a greasy mess, his clothes were rumpled, and he had a weeks worth of stubble.
It wasn’t a good look on him. At least he’d taken the bus from New York and not endangered everyone on the freeway in his current state.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for him to clean up. According to the tracking app, Silas, Anna, Blue, and Christy would all be here in the next ten minutes.
Ashton reached out and steadied Ford when he almost tipped over.
“I’m fiiiine.” Ford waved a lazy hand, at a fence post two feet to my left. He couldn’t even tell where I was. His dark hair, which sorely needed cutting, fell into his eyes. “Stawwp making a biiiig deal outta it.”
“Fine my butt,” I growled. “Mom’s sobbing back at the house.
Dad’s spitting nails in the barn. You don’t show up, after months away from home, completely sloshed, idiot.
And you are not messing this up for me.” I amended, “For Christy. Her parents came all the way out here to surprise her. And now it’s trashed. ”
Maisy neighed behind me, itching to get going. I tugged on her lead and scratched her nose.
To my right, Ashton shook his head, hands on his hips. “What do you want to do, man?”
My fists curled. “There’s nothing to do. Scrap it. I’m going to wing it.”
He cocked a brow. “You sure?”
I threw my hands out. “Are you going to sing and play the guitar?”
“Definitely not.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”
I exhaled. “Can you just get everybody set up and make sure the roses haven’t blown all over the place? I’ll deal with this.” I gestured at Ford and his…girlfriend? Man, I hoped not. He’d definitely had his beer goggles on when he picked her up. She was not pretty. Or intelligent.
“You got it.” Ash took off for his truck.
Ford cuffed me on the shoulder. “I gotchu man.” He held out his guitar with a wobbly arm. “I can plaaaay this wiff my eyes closed.” Then he squeezed them shut and demonstrated. It wasn’t terrible actually. Maybe this could still work.
The brunette, sporting a black miniskirt like she was headed to an emo concert, giggled. “Those magic fingers are going to make him millions at age twenty.”
Ford clicked his inebriated tongue and pointed a finger pistol at her. “Napshvul, hur we come.”
I cocked a brow. “Nashville?”
Then he swung his finger gun on me and winked. “Yup.” The p popped sloppily. “Riiiight affer this is oveeeer.”
I crossed my arms. “You’re going to Nashville?”
“Thaz right.” His chin jutted.
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Ford, you’re starting a summer internship tomorrow. Here. In Seddledowne.” Dad had wrangled it himself, assuring Marley Butterfield, the accountant for Dupree Ranch, that he wouldn’t regret it.
“Nope.” Ford’s P popped again. “I’m done wiff accountant-ing. I’m going to Naaasshvul. Gonna make it biiig.”
My mouth parted and I spoke to the girl. “What is he talking about?”
She clapped her hands together. “Two of his NYU friends got an apartment down there and talked him into dropping out. He’s got an audition, the day after tomorrow for a new talent show, like American Idol.”
“He dropped out of school?” Mom balked from behind us. I spun. She released a loud sob. Oh, good grief.
“Yeah.” Bimbo squealed, bouncing on her toes. “He’s really going for it. Just wait, Mrs. Dupree. He’s going to build you a big, fat mansion.”
At that, Mom wailed. Dad, who had ambled out from the barn, put an arm around her shoulder. “She doesn’t want a mansion,” he said to Bimbo. “She just wants her son to get his head on straight.” Then he said, “Come on, Ford. Let’s get you to the hill.”
“Ford, no singing,” I said. “Just play something simple. But no words, man.” I was chancing it by letting him do this at all. He clicked that dumb finger again and stumbled straight into Dad’s back. Then he righted himself before disappearing around the edge of the barn.
I shoved my foot in Maisy’s stirrup and stroked her jaw. “You up for a double ride, Maisy girl?” Then I clucked my tongue and took off for Mom and Dad’s house.
When we arrived, Christy was standing there looking confused.
Man, she was a sight. She always was. Whether she was in a dress, pajamas, or jeans and a T-shirt, it didn’t matter.
My heart was stupid-happy to see her, regardless.
But today, she could not have worn anything more fitting.
Her pale yellow dress had puffy sleeves. She looked like pure sunshine.
At the sight of me, she smiled, surprised.
“Oh, hey.” She threw her hands out. “What’s going on?
Silas said we were having an end-of-school-year dinner, but no one’s here.
” She gave me the once over, and her brows wiggled.
“You look very schmexy.” Her brow cocked.
“And way too dressed up to be on a horse. Is something happening that I don’t know about?
” I had gotten a new shirt and new boots and was wearing my nicest slacks.
I wanted to look at least halfway worthy of her.
I chuckled and reached down for her hand. “Wanna ride?”
Her eyes narrowed and I could see the wheels turning. “Sure?”
With one good tug, she was up, riding side saddle in front of me. She snuggled into my chest and I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“So you don’t think I’m normally schmexy?” I asked right against her earlobe, eliciting a tiny shiver.
“I mean, you’re always sexy.” Her voice was husky. “But something’s going on, isn’t it? Anna and Silas were acting weird.”
“Just going for a ride.” I clucked my tongue, spurring Maisy forward, my heart racing.
As we loped toward the hill where it was all going down, I took the opportunity to love on my future wife. A kiss to her cheek, a tickle up her arm, my nose against her neck.
“How was your last day as assistant principal?” Somehow, Alvarez had suckered some big-city school in Richmond into hiring him. The Seddledowne School Board had happily hired Christy as his replacement. So as of tomorrow my girl was the new Athletic Director. I couldn’t have been prouder.
“Good. But I have a feeling it’s about to get better?”
I laughed. “Nice try.” I steered Maisy to the left, across the pasture. Every gate was open, waiting for us. So far, so good.
Christy rested her arms on top of mine and it was heaven letting the late spring sun warm us.
There was a four-inch scar where the doctors had repaired her arm.
But the break had long since healed and the bruises were nothing but a memory.
The scar was a constant reminder that she was here, she was breathing, and she was mine to love.
And Amber would be behind bars until she was an old lady.
I’d spent so many years under the stress of not knowing when Amber would pop up, that I hadn’t realized just how anxiety-ridden things had been.
But in the last seven months with Christy, the peace that had teased me for so long had found a permanent home in my heart.
There were still times when the voices in my head tried to take me down, but they were getting fewer and farther between as I continually worked at it.
“Mmm,” Christy murmured, eyes closed, face to the sky. “I could get used to this, Clark.”
I chuckled at the nickname. Clark, as in Clark Kent. She’d been calling me that ever since the day Amber tried to run us over. Said I was her own personal Superman.
But really, she was mine. A real life Superwoman. Because her love had saved me when no one else’s ever could. And today, I was going to make sure she knew I’d spend the rest of my life repaying that love tenfold. Christy was not going to regret taking a chance on me. I’d make sure of that.
“You better,” I whispered. A kiss to her temple. “’Cause this is your life now.”
I slid a hand across her waist and pressed kisses up her neck. She swiveled her head and kissed me hard and long and raw. And I wished, for a split second, that we weren’t headed for the hill.
Then someone cleared their throat from behind a bush and I remembered real quick what we were doing. Christy’s head snapped up and she glanced around. But then she must’ve thought her mind was playing tricks on her because she leaned back in for another kiss. And dang if I didn’t have to deny her.
“We’re already here.” I smiled.
Her eyes lifted to mine one last time, full of questions. “Where?”
“Our hill,” I said simply. This is where we were building a house. The contractor had it staked. Excavation for the basement started in a week.
She looked around and let out a little gasp.
It was kind of obvious, what with the large leather chair set neatly on the grass inside a heart-shaped bed of lavender rose petals.
I’d never tell her how much those had cost. And the massive light-up letters “H & C” set up as a backdrop.
Mom had insisted on renting them. And the twinkle lights that a very pregnant Lemon had insisted on adding.
Yeah, it was pretty clear what was happening.
I slung my leg back over Maisy and hopped down. Then I turned and, hands around her waist, lowered Christy in front of me. Once on her feet, she smiled, eyes already damp. I pulled her to a stop.
“Don’t you cry already,” I whispered. “How am I supposed to get through it if you’re crying?”