Nine years later
Ididn’t want Desert Peak to be taken away from me. From my family. This is where I grew up and I have so many memories and cherished moments with the people I love. I held onto this place for so long and I know that it’s not the place, it’s the people who walked around it. It is those who made me feel at home, accepted me into their home, and called me a son, a friend, or family.
I was born in the wrong place but maybe I wasn’t, not entirely, maybe my timing wasn’t right for whoever brought me into this world but I thank them for giving me away so I could have this life instead with people who love me unconditionally and call me their home.
This is my identity—I’m a man of many colors and they mark my heart every single day.
I grab my three-year-old son underneath his armpits and lift him over my shoulders.
“Give Uncle Dean a kiss,” his voice steals my attention when I veer my head to my side and see him lifting his cheek high and my son gives him a loud kiss.
I chuckle when he gives me one as well on top of my headand pretends there’s a noise coming out of that kiss too—he loves hugs and kisses and bikes which fill our hearts with joy. Yet whatever he may choose, I will support him either way.
“Leo, do you want to say hello to your cousins?” I ask.
“Yes!” He claps his tiny hands together. “Daddy, I wanna see Mommy.”
“I’ll call you when she comes.” I put him down.
When he sees Jim his eyes light up—I bet I have the same look on my face. “Papa Wilder.”
He heard me say it once and he refuses to call him grandpa but I think Jim likes it by the look of amusement on his face. Leo runs in his direction and Jim grabs him between his arms and lifts him to his chest.
This man is the reason I look into the eyes of the love of my life every single day.
He’s doing alright, managing his condition as much as he can and his girlfriend of eight years keeps him in line since she’s his hydrotherapy instructor—we couldn’t have been happier for him.
My eyes slide to my son again, Blakely says he looks just like me. A mini me with green eyes and black hair but he has her beautiful features and her radiant soul.
It’s our fifth summer together, four years after the first summer we met. My nerves are spiking up as the minutes slip by, riding on the road with Blakely’s arms fastened around me.
The garage is far behind us.
With sweaty hands inside my gloves, I slow the bike and pull onto the side of the road.
“Is everything okay?” the concern covers her tone but I stay focused on the little surprise I planned for her.
I get off the bike, turn, and straddle it back up. Facing her, I peel off my helmet and help Blakely take hers off and we take off our gloves too. I hang them on the handles and my hands grasp each side of her thighs, kneading her lush flesh under my fingers.
It calms me a bit.
“Blakely Wilder,” I beam when I stare at her, “I’ve been yours since the second that we met.” I slide the ring out of my front pocket. “Will you marry me and give me your last name?”
Her eyes well with tears and beam at me at the same time. “You want my last name?”
“I’d give you mine, you’d give me yours.”
“Yes, I will marry you.” She shoves her hand into her bra, looking for something in there as I arch my brows and chuckle to myself because she always stashes something in there. “If you’d marry me.” A ring toys with me between her index and thumb.
Looks like we had the same plan.
I smile from ear to ear. “I’ll marry you in a heartbeat, baby.” I kiss her lips and taste my forever over and over again.
I search for my wife who’s competing in a local motorcycle competition and is supposed to come up next. They’re about to announce her name but all we hear is a muffled conversation and mumbles.
“What is that about?” Lennon asks, she stares at the screen with me near the racetrack.
“Hey,” Blakely’s voice snaps me away from the widescreen as I spin on my heels and face her.
