He laughs, low and warm, and my stomach flips. “Pizza sounds perfect.”
I scoot closer, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. He chuckles. “You’re always making me happy, cowboy,” I murmur.
“I’ll spend my life doing that if it means this smile,” he says, eyes warm. I squeeze his hand again, letting my heart swell.
We step back into the car, sunlight fading, leaving a soft glow on the dashboard. I press my face to the window, watching the street pass by, imagining the studio alive with people, laughter, and light. Cas reaches over, brushing his fingers against mine, his thumb stroking gently. My heart hammers, and I can’t help but smile.
“Pizza first, then hot tub and wine?” he teases, glancing at me.
“Deal,” I whisper, laughing softly, leaning into him. Everything, the grief, the fear, the excitement, the love, mingles together, and for the first time in years, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
???
Three days later, I sign the lease. My name scrawled across the papers feels like a key turning in a lock, a door swinging open to a life I’ve only dared to imagine. The Hawthornes are over the moon for me, Lily especially. She’s been buzzing all day, refusing to tell me what she’s planning, but the secret smile on her lips gives her away.
By evening, the house hums with voices and clinking glasses. Warm light spills from the kitchen, carrying the smell of garlic bread, roasted tomatoes, and something sweet baking in the oven. My heart stutters as I pause on the stairs, taking in the scene below. Everyone’s here, faces I’ve come to think of as family, laughter bouncing off the walls like music.
Cas is in the kitchen, leaning close to his mother, whispering something that makes her smile. They both glance up when I appear, and the air shifts. His eyes catch mine, and the little curve of his lips makes my stomach flutter.
“Hey, Sunset.” His smile is warm as he crosses the kitchen toward me. He pulls me in without hesitation, his arm solid around my waist. The kiss he gives me, in front of everyone, is gentle and sweet, and it makes my cheeks burn.
“Hi, cowboy,” I whisper back, my breath catching as his dimples appear.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb brushing the edge of my jaw. “Before dinner,” he murmurs, voice low just for me, “come take a walk with me. I’ve got something I want to show you.”
The look in his eyes, excitement threaded with a hint of nerves, makes my pulse race. I nod.
We slip out the back door into the October air. It’s crisp and smells of pine and damp earth, the sun bleeding red and orange across the horizon. The lake glimmers in the distance, mirroring the sky. A breeze pulls at my hair as we walk, leaves crunching under our boots, his hand steady around mine.
The path winds up a small hill, and my heart hammers with every step. Then, tucked under a tall pine and surrounded by wildflowers, a yellow bench appears. My breath catches.Yellow. Mom’s favorite color.
Cas’s hand tightens around mine, and his voice is soft. “I made it for you, I hope you like it.”
I step closer, fingertips grazing the smooth wood. A small brass plaque gleams in the fading light:In loving memory of EmilyLawson. Tears sting my eyes. I run my hand over the wood, imagining Mom beside me, the warmth, the love, the quiet presence I’ve longed for.
“You did this for me?” I whisper, turning to him.
He nods, voice low. “I thought you deserved a place where you could talk to her and just be with her.”
I take his face between my hands and pull him down to me, kissing him slow and deep, letting all the gratitude, love, and awe pour into it. When I pull back, my forehead rests against his, tears dampening my skin.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“I love you,” he murmurs, and my heart leaps. I want to say it back, but fear still coils tight in my chest. Instead, I pull him closer, pressing my lips to his again, trying to speak all the words my mouth can’t yet form.
The yellow bench waits behind us, glowing in the twilight, a place where grief and love can exist side by side. And for the first time, I finally feel allowed to hold both.
CHAPTER 20
Penelope
It's Halloween.The doors of Dex’s Midnight Rodeo swing open, and the music hits me first. Not the usual country twang, but Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’. The bass vibrates through the floor, the beat rattling straight into my chest. A few bold couples attempt the iconic dance, cowboy boots stomping clumsily across the wood planks.
I grin, shaking my head. Ridiculous. Fun. And somehow perfect for tonight. Pumpkin-orange string lights stretch across the rafters, their glow casting ghostly shadows over the packed crowd. Fake cobwebs cling to the antlers mounted on the wall, and a fog machine spits out a thin, eerie mist that rolls low across the dance floor.
Cas threads his fingers through mine, his grip steady, warm, grounding me in the chaos. He guides me in like he’s done it a hundred times before, like he already knows I’ll follow. My Clyde. My partner in crime.
My black lace mask clings to my face, eyelashes brushing against the edge of it. The grey mini skirt rides higher with every step, my blouse slipping loose at the shoulders. Stilettos make my calves ache, but Cas’s gaze drops to my legs more than once, and the heat in his eyes makes every step worth it. The finishing touch, a black beret tilted just so, completes the look. For once, I don’t feel like the quiet kid who faded into corners. Tonight, I feel alive.
