“You’d be closer to your grandchildren,” he says quietly.
Her tentative smile flickers, then fades. “One day, I’ll be blessed to have them.”
“In about seven months, Mom.” I lean back into Sawyer’s shoulder to watch her.
Her eyes widen, then her fingers cover her mouth as tears rush to spill. “Really?”
“Really.” I get up to hug her.
She clings to my arms. “I love you both so much.”
When I look to Sawyer, his smile shines with raw adoration.
It was only after I let down my guard that true happiness found its way into my life, in the bright blue eyes of my brother’s best friend.
My husband.
Epilogue
Sawyer
The earth rumbles withthe heavy excavator lowering itself from the massive flat deck trailer.
Oliver twists in the seat to look behind him before swinging the massive yellow boom and bucket in a long arc.
“Jesus, those are loud.” Ford props his foot on the fence next to me and watches the grating metal tracks carry the machine down the lane.
When it turns off and takes the first scoop of dirt out for my new driveway, I get a rush of excitement.
“Fuck, yea,” I exhale into the warm air. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“What? Growing up?” He slaps my shoulder. “You’re doing great, kid.” Turning his back to the lumbering equipment, hespends a moment watching his wife and Lori in the garden. “Hell, you’re ahead of me. Took me my whole damn life to start figuring shit out. You’re taking after your dad, got your head on right.”
That’s a pretty big compliment from Ford.
“Thanks.” It’s overwhelming sometimes.
A wife. A baby on the way. Now a new house.
“What if I’m not enough?” I say quietly, not really sure if I’m even talking to him.
He loops his elbow over one of the fence rails and pins me with his unsettling gray eyes. “You just do your best, Sawyer. That’s all any of us are doing. It’s the secret to adulthood,” he chuckles wryly. “Keep putting one foot in front of the other and hope we don’t break our fucking legs along the way.”
“Is that a Confucius saying?” I raise one brow as I side-eye him.
“Nah, it’s a Ford-ism.” He pushes away and kicks at a clod of cow shit in the grass. “Your dad was looking for you. Told him I’d send you his direction.”
A second bucket of earth gets peeled away and dumped to the side.
Holy shit, it’s becoming real.
Crossing the yard, I head towards the main house.
I know he’s spent every extra minute working on repairs. Hell, most of my days are in there too.
There’s still a lingering smoke smell when I first walk in, but it’s getting less as the damaged spots have been torn away and new walls and paint put in.
“Dad?” I call out.
