Liam doesn’t say a word. He just holds me. One big hand strokes up and down my back, slow and soothing, while the other cradles the back of my head like he’s shielding me from the world.
I don’t know how long we stand there, but eventually, the storm inside me softens enough for me to lift my head and meet his eyes.
“She would have been tickled pink to learn about us,” I whisper, smiling through my tears. “She would have said she called it all along.”
Liam’s mouth lifts into a small, soft smile that tugs at something deep inside me.
“I knew I always liked her,” he says, voice rough with emotion.
He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch achingly gentle.
“And I think she knew,” he adds, his thumb stroking my cheekbone. “Knew you were gonna find your way. Knew you weren’t meant to do it alone.”
I swallow hard, fresh tears blurring my vision. Because he’s right. Lura always saw me. Saw who I was and who I could be. And somehow, impossibly, she gave me exactly what I needed. Not just a home. But the space to find love. The space to find him.
I turn back to Lura’s casket, my hand tightening around Liam’s.
“Thank you,” I whisper, voice trembling. “For everything.”
I swear for a moment I can almost hear her voice in the back of my mind warm and teasing and full of pride.
“Took you two long enough.”
And for the first time since losing her I smile through the tears. Because somehow, I know she's still with me. Still cheering me on. Still believing in my future. And I’d like to think she’s somewhere up there with Opal, and they’re both smiling down on us.
I turn to Liam, my heart still aching but steadier now with him beside me.
“I’m ready to go home,” I whisper.
He nods once, firm and sure, and leads me back to the truck like he’s guarding something precious. The drive out to the ranch is quiet, but not heavy. It feels right.
When we pull up to the house, I blink in surprise.
Will, Phern, Sam, and Charlie are already there, unloading boxes and bags from the back of Will’s truck. Phern, of course, is telling everyone what to do. Without even needing to be asked, they’re moving my life into Liam’s. Liam directs everything straight into his room—our room now—and not a single person seems surprised by the arrangement.
It tugs at something deep inside me, this unspoken acceptance.
After everything is inside, we gather in the living room. The late afternoon light spills through the windows, warm and golden, and for a little while, we just sit and talk.
We share stories about Lura. The time she made Ruby climb out a second-story window during a prank war, the pie-baking contest she rigged just so she could flirt with the judges, the way she’d sneak dollar bills into the church donation basket and then grumble that she was being robbed.
Every laugh feels like stitching a ripped seam back together.
Sam leans back on the couch, tossing a pretzel into his mouth.
“So,” he says casually, glancing at Will. “Any idea what you’re gonna do with the building?”
Will leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“I have an idea or two,” he says, his tone deliberately vague.
Phern stretches her legs out across the rug, arching a brow at him.
“Please tell me one of those ideas involves opening a proper bar.”
Liam chuckles beside me, his thumb absently stroking the back of my hand. “We’ve already got Knot and Spur,” he says, amused.
Phern snorts, waving a hand dismissively.
