And we didn’t know what the future held, which was terrifying.
We had breakfast and got to work a little later than usual, which brought on all sorts of jokes from Benji, Coby, and Jonah. They knew something was going on. We didn’t comment, but we didn’t deny it, either.
And now we’d just pulled up at his aunt and uncle’s house to see Emerson and her husband and her son, who’d just arrived in town tonight. The rest of the family would see them this weekend, but she’d asked Axel to bring me by tonight, as we hadn’t seen one another in a long time.
I’d missed her.
“Hello!” Axel called out as we stepped inside. “We’re here.”
I heard laughter and talking in the distance, mixed with a little country music playing through the speakers.
A little boy ran around the corner before coming to an abrupt stop in front of us.
“This must be your girl, Uncle A,” he said as he took me in.
“I guess you’d have to ask her.” Axel chuckled.
“I’m Cutler, but you can call me Beefcake. And you must be Wren. It’s nice to meet you,” he said as he extended his hand to me, and I shook it. “He’s told me all about you. Even when you two weren’t speaking.”
“Are you seriously giving up all my secrets?” Axel said.
I chuckled. “Well, he told me all about you, too. I’m Wren. Nice to meet you, Beefcake.”
I chuckled, because he was by far the cutest little guy I’d ever seen. He had dark, slicked-back hair, big chocolate eyes, and a smile that could light up any room. He oozed charisma andconfidence, which surprised me, seeing as Axel had told me he was only eight years old.
He wore dark jeans, cowboy boots, and a white tee, just like his uncle.
Axel stared at his nephew before turning to me. “He asked me once if I had a girl, and I told him about you.”
I couldn’t hide the smile on my face. “I’m glad he didn’t name someone else. I’ve been his girl since we were kids.”
“He told me all about it. You’re his horse girl,” he said before turning to his uncle. “And you were right. She’s real pretty. Real, real pretty. Just like my girl, Gracie.”
“You’ve got a girl?” I asked.
“I sure do. And one day I’m going to marry that girl,” he said with all the confidence in the world. “You going to marry your girl someday, Uncle A?”
My eyes widened as I glanced at Axel, who looked completely relaxed.
“I’d marry her tomorrow if she wanted me to. But do you remember what I told you? Some girls are meant to get on the back of their horse and run through the fields and chase their dreams.” He winked at me.
I smiled at him, because this man just got me, and that was a rare gift in life to find someone who could just get you.
Before I could respond, Emerson came around the corner, and her face lit up when she saw me. Axel had told me that he’d shared with her everything that had happened with my brother. Axel and his cousin were close, and I wasn’t surprised that he’d talked to her about it.
“Look at you, Wren. You look just as gorgeous as ever.” She wrapped her arms around me, and I was surprised when I heard her sniffle a few times as she hugged me, but I hugged her right back.
“Mama, are you crying?” Cutler asked.
“I just missed my friend, sweetheart. And sometimes missing someone makes you realize how much you love them.”
No truer words had ever been spoken.
twenty
. . .
Axel
