“It’s a new world, little man. Gotta lotta different options, and all of ’em involve me ’n’ Augusta livin’ right here next to you.”
Jack’s grin grew even wider, and he jumped up on the picnic table, cheering before Fallon stood and gave him double high fives.
“But you can’t go pullin’ stuff like this again. Scared your dad and us real bad, Jack.”
Jack leaped from the table, still smiling. “Promise I won’t.”
“Good.” Fallon slid an arm over his shoulders and pulled him in close for a hug. “Your dad asked me to bring you back to school. That sound okay, or is there anythin’ else that needs addressin’?”
Jack shook his head, beaming smile still etching his lips before he spun, running across the sidewalk to launch himself into my arms. I held him close, breathing in the fresh sunshine and sweet, sweet honey scent of his hair, more grateful for both the men in my life than I’d ever been.
Fallon’s warm embrace encompassed both of us, his lips brushing against my forehead. “Been thinkin’ maybe it’s time we settled down and bought a house. Thought in the morning maybe we could visit a few Realtors?”
I shot my eyes to his, speechless, and nodding. “Yes!”
He laughed, looping me in for a hug. “Well, at least I got one enthusiastic yes out of you.”
“Are you sure you’re ready? Weren’t you just sayin’ you weren’t the settlin’ type?”
He shrugged, pushing one hand into his beard as he thought. “That was then. Game’s changed now.”
“So it has,” I mused, sitting up a little straighter.
I had hope.
I had my boys.
There would be no taking either one of them away from me again.
If it meant becomin’ a permanent resident of Landry, then roll out the welcome wagon. I’d be a proud, flag-totin’ citizen of the great state of Mississippi. As long as I had these boys, my life would be complete.
My future, since the very first time I’d had Fallon, felt so bright.
EPILOGUE
Augusta - three months later
“Boys!” I called down the stairs, voice lost among the clatter of noise coming out of the basement studio. “Dinner!” I grinned when the sound system finally switched off, laughter floating up the stairs to greet my happy ears.
After two weeks of searching, a cash bid, and a horrendous few days in a moving truck driving all the way from Tennessee down to Mississippi, we were finally settled in Landry. Our house was just a half a mile from Jack Christopher’s, near enough to ride a bike to, and almost near enough to throw a baseball at. I knew—Fallon and Jack had tried, making it their new challenge to launch a baseball with a potato gun from his backyard to ours.
We were that close.
We were that happy.
Things were that good.
“Learned the opening lines of ‘Hotel California’ today!” Jack buzzed into the kitchen, gleeful grin on his face.
He was barefoot, both boys were as they entered the kitchen, so at home and cozy in the not-so-little house Fallon had bought.
Apparently, he hadn’t been kidding when he said he wanted to settle.
I was thinking maybe we’d rent a while first, but Fallon had plans far beyond my wildest dreams.
His first order of business was outfitting a basement bedroom into a home music studio, recording equipment and mixers to his heart’s content.
Once in a while when I woke up to find the bed empty beside me, I found him down there, mixing new songs or working on lyrics. Watching Fallon make music was a dream come true, like watching magic unfold before my eyes. He inspired me to spend more time writing, some of my lyrics even finding their way into his songs.
