She’dknownhe would come. Not because he was fearless. Not because he was whole.
But because he loved likethis—without hesitation. And he would never leave anyone behind.
And in that moment, with the storm still raging and the man she loved solid against her, she knew with absolute clarity that this was the man she was made for.
And she would spend the rest of her life showing him how much he meant to her.
Chapter Seventeen
Crew stood still in the back of the old barn, letting the noise wash around him without really hearing it.
Laughter echoed off the high rafters as the guests arrived to share Gray and Honor’s special day. The strains of music added an air of excitement to the refurbished barn that glowed with string lights, making it warm and celebratory. The air floating through the open back door smelled like cut grass and wood smoke and summer.
All of it felt unreal.
Because a few days ago, none of this had been guaranteed.
Gray and the other groomsmen had gathered in the groom’s suite, talking and laughing. Carson produced a flask, indicating that the party was really getting started, and it got passed between them.
Crew drifted toward the open door, drawn by a gorgeous view of the verdant fields. The smoky blue mountain rose in the background like an old friend that was always there to watch over the ranch.
He stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air and searching for Fern without meaning to.
His body always did that now. Like some internal compass had rewired itself to her. Though he didn’t see her, he knew she was with the other women, primping and assisting the bride.
She was safe.
But he could have lost her.
The thought hit him hard, a blunt force to the chest that made him draw a slow breath and hold it. He replayed the image he couldn’t shake—the rain, the mountain, the way the world had narrowed down to one objective and one name.
Fern.
He dragged a hand down his face and turned before the weight of it turned into something sharper.
Today was about hope and happiness. It was about two people who were meant for each other being joined as one, with all of the people they loved celebrating with them.
When he stepped inside again, Rhae caught him slipping in. She drifted to a stop, her long dress swirling around her body and the jewels in her ears catching the sunlight.
She didn’t say anything at first. Just looked at him with that knowing she wore like a second skin.
“I heard,” she said finally.
Crew dropped his gaze to the old floorboards, cowboy boot scuffing a groove without thinking. “Yeah.”
She stepped closer. “I’m so damn proud of you.”
The words sank much deeper than he expected. Praise had always been complicated for him—earned through action, not offered freely, especially after what happened with Conner.
He lifted his head, meeting her eyes again. “You think it’s worthy of the wall?”
The wall. The one inside the lodge. The one that told the story of men who’d moved forward.
Rhae didn’t hesitate. She wrapped him in a hug that was quick and fierce and full of certainty. “Definitely.”
His chest tightened. He nodded once, throat thick, then pulled back before emotion made him stupid.
“Thanks,” he said, meaning more than he could explain.
