Harold had agreed to my demands, and in under thirty minutes, I had my entire life’s work back and was no longer signed to Hemstock Holdings. I don’t have aclue what spin he’ll put on my departure, and don’t care. The threat of the evidence I have getting out will be enough to keep him quiet. Little does Harold know, we have no intention of leaking the files found or the footage the twins recorded at the club. We decided that it didn’t make sense to point the cops in our direction, giving them reason to dig deeper into the murders or Bradley’s supposed disappearance.
None of that matters because the light I’ll shine on this world with my music is finally mine and mine alone. I pluck out a few notes on Blue, letting the faithful guitar that’s been there with me from the beginning soothe. Drinking in the way freedom feels, I relax into my bones, and into my skin. I feel like my old self again—a simple girl with big dreams. This time when I go after what I want, I’ll be older and wiser, and with the best guy at my side.
Rhett’s truck approaches, leaving a plume of dust in its wake. When he pulls to a stop in front of our home, my cowboy lifts a hand, waving as he climbs from the cab. “Whatcha doin’ there, darlin’?” His warm brown eyes crinkle at the corners from under the brim of his favorite hat.
Ignoring him intentionally, my fingers nimbly move over the strings as I tip my chin at him in hello. I sink deeper into the melody of “you look like you love me” by Ella Langley, featuring Riley Green.
Rhett stops with one booted foot on the first step, watching me for a few seconds. He braces his hand on the railing and leans in, placing a kiss on my forehead. “Hey, baby. How was your day?”
Instead of answering him with words, I sing the chorus as my greeting and let my eyes wander the thick stubble on his jaw, then down to his corded throat, and across broad shoulders.
He cocks his head to the side. “Noah? What has you so smug?”
A moment later, I can’t contain the smile that breaks across my face. I stop singing, set the guitar to the side, and stand up holding my arms out. “I’m a free woman.”
His eyes go wide, and he lets out a huff of surprise. “What? Really?”
I nod excitedly. “My lawyer called earlier. The judge declared it a voidable marriage and granted the annulment. It’s done.”
“Fuck yes,” Rhett grits out, coming up another step and wrapping his arms around my waist before hauling me against him in a tight embrace. His chest bounces with laughter as he walks us into the front yard and spins me around and around.
I press a kiss to his throat, loving the way his pulse quickens in a wild rhythm.
“I’m so fucking glad.” His lips graze the shell of my ear, voice rough and gravelly. “Fuck, that’s great news.”
“It’s the best ever. Thank you. So much.” I peer up at him. “Without you, I’d still be stuck.”
He sets me on my feet. “You never have to thank me. Not for that. Don’t want you to have to ever think about it again.”
My heart tugs in my chest, and I smile, reaching for his hand and squeezing as I glance over my shoulder. “You know…” My brows wriggle suggestively. “I never did thank you for this house.”
His face lights up. “As much as I like where you’re going with this, can you hold that thought?” Rhett leans in and brushes his lips over my cheekbone. “I seem to remember we were standing right about here, looking at the mountains when you told me how much you loved this spot.” Dragging in a deep breath, he smiles, gesturing to the peak that extends into the sky behind our home.
I begin to blink rapidly. “Rhett…”
He shakes his head, then touches his lips to mine. “I told you that day that I’d build a home right here so we could have this view every day. Because I intended to marry you.”
My lungs fight for breath as he drops to one knee. Swallowing hard, tears well. There’s a familiar box in his hand.
“I still intend to makeyoumy home. Right here, where we always planned.” His lips twitch. “Noah, I want you to be my wife. I need you here with me. Everyday.” His voice is thick with emotion. “Let me show you just how much you’re loved.”
I look down as he opens the box that holds his mother’s ring. “This has always belonged to you, Noah. I loved you then. I love you now. I’ll love you always. Do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes. In every lifetime. I’m yours.”
EPILOGUE: RHETT
TWO MONTHS LATER, DECEMBER
The snow crunches beneath our boots as Noah and I step out of the truck, our breath rising in puffs against the sharp Idaho air. Late December around these parts doesn’t play around. The sky’s low and gray, wind slipping through layers of clothes like it’s got something to prove.
Noah tucks her gloved hand into mine as we make our way up Grandma Jo’s long drive, and even beneath the fabric, I can feel the cut of the familiar diamond engagement ring I placed back on her finger.Mine, the way she was always supposed to be.
Up ahead, Grandma’s porch lights glow amberthrough the frost. The whole crew’s gathered inside—Jo, the twins, Kade, and Sage—probably fighting over table settings or who gets to say grace. Although we all know, nobody does it better than Mrs. Josephine Rivers herself.
We barely make it past the split-rail fence when I notice the mailbox. Living so far up the mountain means any correspondence for Noah and I are left down at Grandma Jo’s, for any of us to grab. Tipping my chin toward the box, I drag Noah with me. “Do you think Harold sent us a Christmas card?” I joke as Noah slaps a gloved hand against my chest.
I unlatch the box and thumb through the stack. A feed store catalog. A glossy fundraiser. Then, I see it. A thick manila envelope, my name handwritten in a cursive font. My brows furrow, wondering what it could be. Then my gaze flicks to the return label in the corner. Mountainview Resort. My heart gives a single, hard knock against my ribs, stalling the breath in my lungs.
