“Oh,” she gasps and then I’m yanked into her arms and hugged fiercely. “It has been such a long time since I’ve seen you,” she breathes out, her grip on me tightening.
I melt into her embrace and hug her back. I hear Ford chuckle, his voice a little more gravel than Everton’s, “You have some explaining to do.”
“Brielle moved to Las Vegas,” Everton’s voice is matter of fact and I can tell Arden is listening even though she’s still hugging me. “She got a job at Elysium,” I stiffen and then realize I havenothing to be ashamed of and relax, “as a dancer. I ran into her when I had Rian. They danced together and my daughter wants to keep her. I have no plans to let her go a second time.”
Arden gasps again, this time even louder. She pushes me away slightly, with jerky movements, until she’s able to look at me. Her eyes search my face and whatever she’s looking for she must find because her eyes soften.
“I always hoped,” she whispers, “but you can’t always predict the tides of life.”
Ford wraps his arm around his wife’s shoulders and gently pulls her away from me. He kisses her temple and murmurs, “Let the girl breathe, Sunflower.”
She purses her lips before looking at me seriously. “None of that Mrs. Connors stuff. You can call me Mom, if you’re comfortable, or Arden. You aren’t a child,” she admonishes me gently, “and your manners will never be in question with me.”
“Only because you have more than a few stories that involve her from our youth,” Everton grumbles as he tucks me into his side.
I gently smack his chest and sass him, “You’re not wrong, but you don’t need to remind her.”
Ford barks out a laugh while looking between us with amusement in his eyes. When he looks at me with the same whiskey-colored eyes as his son and granddaughter, there is only warmth there. “And you can call me Dad or Ford. You’ve always been family, Brielle. We’re just glad you came home.”
“Please don’t make me cry,” I blink rapidly and look up at the ceiling.
The couple in front of me, who were like a second set of parents for years, laugh and head inside. Everton kisses my temple and murmurs, “They’re not wrong either.” He nips at my earlobe and growls, “See? Nothing to worry about.”
I sigh, “Yeah.”
When we step into the living room, I’m met with three people I don’t recognize. Well, two of them I’m fairly sure are Everton’s younger twin siblings, but they’ve grown up in the last 18 years. Of course they did, but it’s kind of shocking to see it.
“Woah,” I breathe out and draw enough attention for all three people to look at me.
I think I see recognition on two faces, but not the third. It’s clear who she is with the way Forest has her tucked into his side.
“Hey,” Everton’s voice holds a warning I don’t think is necessary. “I’d like to introduce you all to Brielle.” The three stand and take a step closer. “Forest, Montana, you might remember her. She grew up in Seneca Falls and we were together a long time before we graduated.”
“I remember you, Brielle,” Montana’s voice is gentle, like a breeze rippling across a field of wildflowers. “You were a dancer, right?”
I smile at her, thankful for that connection. She’s grown up to be a beautiful woman, but there’s something guarded about her.
Or maybe it’s because of me. It’s not like I can blame her for it.
“I am. I ended up going to New York and cobbled together a dance career of sorts,” I tell her.
“I bet you have some good stories,” her words feel like an olive branch and I’m more than willing to clutch it to my chest and take full advantage.
“It was a lot of working, auditioning, teaching, and picking up odd jobs wherever I could. But I met quite a few characters over the years.”
She smiles and I glance toward Forest who is looking at me curiously. His eyes narrow and he nods, “I do remember you. We had a water gun fight one summer,” there’s excitement in his voice.
I can’t help but laugh and nod. The feeling of Everton’s fingers flexing against my back has me looking up at him. His eyes are filled with adoration, or maybe something deeper.
“That was a lot of fun.” For a second I get lost in the memory. I don’t even know why I got the water guns. I just wanted to make Everton smile. “I might have to show Rian how to beat you,” I tease my man while eyeing him.
“I’m in,” Forest chuckles before looking toward the woman at his side. “This is my wife, Autry.”
When I look at her, her expression is open and curious. She glances at Everton and then back at me and warmth fills her gaze.
“Welcome back to Sagebrush,” Autry welcomes me, her voice sincere.
“It’s really nice to meet you, Autry.”
