Bailey felt Landon’s arms wrap around her waist as he stood behind her in the front row. She leaned back against him as he pressed a kiss on her neck. She could smell the light sandalwood scent of his aftershave. Everyone sat down in their seats as Hattie and Jacques said their vows. Tears pooled in her eyes at the romanticism laced in their words. She looked around, noticing that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Once again Hattie had used her superpowers for good. She had brought everyone together—four generations of Stones—for a common goal. Celebrating love.
The words “till death do us part” had never been more poignant, Landon thought as Hattie and Jacques sealed the deal with a tender kiss. Laughter and applause rang out as Red, wearing his “Justice of the Peace” hat, pronounced them as man and wife.
True produced a cake that Caleb had run out and picked up before the ceremony started. Although it had clearly been made for someone else who’d never picked it up, Hattie was delighted by the festive icing and rosettes.
Watching Hattie and Jacques pledge their undying love to each other had changed him. It was more than a leap of faith, he thought. They were courageously choosing love despite the odds being stacked against them. They knew Hattie didn’t have much time left, yet they had chosen to spend the rest of it loving one another. Landon had never really thought about finding someone to love—and who loved him back—the way Xavier and Caleb had. Of course he’d wanted that type of devotion, but he’d never imagined that he would be in that place. Until now. Until Bailey. In order to have a shot at something real with her, Landon needed to know if Bailey returned his feelings. She’d left him hanging, leaving him to wonder whether her feelings matched his own.
He was wild about Bailey, and for the first time in his life, he had fallen head over heels in love with someone. And more than anything else in this world, Landon needed to summon the courage to find out whether Bailey felt even asmidgen of what he did. Just the thought of receiving that type of affirmation from her made him feel ten feet tall.
“Isn’t anyone going to ask me to dance?” Hattie asked, looking around her. “I still like to cut a rug.”
Landon stepped forward, reaching for Hattie’s hand as he gingerly raised her to her feet. “How about it? Shall we dance?”
“There’s nothing I’d rather do,” she said, a poignant smile twitching at her lips.
“I’m not the best dancer, but I promise not to step on your toes. And I’ll hold you up if need be,” he promised. “Just let me know if you get tired, okay?”
While Ella Fitzgerald’s song “Someone to Watch over Me” streamed from the speakers, Landon guided her across the floor. As the lights from the Christmas tree glistened and shimmered, Landon and Hattie glided and swayed to the beat. He could feel her bones through the light fabric of her dress, but she was steady on her feet and following his lead.
She leaned her head on his shoulder and let out a contented sigh.
“Grandmother, I—” He choked. The words simply wouldn’t come out. His emotions were at an all-time high. Time was a thief, and he knew it was slipping through his fingers at an alarming rate.
She patted his back. “I know, my sweet boy. I feel the same about you.”
Tears blurred his vision. “I-I don’t know what I’ll do without you. You’ve given us so much. Loved us so unconditionally.”
“What you’re going to do is live. Hopefully you and Bailey will go the distance and end up as happy as two clams.”
Hattie looked up at him. She wiped away moisture from her eyes and cleared her throat. “It’s been the absolute honor of my life to be your grandmother. I just wish that I could stick around long enough to see you triumph over your adversaries.”
Just knowing that Hattie wouldn’t be around much longer gutted him. But it also lifted him up to know that she believed in him.
“Take that unexpected trip to Paris. Get on the dance floor and boogie all night long. Love with all of your heart and soul. Make that scientific discovery you’ve been longing to do. Live out your purpose on this earth.”
“I will,” he vowed. And he meant it. He intended to do all the things Hattie was advising him to do.
Jacques walked up and said, “May I cut in? I’d like to dance with my wife.”
“Absolutely,” Landon said, transferring Hattie to Jacques. He watched as he sat her down in her wheelchair and began twirling her around to an upbeat tune.
He left the celebration for a moment to get some bottled waters and passed by the study on his way. Caleb and Xavier were in the room, talking in hushed tones. Sensing they were discussing something important, he stepped into the room.
“Hey, guys. What’s going on? Is something wrong?” Landon asked, looking back and forth between his brothers. He could tell by the tension hovering in the air that something was up.
“We didn’t want to pull you from the reception when you were having such a great time,” Xavier said, stroking his jaw, “but we can’t leave the decision about the company to the last minute.”
“Things are moving really fast now,” Caleb said. His usually jovial expression was now somber. “Time is running out.”
Yukon Cider. Despite having been given almost a year to make a decision, Landon still felt undecided. “I know you want me to have an answer, but I’m torn.” He almost wished his brothers would just make the decision for him. Toss a coin. His head was starting to pound just thinking about it.
“So how does Bailey factor into your decision about Yukon Cider?” Caleb asked. “No pressure, just trying to get a feel for how we’re leaning since our year is almost up. And with Hattie being so ill, we really do need to have our heads on straight.”
“I was actually wondering the same thing,” Xavier admitted. “Things change a little bit when you’re in a relationship. You and Bailey seem really solid.”
Landon wanted to laugh out loud at Xavier’s assessment. His and Bailey’s relationship was fairly brand-new, and although the feelings were there, so much was up in the air. Every instinct told him she loved him, but he still hadn’t heard those words from her.
