James passed the halter to him along with a rolled-up piece of paper, and the moment Benji took them, James placed one heavy hand on his shoulder. ‘You didn’t think I’d actually sell your horse now, did you?’
Benji’s eyes burned, betraying him. He slowly unrolled the paper. It was the BLM’s certificate of title, which transferred ownership of Diablo from the US government to Benjamin Matthews.
Benji thought he’d dreamed the entire thing for a full minute before Mav had came up to them, nudged his father out the way, and pulled Benji into a huge bear hug. ‘Congrats, man.’
‘It’s long past time you had your own horse,’ James said. ‘We’ve been looking for a while, but until we picked up Diablo, we hadn’t found the right one.’
Benji couldn’t express the tide of emotions pulling him apart, so he didn’t try. He just said, ‘Thank you. I won’t ever forget it.’ And when Ava approached, Benji picked her off her feet in a bone-crushing hug.
She laughed, and the moment he put her down, she raised one hand to his face, and said, ‘We’re so proud of you, honey. You put the work into that horse. He’s only ever been yours.’
‘I’ll pay you back,’ Benji said, meeting Ava’s eyes and then James’s. ‘I know what we could get for him in a sale, and I’ll pay you—’
To Benji’s horror, James’s eyes flashed with something that looked eerily close to disappointment, silencing him. ‘The hell you will,’ he shot back. ‘We picked this horse up for a measly adoption fee because, despite his looks, nobody else had the balls to take him on. The only reason he’s worth anything at all is becauseyouput the work in.’
Ava smiled gently. ‘Baby, don’t insult us. He’s yours. And the boarding, feed, and vet upkeep is our gift to you.’
And more than the horse or the thought and effort the gift had taken to plan and see to fruition, those words from Ava Hunt felled him. ‘Thank you. I won’t ever forget it,’ he said again.
He’d greeted everyone else and accepted the congratulations before excusing himself to put Diablo back in his stall.
And it was there that he’d found Sierra. She was leaning against the stall wall, her arms crossed over her chest. At his bewildered look, she just smiled and said, ‘I figured you’d need me.’
And he did. Always.
He went to her, buried his face in her hair, and completely overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the Hunts, cried for the first time as a grown man.
PART FOUR: LIVE
Chapter 23
Hunt Ranch, Santa Barbara County – December 25, 2025
Benji’s eyes burned as Poppy and Shadow walked down the grassy, makeshift aisle between the rough-hewn, wooden benches that he and the barn staff had set up that morning. Nina, Sierra and Markus had decorated the benches with Douglas fir, white lilies, and red ribbons. And although he wasn’t sure how they’d done it, the front yard looked like a professional venue for a ritzy LA wedding while somehow still remaining intimate.
Benji had watched Sierra work like a dog to get everything organized in time, and even though he was happy for Mav and Nina, there was a part of him that couldn’t quite reconcile with the fact that, in another life, it might have been his and Sierra’s wedding that she was so stressed about organizing. Late at night while she slept in his arms, he wondered if she ever thought about it too. He wondered what she would say if he asked her again –and soon.
Because of Nina’s celebrity status, the wedding had been kept under wraps, with the exception of Markus’s trusted team members, who would be photographing the day for an exclusive inHollywood Magazine. The six photographers had driven down the morning before, so that they could capture everything from the set-up to the afterparty. Although Markus was technically man of honour, everyone knew he’d eventually cave and pick up the camera himself.
The air was crisp, but the sun shone bright and beautiful. The big oak towered over the pretty arbour where he, Mav, and Sierra stood, waiting.
Poppy, dressed in a pretty, white dress, threw red rose petals exuberantly. Shadow, tongue out, trotted at her side, the dog’s bright red collar threaded with a bow that held the rings. As soon as Poppy reached the front, she went and stood by Benji as she’d been instructed. She took his hand and looked up at him, her grin huge.
Benji’s heart caught in his chest. He squeezed her tiny hand in his.
To their right, Mav told Shadow, ‘Sit,’ as the instrumental version of George Strait’s ‘Run’ started playing through hidden speakers and everyone stood to watch Nina walk on Markus’s arm.
They made their way down the porch steps and across the lawn before stopping at the top of the makeshift aisle.
While everyone else turned to look at Nina, Benji turned to check on Mav. His friend stood with his arms in front of him, his hands clasped, one over the other. Like Benji, Mav wore dark blue jeans, a white shirt, and a vest the same summer-field colour as the Stetson on his head. His scarred boots were on his feet. Despite his huge grin, tears streamed down Mav’s face as he watched Nina walk towards him.
Nina glowed. Her long, wavy hair fell down her back, with the exception of a front piece that had been swept to the side of her face and clipped back beneath a black Western hat with a white lily pinned in the red ribbon band.
Sierra welcomed the guests and then asked, ‘Who gives this woman to be married to this man today?’
Nina stepped forward, off Markus’s arm, and replied. ‘Nobody. I go to him willingly.’
Benji had been at the rehearsal. He had been expecting the words, but they hit differently as he watched his closest friend reach out a hand for his bride.
