Lark and I are lying in bed, her hand resting over my heart. She lifts her head and sets her chin on her hand. “Tristan?”
“Yes?” I ask hesitantly.
“I’d like to visit Emmy Jo’s grave.”
I stiffen, my head pulling back to look at her closely. “Okay, but…why?”
She lets out a long breath through her nose. “I feel like I need to explain things to her. Maybe ask for her blessing.”
I grin, imagining the look that would be on Emmy Jo’s face. At first, it would probably be shock. She knew my disdain for the Gatlin family—not that I like the lot of them, but the one in my arms is pretty spectacular. After getting over that initial part, I think she’d be happy because she knows I’m happy. “I know what she’d say.”
“She’d probably laugh at first. The idea of us,” Lark says with a chuckle.
“She would,” I agree. “Then she’d say it makes sense.”
“I think she would, too, but Mary Lou might not.”
I can see the worry in Lark’s eyes, and I hate that for her. Mary Lou might not get it at first, but I know her well enough to predict she’ll get over it quickly.
“She’s the one who was trying to get me to date a few years ago. Telling me I needed a woman.”
“Yeah, but I doubt her best friend was her idea of the woman.”
I snort a laugh. “We’ll deal with all of it. Together.”
Lark rests her head back on my chest. “Still, you’re okay with me going?”
“Of course. Whatever you need to do, Lark, I support you.”
She pops her head back up. “Do you want to go with me?”
I shake my head. Going to Emmy Jo’s grave isn’t something I do often. I go when Sadie asks, which is rare. “I made my peace with Emmy Jo’s death years ago. I understand that it’s important to you, and I completely understand, but for me, I know how I feel about you and us.”
I’ve already said what I’ve needed to say in my heart. I knew my wife, and we’d talked about this possibility before she died. Her hopes. Her dreams for me and Sadie. What her vision of my future looked like. And that’s exactly what I’m building now.
“You’re sure?”
I lean down and kiss her head. “Positive, but if you want me to take you, I will.”
Chapter 41
Lark
When we arrive at the graveyard, Tristan puts the truck in park and looks over at me. “Take as much time as you need.”
I feel so silly leaving him in the truck. “Tristan…”
“No, sweetheart, I’m serious. I’ll wait here. You say whatever you need to say to her and then come back to me.”
I sigh and grab the flowers I picked out of my garden and lean over to kiss him. Before I lose my nerve, I exit the truck and make my way to where she’s at rest. Today is a weird day—it’s windy, sunny, and that rich, end-of-summer smell is in the air.
To get to where she is, I have to go through the pampas grass, the beautiful wheat color swaying as my dress blows out behind me. Thankfully my hair is tied low on my neck as I move through the tall stalks.
Today I woke up thinking a lot about the past and what my future will be. So many people will have something to say about Tristan and me, but there’s only one person I feel I need to talk to about it. To maybe have a sense of peace before we tell even more people.
Emmy Jo.
A little way away, I see the headstone that faces to the east. I haven’t been out here since the day she was buried.
