Pope leaned one arm against the bar. “I’ll be there with a horse.”
“The black one?” Gary asked.
“Yeah.”
“That’s a good animal.”
Summer slowed, pretending not to listen as she wiped down the counter.
Pope glanced toward her. “You should come,” he said quietly.
Her brows lifted slightly. “To the auction?”
“Ben’s gone for the week.” He shrugged one shoulder casually even though he already knew he wanted her there beside him. “Might be fun.”
Gary laughed into his beer. “That’s the most romantic invitation I ever heard.”
Summer smiled despite herself and Pope ignored the comment entirely.
Truth was, he didn’t care what they did. Auction, errands or sitting on the couch watching terrible television, as long as she was there beside him, it all felt like he’d come home.
* * * * *
Summer leaned against the counter, phone tucked against her ear, listening to Ben talking a mile a minute from inside the RV parked near the Grand Canyon. Each little chirp of excitement in his voice brought a smile to her face and a pang of missing him to her heart.
“And then Grandpa said we could walk farther but Grandma said he was gonna throw his back out trying to impress tourists.”
Her dad’s offended voice floated faintly through the speaker. “I heard that!”
Ben only cackled.
Summer smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. Listening to the chaos on the other end felt almost as good as being there in person. She missed and loved them all so much, but she was glad they had this time together.
Vander moved around the kitchen, making coffee. She could feel him listening too. Every now and then his mouth twitched like he was trying hard not to laugh outright.
“The Grand Canyon’shuge, Mom. Like…really huge. And we got ice cream after, but it wasn’t as good as Vander got us.”
Her chest gave an unexpected squeeze. She sliced a sideways glance at Vander but only his profile was visible, and it didn’t give away anything about how Ben’s words made him feel.
When he pivoted away from the coffeepot, mug in hand, their eyes met. A glimmer of warmth moved across his face.
“Next time you should get the banana split too, Mom. Then all three of us will have the same thing!”
They shared a grin, and suddenly this all felt real. Permanent.
He’d woven himself into their lives so naturally she couldn’t picture him anywhere else.
Tears clogged her throat, and she was grateful for Ben’s little boy ramblings to fill the space. He was back to talking about the canyon and hiking trails and a squirrel that stole part of Grandpa’s sandwich.
She listened attentively to every word even as her mind was whirling with the realization that the man standing feet away from her, muscle flexing as he brought his mug to his lips belonged with them.
There was no longer a “someday” on the calendar of her mind.
He belonged with her now. And forever.
Her heart swelled with happiness she didn’t fully trust not to be snatched by the wind and torn out of her grasp.
“Mom?”
