“Morning, Dallas,” he replies chirpily. “Sleep well? Some might say I slept like awinner.” He turns from the coffee maker, his smile widening from ear to ear. “I fucking WON!”
“You won a six-pack of beer that you bought yourself, dickhead,” I tell him, rubbing sleep from my eyes.
“Don’t rain on his parade, grumpy bum,” comes a male voice from the backdoor. A voice I know without needing to turn.
“Is everyone just moving into my house now, or what?” I call into the void.
As expected, it’s Teddy. His hand meets my shoulder in an affectionate slap. “Sure are, man. You’re the oldest, ya know. It’s only fitting that your place is the general meetup spot.”
“I would argue thatyourhouse is bigger.” My protest falls on deaf ears, because the kids come barrelling into the kitchen, squeals of laughter overtaking the conversation.
“Daddy, Daddy!” Billie launches into my arms. River’s braided her curls in two thick braids down her back. She looks beautiful. I kiss her forehead, easing her feet back down to the floor so she can continueplaying with Frank.
“Morning, Northlanes,” River announces by way of greeting, sending air kisses our way. “Where are the girls?” she asks.
Like clockwork, Annabeth and Ella appear in the kitchen. I swear, if this group gets any bigger, I’m moving. I only have five bar stools for a reason. It doesn’t matter that the reason is that only five would fit across the breakfast bar nicely; for the sake of complaining, it’s to be antisocial. I look around the room, seeing everyone here together. The kids are playing hide-and-seek – Frank is still terrible at hiding and laughs theentiretime – Colt’s been roped into counting, presumably so Billie and Frank can get into mischief and blame it on him. River’s joined the girls as they start making what looks like omelettes. My mouth waters at the thought of a fresh omelette and a scorching hot cup of coffee. I scan for Teddy and Jonas, but they’re already making their way outside for a cigarette. I take a moment to soak in the people around me, and what they mean to me.
A smile creeps across my face as I picture us doing this, exactly this, years from now. I realise that I don’t really care how many bar stools fit neatly at my breakfast bar, because life isn’t supposed to be neat. It’s real, it’s raw, it’s messy. Life is the joy you find within the moments of chaos. It’s the people who show up for you time and time again. It’s the people who make your house a home, and the ones who build fucking poker tables in your barn.
Love isn’t supposed to be perfect, heck, sometimes it doesn’t even makesense. Sometimes, it jumps up and bites you in the ass on a random fucking Tuesday in the form of a ridiculously beautiful pink-haired woman. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a blonde stranger who pulls you from your dad’s trailer in the dark. Sometimes,it’s a tiny, blue-eyed baby girl that came a few weeks too early, yet somehow at the perfect moment. It can even come in the form of a little brother who could pass as your twin, despite being significantly less grey and far more boisterous.
I don’t know how I ended up here, with a truck load of people having regular breakfasts in my kitchen, but I know that I don’t think I’ll ever want it to stop. Annabeth brought me out of my reclusive ways, reminded me that despite everything Colt and I have been through, that it’s okay to let go of things you’ve held onto, even when those things are people who you never thought you’d lose.
I wipe a stray tear from my eye, not wanting anyone to see me show weakness – not that I feel weak, more vulnerable than anything. It’s been almost six years since Sam left us, and not a day goes by that I don’t wonder how things would have been if she hadn’t. But despite all of that, I know she would’ve adored Annabeth. I know she would be proud of the family I’ve built, and that our daughter is so loved. I find myself silently talking to my late wife in my head, asking her if maybe, just maybe, it’s okay for me to finally let her go.
Billie springs out of nowhere, wrapping her lanky arms around me as a mischievous giggle emits from her lips. Frank follows mere seconds later, an equally cheeky look on his face. Before I have a moment to intervene, Annabeth comes whirling around the corner with a bubble gun, laughing like a madwoman as she gives chase to the kids.
“I’m gonna get you two!” she squeals.
As I watch the woman I love chase after my daughter, and my inherited nephew, I realise that I may not be a young man anymore, but god damn am I a lucky one.
Twenty-Eight
Dallas
Billie is reciting her lines for the upcoming play while Annabeth parades around the kitchen preparing breakfast. My little firefly is making it difficult to remain composed when I know for a fact that I had her bent over this breakfast bar just last night. Billie’s voice snaps me out of my daydream. “Dad, did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah, course,” I reply.
She scowls at me, clearly not believing the lie. “I said, does Aladdin die at the end?”
“Bumble, I don’t know how to tell you how wrong you are. He gets the girl and lives happily ever after. Why are you asking about Aladdin, aren't you doing that plant-eating play?” I enquire.
Annabeth bursts into fits of laughter. “Do you meanThe Little Shop of Horrors?”
“Yeah, the one where the plant eats everyone?”
A loud crash and panicked nickers echo through the property outside, followed by what sounds like a stampede coming from the main yard.What the fuck?I look out the window and don’t see anything. Another loud crash sounds, and I can’t ignore that. I rush from the kitchen, pulling my boots on and grabbing the motorbike keys.
“Stay here,” I call to the girls, who are still standing in the kitchen.
I barely make it to the shed when I am almost taken out by the rush of cattle charging down the driveway. Dust fills my nostrils, and I realise my eyes are stinging from… smoke?What the fuck is going on?
In seconds, I’m on the bike and kicking the engine over, tearing-ass towards the paddock where the cattle are kept. I have to figure out how they got out and what spooked them. Coming around the bend behind the main yard, I’m almost knocked flat by a cloud of heat and smoke.
Ash is flying through the air. I can hear the horses whinnying from somewhere in the smoke. I’m on autopilot, the bike is off and flung to the side.Where is this coming from?I can barely see three feet in front of me while heat radiates through the air. I pull my shirt over my mouth and take a harsh breath before I push through the billowing clouds of thick, black dust. Smoke fills my lungs and I choke out a spluttered, “Hello, is anyone out here?”
I stumble through the paddock, trying to keep rogue embers from hitting me. I know I’m getting close because I can hear the crackling of flames up ahead. An engine roars to life, but I can’t make out what it belongs to. Adrenaline courses through my veins. My heart is racing, my eyes burning from the billowing ribbons of smoke. There’s a break in the clouds, the air only slightly clearing as I push forward. My eyes are watering and my mouth falls open. Panic rises within me as I take in the horrific scene before me. The barn in the stockyard is completely alight with angry golden flames that consume the entire structure.
