Page 119 of Slow Hands Cowboy

The lawn at the resort was decorated for her big campaign speech, a sharp contrast to when the venue had been for her wedding, when she’d been left standing there, listless and without power.

She wasn’t powerless now. She was here on her own terms, even if she was sad.

She was going to stick with her plan. The thing she had been intending to surprise Walker with.

Anna was there, Denisha and Lydia had come from California, and so had her mom and Thomas. Of course her dad and Linda had come early to help with any last-minute things she might need. Jackson had come as her date, and he looked great in a suit, and almost the whole community was there—though, not Alan’s family.

Her mom and dad were even seated at the same table, with their respective spouses, and they had chairs between them that would be occupied by her and Jackson, but still, it was a pretty amazing sight.

Anna was running around, trying to make sure that service was ready to go. Madison was going to speak at the beginning, but only for a few moments. Because she knew that mainly people wanted to dance, eat, and socialize.

Plus, they had more than succeeded in putting together amazing raffle baskets donated by local businesses, and even some not-so-local businesses, thanks to the viral fame.

She and Anna had talked about having someone introduce her still, but Addison had decided she was better off doing it alone.

She stood at the back of the setup until everyone was seated. Then, wearing her white pantsuit, she walked down the aisle toward the podium. All by herself.

“Good evening, everyone,” she said, smiling out at the crowd with her very practiced political smile. But then suddenly, she felt it fade. Along with the carefully planned speech she’d memorized. This wasn’t the time for her to be practiced. It wasn’t the time for her to be anything but honest. Which wasn’t the typical way for a politician to behave, but she didn’t want to be a politician. She just loved her town. She loved Walker. But she couldn’t have Walker, so she was going to put everything into this, into her community.

She wasn’t going to hold everyone at a distance, not anymore.

She was going to let them see that she wasn’t so perfect, wasn’t so polished, and if that ruined her campaign, it would just have to be ruined.

Addison could only be herself now.

She took a deep breath.

“I’m having kind of a hard evening, but I’m really appreciative that you’re all here. It makes me feel supported, even though right now I kind of wish I were at home eating cookies and cream ice cream directly out of a pint.” There was a little bit of laughter out in the crowd. “But that’s life. That’s... it’s community, really. That sometimes you’re down, and you know the people around you will pick you up when you fall. That’s my vision for Mustang River. A community that picks each other up when we fall. We support each other’s businesses, and you know that that’s been a major platform that I’ve been running on. But I want to add more to it than that. I want to pursue opening up a new food bank and clothing bank, that’s set up more like a store, to provide for families in need while making sure that we protect their dignity. That idea was given to me by Walker Grayson.”

She took a sharp breath. “We’re on the Grayson family’s resort, so I know you know the Graysons. The Graysons could have used that resource back then. I went to school with them, and I remember the way that they were treated, and I can see now how differently people treat them now that they’re successful.”

There was a slight, uncomfortable murmur.

“I’m guilty of it,” she continued. “I was mean to Walker in high school, and then what did I do when I got engaged? I made a reservation to get married at his ranch. But back then? Back then when he could have used some help, a friend, some kindness, I didn’t give that to him. That kind of attitude is pervasive, and it isn’t gone now. That isn’t the kind of community that I want us to be. And I see a better way forward. Because of Walker. Because of knowing him. Because even if he and I are not together now, it doesn’t mean that me being with him didn’t change me. I know, you probably thought that if I was going to talk about a heartbreak it was going to be my wedding that didn’t happen. But that’s not my heartbreak. Walker is. But he’s also the most important person that has ever come into my life. Truly.”

She finally found the courage to look up, and then her stomach dropped to her feet. There he was, riding a horse up over the ridge, down toward the event.

She stepped away from the podium and started to walk down the aisle as he continued down on his horse, just as he’d done during her wedding.

“Sorry to interrupt your speech,” he said.

“That’s okay,” she said. “I was kind of off script.”

“I’d like to speak to you privately, actually.” Then he bent down on his horse and lifted her up, seating her right in front of him. Everyone was watching them, just like at the wedding. But this was different. Very, very different. “Since we’re doing the vulnerability in front of strangers thing...I love you. So please don’t be heartbroken. Please don’t cry because of me. I love you.”

It was her dad who stood up first, and started clapping. Then, because Bob Carey stood up and clapped, so did everyone else. Tears streamed down Addison’s cheeks as Walker turned the horse away from the crowd. “She’ll be back,” he said, urging the horse onward.

She clung to the horse and let the wind blow through her hair, freedom in front of her, and Walker holding her close.

“I probably just really messed up my campaign,” she shouted. “And I don’t care.”

“I kind of care,” he said into her ear. “I think you’ll care later. But...I’m sorry. I had to come. And then I heard what you said.”

Her heart was thundering hard. “I hope you didn’t mind me talking about you.”

He pulled the reins tight, and dismounted, reaching up to take her hand and help her down, so that she was standing right in front of him. They were by the river now, shaded by the trees. “No. I’ve been sitting with this for days. I just... I was afraid. Because you turned me into a version of myself that I don’t recognize. It’s just exactly what you said, though. You make me a better version of myself. I’m so... I’m pissed off, honestly. I really thought that I had everything together. I really thought that I didn’t have to heal. I thought that I could just get stuff. Get money, get educated, feel better than everybody else, I didn’t think I actually had to let it go.”

“Oh no,” she said, covering her mouth and trying not to laugh.