by Jamie Begley
Cole looked at everyone on the porch before returning his eyes to Greer. “We couldn’t make it in time for the barn raising ceremony, but we heard through the grapevine that your brother’s building a house. We’re in town for a couple of weeks, and I’d like to lend a hand or”—Cole nodded at the crowd that was drawing closer to listen—“two to get the job done.”
“No thanks. We got it taken care of.”
Shocked, Jessie couldn’t believe Greer was refusing free help. He never refused free anything.
Dustin shook his head at her when she was about to speak up.
The stranger didn’t miss the exchange.
“It’s not an exchange of favors, and it’s not payment. It’s a gift from me to Dustin.” Cole reached out, touching a streak of Greer’s white hair. “From one brother to another brother.” Cole dropped his hand from Greer’s hair to hold it out again for him to shake.
Greer gave him a sly smile. “Now, that’s a gift I can accept.” Greer reached out, taking his hand. “Welcome home, brah.”
Cole threw his head back, laughing.
Jessie smiled as she watched them man-hug each other, hitting each other on the shoulders as if they were long-lost brothers.
Greer still had his hands on Cole, staring at him like a proud papa, when Jessie saw Penni cautiously come to stand beside them.
Greer reached out, snagging her in bear hug when she got close before letting her go.
“I did good, didn’t I?” he bragged, nodding his head at Cole.
Penni shook her head, wiping her tears away. “No, Greer, you did great.”
Jessie sat on the floor at Dustin’s feet, watching Logan and Ema tear their Christmas presents open as Rosie tried to mow them down with the plastic shopping cart that she and Dustin had given her.
Jessie laughed. The little girl would fall every four steps.
“Is there any stack cake left?” Greer asked, patting his stomach. “I might have enough room left for a piece or two.”
Holly threw a piece of wrapping paper at him. “How? You already ate half of it.”
“Does that mean that half is left?”
Jessie shook her head. “No, Tate and Dustin finished the other half.”
“What did I teach you about not taking the last piece?”
“Eat it before you can find it?”
Jessie smiled at Dustin teasing his brother as he played with his hair.
“That’s not what I taught you.”
“No, it’s the one we learned the hard way,” Dustin said mockingly as he helped Ema stand up when she tried to climb onto the couch next to Dustin.
“Jessie, how much longer before you can move into the new house?”
Jessie grinned when she saw Sutton using her belly as a table as she ate the last piece of cake. “Shade and Cole are finishing the painting in the kitchen tomorrow, and the granite Holly picked out is being installed the day after.”
Sutton shifted herself more comfortably on the couch, holding her plate steady. “You never did tell us why you decided to share the house with Holly and Greer.”
She blushed self-consciously when everyone waited for her answer.
Jessie curled her hand possessively over Dustin’s knee as she tried to explain what had changed her mind, her loving gaze going to Logan, who was pulling more presents out from under the tree.
“Because when I married Dustin, I didn’t just marry him, I married his family.” What she couldn’t say aloud was that she wanted Logan to love her as much as he loved Holly, and the only way she was going to accomplish that was to have Holly as accessible to him as she was. If she could share a son with Holly, she could share a home. “Besides, when Dustin or Greer get on my nerves, I can always spend time with my brothers.”
“Might as well leave a week’s worth of clothes at our house. I see that happening a lot,” Holt spoke up from the kitchen table.
Jessie was considering the idea when Logan came to her, holding an armful of gifts.
“You said I could give them out when they’re done eating. Sutton’s finished.”
“Go ahead.” Jessie straightened as Logan gave the presents out to Dustin, Rachel, Greer, and Tate.
Tate took the last present. “You and Dustin already gave us our gifts.”
The family had opened their presents when they had come to her apartment for Christmas dinner.
When the children had grown hungry after opening a few of theirs, they had eaten then let the children finish unwrapping their presents.
“This one is from me. I hope you like them.” Jessie anxiously watched as they opened the gift boxes, each of them pulling out a quilt.
“Holly gave the quilts that Diane destroyed to Sutton to fix, but she wasn’t able to. When she found out that my mother was the one who taught your mother to cook, she figured she might also have been the one to teach her to sew. The ones that Dustin and Greer are holding are the ones I fixed. I fixed them as best as I could. Tate, yours is a quilt I made for your baby. I made you two, Rachel. One for Ema, and one for your baby. I gave Holly Rosie’s last night. She put it in the cedar box at the house. She wants to save it for when Rosie is older.”
Greer carefully folded his, not saying anything. He didn’t have to; his gratitude was in his eyes.
“Jessie …” Dustin had to start twice to get out what he wanted to say. “Ma and Pa never had much. When they died, Pa left us the house, and Ma left us the quilts. That was all they had to leave. When Diane destroyed these quilts, it was like losing her again. Thank you for giving us a part of her back.”
Jessie took the quilt and folded it, laying it down on his lap. “That wasn’t all they left you. They left you something money can’t buy and no fingers can patch together. They gave you a foundation. You could always count on each other, and each of you has done your part to build on that and share that legacy with not only your children but others like me who will always be thankful that you allowed us to be a part of your life.”
“I don’t know about that,” Greer said, getting up and patting his belly again. “Rider’s already complaining about how bad his back is and trying to get out of helping with the granite. Mag, I told you that turkey leg was mine ….”
Jessie rubbed her cheek against Dustin’s hand when he cupped her cheek, seeing him mouth, “I love you.”
Jessie turned her mouth into his hand, kissing his palm, and then linking their fingers, she rested their hands on his lap.
The private moment was broken when Ema took a running jump onto his lap.
“My Dusty.”
Jessie smiled watching Dusty tickle Ema, then seeing him stop and stare at Rachel.
Jessie turned her head and saw why.
That Rachel was remembering the baby she had lost was evident in both her and Cash’s expressions.
“Rach, what would you have named your daughter?”
Jessie was surprised at Dustin’s question and his strange expression when it was so obvious that Rachel had been thinking of her.
“I was going to call her Noelle.” Rachel raised pain-filled eyes to Dustin. “Why?”
Dustin grinned at the whole room, lifting a brow at Jessie.
Understanding what her husband wanted to do, she gave him a misty smile.
“Jessie and I are expecting, and if it’s okay with you, we’d like to give our daughter her name.”
Rachel laughed, wiping her tears away with one of the quilts.
“I think she’s been alone with Ma and Granny long enough. What do you think?”
Rachel laughed, bringing the joy back into her expression and everyone around her. “I think so, too.”
Epilogue 2
Dustin waved at Holly as she backed out of the driveway to go to church with Rosie and Logan. Looking at his watch, he knew he had to hurry to make it on time.
Rushing back inside, he quickly got dressed in the black suit that he had hidden in the closet the day before when everyone in the house was gone.
When he was dressed, he went to the mirror.
“Damn, you look good.” Adjusting the bowtie at his neck, he was satisfied. He gave himself a wink before rushing out the other door that led into the backyard.
He had to hurry. Jessie had left early this morning with Noelle, telling everyone she was going to visit her brothers.
He didn’t stop rushing until he came to a stop at his and Jessie’s tree.
“What took you so long?”
Dustin turned around, seeing Jessie come out from behind another tree.
“Dammit, I wanted to beat you here.”
Her laughter floated on the air toward him. “You’re never going to beat me.” She put her hand on his chest as she leaned up to kiss him on his cheek.
“You look very handsome.”
“I know.” He grinned down at her. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
Jessie went back down to the balls of her feet. “I’m surprised it still fits.”
“I told you it would.”
“You think you know it all.”
“Yeah, I do, because I do.”
Jessie shook her head at him. “You’re getting as arrogant as Greer.”
“I have a long ways to go before I can reach his level.”
“You’re catching up fast.”
Dustin was about to make another wisecrack when they heard the sounds of footsteps on dried leaves.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Pastor Dean apologized as he came to stand with them.
“No problem. I’m just happy you agreed to do this for us,” Dustin said, holding his hand out for the pastor to shake.
After the pastor gave Jessie a quick hug, Dustin and Jessie stood in front of their tree as Pastor Dean took a few steps away and opened his Bible.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered …”
Dustin held Jessie’s hand, staring down into her beautiful eyes that matched the leaves above them as the pastor renewed their wedding vows. When it came to put their wedding rings back on, Dustin was able to slide it on himself this time.
It was a private ceremony for just the two of them. They had taken their first vows in a place that had seen death and sorrow too many times and chosen to renew their vows in a place that held memories of love and new beginnings.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Dustin picked Jessie up, kissing her while twirling her around like he had wanted to do the first time yet wasn’t able.
“Congratulations.”
Dustin turned to shake the pastor’s hand. Then Pastor Dean gave Jessie a hug.
“I better be going. Willa will be wondering where I am. I told her I had an emergency, and she was going to keep the congregation busy singing until I got back.”
“Thank you. Before you go, could you take a picture of Dustin and me?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
Dustin handed him the phone, then he and Jessie stood next to the tree. When the pastor was about to hand the phone back, Jessie stopped him.
“Just one more, please.”
Jessie went to the tree, circling her arms around it. Dustin went to the other side of the tree, knowing what she wanted. He reached across the tree to take her hands. Turning his head, he smiled as the pastor took their picture.
“Thank you again, Pastor.” He walked back to take his phone from him, but instead of leaving, the pastor studied the tree and them.
“I can see why this place is special to you.” The pastor drew closer to study the tree, seeing the three places where Tate, Greer, and Dustin had carved their initials into it. “It’s a good, strong tree that has roots deep enough to weather life’s strongest storms, like both of your families. God has blessed you both that you will be able to pass that strength and endurance on to your own children.” Pastor Dean touched the tree again, almost as if he didn’t want to leave, then gave a shake of his head. “I better go. Willa will be preaching her own sermon at me for taking so long.”
He and Jessie waited until he was gone before they were kissing again.
“If we hurry, we can consummate our new wedding vows before Holly and Logan get back and we have to pick up Noelle from your brothers.”
Grinning like two teenagers who had never made love before, they took off, running back to their home and racing to see who would get there first. As they drew nearer, he let Jessie get ahead of him. His wife loved to gloat when she won, and he didn’t mind. She wouldn’t be a Porter if she didn’t.
Dustin went into the bedroom to see Jessie playing with Noelle on the bed, looking up when she saw him come into the bedroom.
“You’re already back from the drug store?”
Dustin never got tired of watching his wife with Noelle. He thanked God constantly that he had lived and been able see his child be born. That was something he had been denied with Logan.
Jessie was a natural-born mother, and not only with Noelle but with Logan. Sometimes, he would see a hint in her eyes when he would turn to Holly first instead of her, but those times were growing fewer and fewer the longer they lived together.
When the school year started, and they had gone to school to be introduced to his new teacher, Logan had introduced Jessie and Holly as his mothers. Jessie had to excuse herself to go to the restroom. When she had come back, Dustin had seen the red tinge under her eyes and knew she had been crying.
Rising from the bed, she handed Noelle to Dustin. “Can you put her in the crib, and I’ll go ask Holly if she’ll watch her for ten minutes?”
Dustin blew kisses on Noelle’s neck as he carried her into the bedroom next to theirs. Laying her down, he started the unicorn mobile circling over her.
“She said okay. We can go.”
Holding hands, they went down the hallway to the living room.
“Logan, your dad and I are going for a quick walk. I’ll help you with your homework when I get back.”
His son was drawing at the kitchen table. Walking closer, Dustin stared at what he was drawing.
“Carry the five. I’ll help you when I get back.”
“He’s just being a know-it-all.” Jessie handed him his jacket, then put hers on as she looked down at the paper that Logan was working on.
“You know, Logan, I think I need to get your clothes washed for school tomorrow. Dustin will have more time to help you than me.”
“I have homework in English, too,” he said, looking up from his homework.
“I can help with that. I only have one load of clothes to do. We’ll be right back.”
Dustin took her hand, leading her out the door.
“The only load you have to do is that load of horseshit you have to shovel up.”
“Are you saying I can’t do math?” she asked, dropping his hand to twine her arm through his.
“I’m saying that I washed and folded the clothes this afternoon while you were taking a nap with Noelle.”
“You didn’t wash the clothes we’re wearing now, so technically, it wasn’t a lie. Did you have any problems getting the pictures developed?”
“Switching the subject?”
“Yes, but I still want to see them.”
Dustin reached into his pocket, taking the pictures out and giving them to her.
“They turned out much better than I expected.”
Reaching the tree, Dustin reached into the hidey hole and tugged the plastic wrapped cigar box out. As he was taking it out of the freezer bag, Jessie knelt down next to him. On top was the last note she had written him.
- Will you marry me?
P.S. Quit eating my candy bars. Next time, buy Reese’s Cups
On top of the notes had been the beads she had given him so long ago and he rejected. His hand went to his throat where he had put them on the same long cord as his neck knife.
Dustin laid the picture of them hugging the tree on top before closing the box and resealing it in the bag. Shoving it back in the hole, he helped Jessie back to her feet.
Brushing the leav
es off her jeans, she straightened to take his arm again. “I’ve meant to ask you a dozen times. Where did you get the cigar box? I don’t remember your pa smoking them.”
“Ma brought it home from Mrs. Langley’s house when her husband threw the empty box away. She set it down at the kitchen table in front of us kids and said. ‘“That’s what getting a good education will get for you; money to buy the finer things in life, or you can be like me and settle with watching other people have the things you want and can never have.’ I’ve had it since.”
“I’m surprised Tate or Greer didn’t want it.”
“No. Tate never did or ever will ever care about money. It was empty, so Greer didn’t want it. I took it because I wanted to grow up and have enough money, so Ma wouldn’t have to work so hard. She died before I could do that.”
“Are we ever going to tell the kids about the box?”
“No, it’s always been our secret, and I want to keep it that way.”
“What if someone ever finds it?”
Dustin cocked his head at her. “Would it matter? It’s just little notes that we wrote to each other. It wouldn’t mean anything to them. It just means something to us.”
“I just thought of something.” Jessie stopped dead in her tracks.
Dustin stopped, too, as Jessie dropped his arm, turning as if she was about to go back to the tree.
A second later, she took off running toward their house. “Last one in has to do the dirty dishes.”
Dustin laughed as she ran through the field. Damn, how he loved that woman.
Smiling as he took off halfheartedly, he was planning to let her win again until he remembered that it had been Holly’s turn to cook and she had burnt the roast to hell and back. It would take a blow torch to clean that darn thing.
He started running, determined to catch the woman whose laugher floated back to him until she looked over her shoulder to see how close he was. Dustin saw the face of the woman who was worth dying and coming back to earth for … She was worth all the heartbreak he had gone through during his teenage years, going through his tumor … She was worth every damn second of it just to have her now and the years ahead.