by Sarra Cannon
I smile and lean down to kiss her.
“You got it,” I say. “It’ll be the biggest hit song ever written.”
“I don’t care if it ever hits anyone’s top one hundred list,” she says. “All I want is for it to come from the heart.”
“That’s the only place a song for you could ever come from,” I say. I pull her close again and hold her for a long time, letting the ocean breeze carry our worries away. “Dance with me.”
She looks up, tears still lingering on her lashes. “What?”
I smile and grab the keys from her. I reach into the truck and turn on the radio, dialing the volume up so we can hear it over the wind.
I offer my hand to her and she laughs, shaking her head.
“This is ridiculous,” she says.
“Then be ridiculous with me,” I say.
There’s a perfect slow song playing on the local station, and slowly, she places her hand in mine.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Any news?” Knox asks when we get back from Daddy’s appointment later that week.
“Still nothing,” I say, taking off my coat and setting it on the chair in the office. “More tests. I swear this is taking forever.”
“You guys know I’ll be happy to help out and pay for a specialist,” he says. “There’s a guy in Atlanta who works exclusively with neurological disorders. I made a few calls and he said they could get your dad in as soon as next month.”
I touch his hand. “Thank you,” I say. “I hate to ask for your help with this, but the bills are really starting to pile up and our insurance is crap. If you could go ahead and make that appointment, I would really appreciate it. Even if this Dr. Walsh comes back with a diagnosis, it might be a good idea to get a second opinion.”
“When do you guys go back in?” he asks.
“Next Tuesday,” I say. “He said he hopes to have some answers by then. I’m just ready to get him into treatments, physical therapy, whatever might help.”
“Hang in there,” he says. “How are you holding up with all of this?”
“I’m doing okay,” I say. “It’s just been a lot to take in. A lot of waiting and worrying, but hopefully it will get better soon. Thanks for picking up so many of the shifts lately. If it wasn’t for you and Colton, we probably would have had to shut down a few nights lately.”
“You know I’m here for you guys, whatever you need,” he says, pulling me into a hug. “You guys are all the family I have left in this world, and you mean everything to me.”
“You coming home to Fairhope was one of the best things,” I say. “I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
“It worked out pretty good for me, too,” he says with a laugh. “I’m thinking of picking out a ring for Leigh Anne, and I could really use a female perspective.”
My hand goes to my lips, and my eyes fill with tears. “Oh my God, I’m so happy for you.”
I hug him again.
“Just say the word, and I’m there,” I say. “I don’t know how good I’ll be at ring shopping, but I’ll help however I can. Does she have any idea?”
“I don’t think so,” Knox says. “Of course we’ve talked about the possibility of marriage a few times. We both want to have a family together someday and now that the house is all fixed up and my restoration business is getting off the ground, it seems like the right time to take the next step.”
“Well, I’m very happy for you guys,” I say.
“What about you and Colton?” he asks as we head back into the bar to get the tables set up for the night.
“Whoa, don’t get ahead of yourself, there,” I say with a laugh. “This is still really new for me. I can’t even think about marriage right now. That feels a million years away, if I’m being honest.”
“Are you guys having trouble?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, nothing like that,” I say. “Just that I don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to matters of the heart. I have no idea what I’m doing most of the time.”
“No one does,” he says. “That’s the truth no one tells you about relationships. We’re all just going in blind and hoping for the best. Sometimes we get lucky and meet the right person.”
I think about my parents and how they must have been in love with each other at some point. Once upon a time they thought they were going to last forever, and they committed their lives to each other. So where did it all go wrong? Why does love disappear? And how can you trust in something that you can’t ever be sure is going to last?
I pull chairs off the top of the tables and arrange them, thinking about last night.
Things have been going so well with Colton, I knew it was only a matter of time until we ran into some rocky times. We managed to survive our first real argument, but when I saw him standing there with that girl, their hands entwined like that, it reminded me just how fragile a thing love really is.
The deeper I fall, the harder it’s going to be if something goes wrong between us.
I can’t bear to think of it.
I finish setting the bar up, worry gnawing at my insides. Part of me misses the safety of my life before Colton turned it all upside down. But part of me knows I wouldn’t trade my time with him for anything in the world.
“Are you good?” Knox asks. He glances at his watch. “I promised Leigh Anne I’d be back by five so we can try to catch a movie tonight.”
“Yep, thanks for helping out this afternoon,” I say. “I’ve got it from here.”
He smiles. “I’m going to head out then,” he says. “Tell your dad hi for me. I’ll be back Saturday night to help out.”
“I will. Say hi to Leigh Anne for me,” I say.
Knox leaves just as Colton arrives for his shift. They say a quick hello and then Colton joins me behind the bar.
“Sorry I’m a little late,” he says. “I was on the phone with my mom and she would not stop talking.”
“She’s probably missing you,” I say. “It has to be hard for her when she was used to seeing you every day. When was the last time you went out to see your family?”
“That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about,” he says. “My birthday is coming up this weekend, and Mom wants us to come for dinner. What do you think?”
“She wants me to come, too?” I ask.
“Of course,” he says.
Our first customers come through the door, and Colton gets them started with a couple drinks.
I can’t stop smiling, thinking that his mom even knows about me. I hadn’t realized he’d told his parents about our relationship.
“So will you come?” he asks when he comes back.
“Of course,” I say. “I didn’t know your parents even knew about me.”
“Shoot, are you kidding me?” he says with a laugh. “You’re all I can talk about.”
I blush and look away, trying not to smile too wide. It’s silly, but it means a lot that he’s talked to his mother about me. It somehow makes this whole thing feel more real.
“When? And should I bring something?” I ask.
“Sunday night,” he says. “And only if you want to. I’d love for my family to taste some of your amazing cooking. I’ve already bragged to my sisters about your barbecue, but you don’t have to go to any trouble.”
“You bragged about my barbecue?” I ask.
“You’re my girl,” he says. “That’s what you do.”
I laugh and grab a few beers for the two regulars who always come in about this time. They say thank you and go back to their conversation.
The door opens again and the night is a steady stream of customers. I barely have a chance to get back to our conversation all night, but I can’t stop thinking about it.
I’m finally going to meet Colton’s family this weekend, and I can’t stop smiling.
Just when I start to let my fears take over, fate steps in to give me a little push in the right direction. It’s a journey, but I’m slowly lea
rning to trust again.
Chapter Thirty-Three
I head downstairs with a spring in my step. I cannot wait to introduce Jo to my family. Hopefully they will be on their best behavior. It’s been a long time since I brought a girl out to meet them. Not since I asked my first girlfriend to prom.
I know they are going to love her.
I’m surprised to find Jo outside standing beside the truck. She catches sight of me, and quickly throws a blanket over something in the back of the truck.
“Okay, sneaky, what are you up to out here?” I ask.
She laughs. “You’ll find out later,” she says. “You look handsome.”
I spin and kick my cowboy boots out for her to see. “I bought myself some new boots for my birthday,” I say. “I figure I deserve it after all the hard work at the bar.”
She whistles. “Very nice,” she says. “Of course you do realize that other people are supposed to buy you presents for your birthday, right? You’re not supposed to have to buy them for yourself.”
“Well, I’ve always been a rebel,” I say.
“I’ve heard that about you,” she says, and she smiles so wide it lights up her eyes.
I step around the truck and do a double-take. She’s wearing a dress, and it’s the first time I’ve seen her in anything but jeans in all the months I’ve known her, with the very memorable exception of the night she wore my plaid button-down.
“Wow,” I say. “Let me get a look at you.”
She blushes and steps away from the truck, taking my hand as I spin her around.
The dress is bright yellow, and it looks amazing in contrast to her dark features. She’s wearing a blue-jean jacket over the top, and I’m dying to know if there are spaghetti straps on that dress. I really hope I get to find out at the end of the night, because I can’t wait to push them down her shoulders.
“You’re stunning,” I say.
“Thank you,” she says. “I wanted to look nice to meet your family. I’m nervous.”
“They are going to adore you,” I say. “You ready to get going?”
“I’m just going to run in and say goodbye to Daddy,” she says. “Kelly’s coming over again tonight.”
I raise an eyebrow. The two of them have been spending a lot of time together lately, and I can see how happy it makes Jo to see them together. She’s told me that her dad and Kelly used to date years ago, and it seems like there’s a possibility of them rekindling that romance.
I’m happy for Rob. He deserves it with everything he’s been going through lately. Jo’s taking his mysterious illness pretty hard, but Rob is always in good spirits whenever I see him. He’s really an incredible guy, and I hope they get the answers they’re looking for soon.
Jo disappears into the house for a few minutes, and I’m so tempted to look under the blanket she’s put in the back of my truck. Just what does she have up her sleeve for tonight?
I resist temptation, though, and wait patiently until she comes back out, carrying a large covered plate.
She sits close as we make the drive out to my family’s land. It takes a good twenty minutes to get all the way out there, and I have a knot of nerves in my stomach as we pull onto the wooded road that leads down to the trailers.
Part of the reason I haven’t brought many women out here is that it’s not exactly a typical family home. There’s no white picket fence and big brick house. I’ve been called “trailer trash” more times than I care to remember. A lot of people around here don’t understand why we all live out here in a bunch of rundown trailers and hand-built cabins.
Growing up, we never had much money, but what we lacked in material possessions, we more than made up for in family loyalty and love.
My dad has always been hard on me, but I know he loves me. And I wouldn’t trade my close-knit family for all the gold in the world. I hope Jo loves them.
We pull up to my parents’ trailer, and my mom comes running out, her arms wide open.
I step out of the truck and she throws her arms around me.
“There’s my sunshine,” she says. “Oh, Colton, I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been weeks since you came to visit. I miss you so much.”
She takes my face in her hands and squeezes.
“Happy birthday, baby,” she says, hugging me again.
Jo comes around the other side of the truck, and my mom squeals.
“Honey, get yourself over here so I can hug your neck,” she says.
I laugh as I watch Jo tense and finally give into my mother’s relentless hug.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Tucker,” she says.
“Girl, you better call me Carol,” Mom says. “We don’t entertain a lot of formalities out here, as you’ll soon see.”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Jo says. She rushes back to the truck and grabs the plate of appetizers she made for tonight. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought something for dinner.”
“I’ve been dying to try some of your cooking,” Mom says. “Colton has told me all about your passion for food. We’ve all been crazy to try some of this food. What did you bring us?”
Mom pulls the foil off the top of the plate, and Jo raises an eyebrow at me. I shrug and laugh. If she’s going to spend some time out here, she’s going to learn real fast that my mom wasn’t joking. Other than saying grace before every meal, we don’t have a lot of rules or boundaries in our family. People say what they’re thinking and everyone does exactly as they please most of the time.
It’s part of what I love most about my family.
“Colton, I’m already in love with this girl,” Mom says. “Did you tell her how much I love deviled eggs?”
“I may have mentioned it a time or two, but I had no idea she remembered,” I say.
“When it comes to food, I remember everything,” Jo says with a laugh. “This is my own special recipe, so I hope you like it.”
“I know I’m gonna love it,” Mom says. “Come on, everyone’s dying to meet you.”
As we head toward the house, my brother-in-law Isaac comes out, beer in hand. “There’s the birthday boy,” he says. clapping a hand on my shoulder. “This must be the illustrious Jo we’ve all heard so much about. I’m Cora Mae’s husband, Isaac.”
Jo blushes and holds a hand out to him, but he grabs her into a hug, nearly knocking the plate out of her hand.
She laughs as I take the plate from her. “Nice to meet you,” she says.
“You, too,” Isaac says “The girl who finally tamed Colton has earned a special place in my heart.”
“Well, I don’t know that you can tame a guy like Colton,” she says. “But I’m happy to be along for the ride.”
Isaac raises his beer to me. “I like her already,” he says.
“See, I told you they would love you,” I say in her ear, placing a hand on her elbow and leading her up toward the trailer.
It takes a while to go through all the introductions, and I’m sure she’s feeling overwhelmed, but she seems to be taking it all in stride. She’s much more relaxed than she was the other night at the party, as if she naturally fits here.
My brother-in-law Matt and I go out to get the fire started, and everyone gradually joins us. Luckily it’s a beautiful fall evening, and not too cold out even though the sun’s going down.
The family is so big, it’s hard to find room for everyone inside, so when we all get together, we tend to gather around the fire and eat at the big picnic tables my dad built in the yard.
My sisters work to get all the food and plates and silverware set up on the tables while the guys get the fire and the grill started. Dad sets a couple coolers near the tables. They’re filled with ice and beer, cans of soda, and bottled water. There are kids running all over the place, and before long, we’re all settled into our routine of laughter, music, and standing around the fire.
My dad hasn’t said a word to me since we got here almost an hour ago, and I know he’s still angry at me for never setting up anoth
er interview with his old trucking company. I’m hoping to get a few minutes to talk to him tonight so we can clear the air, but for now, I’m just enjoying the company of my sisters and my extended family.
I keep Jo close to my side, wanting to make sure she’s having a good time, but my sister Cammie steals her away to help with some kitchen emergency.
“I’ll be right back,” she says.
I pull her into a kiss, which elicits a couple cheers from the peanut gallery.
Jo covers her face as Cammie takes her hand and drags her toward the house.
She turns to give me one last look before she disappears into the house, and I smile. Life has never been so good, and I wonder how in the world I got so lucky.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Cammie takes my arm and pulls me toward the trailer. I laugh and follow along. I’m not used to having a lot of girlfriends to hang out with, so when I find myself surrounded by Colton’s sisters, I’m completely overwhelmed.
They are all inside, gathered in the kitchen, giggling and cooking and shouting back and forth. Music plays from a small radio on the counter. The house is filled with smells of bacon and beans and homemade bread, and between the smells and the noise and trying to remember everyone’s names, my brain is about to explode.
How on earth did Colton survive growing up with so many people around all the time?
It’s so different from my small house with my dad. Sure, we always had the loud bar and lots of customers, but inside our home, there was always peace.
I get the feeling this house rarely knows the meaning of the word.
“Taste this,” Cora Mae says, practically pressing a wooden spoon to my lips.
One of the other sisters has her hand on my shoulder and is telling me about a great deal she was able to get on Colton’s birthday present.
I open my mouth to taste the sauce, but just as I do, someone pushes me from behind and the spoon smacks against my chin, sending marinara all over my yellow dress. I stumble forward, hot sauce burning my chest. I suck in a breath and Cora Mae catches me.