by Sienna Parks
“You know I love you. And Rae loves you, too.”
“Ok-ay.” This is way harder than I thought it would be. Doubts begin to flood my mind. What if it’s too soon? What if she says no? “Just spit it out, Maddox.”
“I want you to move in.” It comes out as a garbled rush, my nerves getting the better of me. She sits for what feels like an eternity, and I’m wondering if she heard what I said. “Did you hear me?”
“I heard you…” A small smile begins to crack her perfectly pouty lips. She lunges into my arms, barreling me over, off the chair, slamming to the ground. “Shit! Are you okay?”
“I will be when you answer the question. You sure know how to make a man sweat.” Her lips find mine, hard and demanding.
“Of course I’ll move in. I love you. I hate being alone in my house! I miss you guys so much.” I pull her down for another kiss, but she quickly pushes me away. “What about Rae? Have you spoken to her? I don’t want to do anything that would make her uncomfortable.”
“And that’s why I love you. I’ve already asked Little Miss Sunshine’s permission. She would love to have you living here.”
“Really?” Her surprise is both disarming, and adorable.
“Really. Move in with us. We want to be the family we were destined to be. You, me, Rae, Pops… and any other Hales that happen to join the brood.” Her face sobers, and I know I’ve said something wrong. “What?”
“You know I can’t give you any more kids. You need to be sure that you’re okay with it. You’re an amazing dad. I know it’s a lot to ask you to give up.” I pull her into my arms.
“Being with you isn’t a sacrifice, A.B. It’s a gift. I want you. If you don’t want kids then that’s fine with me. If you want kids, then we will adopt the hell out of some babies that need good parents. You’re already a mother in my eyes… and in Rae’s.”
“Where have you been all my life?” She jokes, kissing the scruff of my chin with a feather-light caress.
“Right here, darlin’. Waiting for you.”
Chapter Twenty
ANNABETH
“You sure everything is set up the way I asked?”
“A.B. You’re nervous as a fly in a glue pot. It’s all good. We’re ready.” Jax pulls me into his arms, his warm embrace and steady heartbeat calming my nerves.
“What if they say no? What if they hate it? What if it’s too soon?”
“They won’t. You may only have been living together for six months, but you’ve been building up to this moment since kindergarten. Trust me. It’s going to work out. We’ve been planning this for weeks – everything will go smoothly.” I busy myself with the checklist I’ve been clutching in my hand for days.
“Are you sure we haven’t forgotten anything?”
“I’m positive. You need to go home and chill for a few hours. This is supposed to be a great night. You’re gonna worry yourself sick, and then you won’t enjoy it.”
“I haven’t been able to look him in the eye this week. I keep worrying that he’ll figure it out.”
“He has no idea. So, I’ll get him out of the house to let you get organized. I’ll have him in position at 6:00 P.M. Pops has Rae. Lottie has the outfits. The whole town is ready.” I take a deep breath, trying not to second-guess myself.
“Okay. I’m going… after I check everything one last time.” He grabs me by the arm and starts walking me out of the barn.
“Go! I got this.” The old barn looks fantastic. Jax and I have been working tirelessly all week to make sure everything is perfect. It’s been tough keeping Maddox away from here. He’s so involved in every aspect of the ranch; it’s not an easy task to keep him in the dark about anything.
The Wedding Barn looks phenomenal – better than I ever imagined. Thousands of twinkling lights hang from the rafters. White flowing drapes lining the walls. Rustic pews form a stunning aisle. There are wild flowers spread throughout the barn, intertwined with sprigs of hay. The whole town will be here to celebrate with us. I can’t believe we’ve pulled this off… well almost!
As I ride back toward the house, I’m filled with excitement. Today is the day I’ve been waiting for my entire life. My wedding day. All I need to do now is propose to the groom!
I’ve spent the past three hours being primped, prodded, and poked like a mare at a pony show by Lottie. My hair, nails, waxing, and makeup have all been done. Every moment has been planned with military precision. When she left for the barn, Pops brought Rae back to the house. She is the picture of a perfect flower girl right now… without the dress. She has no idea what’s about to happen, but I need her to be there with me when I ask her daddy to marry me. It wouldn’t feel right otherwise.
“You wook pretty, A.B.”
“So do you, Sunshine.” I lift her into my arms, my heart overflowing with love. “Shall we go see Daddy, now?”
“Yay. Where is he?”
“He’s waiting for us at the lake. I have a surprise for both of you.”
“Tell me! I wove surprises. Is it a new teddy?”
“Sorry, it’s not.” Her brows furrow. “But, I hope you’re going to love it.” A shy smile hints at the corners of her lips.
“I will. It’s always fun with you and Daddy.” I squeeze her tight, nerves pooling in the pit of my stomach.
I take one last look around the house… our home… before heading out to the stables. The past six months have been the best of my life. Moving into the ranch was something I dreamed about when I was a kid - making family dinners on the big range. Sitting on the porch, watching Maddox work the fields. I always saw myself raising a family here, and growing old.
With Rae nestled in front of me, we ride to the lake and wait for Maddox. I watch as she dips her feet in the water, fish tickling her toes as they pass. She splashes around, searching for the perfect pebble - it’s become a quest for us in recent weeks. I slip off my shoes and join her, enjoying the cool water on my skin.
Rae’s smile widens the moment her dad arrives, throwing my nerves into hyperdrive. I don’t know if it’s the occasion, but Maddox looks even more mouthwatering than usual. The way he strides toward us, with a confident swagger, has me weak at the knees. His smile so genuine, it reaches his eyes. “How are my two favorite girls?”
“Daddy! I found pebbles!”
“You did? Let me see.” He sweeps her out of the water and into the air, twirling her in circles as she giggles with glee. She holds them out to him, and he studies them as if they were diamonds. They are wrapped up in each other, lost in their own little world. A world that they share with me. He turns to me with a smile.
“Hey, darlin’.” His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me to his side, planting a chaste kiss on my lips. “So, what’s with all the cloak and dagger stuff today?”
“I… I wanted to…” Words escape me. I shake out my hands, trying to disperse the nerves that are coursing through me right now.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” His voice is full of concern, laced with fear.
“Nothing. Can we just get out of the lake for a minute?” His hand finds the small of my back, guiding us to the water’s edge.
“You’re scaring me, A.B.”
“No. Don’t be scared. I just wanted to ask you something.”
“Ok-ay.” Rae wriggles out of his grasp, running after a stunning Monarch butterfly.
“Rae!” I shout after her. “I need to ask you, too.” Maddox takes me by the hand, and waits for Rae to come back.
“We’re listening, A.B. What is it?”
“You know I love you both, don’t you?” They nod in unison. The same puzzled look on their faces. “And the past six months have been… wonderful. You’ve made me feel like family.”
“You are family.”
“I know. Oh God, I’m making a mess of this.” Rae reaches out to stroke my cheek.
“No mess.” There’s something in her words, her innocence. She gives me the strength I need to continue.
/> “Breathe, Annabeth.” Maddox interjects. I fill my lungs, breathing in the scent of his cologne, taking a moment to compose myself.
“Maddox Hale. I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. No distance, or time and space could ever change that. I let you go once, and I know without a shadow of a doubt, that I never want to let that happen again. You are my heart and soul. The reason I get up in the morning, and the last person I want to see before I go to sleep at night.”
I turn my attention to Rae. Her smile beaming back at me. “Sally Rae. I never thought I would get the chance to love someone the way I love you. You’ve given me so much joy. I can’t thank you enough for letting me share your daddy with you. You bring sunshine to every day.” I take one last deep breath, ready to ask the biggest question of my life.
“I want to ask both of you… will you be my family? Maddox… will you marry me?”
Maddox turns to Rae. “How would you feel about A.B. being your mommy?”
Without hesitation, Rae responds with a resounding, “Yes!”
“Then our answer is, yes.” His hand grasps my head, pulling me in for a soul-shattering kiss.
“There’s one more thing.”
“What?”
“Will you marry me tonight?” Rae starts clapping, before jumping into my arms, squeezing me as tight as she can.
“I’d marry you anytime, anywhere, Annabeth Clark. But… don’t you want a proper wedding?”
“You mean like the wedding barn, with all of our friends and family?”
“Well, yeah.”
“It’s all set up. Kickoff is in two hours – if you’ll have me?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. I’m serious. Jax is up there right now with a tux for you. Lottie has dresses for me and Rae.”
I’ve never seen a smile like it. Maddox looks overjoyed. With Rae in my arms, he lifts us both, and strides toward his horse. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get married.”
“I think I’m going to puke.” Lottie is fussing with my veil, while the ladies of Kingsbury Falls coo over Rae in her flower girl dress.
“You’ll be fine. Stop fretting.”
“I know. I just want to be married to him already. I don’t like being the center of attention. What if I trip and fall flat on my face in front of everybody?”
“Then your daddy will pick you up and keep walking.”
My mom is too busy with Rae to cause me any problems today. Since the moment I moved onto the ranch, she’s taken the roll of grandmother to a whole new level. Her and Rae are thick as thieves and always ganging up on Maddox and me. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.
Rae is my daughter in everything but name. I don’t think I could love her anymore if I’d given birth to her. When she spies me staring at her, she leaves everyone behind, running toward me in her princess dress and cowboy boots. “Docor Mommy! You wook so pretty.” I hoist her into my arms, much to everyone’s dismay.
“The dress! Watch the dress.” My mom screams.
I ignore her, my attention firmly fixed on the girl in my arms. “You don’t need to call me doctor, sweetheart.”
“Can I call you mommy?” My eyes fill with tears of joy.
“I would love that.” Her grin is as wide as a barn door.
“Okay, Mommy!” Lottie rushes to my side, blotting my cheeks with a tissue.
“No crying. I don’t have time to redo your makeup.”
“Rae, I was thinking, maybe you would like to walk down the aisle with me?” She squeals with delight. “Okay. Let’s go and marry Daddy.”
Lottie ushers everyone out of the marque where I’ve been getting dressed. It feels like a lifetime before we’re ready to go. We take a few quiet moments, just me, Rae, and my dad. When the guests are settled and the ceremony is about to begin, Lottie reappears in the doorway.
“Showtime!”
Rae grips my hand tight, her little fingers tracing circles on my skin. Fireflies dance in my chest, the reality of this moment sparking so much excitement I can barely contain it. The music begins, heralding my entrance, and the second I set foot inside the old barn, a wave of contentment washes over me as Maddox comes into view.
My nerves are gone. If I could sprint down the aisle in this dress, I would. I’ve waited so long to marry the man of my dreams, forever can’t come soon enough. As I walk toward my happily ever after, all I see is him. His eyes alight with nothing but love. It feels like an eternity by the time I reach his side, the scent of him intoxicating my senses.
“You look stunning.” His voice is a sensual caress, full of promise for the night to come.
“Daddy. Isn’t Mommy so pretty?” His gaze shifts to Rae, and he drops to one knee beside her.
“Mommy… looks beautiful. And, so do you, Sunshine.” He leans in, as if sharing a secret with her, but speaks loud enough for everyone to hear. “I love the boots. They match your dress perfectly.” Rae turns to look at me, and I bring my finger to my lips.
“Shh.” I lift my dress a few inches to reveal the same boots. Her giggles echo through the barn. The guests playing along as if they never saw. She’s delighted, wrapping her arms around my legs, before being swept up into Mad’s arm.
“Let’s do this.”
With a kiss on my cheek, my father takes his seat, leaving Maddox, Rae, and me. The ceremony goes by in a heartbeat. A blur of tears and emotion. Even though he had no time to prepare vows, Maddox brings me, and everyone else, to tears. His love and devotion, as steadfast as the northern star.
“I now pronounce you, man and wife.”
The barn erupts with shouts of joy; the entire town cheering and clapping. Most of them have been on this journey with us since birth, and it reminds me that Bobby never got to see us find our way back to one another. I know Maddox will feel his absence today, but as I look in his eyes, he emanates happiness in its purest form.
We walk the aisle, Rae in the middle, holding our hands – taking the first steps of our life together. We’re officially a family, and all the pain and heartache that got us to this point, just fades away.
Life isn’t always simple, and it doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would. But, if there’s one thing that I’ve learned along the way, it’s this: Life is both a journey and a destination. We have the power to choose our own fate, but in the end, there’s one thing that cannot be denied, pushed aside, or ignored – Love.
Maddox Hale is my past, my present, and my future. The love of my life, and the other half of my soul. No matter where life takes us, or what comes our way, we’ll figure it out together, here in the fields of Mustang Ranch.
Epilogue
MADDOX
Mustang spans before me, bathed in the pink hue of sunset – the promise of a beautiful tomorrow. Today was my dad’s birthday. I can’t believe it’s been five years since he passed away. This place is the same as it ever was, and yet there have been so many changes.
Rae, A.B., and our baby girl Ruby Jo, dance through the fields, their fingertips brushing the uncut hay. I never dreamed that I would one day be able to look at this field with nothing but joy and love in my heart. Rae is growing up so fast. Her and A.B. are mother and daughter in every way except DNA, and I know better than most that genetics don’t make you a good momma. A.B. legally adopted Rae after our wedding, and a year later we adopted Ruby Jo. She was six weeks old when we got her, and it was love at first sight. She has caramel skin like A.B. and piercing green eyes that are such a striking contrast. Her hair is black with the tightest little curls you ever did see.
Rae is an amazing big sister. From the moment they met, they have been best friends. Ruby idolizes her big sissy, and Rae is a tiny mother in the making. She’s so caring and thoughtful and it warms my heart to watch them run hand in hand toward me. Their momma sashays slowly behind them, turning her face to the sky, drinking in the final rays of summer sun.
A.B. gets more beautiful with every passing day. She still takes my b
reath away, and our chemistry hasn’t dulled with time. If anything – I want her even more now. Love is a strange thing. I spent fourteen years of my life thinking I would never find it again, but the universe had other plans. I believed that second chances were for the weak, but in reality, it takes overwhelming inner strength to open your heart to someone who once broke it.
Today, I remember the numerous chances my dad afforded me in his life. I was a constant reminder of his lost love, and I threw it back in his face more times than I can count. Over the years, as I’ve matured, I can say with confidence, that he never begrudged the time and effort he put into raising me. I was to him, what Rae and Ruby are to me – I was the reason that fueled everything he did, everything he achieved with this ranch.
As I look to the horizon, I know that my dad would be proud of what I’ve accomplished in his absence. We started a new horse therapy school for disadvantaged kids, and it’s doing amazingly well. Jax is busy wrapping up the final camp of the summer, and we’re already booked out for next year. He and Savannah make a great team. This past year we’ve taken on some major refurbishments and built a new facility that is going to be used as a movie set in a few months’ time. The girls are beyond excited. Apparently, the male lead is some hotshot heartthrob I’ve never heard of.
Rae and Ruby come bounding up the stairs, shouting and squealing. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! We know a secret!” I scoop them up and into my arms – one on each side.
“You do? Maybe I need to tickle it out of you?”
“We promised momma we wouldn’t tell. It’s a surprise for granddaddy’s birthday!”
“Should we wait for her? Then you can tell me.” They turn to where their mom is strolling toward us.
“Momma! Hurry up! Hurry up!” They can’t contain their excitement, and a wide grin spreads across her face. A love in her eyes that only comes from a mother. I watch in awe as she gets closer, the sway of her hips – too delicious to ignore. Her face lights up as she climbs the steps to join us.