“It’s through the door at the back.”
Kelly’s eyes widened. “There’s more?”
If anything was going to make her sign the lease, it was the area out the back. “Through here.”
As soon as Kelly stepped into the staff area he knew she would say yes. Her soft sigh made his heart thump against his chest.
She ran her hand over the kitchen counter and the work table he’d asked the contractors to make. There was more than enough room for her online business as well as the storage space she needed.
He pointed to another door on her left. “The bathroom is through there and the door on your right takes you to a parking lot at the back of the building. There are two dedicated spaces for this store.”
Her eyes were so bright she could have lit the room with the happiness shining from them. “When could I move in?”
“In two weeks’ time. The painters and flooring contractors need to finish their work.”
“I can’t believe this is available. The landlord could get twice what they’re asking and still have people waiting to sign the lease. How did you find it?”
“A friend told me about it.”
Kelly’s eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me the truth?”
“Sort of.” Tanner couldn’t lie to her—he couldn’t even stretch the truth. She saw through him better than anyone he’d ever met.
“What’s the catch?”
“Catch?”
“There has to be a catch. A building like this hardly ever comes on the market in Bozeman. There must be something wrong with it to make it this affordable.”
Tanner cleared his throat. “The landlord is new to property development. He might have undervalued the store.”
“He undervalued it to the point where he won’t be making a profit. Who is the landlord?”
Out of everything Kelly could have asked him, that was the one question he didn’t want to answer. “He lives locally.”
“Tanner?”
“Yes?”
“Who is the landlord?”
“Me.”
Kelly’s mouth dropped open. “You own this store?”
“I owned the entire building with Jacob Green before we sold most of the apartments.”
“There are apartments?”
“Two floors of apartments. Contractors have been renovating the entire building for the last ten months.”
Kelly looked as though she was having a hard time understanding what he’d said.
“I wanted to invest some money into property. Bozeman has the fastest-growing population in Montana, so it made sense to start here. Jacob and I joined forces to renovate this building. There are eight luxury apartments and two commercial spaces.”
Kelly opened the door to the parking lot and went outside. She looked at the buildings around them, at the narrow lane running parallel to where she was standing.
“Is this the same building we went into when I needed to cry?”
Tanner nodded. “Come inside. It’s cold out there.”
Kelly stepped past him with a frown plastered across her face.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and followed her. “The apartment you saw is mine. As soon as I saw the architect’s plans I knew it was the best one in the building. It’s nearly ready for me to move into. Jacob and I wanted to keep a commercial space each as a future investment. This store is mine. You can stay as long as you like.”
“It would only be until my building is finished.”
He took a deep breath. “You could stay here permanently and lease your building.”
“But if I do that I wouldn’t have anywhere to live.”
“You could live here. With me.”
“You?”
The shock on Kelly’s face made his heart sink. “I know this is unexpected and I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but it wouldn’t matter when I asked you. I’ve loved you for more than a year and I’ll still love you a hundred years from now.”
“Yes.”
“If you’d sooner forget I said anything, we could do that, too. But…what did you say?”
Kelly smiled. “I said, yes.”
“Yes, you’ll marry me or yes, you’ll lease my retail space?”
“Yes to both.”
Tanner opened his mouth, but he was so surprised that no words came out.
Kelly held his hands. “I never told you this, but I enjoyed seeing you at the auctions last year. It wasn’t so enjoyable when you won the lots I really wanted, but I got over that pretty quickly. The first time you came into my store, I thought you wanted to ask me on a date. But you never said more than a few words, so I thought I must have been wrong.”
“You weren’t wrong. When Avery helped me I was okay. But as soon as I saw you I couldn’t string two words together.”
“You don’t have that problem now.”
“But I do have another one.”
Kelly frowned. “What is it?”
“I don’t know how to tell you how much I love you.”
Kelly reached up and gently held the side of his face. “Don’t worry. You can spend the rest of your life showing me.”
Tanner pulled her close and held her until his heart stopped racing. “I can’t believe you said yes.”
“And I can’t believe you asked me to marry you.”
Six Months Later…
Tanner held Kelly’s hand as they walked through the entrance of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Tonight was the opening of Abagail’s exhibition.
He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Kelly’s parents and brothers were following them.
“They’ll be fine,” Kelly said. “Charlie downloaded a map of the museum onto his phone. As long as they stick together, no one will get lost.”
“Do you really think that’s going to happen?”
“No, but with half of Bozeman here, they’ll be in good company. There’s Nick and Mia.” Kelly zoomed ahead to say hello to her friends.
Tank and Hayley were waiting beside a huge banner welcoming visitors to the museum.
“I’m already impressed,” Tank said, “and we haven’t set foot inside any exhibition rooms. It’s an incredible building.”
Tanner pointed to the wide staircase that would take them below ground. “It’s going to get even more incredible.” He looked for Kelly.
She was on her way over to him, talking quietly with her cousin, Avery.
Most of the people who’d searched for information about Abagail had come to Washington DC for the opening of the exhibition. So far, it had been an exciting trip. Everyone was anxious to see how the Smithsonian would display Abagail’s possessions and tell the story of her life.
“Have you seen Senator Jackson and his family?” Kelly asked.
Tanner shook his head. “Not yet, but they could be downstairs already.” He held Kelly’s hand as they moved toward the staircase that would take them to the lowest level of the museum—the history galleries dedicated to slavery and freedom.
He looked at Kelly and frowned. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know.”
He rubbed his thumb along her skin. “This is what you wanted. Abagail’s story will be shared with millions of visitors over the next twelve months.”
“It’s a little overwhelming to finally be here. Abagail has been such a big part of my life—I feel as though I’m saying goodbye to her.”
Tanner sent her the most reassuring smile he could. He knew tonight would be hard. The anticipation of seeing what they’d all worked toward had been the center of everyone’s thoughts for weeks. Especially for Kelly.
“In a way, you are saying goodbye,” he said. “But Abagail would have wanted this. She risked her life to make a better future for herself. She could have lived quietly in Montreal, but she chose to help other slaves who escaped on the Underground Railroad. This exhibition is as much about them as it is her. She was proud and courageous, but most
of all, loved.”
Kelly took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m going to enjoy tonight and celebrate her life.”
“That’s my girl. I wonder what Alexander Jackson thought of Mary’s relationship with Abagail.”
“His priority was building his wealth. I doubt he thought about Abagail or his wife very much.” Kelly looked over her shoulder. “Everyone looks as though they’re on their way down.”
Tanner turned and smiled at the people behind them. Evening gowns and tuxedos had been dusted off and spruced up for tonight. “You should be proud of what you’ve done. The whole town got behind Abagail. You made that excitement happen.”
“I think Doris might have had something to do with that. If it hadn’t been for the publicity she started, we might not be here tonight.”
Doris and her husband Jake were here, along with the reporter from the Chronicle who first broke the story. They’d promised not to embellish the truth about tonight, but Tanner had a feeling their request had fallen on deaf ears.
He looked around the museum, trying to absorb everything. “Has the Smithsonian given you any idea of what to expect?”
“The only thing I’ve seen is the program. They want tonight to be a surprise.”
Tanner didn’t like surprises. He’d tried to find more information about the exhibition, but even he hadn’t been able to get past the liaison person they’d been assigned.
“Oh my goodness,” Kelly’s softly spoken words made Tanner turn toward her.
She pointed to her left. “Look.”
“Wow. That’s incredible.”
A circular waterfall spilled from a huge glass dome in the middle of the ceiling. The sound of the water hitting the pool below echoed in the silent room.
“This must be the reflective pool that mom was talking about. We’ll have to come back later.” Kelly pointed toward a corridor. “We need to go that way.”
Tanner grinned at his fiancée. “You should have been a tour guide.”
Kelly bit her bottom lip. “Sorry. I get bossy when I’m nervous.”
“You don’t need to be sorry. It’s a big night.”
They followed a gently sloping ramp through other exhibits, into the lowest level of the history galleries. As they neared the area where Abagail’s possessions would be displayed, they both stopped. A twenty-foot banner hung from the ceiling, welcoming people to the exhibition.
Tanner felt the full impact of Abagail’s wisdom in the eyes of the little girl staring at them. The graphic designer had taken the only image they had of Abagail and placed it on the banner. It was poignant, sad, and inspiring at the same time.
Tears filled Kelly’s eyes as she read, out loud, the words in front of them. “My name is Abagail. I am a slave. The staff named the exhibition after the first words in her journal.”
Tanner’s eyes misted over. “I hope she had a happy life.”
“Thanks to Mary’s journals, we know she was happier in Montreal. Her husband and children gave her so much joy.”
A man Tanner would have recognized anywhere, walked toward them. “Senator Jackson. It’s a pleasure seeing you again.”
“You, too,” William said. He smiled at Kelly. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you. Congratulations on becoming the Minority Leader of the Senate.”
“I have you to thank for that. Telling everyone the entire truth about my family was important. You don’t know what a relief it is to let go of something that’s worried me for years.”
Kelly hugged William. “I’m happy it worked out. Did you know about the name of the exhibition?”
Senator Jackson lifted his head and gazed at the banner. “I had no idea. But if anyone deserves to be recognized in such an important way, it’s Abagail. Some of her descendants are waiting with the director of the museum. Would you like to meet them?”
“That would be wonderful.” Kelly and Tanner followed Senator Jackson across the room.
A red ribbon had been draped across the entrance to the exhibition. There would be speeches, the ribbon would be cut, and wine and hors d’oeuvres served to one hundred and eighty guests.
Tanner didn’t expect to feel so emotional, but he did.
Kelly’s hand slipped into his. “You’re a million miles away.”
“I’m thinking about Abagail. About us. Have you ever wondered what would have happened if you hadn’t won the mystery box at the auction?”
Kelly’s wide smile sent an arrow straight to his heart. “I’d still be looking for first edition poetry books, and you’d be saying as little as possible to me.”
“I didn’t want to say the wrong thing.”
“I know. And look at you now.”
Tanner checked his pocket. The paper he’d written his speech on was still there. “Are you sure you don’t want to speak instead of me?”
Kelly shook her head. “How Abagail’s journal came to be here is an important story. I’d cry so much that no one would understand me. Besides, I’m saving my public speaking efforts for our wedding.”
Tanner sighed.
“Don’t worry—your speech is great. Just take a deep breath…and breathe.”
He held Kelly’s hands. “I must be the luckiest man in the room. Abagail had to walk thousands of miles to find happiness. All I had to do was be your friend. I love you, Kelly. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“I love you, too.” Kelly kissed his cheek. “I’ll be right beside you.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Me, too. Let’s go—Abagail’s family is waiting.”
Tanner glanced at the picture of Abagail and silently thanked her. She had changed his life in more ways than he ever thought possible. If it hadn’t been for her journal, he wouldn’t have spent so much time with Kelly or realized how much he loved her. And for that, he would be forever grateful.
THE END
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Keep reading for a preview of Always, Grant and Mallory’s story, the third book in The Protectors series!
ALWAYS
The Protectors Series, Book 3
When the only way forward is to confront your past.
Grant Byers hadn’t seen Sonia Davies in more than a year. She’d moved from Bozeman to Seattle to work for an independent film studio. It was her dream job—a dream he’d never understood.
They’d met when she was filming a promotional video for the Big Sky Search and Rescue Team. Her personality lit the room, making even the most hard-nosed veteran smile at her quirky sense of humor and joy for life. She’d brought out the best in the guys she’d interviewed—and for a while, tried to bring out the best in him.
“The helicopter’s on its way. ETA is ten minutes.” Rick Taylor, a trauma specialist and volunteer with the SAR Team, stood beside him. “Mitch is on his way up with a body bag. You going to be okay?”
He hadn’t been okay for a while, but now wasn’t the time to feel sorry for himself. “I’ll be all right. How are Sonia’s cousins?”
“In shock, but doing okay. They were lucky the avalanche didn’t sweep them over the rock face as well.” Rick looked at the lifeless body lying on the snow. “Some days I wonder why we do this.”
“We do it because we care.”
This morning, Sonia and her cousins had decided to tackle Beehive Peak. It was her last chance to strap on her skis before returning to Seattle. Even though they’d seen small avalanches as they’d traversed the West Ridge, they hadn’t turned back. That decision had cost Sonia her life.
Rick glanced over his shoulder. “Mitch is here. Why don’t you leave this one to us?”
Grant swallowed hard as th
e procession of solemn faces headed toward Sonia. “I want to help.”
“She was your friend. You don’t need to do this.”
He ignored the sympathy on Rick’s face and focused on what he had to do. As far as he was concerned, he didn’t have a choice. This was the last thing he’d ever be able to do for Sonia. He was damned if he’d repay her kindness by walking away.
A gust of wind tore across the mountain, sending icy shards of snow straight into his face. The weather was closing in fast. If the helicopter didn’t get here soon it wouldn’t be able to land.
He staggered through the snow, joining the rest of his team as they prepared Sonia for her final journey off the mountain.
Mitch opened the body bag. “Rick and Andy—you hold the bag open. Grant, Jim, Pete, and Danny—you know what to do.”
Grant knelt by Sonia’s head. As he gently wiped fresh snow off her cheeks, his eyes filled with tears. The only color in her pale face was the sprinkling of freckles across her nose. Sonia had hated those freckles. She’d tried every lotion she could find to make them disappear.
In a cruel twist of fate, they now gave life to her still body. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she’d fallen asleep in the snow. He didn’t have to try hard to imagine her eyelids slowly opening. Her blue eyes would crinkle at the corners and she’d laugh at how silly they were to think she could possibly be gone.
“Grant?”
He looked up at Mitch.
“Are you ready?”
He took a deep breath. “Let’s take her home.”
On the count of three, they lifted Sonia into the body bag. He supported her head, worried for some stupid reason that she could get hurt. He made sure her hat and jacket were on straight, that there was as little sign as possible of the trauma she’d suffered.
A hard knot of grief stuck in his throat as Mitch slowly pulled the zipper over her face.
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