by Liz Isaacson
Natalie’s stomach clenched, but she said, “Yeah, I guess I should.” She hugged her girlfriends and grabbed her keys from the counter. “Thanks for dinner, Steph.” She turned back. “Maybe I will bring Owen next Sunday.”
“He’s welcome to come.” Stephanie grinned. “No text needed.”
“He can eat a lot.”
Stephanie gestured to the copious leftovers. “I think I can handle him.”
Natalie giggled and left the house, her nerves turning to ice as she entered the frosty night. The drive to Owen’s parents’ house took twenty minutes, by which time she was sure Owen would’ve left. He didn’t normally stay long after dinner ended. At least he hadn’t when she was with him. Maybe he did otherwise.
His truck sat in the driveway, causing her heart to tap, tap, tap against her ribs. Part of her wanted to meet him privately, and the other part was relieved that there would be witnesses. She parked behind him and knocked on the front door, her fingers refusing to release from the fist afterward. She shoved her hands in her pockets and waited.
The door opened only a few moments later, and Owen stood there in all his cowboy glory. The gray hat he’d taken to wearing made his eyes seem more coal-colored than blue, and they watched her with an intensity she hadn’t experienced before.
“Natalie.” He said the three syllables of her name with reverence.
“Can I come in? It’s freezing out here.”
He stepped back to reveal an empty living room, and her anxiety amped up again. “Where is everyone?”
“Marie convinced them to watch the Smurfs.” Owen grinned and shook his head. “They’re downstairs.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “You want some coffee?”
She smiled. “Coffee would be great. Sorry I missed dinner.”
He went in front of her and busied himself making coffee. “Oven pancakes really are spectacular,” he said. “I’ll get the recipe from my mom and you can make them whenever you want.” With everything set and the coffee maker bubbling, he turned toward her. “I’m so glad you came.” His hand flinched toward hers before he glued it to his side.
She stepped into his personal space and reached for his cowboy hat. She tugged it off his head, expecting him to protest, but he simply let her, their eyes locked as the tether that had cemented between them at that swim meet bound them together again.
“Did you figure things out?” he asked, his voice made mostly of air.
She shook her head, trying to see him the way she needed to. She didn’t want to feel abandoned every time something in his life took him from her. It was unreasonable that they would be together twenty-four hours a day. She didn’t want to remember how she’d felt when he’d left every time they disagreed.
She wanted to forgive him.
Please help me forgive him, she prayed as she gazed at him. I love him. Help me move past what’s happened between us.
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t for a feeling of peace to flood her, making her gasp though it was a pleasing sensation.
“Nat? You okay?”
She curled one hand along the back of his neck, her fingertips brushing the ends of his hair. “I love you,” she whispered. “I think I’ve figured at least that much out.”
He grinned, his arms finally encircling her and gifting her with that beautiful sense of protection. “I love you too, Natalie.” He dipped his mouth to hers, and she kissed him slowly, feeling something new in this kiss she hadn’t in any of the previous kisses they’d shared.
She felt whole now, like she was a new person. A new person who could finally start to look forward instead of gripping tightly to something she’d been dragging behind her all this time.
She kissed him until her lips felt swollen and the kitchen had grown as hot as the boiling coffee. Then she leaned her cheek against his pulse, which ba-bumped rapidly.
“I will do better,” he whispered.
“What will you do better?” she asked. “Because that kiss was pretty dang perfect.”
He chuckled and squeezed her tighter. “I will do better at putting you first.” He stepped back, cleared his throat, and reached for a coffee mug. “But I do want to talk about Nashville.”
The heat inside her cooled and she accepted the coffee mug from him and sipped it in an attempt to feel warm again. But it didn’t work. Something as simple as a hot drink could never replace the warmth that came from Owen’s love.
“What about it?” she asked.
“Don’t freak out,” he warned, positioning himself against the sink, several paces from her. “I think we should move there.”
She choked on her coffee, going from calm to freak-out mode in a single breath. “Move there?” Her mind raced around her dance classes, the cooking classes, her library board service, his boys, and Marie.
“You hate winter,” he said. “It’s milder there. I need to go meet with the execs in January, but I won’t go without you.”
She hated that her next thought was about the cost of traveling to Nashville, of moving there. It wasn’t like she and Owen were married—not even close. Even if he asked her in the next moment to marry him, such an event was months off. He hadn’t even met her parents yet.
“Owen—what about Marie? She’s in school here, and she has friends, and your parents, and…. We can’t move to Nashville. Henry’s parents are in Idaho. When will she ever see them?”
Owen’s eyes darkened, and he exhaled in frustration. “I don’t know. Nothing is lining up in my head.”
“You want to make another album.”
“Yes.”
“And you can’t do it here.”
“I probably could, but all the contractual stuff has to be worked out first. That could take a couple of months.”
Natalie frowned, her mind operating on overdrive. “Leave Marie here with me. I can keep teaching my classes, and I’ll take care of her. You go take care of what you need to, and then come back.”
He shook his head, his mouth flattening into a straight line. “I will not leave you here, not again.”
“What about your job?” What she really wanted to ask was: What about my job? Sure, Owen might not need a job in order to live and pay bills, but Natalie sure did.
He sighed and looked out the window over the sink. “I love my job at Silver Creek, love those boys, love the horses. But Silver Creek will be there in a year, or two years, or five years. I feel like…I feel like if I don’t do this now, I’ll lose my opportunity.”
Natalie took a step toward him, and he swung his attention to her. “So you’re panicking again.”
“No.” His shoulders dropped. “Maybe a little.”
“Do you feel like you need to decide today?”
“Not necessarily.”
Natalie pasted a smile on her face. “All right then. Let’s be thinking about solutions and stuff, but you don’t need to decide today.”
“It’s not just about me.”
“Of course. Have you talked to Marie about it?”
He shook his head. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about since the sermon this morning.”
“That was a powerful challenge, wasn’t it?”
“I’ve been so focused on trying to fix everything I did twelve years ago, but I realized that I haven’t actually forgiven myself. But just now—” He waved to where he used to be standing. “Just now, I felt this powerful impression that I’ve set right what I did wrong, and that I should forgive myself.”
She nodded, knowing exactly how he felt. “And now you’re ready to move forward.”
“Right. With you, though, Natalie. I want us to make decisions together.”
Natalie cocked her head to the side and a coy smile played with her lips. “Sounds like something a husband and wife would do.”
He blinked at her. “Are you saying we need to be married to make decisions like this?”
She hadn’t come intending to pressure him about marrying her. The idea hadn’t eve
n been near her mind. “That sounds about right.” She walked over to him and took his hands in hers. “Owen Carr, will you marry me?”
22
“I like that one.” Marie pointed to a square diamond the size of Natalie’s knuckle.
“That one’s too big,” she said. “Your uncle—”
“Has plenty of money,” Owen breathed into her ear. “If you like it, try it on.”
Natalie glanced up at him though he stood so close behind her, she had to really crane her neck to see his face. “We’ll need that money to move across the country.”
“I asked you to pick out the one you like.”
“I like several of them.” She glanced back in the jewelry case and pointed to the square diamond ring Marie had indicated. “I guess let me see that one.”
The jeweler pulled it out and handled it with care as he slid it onto Natalie’s ring finger. She gazed at the stone, pure happiness radiating through her.
“I like that one,” Marie repeated, her eyes shining with delight.
Natalie smiled at her. “It is a nice one.”
“So, is that the one?” Owen glanced at his phone in an obvious show of checking the time.
“Are you in a hurry?”
“Kind of, yeah,” he said. “We’re leaving for Wyoming in the morning, and I still haven’t packed.”
Natalie tipped her head back and laughed. “You’ve had the last three days off, and you haven’t managed to do your laundry, is that it?”
“I used to have someone doing that for me,” he said dryly. “And we still have to go to dinner too.” He leaned closer and dropped his voice as he said, “And I may have some presents I need to wrap so Santa can find Marie in Peach Valley.”
Natalie gazed up at him, joy dancing through her system. Joy that he and Marie were coming to Wyoming with her for Christmas. Joy that she’d be wearing his engagement ring when they arrived in Wyoming for Christmas. Joy that he’d said yes when she’d asked him to marry her and then go to Wyoming for Christmas.
“All right,” she said, imitating his cowboy drawl. “This is the one.” She slid it off and handed it back to the jeweler. “And it even fits.”
“Let me get it cleaned for you,” he said. “While I do that, Perry will take care of the payment.”
Natalie wandered away from the counter while Owen pulled out his credit card. She didn’t want to know the final price, and she bent her head close to Marie as the girl looked at a row of pink-stoned rings.
“Hey, sweetheart,” she said. “How are you doing with this? You know, me and your uncle getting married?”
Owen said he’d talked to Marie about it, and she’d been happy with the idea of Natalie living with them all the time and being Owen’s wife.
Marie shrugged. “You’re a good cook, and Grandma says you make Uncle Owen really happy.”
“What about you?” Natalie asked. “Are you happy?”
Marie fixed her dark blue eyes on Natalie’s. “I like you, Nat. You’re nice.” A timid smile came across her face and her chin wobbled. “I miss my mom and dad.”
Natalie wrapped Marie into a solid hug. “I know you do, baby doll. I am not replacing your mom. I love you, though, and I’ll help you remember your mom and dad.”
Marie nodded into Natalie’s shoulder, where her warm tears stained Natalie’s sweater. When she quieted, Natalie pulled back. “I knew your mom, you know. She was a cheerleader in high school. Did you know that?”
Marie sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Grandma showed me some pictures and her uniform.”
“She was always nice to me,” Natalie said. “When your uncle and I were dating in high school, your mom always made me feel welcome at your grandma’s house. I appreciated that about her.”
Marie watched her with wide eyes. “What else do you know about her?”
Natalie smiled and tucked her hand in Marie’s. “Well, let’s see….”
Owen twisted toward Natalie, feeling huge and out of place behind the wheel of her sedan. He’d wanted to drive his truck, but there was literally nowhere to put the presents and luggage for three people without it getting wet on the drive down. And her car had handled the roads just fine.
“Are you sure they’re not going to be waiting with tar and pitchforks?” he asked. “Do I turn here?”
“Up there.” She pointed to the next street, where the light was red. “And I told them I was bringing you with me, and to be nice.”
“That doesn’t mean they won’t have pitchforks,” he muttered as he coasted to a stop behind another car waiting to turn right.
“I doubt my father even knows what a pitchfork is,” Natalie said.
“He lived in Montana for thirty years,” Owen said. “Of course he knows what a pitchfork is.” His stomach wouldn’t settle down, and his tone came out a bit frostier than he’d intended. “Sorry,” he said. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous.” But he did. Natalie had told him how her parents had reacted to his sudden departure twelve years ago. Again, he felt like that single decision has spurred a lifetime of pain, that he’d be punished forever because of one thing he’d done twelve years ago.
Of course, he knew it was more than one thing. He hadn’t called the way he should have. He hadn’t come back the way he’d promised. He hadn’t done a lot of things he should’ve. But he didn’t let it bother him anymore—he’d found his forgiveness. Natalie had forgiven him, and that was all that mattered.
After all, he didn’t have to live with her mom or her dad. Just had to make it through holidays.
He took a deep breath as she pointed to a sprawling, brown-brick house. “That’s it,” she said. “Remember Julie? She’s a little…intense.”
“Your sister was crazy,” he said.
“Hey.” Natalie glanced to the backseat where Marie sat. “Sisters are wonderful.” She winked at Marie. “Mine does happen to be a little crazy. I like to think of her as eccentric.”
“What does that mean?” Marie asked.
“Crazy,” Owen said with a smile. He peered at the house, his emotions spiraling up and then down. He could employ his politeness, no matter what anyone said or did. Only Natalie’s and Marie’s opinions mattered to him anyhow. “All right,” he drawled. “Let’s go meet the family.”
Natalie knocked and entered first, tugging Marie by the hand behind her. Owen waited until they’d both entered, until he heard Julie’s delighted squeals, before he went inside and pushed the door closed behind him.
Julie was crouched down in front of Marie, stroking her hair and exclaiming over its beauty. She took the girl’s coat, and then hugged Natalie so tight and so long that Owen wondered if Nat would pass out from lack of air. When Julie trained her gaze on him, Owen tipped his hat to her. “Hey, Julie. Nice to see you again.”
“Oh, you.” She swatted his bicep and reached for his jacket, which he gave her gladly. “At least you didn’t call me ma’am. But I would use ma’am when you meet Mom. Word to the wise.”
“Noted,” Owen said, glancing over Julie’s shoulder with rioting nerves contained neatly beneath his skin. “Where are your parents?”
“Kitchen. Go, go.” Julie shooed Natalie and Marie through the doorway, but she went down the hall to deposit their coats in the bedroom.
Natalie reached for Owen’s hand before she entered the kitchen, and her tight squeeze indicated that she had some of her own anxiety to deal with. He hated that he’d been the cause of that, but again, there was nothing he could do about it now. They’d discussed at length how her parents would receive him, and now the moment had come.
“Mom,” Natalie said. “We’re here, and—”
Her mother turned from the stove, a wide smile on her face. “Oh, my goodness. Is this an angel?” She beamed at Marie with love in her eyes. “Look how big you’ve gotten, Miss Marie.”
“Miss Brooke?” Marie glanced back at Owen. “You didn’t say we’d be seein’ Miss Brooke!” She launched herself into Natalie’s mother’s
arms, who held her tight and pressed her eyes closed. She held the girl and looked right into her face. “Are you bein’ good for your uncle?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Marie said. “He’s gettin’ married soon.”
“I know.” Her eyes finally moved to Natalie. “He’s marryin’ my daughter.”
Marie looked back and forth between the two women. “I like her,” she told Natalie’s mom in a not-so-quiet voice. “Uncle Owen does too. He kisses her a lot.”
Natalie gasped, and Owen’s face flushed as he said, “All right, Marie—” at the same time Natalie’s mother threw a laugh toward the ceiling.
When she quieted, she said, “I hope he does kiss her a lot, Marie. That’s what you do when you’re in love.” She set Marie on her feet and embraced Natalie. When she stepped over to Owen, he felt nothing but love in her arms, and acceptance when she said, “It’s about time you became part of our family, Owen Carr.”
He stepped back, the words he wanted to say trapped behind the emotion caught in his throat. He nodded and caught Natalie swiping at her eyes.
“What did I miss?” Julie came bustling into the kitchen. “Mom, you stopped stirring the creamed corn?” She grabbed the wooden spoon and began swishing for all she was worth.
“I was meeting everyone,” she said. “It’s not even boiling yet.”
“How do you know Marie?” Owen asked.
“She was in my Sunday children’s class.” Natalie’s mom smiled down at Marie. “Was years ago, but I never forget the good ones.”
Marie beamed up and her and then tucked one hand back into Owen’s and one into Natalie’s. “Where’s Papa Bear?”
Natalie choked. “She doesn't mean Dad, does she?”
Her mother held her head high and said, “He was quite pleasant with the children.”
Julie glanced over, a giggle escaping as she continued to babysit the creamed corn.
Natalie’s mom bent down and whispered, “Papa Bear is taking a nap downstairs. Should we go wake him up?” She extended her hand for Marie to take and led her around the corner and down the steps.
Owen watched them go, his heart about to burst with relief and joy and gratitude. Natalie nudged him with her shoulder and he took her into his arms, beyond glad she was his and he was hers.