As Lachlan gazes down at me like he’s holding his entire world between his hands, I don’t think I have anything to worry about.
Chapter Eighty-Six
It’s a week later before everyone’s schedules align to meet up at the art museum. Thankfully, Sasha will be coming too and I know she’ll be a great buffer for my brother with Lachlan. He won’t want to act like too much of an ass in front of his girlfriend.
God, I still can’t believe those two are a couple, though in the last month since I showed up at Sage’s, and I’ve been around them more, I see how they work together. He mellows her out and she brings out his silly side that’s been missing since the shooting. It’s nice seeing a light in his eyes again that I hadn’t even noticed had been extinguished. Like me, though, he finally admitted that he started to see a therapist about a month after I left the States. It’s really helped him and his progress gives me hope for my own.
I wait outside the apartment complex, too nervous to wait inside. I pace the walkway out front, eyes searching for Lachlan’s Acura to pull into the lot.
“I’m literally sweating,” I mutter to myself, wrinkling my nose in disgust at my wet pits. “That’s gross. Maybe I should change my shirt.”
I know if anyone’s watching me I look like a crazy person, or maybe like I’m on drugs, but I can’t bring myself to care because my brother is about to meet Lachlan. Lachlan is going to meet my brother. It’s like I’ve stepped into an alternate universe.
I know technically they’ve met before, but passing by on the street barely counts.
I spot Lachlan’s car, and cease my pacing, though I’m sure he’s already seen.
He pulls up in front of me and I reach for the door, hurrying inside. The sooner we get this over with the better.
“Nervous?” he asks with a chuckle as I slide the seatbelt across my body.
There’s no denying it. “You have no idea.”
He heads for the exit, his gaze flickering my way. “It’s going to be fine, Dani. I’m not sure about great, or even good, but it’ll be fine.”
“Fine,” I repeat. “I’m okay with fine.” Fine would mean no punches are thrown and no threats are made. “Will you pinky promise on it?”
He holds his pinky out, watching the stoplight leading out of my apartment complex. “Pinky promise.”
I seal the promise with my finger. “If it doesn’t go okay, it’s your fault now.”
He laughs, placing his hand on my leg. “I understand why you’re worried. I’m nervous too, but the sooner we do this the better.”
I hope he’s right.
The drive to the art museum takes thirty minutes since I now live on the opposite side of the city, but I wish it was longer. I’ve barely gotten myself under control when Lachlan parks his car.
We get out, heading across the street to where we’re supposed to meet out front by my favorite horse sculpture.
Lachlan faces me, rubbing my arms to try to soothe me. “Stop worrying, baby.” My body warms at the endearment. He tips my chin up with a finger. “I made a pinky promise, remember?”
“Yeah.” The single word is so low it’s barely audible, but he smiles so I know he heard me.
His lips press softly to my forehead and I inhale a shaky breath, trying to steady myself for the storm named Sage.
Sure, enough, my brother chooses now to show up.
“Hands off my sister, Lach-ness.”
“Lach-ness?” Lachlan mouths to me.
“I’ll explain later.”
Despite Sage’s barking orders, Lachlan doesn’t let me go. He holds my hand so we face my brother and Sasha head on.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Lachlan holds out his hand.
Sage glares at it and then up at Lachlan. “I’m not shaking your hand. You touched my sister with that hand when she was your fucking student.”
“Sage,” I hiss.
“He’s right,” Lachlan says, squeezing the hand of mine he holds, letting his other drop back to his side. “Look,” he addresses my brother, “I know I’ve done wrong, I won’t deny that, but I love your sister and I’ll do whatever it is you need me to do in order to prove I’m sincere.”
Sage makes a noise in the back of his throat and turns sharply on his heel, heading for the museum entrance. “A fucking art museum,” he grumbles like we can’t hear him, “only my sister would force me to meet her old man lover at an art museum. I miss the French douchebag.”
Sasha presses her lips together, trying not to laugh as the three of us follow after Sage.
Sage holds the door open for Sasha, but heads in behind her, blocking us from going.
“I’m going to kill him,” I seethe, glaring at his retreating figure. “I’m going to bury him six feet under somewhere no one will find him.”
Lachlan grins down at me. “You’d never.”
He’s right, I wouldn’t hurt a fly, but right now I wouldn’t mind kicking my brother in the ass.
Lachlan opens the door for me, letting me in first.
Sage and Sasha are already in the first gallery when we catch up to them.
“So what are you doing for work now since you quit before you could get fired like a total pussy.”
“Sage!” I cry, my fists clenching at my sides. “I’m going to throat punch you.”
Lachlan squeezes my hand, silently telling me it’s okay, but it’s not. I know we’re fighting an uphill battle with my brother, but he doesn’t have to be such a dick.
“I’m working at a local youth center. Still counseling and I’m coaching basketball there.”
Sage sneers, looking my boyfriend up and down. “Still around kids then, I see.”
“Hey, cut it out,” Sasha scolds him.
The tightness in his face relaxes some, but not a whole lot. “Just trying to get to know Lach-ness.”
“Sage!” Sasha and I both scream at him this time.
We’re probably so close to being kicked out and we only got here.
“Oh, I get it now.” Lachlan’s lips twitch. “Like the Loch Ness Monster.”
“Exactly.” Sage grins.
“That’s funny.”
“None of this is funny.” I look up at Lachlan, offended he’s amused by my brother’s antics.
Lachlan gives my hand another squeeze before letting go. “Why don’t you ladies go look around and leave Sage and I to have a chat?”
My eyes go wide. “Are you crazy?” I hiss.
Lachlan has a death wish.
“It’ll be fine.”
Sage looks shocked by this turn of events. “Uh…”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Sasha reaches out for my arm, dragging me away from the two men. “We’ll be … somewhere.”
I reluctantly allow her to pull me away and up the stairs to the second level of the gallery. She finds a corner with a bench, sitting down.
“Are you crazy? Sage is going to kill him.”
She waves a dismissive hand. “You know your brother wouldn’t actually hurt him even if he wants to. But I think it’s important for your brother to get some things off his chest.”
“You’re right.” I hate admitting it, but she has a point. I know there are bound to be things Sage needs to say without me breathing down both their necks. “I still can’t believe you’re dating my brother.”
She laughs, her cheeks flushed. “Me either, to be honest. It just kind of happened.”
“I know how that goes,” I sigh.
“Still can’t believe you banged the guidance counselor.”
“Oh, ew, please don’t say it like that. That’s gross.”
“Did you guys ever have sex at school?”
“No!” I blurt out. “God, no. That’s … no.”
She smiles at me, her eyes bright and happy. “Sorry, I was curious so I had to ask.”
“Are things good with you and Sage?”
Even though I’ve been around them since I made my announcement that I was home, I
haven’t had any opportunities to speak to Sasha one on one.
“They’re really good. He gets me, that sounds so cliché but it’s true.”
“I like seeing him happy—both of you happy.”
“You’re not mad about it, right? I’m so sorry you found out like you did. I know we aren’t as close as you and Ansel, but we’re still friends. I hated keeping it a secret from you, but Sage wanted to be the one to tell you and he kept putting it off.”
“I mean, it’s a little weird.” I feel the need to be honest. “But no, I’m not mad. Sage deserves to be happy and you do too. I’m glad you found each other like…”
“Like you and Lachlan?” She finishes for me with a kind smile.
Sasha is a lot calmer now than she used to be, almost motherly in some ways.
“Yeah.” I rub my hands on my jeans. “I love him so much sometimes it scares me.”
“Love is scary. I think that’s why so many people are afraid of it. But it’s worth it.”
We hear a commotion then and turn to see the two men climbing the stairs, talking like old buddies. Sage still has some tension around his eyes and mouth, and I can tell from the set of Lachlan’s shoulders that he’s not totally relaxed, but it’s better than them pushing and screaming at each other. Not that I would expect Lachlan to do that sort of thing, but Sage? Most definitely.
Sasha stands up, almost gliding over to my brother’s side. Over her shoulder she tosses me a wink before taking his hand and pulling him to a painting down the way she tells him he has to see, despite the fact she’s never seen it herself as far as I know.
Lachlan walks over to me, sitting down on the bench and stretching his long legs out.
“How’d it go?” I hate that I’m scared to ask, but I have to know.
Lachlan angles his head down to me, his eyes void of any joking light but he doesn’t seem pissed either. “Not bad. We had a good chat.”
“A good chat?” I repeat, wrinkling my nose. “What does that mean?”
“It means I let him talk and I listened and then I talked and he listened.”
I narrow my eyes. “You’re not going to give me any details, are you?”
“Nope.” He stands up, holding his hand out. I take it, but when he tries to lead me away, I hold my ground.
“I need more than that, Lachlan.”
He runs his fingers through his hair before rubbing his jaw. “It wasn’t bad, okay, but I’m never going to be your brother’s first choice for you. Are you okay with that?”
I look from Lachlan down to the end of the room where Sage stands with Sasha looking at another painting. “I am.” My answer is sure. I don’t have any doubts. “But are you okay with that?” I counter, because I know it has to bother him.
“You’re what matters to me most, Dani.”
Stretching up on my toes, I kiss him. I don’t care who sees or if it pisses my brother off.
“I love you.”
“Love you, too,” he murmurs, holding me close.
Within the warmth of his body, I feel safe, like I’m home, and I know everything is going to be okay.
I know I’ll never forget that day.
I’ll never forget the loss of my mom. Of the other lives lost that day.
I won’t forget the recovery, the tears, the pain.
But I will move on. I am moving on.
With every smile, every laugh, I’m not letting that day hold me prisoner anymore. I know I’ll always have my moments where dark clouds might block my sunny day, but it’s okay. Life is meant to be lived, and I’m finally doing that again.
I once thought that Lachlan was the sun and I was the rain. That there was no happy ending for us.
I was wrong.
There’s always a chance for a happy ending, but you have to choose it.
And I do.
I choose this life.
I choose him.
I choose us.
And that’s a pinky promise.
Epilogue
Three Years Later
I didn’t want to do the big wedding thing, with the poufy dress, the guests, all the hoopla. But Lachlan insisted that we were doing this right. He said that being able to love in the light meant he wanted to watch me walk down the aisle in a dress to him. I couldn’t argue with that—I did have one stipulation though. Well, two.
The first was I wanted to get married in Scotland, it was the root of his heritage, a place he’d never been, and neither had I, because even when I started on my trip across Europe almost four years ago I’d known then that Scotland belonged to him. Now, it would belong to the both of us.
The second was, I wanted him to wear a kilt.
He thought I was kidding.
I wasn’t.
“You sure you want to do this?” I roll my eyes at the sound of my brother’s voice. He steps up beside me in the little home we rented at the venue for everyone to get ready. “There’s a loch nearby, maybe Lach-ness can join his girl Nessie.”
“Sage,” I groan, punching him lightly in the arm, “that’s my soon-to-be-husband you’re talking about.”
Husband. My stomach dips with excitement at that one word.
“Still can’t believe you guys are getting married on your birthdays. You already have the same birthdays, now it’s going to be your anniversary? It’s weird as hell.”
“It’s what we wanted.”
It already seemed ironic enough that we share the same birthday, it only seemed fitting to get married today too. I definitely never thought I’d be getting married at twenty-three, but here we are. Life is defined by the unexpected.
Walking away from Sage, I look at myself in the mirror one last time.
I knew the white tulle dress was the one as soon as I saw it. With flowers appliqued to the bottom, hip area, and top I was enamored from the start. It reminded me of my prom dress in some ways, but this was simpler, the skirt not quite as full, and I knew my brother wasn’t a fan of the plunging neckline, but Lachlan was going to die.
My hair is curled, a few pieces pulled back with fresh flowers woven through the strands. My makeup is barely noticeable, soft and natural. I wanted to look like me today. Not some glammed up version of me I’d probably never see again.
“Hey, it’s time.” Sasha pokes her head in the door, her skin glowing. She looks happy, and I’m glad the two of them seem to be figuring things out. They’ve broken up twice in the last three years, but honestly they’re perfect for each other and too stubborn to take the next step.
Sage holds his elbow out to me. “Let’s do this thing, Weed.”
I loop my hand around his arm. “You gonna be okay letting me go, Herb?”
The lines by his eyes deepen, a frown forming on his lips. “No.” He wets his lips, staring down at me in a way I know he’s thinking of how much I’ve grown. “You’re my little sister, it’s hard to watch you live your own life. But I am happy for you.”
“Are you really?” I have to ask, because I know he’s never been a big fan of Lachlan.
“It’s obvious he loves you. I might still hold a grudge against him, but I can’t deny that. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. I know he’s going to love you and take care of you.”
“Don’t make me cry.” I feel my throat closing up.
“Never.” Sage smiles at me. “Let’s get this thing going.”
I let him guide me out of the little cottage, down the rolling green hill, to where Lachlan waits at the end with the pastor from a nearby church. Behind him are the outlines of more green hills, the water below. It looks like something from an enchanted fairytale. The arbor he stands under, adorned with flowers and greenery, adds even more to the fairytale of it all.
Lachlan’s eyes take me in and I lose my breath as he looks at me like I’m everything.
I start tugging Sage along and he hisses, “Slow down.”
Finally, I’m in front of my fiancé.
Sage hands me over and when I kiss hi
s cheek I don’t miss the tear falling from the corner of his eye.
I can’t help but look over Lachlan, in his black button down dress shirt tucked into a green, brown, and blue kilt.
So glad I made him wear a kilt.
We exchange our vows, our friends and family watching.
I slide the silver band over his thick knuckle until it comes to rest where it will sit for the rest of our lives.
He takes my hand, doing the same. I stare down at the thin silver band with tiny diamonds going all the way around it. It’s simple, but stunning.
“You may now kiss your bride.”
Lachlan’s hands go straight to my face, like always, and he kisses me slow and deep, signing the contract on the years ahead of us.
We turn, hands clasped, and I can’t stop smiling as my eyes glide over his parents and sister, my brother, Sasha, and even Ansel and his family. Ansel claps, smiling back at me. I miss him like crazy since he still lives in Paris, doing his own thing, but we talk all the time.
“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Lachlan Taylor.”
I turn my smile to my husband. “I’m Mrs. Taylor now.”
“It’s about damn time.” He lowers his head, kissing me again. I lean into his touch, still not able to stop smiling even as I kiss him back. “I love you Dandelion Taylor.”
“Not as much as I love you, Mr. Taylor.”
He chuckles against me as we walk down the aisle, away from everyone else, into the start of our forever.
Epilogue
Another Three Years Later
Looking out the window above the sink, I try to hold in my laughter, watching Lachlan spin our honeymoon souvenir around in the air. Lyla’s giggles are music to my ears as it carries in through the screen door, the sound of wind chimes tinkling along with it. That little girl is our entire world. Before we got married, we decided to start trying for a baby during our honeymoon. For some reason both of us were convinced that it would take months, maybe even a year or more, but we lucked out and ended up pregnant our wedding night.
Sweet Dandelion Page 47