Drew wiped the tears off her face and kissed her nose. “I would have liked Olivia.”
She nodded as more tears fell. “Yes, you would have.”
They left the next day to drive down to Colorado. Lily had insisted, that to make an informed decision they needed to take a good long look around his home town, also. She hadn’t been anywhere except for the ranch.
On the drive down, they paid attention to the towns south of Casper, just in case they wanted to live around that area. There were two different ways to get to his home, one was down interstate twenty-five that went through Denver, but there was also a back way that—according to the mapping software—shaved an hour off the drive, so they decided to look that over. It was a smaller road but went through the national forest, or near it, so it was a prettier drive.
His family gave them a warm welcome, and he was happy to show off his home state. He drove her to the small towns near his home and would have liked to take her into the National Park, but it was too late in the season and the road was closed due to snowfall. He noticed there had been some snow while he was gone. Not a lot at the ranch but up on Trail Ridge Road it was most likely significantly heavier.
They took things slow and looked at possible job openings around the area. He talked to Drake about possibly moving. Drake was disappointed but wished him well and told him to take the time he needed to make the best decision. Drake also told Drew, that he would give him a stellar recommendation, if he decided to move on.
Travis also took him aside to tell him if he needed to live somewhere else to be with Lily, they would miss him fiercely, but they all wanted him to be happy. If that was living somewhere else, then they would be glad for him.
Drew was glad for their support, but they still hadn’t decided where they wanted to live. One day as they were walking through town they turned down a street Lily hadn’t seen before.
“Oh, look at that pretty church. Can we go in and look at it?”
“Sure, it should be open this time of day.” He steered her toward the steps and they went inside.
Lily sighed when they walked into the sanctuary. It had one whole side of the church that was huge windows that held an amazing view of the lake and mountains behind it.
“It’s amazing. Can we get married here? It’s plenty large enough for both our families, and even some people from both our towns that would want to come.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Let’s talk to the receptionist and see what dates they have available.”
They decided to get married on Valentine’s day, surprisingly, it was one of the dates open due to a recent cancellation. With choosing February it was early enough that they wouldn’t have to worry about calving or foaling season.
Once they made that decision, they decided to live in Colorado until their wedding. The twins and their sweethearts were getting married in December. Adam and Rachel were having a destination wedding in Hawaii in January. And then their wedding would be in February. So, it made the most sense to stay in Colorado until then. Which also gave them the time to decide about a permanent location. With that settled they breathed a sigh of relief and made plans to go back to Montana to get more of Lily’s clothes.
A few days later Lily insisted it was time for him to visit Monica’s grave.
Drew frowned. “I don’t need to visit Monica’s grave.”
“I think you do. It would give you closure.”
“That’s silly, she’s been gone for years. I don’t need closure.”
But Lily didn’t let up. Drew didn’t really want to visit it, but he gave into Lily’s insistence. She promised to go with him to the cemetery. He bought a bouquet of Monica’s favorite flowers that had to be shipped in from Denver.
When they got to the cemetery Lily walked over to the grave and looked at it for a long moment. She turned and squeezed his arm. “I’m going to go sit on that bench over there and give you a couple of minutes. Say your goodbyes, Drew.”
He shook his head as she walked away, he didn’t really feel this was necessary, but she’d felt better after they’d gone to Olivia’s grave, so he supposed it wouldn’t hurt. He knelt down and laid the flowers carefully on her grave, and a sense of peace settled over his heart. He remembered the life he’d had with Monica and all they had shared. Then he glanced over to Lily and envisioned his future. Lily was right, he had needed to say a final farewell to his first love, now that he’d found his final love.
He also realized he could finally let Monica rest, since he had managed to save Lily, even when he hadn’t been able to do the same for Monica. That release also set him free from his need to be a sheriff, he still might want to be one, but he didn’t have to be one, he didn’t have anything to prove. He was glad he’d come to say goodbye.
He could almost feel Monica ruffle his hair as she had when they were together. It had become—over the years— her way of saying goodbye. She’d not done it the night she died, she’d been too sad and had forgone her silly tradition. It had always bothered him. Not consciously, but it had been there in his heart. So, to feel her do it today—even if it was really just the wind—healed something deep inside.
Then he stood to walk over to Lily, he was ready to face the future with his new love, and knew Monica was laughing and happy for him.
Lily walked into his arms, she belonged there, and regardless of where they decided to live, he knew he would be taking home with him. Lily was his future, his love, his home.
The End
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Also by Shirley Penick
LAKE CHELAN SERIES
The Rancher’s Lady: A Lake Chelan novella
Hank and Ellen’s story
Sawdust and Satin: Lake Chelan #1
Chris and Barbara’s story
Designs on Her: Lake Chelan #2
Nolan and Kristen’s story
Smokin’: Lake Chelan #3
Jeremy and Amber’s story
Fire on the Mountain: Lake Chelan #4
Trey and Mary Ann’s story
The Fire Chief’s Desire: Lake Chelan #5
Greg and Sandy’s story
Mysterious Ways: Lake Chelan #6
Scott and Nicole’s story
BURLAP AND BARBED WIRE SERIES
A Cowboy for Alyssa: Burlap and Barbed Wire #1
Beau and Alyssa’s story
Taming Adam: Burlap and Barbed Wire #2
Adam and Rachel’s story
Tempting Chase: Burlap and Barbed Wire #3
Chase and Katie’s story
Roping Cade: Burlap and Barbed Wire #4
Cade and Summer’s story
Trusting Drew: Burlap and Barbed Wire #5
Drew and Lily’s story
HELLUVA ENGINEER SERIES
Helluva Engineer
Steve and Patsy’s story
About the Author
What does a geeky math nerd know about writing romance?
That’s a darn good question. As a former techy I’ve done everything from computer programming to international trainer. Prior to college I had lots of different jobs and activities that were so diverse, I was an anomaly.
None of that qualifies me for writing novels. But I have some darn good stories to tell and a lot of imagination.
I have lived in Colorado, Hawaii and currently reside in Washington. Going from two states with 340 days of sun to a state with 340 days of clouds, I had to do something to perk me up. And that’s when I started this new adventure called author. Joining the Romance Writers of America and two local chapters, helped me learn the craft quickly and has been a ton of fun.
My family consists of two grown children, their spouses, two adorable grand-daughters, and one grand dog. My favorite activity is playing with my grand-daughters!
When the girls can’t play with their amazing grandmother, my interests are reading and writing, yay! I started
reading at a young age with the Nancy Drew mysteries and have continued to be an avid reader my whole life. My favorite reading material is romance, but occasionally if other stories creep into my to-be-read pile, I don’t kick them out.
Some of the strange jobs I have held are a carnation grower’s worker, a trap club puller, a pizza hut waitress, a software engineer, an international trainer, and a business program manager. I took welding, drafting and upholstery in high school, a long time ago, when girls didn’t take those classes, so I have an eclectic bunch of knowledge and experience.
And for something really unusual… I once had a raccoon as a pet.
Join with me as I tell my stories, weaving real tidbits from my life in with imaginary ones. You’ll have to guess which is which. It will be a hoot!
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Trusting Drew: Burlap and Barbed Wire Page 25