by Iris Morland
"Really?"
"Really. I hope they have a decent life together with their kid. But I don't want to be a part of it—and that's okay. Because I have you."
Abby's smile grew wider and wider. "Good. Because I don't want to share you with another woman."
"There's no chance in hell of that, baby. You're the only woman I could ever want or need."
They kissed again, this time not parting until they both gasped for air.
After eating lunch, Abby drove them to a neighboring ranch that had offered to house the horses until they could get the barn rebuilt. Mark hated that he couldn't see the horses every day, but all four were being well cared for.
Ranchers in the area had banded together to help Mark run his ranch while he recovered, and it had touched his heart to see the outpouring of support from so many people, many of whom he'd only met a handful of times.
They found all four horses in an outdoor enclosure with a few of the ranch owner's own horses. Mirielle had kept growing, and soon she wouldn't be all legs. The moment Mark approached, Delilah came trotting over to him to nudge him, snorting happily.
"Sorry girl, I didn't bring a carrot for you." He rubbed her nose as best as he could with his bandaged hands. "Are you behaving yourself?"
Mirielle followed her mother and stuck her nose through the gap in the fence, as she wasn't quite tall enough to reach over the top. Abby laughed and kneeled down to give her a good rub.
They entered the enclosure to greet the rest of the horses. The ranch owner, Kevin Wilson, stopped by, and he and Mark chatted for a moment. But Mark only had eyes for Abby as she laughed and talked to the horses, the animals now surrounding her like a band of naughty children.
"I should probably go save her," Mark said when Samson began searching for something to eat in Abby's pockets.
Kevin tipped his hat, grinning. "I think she'll manage."
And she did: Abby gently pushed Samson away, scratching him behind the ears. Mark felt his heart flip over in his chest.
He realized as he walked toward her that Abby had not only saved him, she'd made him a better man. She was his miracle, because she'd shown him that love didn't make you a prisoner.
Love could only set you free.
Epilogue
Seven months later...
Abby sneaked out of the room containing the bride and bridesmaids, hoping to find Mark before the ceremony started. Smoothing her bridesmaid's dress down, she did a little preening when she passed a hallway mirror.
Sara had been kind enough to ask her to be in the wedding, and Abby had been more than happy to accept. The extended Thornton clan had embraced Abby, and although Lisa Thornton would always be rather terrifying, she'd accepted Abby in her cool way.
The rest of the family had been as lovely as Abby could've imagined, and she'd gotten closer to Sara, Megan, and even Lizzie, who'd remained in Fair Haven after the New Year.
Abby knew the groomsmen were hiding away in a room somewhere in the palatial Thornton mansion where the ceremony would be held. After Lisa had agreed to keep her involvement in the wedding to a bare minimum, with Harrison exacting a solemn vow that she wouldn't cause Sara even one second of stress, he and Sara had agreed to hold the wedding here.
It was a beautiful place, that was for sure, and now that it was June, the sun shone most days, and flowers bloomed everywhere. A huge purple azalea bush would provide a natural overhang for the ceremony, while hydrangea bushes bursting with color would frame the bride and groom.
But Abby's mind was on other things—and on someone else. When she peeked inside one of the rooms and found no Mark inside, she frowned. Where was he? Knowing him, he was probably hidden away under the stairwell with all of this commotion.
Mark was better about spending time with his family, but he inevitably returned to his ranch to be alone with Abby. "My family is totally crazy," he'd always say in a resigned voice.
"What are you doing out here?" a voice murmured. Then an arm snaked around her waist and pulled her into an empty bedroom.
She laughed breathlessly. "I was looking for you."
"Good answer."
Turning, she let herself appreciate Mark wearing a tuxedo. With his dark hair slicked back and his evergreen eyes gleaming, he was handsomeness incarnate. She smiled as she adjusted his boutonniere.
"I could eat you up right now," she murmured, patting his chest, "but I don't want to mess up your tux."
That made him growl. "Speak for yourself. How long do we have before anyone would notice we were gone?"
"Don't you dare!"
She laughed harder when he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her. She had to wipe lipstick from his face afterward, although luckily he hadn't messed up her very expensive up-do.
"Do you want to tell everyone?" she asked as they sat down together on an armchair, Abby sitting on Mark's lap.
She combed her fingers through his hair; the kissing had disheveled the strands.
"Let's keep it a secret a while longer. Besides, I think upstaging my brother at his wedding would result in me getting punched."
"Good point. Although I'm having a hard time keeping this a secret."
They smiled at each other, and Abby felt the diamond ring hanging between her breasts like a talisman. Mark had proposed to her one night when they'd lain outside under the stars. Although it had been over two weeks since that beautiful night, they hadn't told anyone about the engagement since everyone was preoccupied with Sara and Harrison's wedding.
Sara and Harrison most likely would've been fine with eloping, but they'd both known that the family would've balked, especially with Harrison being the eldest and the first to marry. So they'd agreed to have the whole shebang, and as far as Abby knew, Lisa had kept her nose out of the planning except when necessary. It was her house holding the wedding, after all.
They heard voices, and Abby got up with a sigh. "I think it's time to go." She held out her hand. "Ready?"
Mark took her hand and kissed her fingers. "Always."
They parted when they had to join the bride and groom, smiling at their secret. When Abby entered the large sitting room, she marveled at Sara's transformation. It wasn't so much the gown and the veil—although they were both beautiful—but the glow on her face and the love in her eyes that was infectious.
Sara turned and patted her hair. "Well, what do you think?" she asked.
Along with Abby, Jubilee and Lizzie were bridesmaids, with Megan as the maid of honor. Megan wore her own engagement ring, as Caleb had proposed recently, with the wedding scheduled for the fall.
Lisa and Ruth Flannigan gasped and cooed, while the younger girls all let out breathless sighs at Sara's question.
"You look beautiful," Abby said. She adjusted a flower in Sara's hair. "Harrison is going to fall over when he sees you."
"That's the idea." She grinned. "Where's James?"
"He's with the guys. When he found out that Harrison wasn't allowed to see you before the ceremony, he decided to watch Harrison's every move." Megan's lips twitched. "I think Harrison hasn't even been allowed to go the bathroom without James making sure he doesn't try anything."
That made everyone laugh; even Lisa smiled. Abby had given her future mother-in-law a wide berth, which she would continue to do after she'd married Mark.
Abby didn't want to think about planning a wedding with Lisa hovering. She wondered if Mark would agree to an elopement...
Right before the ceremony began, Megan pulled Abby aside. "You have a secret, and I want to know what it is."
Abby bit her lip. "I do not."
"Liar. You're terrible at it." Megan narrowed her eyes. "Are you pregnant?"
"No!" Abby glanced around. "Don't you dare put that rumor out there! I'd never hear the end of it."
Abby's heart clenched a little at the question. Megan didn't know about Abby's infertility. With Mark's support, though, Abby had begun to stop blaming herself for something she couldn't control.
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"Then what is it?" Megan pressed.
Abby unconsciously touched the necklace with her engagement ring hanging from it, the ring hidden from sight in Abby's dress.
Megan, though, wasn't about to let her friend keep a secret for long. She plucked the necklace from Abby's fingers, pulling the ring out of its hiding spot.
"Abby Davison, you sly thing. You got engaged and didn't say a thing? I'm impressed. And disappointed. Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because the wedding was on everybody's minds, and we didn't want to steal Harrison and Sara's thunder." She let Megan inspect the ring before taking it back, hiding it against her heart. "How did you guess I was keeping something?"
"Because you look so happy it's disgusting. You looked like me when Caleb proposed." Megan laughed. "I mean, I'm still disgustingly happy, but there's something about that newly engaged glow, you know?"
"Girls, it's time to go," Lisa said.
"We better get down there. Also, I'm so glad I have you and my sister for support when dealing with our future mother-in-law."
Abby shuddered a little. "Ditto."
Ten minutes later, Abby walked down the aisle with Mark, her heart full to bursting. The sun had begun to set, and it lit the entire ceremony with a golden glow.
Mark squeezed her arm a little before they parted, Abby standing next to Lizzie at the front, Mark standing next to Caleb. Abby watched as Seth Thornton walked down the aisle with Jubilee.
She'd met Seth at Christmas, but she hadn't seen him since then. He'd gotten leave to attend his oldest brother's wedding, and for the first time since the holidays, all the Thornton siblings were together.
James walked down the aisle after them, looking austere in his duty as ring bearer. According to Sara, he hadn't let the pillow out of his sight, and when he'd been given the rings to carry, he'd vowed that he wouldn't drop them no matter what.
Then the bride's song began, and as the guests stood up, Sara began to walk down the aisle. She looked radiant, and as her gaze caught Harrison's rapt one, Abby's heart fluttered.
No one could deny how much those two adored each other. When Sara reached Harrison, he had to wipe his eyes, which made Sara laugh. Abby saw him mouth the words I love you, which she mouthed back.
When the officiant pronounced that Harrison could kiss the bride, Harrison dipped Sara over his arm and kissed her for so long that some of the guests hooted and hollered. Flushing bright red, Sara shook her head before walking back down the aisle with Harrison. The guests cheered and clapped.
Abby found a moment alone with Mark before they had to go take photos. Kissing him so hard that he grunted in surprise, they were panting by the time the kiss ended.
"What was that for?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining."
"I'm just excited for when it's our turn."
"I couldn't stop thinking about you wearing a beautiful dress and walking toward me." He kissed her forehead tenderly. "I can't wait for you to be my wife."
"And I can't wait for you to be my husband."
They kissed again, their love overflowing.
"Did you ever imagine this would happen? When you made that deal with me?" she asked.
He smiled. "No, I didn't. I just wanted to be near you. I never thought..." He shook his head. "I didn't know that you would complete me. But I think I fell in love with you that day at The Rise and Shine when you said I was an asshole."
Abby let out a peal of laughter. "I don't know when I fell for you. Maybe it was seeing you with your horses. How much you care for them, how gentle you are with them."
He cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. "Now you're making me blush."
They heard someone calling their names.
"Abby?" he said.
"Yes?"
"I love you. No matter what, I love you."
She smiled. Brushing her nose against his, she whispered, “Same."
Lizzie Thornton gazed at her glass of champagne, wishing she could go hide under the nearest rock. Since her mother wasn't particularly fond of large boulders in her backyard, Lizzie wondered if she could hide in the bushes instead.
Lisa would love that, finding her daughter hiding in the shrubbery.
The reception continued into the night, with guests dancing, drinking, and having a grand time. The bride and groom danced like lovestruck idiots. It was sweet, Lizzie knew, but she felt a pang in her heart looking at them.
She felt a pang looking at all three of her older brothers. They'd all found love, hadn't they? Caleb and Megan, newly engaged; Mark and Abby, soon-to-be engaged, if she had to bet. The only small consolation was that her twin brother Seth was as single as she was, and Jubilee? Well, Jubilee was a baby, wasn't she?
Wait, how old was her sister now? Twenty-three? Twenty-four?
Lizzie pushed her champagne glass away. She'd already drunk too much. Now she was getting pathetic, and she refused to be pathetic. She was genuinely happy for Harrison and Sara. She wouldn't begrudge them their joy.
If she were hung up on a certain asshole ex—an asshole ex who was here at this wedding—well, that was her problem. No reason to kill the mood because she couldn't get over something. Or someone.
Someone placed a glass of water in front of her, and then Seth sat down across from her without a word. Once upon a time, she and Seth had been a frightful duo. They'd had a bond only other twins could understand, and they'd once been able to finish each other's sentences.
But after Seth had joined the Marines and Lizzie had run off to be a musician, they'd lost that closeness. Lizzie wished they could find it again.
This Seth, she had to admit, was a stranger to her. Solemn, quiet, there was a darkness that lurked in his gaze. She didn't even want to imagine the things he'd seen while overseas. If Mark was closed-off, Seth was robotic. He'd stuffed his emotions so far down that Lizzie wasn't sure anyone could find them, least of all Seth.
She sipped her water. Seth knew what she needed still, didn't he? Lizzie was technically older than him, but in some ways, he'd been the older one. He'd been the responsible one, the mature one. He'd known what to do.
Her throat closed. No, don't. Don't go back to that place.
She forced a smile. "You don't want to dance?"
They both watched as Caleb did some form of the chicken dance, Megan looking on in embarrassment. The twins gave each other the look.
"I'm good," Seth replied, deadpan. "What about you? Don't musicians dance?"
She scoffed. "I'm not a pop star. And do you see these heels?" She pointed her toe at him, showing him her stilettos. "No way I'm dancing."
"That's a shame," a voice rumbled behind her, "because I was just about to ask you to dance."
Lizzie wondered if this was a movie, because it felt like she was watching one. Like she'd separated from her body, and she was watching someone else turn and gaze upon the man who'd haunted her for so long.
This person she barely knew, who'd grown from an earnest kid to a hardened man, all angles and swirling tattoos. Wearing a suit that only showed how his shoulders had broadened over the years, Trent Younger possessed a kind of handsomeness that intimidated.
Or maybe it was the tattoos. They were mostly hidden, although a few curled around his throat above the collar of his shirt. On anyone else it would look excessive, but on Trent?
It made Lizzie's mouth water.
Seth glanced between them, his eyes narrowed. If Trent was intimidating, Seth was terrifying. And the last thing Lizzie needed was these two males going at it like some kind of cock fight. Seth had disliked Trent for years.
"I'll dance with you," Lizzie said. "But if I step on your toes, don't get mad."
She held out her hand, like a dare, and Trent smiled as he enclosed her fingers in his. She refused to notice how her heart pounded, or how she wished she could bury her nose in Trent's suit jacket and inhale his spicy scent.
The band played a slow song, and as Trent put his arm around her waist, she focused
on the song itself. Standard time signature, key is A minor, she thought to herself as she dissected the musical notes. She winced a little when the oboe began. He's really flat. Did he tune at all?
She focused on music whenever reality became too pressing. Like now. With Trent holding her, his warmth and his scent flooding her, she struggled to keep her bearings. She'd lose herself in him, lose herself in the memories.
How was it that he seemed so different, and yet exactly the same?
They'd had a whirlwind love affair their senior year of high school, falling so hard and fast for each other that it had been dizzying. Lizzie had thought he was the love of her life for a time.
But life never liked to work out like you expected.
"Are you in town for long?" Trent murmured. His eyes gleamed from the soft lights hanging overhead. "Or are you going back on the road soon?"
"I'll be here for the summer. I needed a break." And I think my muse has dried up, she thought.
They didn't speak after that, drifting to the music. Lizzie focused on the violinist, who played his instrument with an emotion she couldn't identify. It seemed tinged with sadness. Loss? Had he lost someone recently?
"So it's going to be like this, is it?" Trent said quietly, his breath heating her ear. "We're going to avoid each other and act like neither of us exists?"
She flinched. Catching his gaze, she struggled with a reply. "What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know, Lizzie. You tell me."
Her head was starting to pound, and her feet hurt, and she really didn't need this right now. She walked away, not caring that people were watching. She heard Trent swear as he followed her.
He always did that—followed her when she didn't want him to.
He tugged her around the corner of the house, where darkness gave them cover. She wanted to push him away, but at the same time, she wanted to wrap herself around him. How could he upset her balance after all of this time?
She wanted to be free of him—once and for all.
"Leave me alone, Trent," she said dully. "Please."
"Do you think I want this? I haven't seen you for three years, but it's like no time has passed."