Silence falls around us.
I lose myself in the flames of the bonfire, mesmerized by the flickering lights. The dry, withered wood smells of deep, rich oak and pine as the logs burn. Within the flames, where the fire burns hottest, bright flickers of blue glow. The sounds of hissing, cracking, and sizzling mix with the croaking tree frogs and chirping crickets.
"Easton." Emerson jolts me from my hypnotic state, and I give her my attention. "You bring your guitar?"
I nod. "Never leave home without it."
"Play something for us?"
I go to stand, but Cat leaps to her feet. "I'll get it. You stay with your family." She turns to walk away, and I grab her by the hand, pulling her back to me.
"Come here," I tell her, tugging her down until we are face to face, her lips hovering above mine. I'm hyper aware of the sets of eyes on us, but I couldn't care less. Cat is mine. "Give me those lips," I tell her, and she presses them softly against mine.
"Another one bites the dust," Quinn quips as my eyes fixate on Cat's retreating backside on her way toward the house.
A few short minutes later, Cat returns with my guitar in hand. "Any requests?" I ask my biggest fans.
"Got anything new you've been working on?" Reid inquires, and one song comes to mind. It's unfinished, rough, and raw, but no other words float to the surface as the lyrics fill my headspace.
"It's not finished, but…" I strum the guitar strings feeling the chords vibrate through my fingertips. The music I play becomes the sound of my heart beating, and the lyrics my confession. My words fill the air effortlessly while my eyes never leave Cat's. This is me, unfiltered and exposed.
I was drowning in loneliness.
In nights of bitter cold.
Something in my life was missing…but I didn’t know what I was searching for.
Then you came along and shined your light on me.
My red-haired woman, you set me free. (You set me free)
From the moment I met you.
Since that very first kiss.
Your taste still lingers…upon my lips.
You chased away the sadness.
You brought me back to life.
Now I see my future reflecting in your eyes.
My red-haired woman, you set me free. (You set me free)
The last lyric drifts away with the fading of the last strum of the guitar strings. Then, it's once again silent. The air I breathe feels heavy with the emotions poured out in the song, and I meant every word. "It's a work in progress," I shrug. Tears are streaming down Cat's cheeks. Leaning into her, I wipe them all away with my kisses.
"Well said, brother." Jake breaks the silence. "A man's strength and weakness both lay in the hands of the woman he loves." I catch the nods of the other men, including Cat's grandad.
"My Irene, God rest her soul, could bring me to my knees with just one look and give me the strength of an ox with a single touch." His eyes get a faraway look in them as he recalls memories of his wife.
I sit my guitar to the side and pull Cat onto my lap. "That was—" She doesn't finish her statement. Instead, Cat grabs my face in her hands and kisses me, and our family makes a show of our affection with cheers, and she smiles against my lips.
"Well, I'd say this is a beautiful ending to a perfect night with family and friends," Arthur says.
Logan raises his beer in the air, and the rest of us follow. "To the women who bring us to our knees and the love we'll risk it all for."
It's near midnight after everyone turns in. I make a final sweep of the house with Cat as she checks the locks on all the doors. We walk into the large living room. She pulls the curtains closed on one window then moves to the next. "I really like them." She stares out into the night. In the distance, lightning streaks across dark gray clouds forming, followed by a distant rumble as the storm rolls in. "I should check on the horses one more time. They can get a little worked up when bad weather is near."
