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“What does he have that I don’t? We loved each other. I was your first love,” Jackson said.
She shook her head no. “I think Walker is my first, last and only love, Jackson. Love like ours doesn’t walk away from each other. We fight to stay together.” She met Walker’s eyes and he winked at her. She could see how much he loved her in the dark depths of his eyes and she had no doubt of his feelings.
“He gives me everything that I need and want right here in Sherwood. I don’t need more than him and my family. I don’t need more money, a bigger house until we start having babies.” She knew that statement stung Jackson, but she kept going. “I don’t need anything else because my needs are simple and Walker…he knows what I need. Just him.”
Jackson was angry. He shook his head at her and turned away. “So, what was that, what we had?” He grumbled. “Nothing special at all?”
“No, it was. You were my first at many things. Those memories I will cherish but you aren’t going to be anything else, ever again Jackson. I’m sorry.”
“What if I don’t want to move on? What if I can’t?” He asked.
Danni felt badly for him because now he was feeling what she had been feeling all those years ago when he left town. It was the end of something that he couldn’t get back. She knew that feeling that her eighteen-year-old self-had felt.
It was a broken feeling. A crushing weight that wouldn’t let you breathe for days and months. She could see it in his face, but she had to make sure that he understood, not that she wanted to be cruel to Jackson. Danni wanted to be free of him finally, once and for all.
“I’m sorry Jackson. I’m marrying Walker on New Year’s Eve. We’ve arranged for the church. I’ve planned my dress the way that I always wanted it. Seth has my menu. We have our rings. There isn’t much left to do besides a cake and flowers. The reception will be here at Ike’s, the way it was meant to be.
“You need to finish what you need to and go back to Louisiana. That’s your home now.” She was blunt with him, so he would get it as he had been blunt with her when she was eighteen and he was nineteen. Danni lowered her gaze and smiled. It had hurt then but oh boy, had he done the right thing.
“I guess I deserve this,” he said.
“I’m not doing this to hurt you, because you hurt me, Jackson. You did us both a favor by leaving when you did I just couldn’t see it at the time. We wanted different dreams. I told you that the other night. Walker and I share the same dreams. We’ll be okay in Sherwood. You never would have been, and I wouldn’t be fine anywhere else either.”
“I think I’ll go home,” Jackson told her.
“Maybe that is for the best,” Danni agreed.
“Please come to the funeral if you want. Mom loved you. You should be there when we pay our final respects.”
“I will but Jackson, I will only come if Walker comes with me.”
He hesitated. She thought he would say don’t come then he told her to bring Walker with her. She watched him walk out of the bar. Then she turned and saw that Walker was standing right in front of her.
“You okay?” He asked.
“I am just fine,” she replied.
He nodded. She knew that he had no questions about what went down because he trusted her. He had no doubts about their love so there was no need to know what was said. He leaned in and their lips met in a sweet kiss, nothing too sensual since they were in a room full of most of the townspeople that were made up of their friends.
“I love you, Walker,” she said as her eyes slowly opened revealing his handsome face.
His lazy smile crossed his mouth. He licked the gloss from his lips that had come from hers and said, “I love you too, Danni Rose. Can’t wait to get you home. Those boots…” Walker didn’t finish his statement. He just shook his head, but his eyes told her what he was feeling.
She chuckled at him. She knew what was on his mind. She wanted him too. Just a kiss ignited the passion between them, but they couldn’t leave, not yet.
“I left my camera in the car. I wanted to take pictures of the winner of best costume for Dad. I’ll be right back. He’ll be announcing the winners soon,” she told Walker.
“I’ll go with you,” he informed her.
“No, you won’t. Go sit with Matt. My truck is right outside beneath the light.” They had to stop babying her.
Arte approached them. “As soon as Rachel comes out of the bathroom. We are heading home. We’re both too old for this crap.”
Danni hugged her hard. “Thank you for coming.”
“We wouldn’t have missed this announcement for anything.”
Walker laughed at his mother then he hugged her and kissed her forehead. “We’ll see you Sunday for brunch.”
