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Soon, the others were joining them and there was a coffee bar set up along with a cooler full of drinks. Everyone had a place to sit, but Jackson pulled Savannah down on a lounge chair with him. With her sitting between his legs, her back against his chest, they settled in with their desserts.
“So? What do you think of a Coleman party? Impressive, right?” he asked softly before placing a kiss on her shoulder.
“I have to admit, this is really something.” Twisting slightly, she looked at him. “And this sort of thing was like…normal to you when you were growing up?”
“Yup. Pops did this sort of thing a lot over the summer months. His Fourth of July parties were legendary. There was just always something a little magical about them. I’m really impressed that Aunt Susannah and Aunt Georgia pulled this off with such accuracy.”
She settled against him again and held up a tiny cupcake. “Any party moving forward that includes these will automatically be legendary. I’m ashamed of how many of them I’ve eaten.”
“Savannah, look around. Everyone is verging on gorging themselves. I can’t even imagine what extra dessert went out down on the lawn for everyone.”
“Ice cream,” Grace said as she and Dominic took the lounge chair beside them and mimicked their pose. “We brought in an ice cream truck and the kids are getting all sugared up to watch the show.”
Dominic looked over and winked. “It’s times like these when it’s good to be the grandparent. I get to go home and get a good night’s sleep while my kids are going to be pulling their hair out!”
“Dom, stop it,” Grace said, but she was almost laughing too hard to get the words out.
“So why fireworks?” Jackson asked his mother. “Why do you think this was something that was so important?”
“One of the last holidays he spent with us before he left was the Fourth of July. It was a small gathering that year and we had the party deck all to ourselves. Your great-grandfather encouraged us to make it like a little picnic up here with all the treats he knew you boys like.” She sighed. “It was a perfect night. Cash and I had argued that whole morning and into the afternoon, but when we got here, it was all forgotten. By the time the fireworks started, you boys just sat in wide-eyed wonder and…” She shrugged. “It was just a perfect night. I guess he remembered it too.”
Georgia whispered loudly, “It’s nine o’clock!”
Everyone went quiet and then…the sky erupted with light. Jackson put his plate down and wrapped his arms around Savannah, and for the next fifteen minutes, he felt completely at peace. He loved feeling her jump and gasp with excitement and he had to admit, the fireworks were spectacular—better than he remembered. And when it was over and everyone cheered and applauded, he looked up again at the sky and mentally thanked Cash for giving them all one last perfect memory.
Savannah sat forward before facing him, her entire face lit with excitement. “Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like that! I mean…I’ve watched fireworks shows on the TV but I’ve never witnessed anything like that in person! And you got to see that every year?”
“Well, I think this show blew all those shows away. I don’t know who did this, but I seriously hope the town can convince them to do it again for the Fourth next summer.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to come back here and watch them? I know we can’t claim this prime viewing location, but I’ll bet down on the dock or the lawn is equally impressive.”
“So…you plan on being here next year?” he asked quietly, because…there was a part of him that was still a little insecure.
“Jackson Coleman, if this is where you are, then this is where I’ll be. You know I need to go back to Seattle for my stuff, but…that’s not someplace I want to stay. This is my home. With you.” Then she looked around. “With all of you. I’ve finally found my forever home.”
He looked up one more time with thanks before he kissed her.
He’d found his forever home—his forever person—and it was all thanks to a man who finally came through for his family.
