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“Probably.”
“Did you hear that, Firecracker? We're going to get your sister,” he said to his new best friend. Then he reached for Holly's hand, tilting his head back to look at her. “Thank you, Mama. I promise I'll take the best care of them.”
“I know you will, baby.”
“We'd better get going then,” I said, gesturing to the door.
“This is the best day ever,” Gabriel shouted, throwing a fist in the air.
The puppy took off, and Gabriel ran behind him, the leash slack. His face was bright. Holly's mirrored his happiness. Gabriel was completely right.
Best. Day. Ever.
Epilogue
Carlos
Ashes to ashes.
Dust to dust.
Beauty will rise in the wake of the destruction.
“It’s red and green.”Gabriel’s curious eyes took in the scenery below.
Holly was as interested as our son as she took in the place I never thought I’d see again.
The evidence of the ruins I’d left the Calderón compound in was nowhere to be found. Instead, the first crop of quinoa covered the landscape. In actuality, it was the second. The first didn’t grow as expected, but we didn’t give up.
Coffee, bananas, and cotton had also been planted. Local farmers who were capable but didn’t have land at their disposal were running the new operation. It was still hard to trust, but this was something I’d only be hands-on from a distance. Eduardo hadn’t helped with my trust issues, but as soon as I’d discovered his deception, I’d commissioned a man who grew the coffee beans I bought when I lived here to oversee the project. It was too important to me to let it die because I’d been double-crossed.
So far, it was functioning well. The people in the surrounding areas supported the idea once they realized I wasn’t to be feared. From what I’d gathered, some were still skeptical of my motivation. In time, they’d see that, though I owned the property, what came of it was theirs.
“Is this . . .” Holly didn’t finish the question.
She knew what I’d done. Knew my struggle. It was difficult for me to see this place, but also hard for me to leave the day-to-day operation to others. This had to be done right.
For Mama.
For Camila.Muriella.
For the people.
And to infuriate my father. I hoped he was in hell, angry that his land was being used for a good purpose.
I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to entirely let go of my thirst for retribution when it came to him, but Holly had helped tremendously. Revenge was no longer the meaning of my life.
“Yes,” I finally said.
“Your mama would be so proud.”
I surveyed the land below. She was right. Mama would be pleased.
I veered the plane toward the coast without looking back. The shoreline came into view, and I descended, scanning for the landmark.
“Can we go to the beach?” Gabriel asked, rubbing Firecracker’s ears.
“Someday.”
