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None of it made sense. There was still so much standing between them. She felt the smooth petals of the snapdragon against her fingers. She was so ashamed of her coming confession. “I left you because–because my daddy’s business is… uh… well, it’s shady… and I didn’t want you to be a part of that.”
His forehead wrinkled in surprise.
“But you don’t have to get mixed up in it anymore,” she explained quickly. “My daddy knows that my husband isn’t going to have anything to do with the family business. Uh…” She glanced over at West, seeing that he was hugging his children. “Your brother talked to my daddy,” she said in an undertone. “And my daddy agreed that nothing’s too good for his baby.” She bit her lip, wondering how crazy that sounded to Cole. Her numb fingers held on to his snapdragon a second longer before she handed it back to him. “It’s okay now. I’m free. He’s cutting us both out of the family business.”
And his will, and all that boring stuff… and it’s okay because I don’t want anything to do with the money that crushes people like West. I won’t even touch it!
Cole’s eyes darted over her face as he studied her. It made her quite breathless. “I would’ve done anything for you,” he said.
“I know,” she said solemnly, “but I don’t want that life for us, I want yours… I want your life, Cole. You understand? I want–want God, you know? He’s a part of my life now, and I want the country life, too, but most of all… I just want… well, you!”
His hands tightened over her waist. “I want you. Eva… you’re family now… you’re a part of us, a part of me. You know that, right?”
Her breath caught. She wasn’t so sure about fitting into the Slades’ world, even if she desperately dreamed of such a thing. “Really? I mean, do you think Lily would approve of me?” She almost bit her lip to keep it properly buttoned because she didn’t want to know the answer when it really came down to it.
And yet she did.
“Approve?” Cole ran his hand down her hair, his touch promising more to come. “I love my momma, but we Slades always make our own choices in this family, Eva. We’ve got to live with those choices ourselves, nobody else does… though, in this case, honey? Yeah, Mommalovesyou.”
“She does?” How? Eva would have to go by faith on this one, because she never did look that good on paper. And still, she wanted to prove herself. “You know I might be taking over your life, but I’m not a total leech. I’m planning on giving you everything that youdon’thave.”
His nose wrinkled. “Clothes again? Eva!”
“No, no.” She laughed. “Like I’m giving you a doting wife—that’s supposed to be me, by the way! And–and kids, really, really happy kids… and maybe a dog. Actually,definitelya dog.”
She’d always been jealous of West’s… that might’ve been most of the man’s allure, when she thought about it.
“Eva!” Cadence was all smiles as she came over. “Don’t think you can get away without getting one of these!” She slipped an envelope into Eva’s hand. Her heart practically somersaulted over itself as she stared at it. Was this really from Lily? She’d written Eva? That womanwasa saint. Cadence handed her a sweet-smelling gardenia next. “Intoxicating, thrives in warmth, and Lily’s favorite scent, if you have to know. She definitely thinks you’re adorable. She always wanted you to be a part of this family.”
Eva’s hands clenched over the gifts, scarcely believing what she was hearing. She noticed that Cadence held jasmine. That was yet another perfect fit for… her new sister.
They were going to be sisters!!
And yes, yes, Eva was jumping to thoughts of marriage already. So what? Eva was going to be with this man. She didn’t care what obstacle stood in her way anymore.
As Cadence walked away, Eva noticed the flowers in the hands of everyone at the party. Mimi brought a red orchid to her lips. Emily cradled a Pink Lady’s Slipper.
More sisters?
“You believe me now?” Cole asked. “My momma knew you belonged in this family, just not with West. When I told her about you, and that… I loved you, she was beside herself with joy.”
Eva didn’t think it was possible to feel more happiness than she felt right now—or that she deserved it, and yet, here she was. She searched around the courtyard to find Cole’s older brother again, but he must’ve slipped away. “West will find love,” she said with a nod of certainty, and perhaps a flush of guilt.
Maybe Kylee.
She giggled, pretty sure that both of them would object to her matchmaking.
Cole made a sound of disbelief. “I’ll believe it when I see it. Anyway, he’s got his own decisions to make. This is about us… it always was.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “We were always meant to be.” She couldn’t keep back from him anymore, and neither could he because he kissed her right in the middle of the courtyard in front of every family and friend he ever had.
Only Funches shouted out in surprise.
Eva snuggled into Cole’s broad chest, so glad to be in his arms again. Cuddling with her big strong cowboy was the happy little fairy tale that she’d wanted for so long, and now she surrendered herself to her dreams.
After all, she was Eva Trout. That’s what she did.
Epilogue
