AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Our lips crashed together in a clumsy kiss as he slid me down his solid body. We laughed into each other’s mouth, then he leaned down and kissed me again, hitting his target and holding it and loving it and pouring so much joy and hope into me. I gave him all of my heart in return.
When we finally pulled back, he cradled my face with one hand. “I love you, Ava. Feels like I have forever.”
“I love you, Cash. For even longer.”
We kissed again, and he cut it off abruptly to let out a howl of happiness as he took my hand. “Come on. I want to tell the world. Or at least my family. Soon to be your family too.”
When we walked onto the patio, the crowd had thinned out so that it was just Cash’s family, Magnolia’s table of girls, and Kemp and Knox.
“Ava Dean said she’d marry me,” Cash announced to everyone present and probably half the rest of the town.
Cheers erupted from everyone, and in a heartbeat, we were engulfed in hugs and congratulations andWelcome to the familyandAre you sure you want to be stuck with this guy forever?
Chelsea was the last server working, and as I grabbed my cake and dug into it—because it turned out getting engaged worked up a sugar craving—she brought two bottles of champagne, plus some sparkling grape juice for those of us who didn’t or couldn’t drink.
We’d abandoned our table and were standing around in a happy, noisy group when Mr. Henry said, “Listen up. It seems fitting that I offer up a toast.”
Everyone quieted, all laughs and smiles and expectant looks.
“I’m not a man of many words, so I’ll keep this short and sweet.”
“You’re definitely sweet,” his wife said, eliciting someawws from the group.
“Your mom would be over the moon to see our four children happily marrying such good, loving folks.” He raised his glass to the stars. Then he put his arm around his wife. “And nothing could make Faye and me happier, right, honey?”
Grinning widely, Faye tilted her head, lifted a brow, and said, “Right. Nothing except for more grandbabies.”
Mr. Henry lifted his glass. “To Cash and Ava…and maybe, eventually, someday, when they’re ready, grandbabies.”
We all toasted, with more laughter and teasing and wisecracks. Cash pulled me in for a champagne-flavored kiss. “Happy?” he asked.
“I’ve never been happier.”
Knox
The mood on the Rusty Anchor patio was jovial and hopeful and would’ve been contagious if I wasn’t so lost in my head. I was happy as hell for Ava and Cash, so it was easy to raise a glass for them.
But the longer I stood here in silence, the more I felt like a liar, and I’d never been okay with dishonesty. It’d gone on for too long already—my doing, plus a little bit of fate. I feared there would be damage to undo when the truth came out.
Now that I stood here with the entire Henry family, I couldn’t not act. I knew full well that this was not an opportune time. This was probably one of the worst times, but the happenstance of having the entire family in one place… I couldn’t ignore that sign.
Magnolia, Olivia, and Anna finally said their goodbyes with another round of hugs and congrats. Kemp stood next to me, peering after the trio, then tipped his glass up to empty it.
“I’m going to take off too. What about you?” he asked me.
With a glance back at the Henry clan to ensure they were all still here, I said, “Going to stay a few more minutes. You go ahead. Thanks for the tour, Kemp.”
“Happy to share the beer-love.” He looked down the walkway to the parking lot and street again, and I vaguely wondered what his interest was, or rather, which one of those women his interest was in if any, then he called out a collective good night and took his leave.
Leaving me there with ten Henrys or Henrys-to-be.
This was the opportunity I’d been waiting for, and even though my timing sucked, if I didn’t do it now, I didn’t know when I’d get a better chance.
I stepped up to the group, between Ava and Hayden, across from Simon Henry, my heart about to pound out of my chest.
“Hey, everyone,” I said above their conversations. “I’m sorry to intrude on a private family moment, but I have something I need to say.”
They quieted relatively quickly for this group, expectant smiles and welcome expressions focused on me.
That would change in a heartbeat.
I cleared my throat. “I know this isn’t the best time to say this, but I need to level with you all about the reason I came to this small town in the first place.”
I was semi-aware of Ava clasping on to my wrist. “What’s going on, Knox?”
Focusing fully on the patriarch of the group, who stood mere feet from me for the first time, I said, “I found out a few months ago that you, sir, are my biological father.”
