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As Amelie held it in the light, she smiled then pulled the two sides apart. Inside was a picture of Amelie as a young girl with her mother holding her.
A single tear slipped down her cheek. “Thank you so much. This means the world to me. I don’t have anything else, including many memories.”
“I’m glad we had a chance to see you,” Candy said quietly.
“We should get going,” I told her.
Amelie nodded. “Thank you for meeting with us. I heard you’re in the process of leaving town.”
“We had our eye on a little house in Oregon near the coast. This is the perfect opportunity to make our dreams come true.”
“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.” Amelie squeezed my hand under the table.
“Your mother was a very special woman. She wanted the world for you, honey,” Candy said. “Live your life how you want. I have a feeling Maverick isn’t going to let anything happen to you. It’s nice to see how much in love the two of you are.”
Amelie’s face turned red but she smiled. “He tries to keep me in line. We’re getting married.”
Candy clapped her hands together. “Your mother would be so happy.” As she narrowed her eyes, I almost laughed seeing the way she was scrutinizing my beard. “This beautiful girl needs to see your face on the day you take your vows.”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” I told her.
As Amelie gave both of them a hug, I stood back watching, admiring the strong woman who’d soon become my life.
I’d considered myself a bad man, so rough that no woman could handle the beast dwelling inside of me. But I’d learned several things over the last few weeks.
One: That love came when you least expected it.
Two: That living in the past meant darkness, the future the only way to find the light I’d been seeking for years.
And three: That even a man like me deserved salvation. As puffy clouds drifted across Sapphire Ridge, I knew in my heart that Belle had forgiven me, that she’d forgiven all of us.
Now it was time to forge a future with the woman I loved.
* * *
Amelie
I’d never been the girl who had dreams of her future husband or the perfect wedding. When I turned eighteen, I realized that marriage wasn’t in the cards for me. The thought of being in a stark white dress, a veil covering my face as I walked down an aisle in a church full of people who I didn’t really know repulsed me.
This day, this moment, and the man I’d pledged forever to love had dissolved the ugliness of my thoughts.
And my nightmares.
The dress was white, but not traditional by any means. My shoes were tennis shoes, bright red in color and our guests were dressed casually.
“You look beautiful,” Wren told me. She continued to fuss with the crown of flowers on my head like she would a long, gauzy veil, but I hadn’t attempted to stop her actions. She’d become the sister I’d never had.
Working at the clinic was incredible as well as exhausting. My last semester of school was looming in the horizon, but there’d be time to enjoy my new life with my husband and the furry buddle of joy who was never far from my side. Sam had licked away my tears, giving comfort when I needed it.
He was also the cuddliest creature I’d ever known.
“The day is perfect,” Chasity added as she pulled the bouquet of flowers from the holder. I’d chosen white roses instead of red, my mother’s favorite color. Around my neck was the necklace she’d saved for me, asking the Welles to keep safe. I would cherish it always, as well as my few memories.
I glanced at the sky, the trees almost to the point of hiding the gorgeous view. This was Sapphire Ridge, the exact location of where Belle had been lost. It had been Maverick’s idea, his attempt at allowing her ghost to rest, his conscience as well. The forest had recovered, although not to the same majesty I imagined it’d had twenty years before. Chasity was right. There were fluffy clouds in the cerulean blue sky, the light breeze tickling my skin as I moved. And the sun was high in the sky, the golden glow providing warmth as well as hope.
My attorney was still in the process of selling my father’s business, a corporation I wanted nothing to do with. Several men on the board of directors had been arrested for stock manipulation, the scandal in Chicago all anyone in the city could talk about.
They’d made their bed. I felt no remorse in what I’d done.
