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“Let me finish,” he snaps.
Jackson nods, discretely grabbing my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“I’m not happy about this,” Cade continues. “I don’t know if I ever will be. But I don’t want to see Maeve unhappy.” He looks at me, his green eyes the same shade as mine. “I don’t want this to come between us, kiddo. I spent so many years never even knowing you existed, and I don’t want to waste more time by making you upset.” He sighs, running a hand across his beard. “What you said the other day, about me treating you like a kid…well, it’s true. I know what our parents are like. I know the shit you must have put up with from them, and so I didn’t just want to be your big brother. I wanted to be a father figure too.” My throat clogs with emotion as he talks, my heart squeezing at his words. “But I took it too far. I’ve been treating you like a kid, and I can see that it’s pushing you away. I never want to control your life the way Mom and Dad tried to. I want you to make your own choices, and I want to support you every step of the way. So…if Jackson is your choice…well…I’ll accept it.” Cade tapers off, and there’s silence for a moment while I process what he just said. Then, with a sob of relief, I run to my brother, throwing my arms around him.
“Thank you, Cade. Thank you so much.”
He grunts, patting my back affectionately. “This doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop calling you kiddo.”
I giggle, pulling back to smile at him. “I know that, old man. You can call me kiddo all you want. You just don’t need to treat me like one anymore.”
Cade nods, shooting me a small smile of understanding. “Got it.”
He takes a step back from me and turns to Jackson. “There are plenty of places to bury a body on this ranch. Remember that before you even think about hurting my sister.”
“I’d rather die than hurt Maeve,” Jackson says firmly.
Cade must believe him because he nods slowly, reaching a hand out to his friend. Jackson takes it and they shake briefly. It’s just a handshake, but it feels like so much more. My heart soars and tears of pure relief stream down my cheeks.
Everything is going to be okay. Just like Jackson promised.
“Well,” Cade says, “that’s what I wanted to say. I guess I’ll leave you both to it.”
He starts to turn away.
“Do you want to come for dinner?” I ask hopefully. “Tonight? At the farmhouse?”
Cade looks at me over his shoulder, then looks at Jackson. His expression is reluctant, but he nods at me anyway.
“Sure. I’ll come for dinner.”
“Is seven o’clock okay?” Jackson asks.
“Fine. See you at seven.” Cade nods curtly at Jackson and shoots me a final affectionate look before he turns around and strides back to his cabin.
I breathe a sigh of relief and melt into Jackson’s embrace, laughing with joy as he holds me tight.
“I can’t believe it. I’m so happy!” I exclaim. “I never thought he’d accept it, especially not so soon.”
Jackson smiles down at me, his blue eyes glinting. “He’s a good man, your brother. I knew he’d come around.”
I grin at him. The whole world suddenly feels brighter, the morning sun warmer than before, the colors of the ranch more vivid. I never knew I could feel so happy. My handsome cowboy has changed my life forever, and now that my brother has given his blessing, I feel like I can finally start living the life I’ve always dreamed of.
“I love you so much,” I say, circling my arms around Jackson’s neck.
“I love you too, princess. More than anything.”
I beam, tipping his cowboy hat up so that I can get a better look at those bright blue eyes. They’re staring at me with so much love that I feel my breath catch in my throat. Jackson leans in and kisses me hard, smiling against my lips. I lose myself in our embrace, my body vibrating with joy as Jackson’s lips move against mine, making my stomach flutter with butterflies.
One thing’s for sure, I think. This is better than any fantasy book.
Epilogue
Jackson
I stop at Sweet Tooth Bakery to pick up a slice of red velvet cake for Maeve’s lunch break. It’s just after midday, and she’ll be shutting the bookstore soon like she does every afternoon. We always spend our lunchtimes together. I can’t wait until the end of the day to see her, so our afternoons together are sacred, even if she can only close the store for an hour.
Once I’ve paid for the cake, I carry it across the street to The Reading Nook, my wife’s bookstore. I decided to invest some of my money into Maeve’s business soon after we got together, and she was able to buy a small building on Winterdale’s main street. Her store is already thriving, and it’s becoming a fast favorite among the townspeople.
