“It was perfect, Mom.” I reassured her. She was always concerned with what people were going to think, but she didn’t need to be. Everyone loved her and the comments always poured in and were all so positive.
Just as Mom was about to say something the back door opened, and Colton stepped inside. He was wearing a worn flannel shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and faded jeans, his hair a little messy from the wind. Man, he looked good. So handsome and all mine, I thought as my stomach did a familiar flutter. He paused, taking in the scene in the kitchen, a slow smile spreading across his face.
“Smells delicious in here.” he commented, as he rubbed his stomach. “Makes me hungry.”
Mom beamed. “Colton! Perfect timing. Come, try this stuffing.”
He walked over to take the small bowl of stuffing from Mom, his eyes meeting mine. “Hey, Firefly,” he murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss to my temple. “Got a minute? I wanted to show you something.”
Owen spoke up. “Go ahead, Em! I’ve got this. Mom and I can handle the rest.” He smiled at me.
“You sure?”
“Positive. Go on, get out of here.”
Colton finished the stuffing, placing the bowl in the sink. Coming back to me, he placed his hand on the small of my back. “Come on.” He said, leading me towards the back door. “You’ll need this,” he said, grabbing my winter coat from the hook by the door. He held it open for me as I slipped my arms inside.
“Thanks,” I said, pulling the zipper up to my chin. “So, what’s the big mystery?”
He just grinned mischievously as he led me around the side of the house to where the Polaris was parked. Helping me into the side seat, he went around to his side and slid in.
“Hold on,” he said, as the engine roared to life, and then we were off. The wind whipped through my hair, as we sped past rows of cornstalks and the apple orchard.
He didn’t take the usual paths. Instead, he veered off onto a less-used path, one that wound its way through a dense patch of woods on the far side of our property.
Finally, he slowed, pulling the Polaris to a stop in a small clearing, and shut off the engine. The view from this spot of our property was breathtaking. You could still see my parents house in the distance. And even though you couldn’t see Garrett’s house from here, it wasn’t far.
I climbed off the Polaris, my eyes just taking in the view. “It’s so beautiful out here. I haven’t been to this part of the property in years. I forgot how quiet it is this far back.” I turned to him, a question in my eyes. “But, what are we doing here?”
He walked over to me, his hands finding my waist. He pulled me close, his gaze sweeping over the landscape, a soft, knowing smile on his lips. “So, you like this location then, Firefly?”
I shrugged, still confused. “Yeah, it’s nice out here. Really peaceful. Why?”
He chuckled, his eyes meeting mine, and I could see so much emotion in them. “Because, Ember,” he said, his voice low, “this is the future spot of our family home.”
My jaw dropped. I stared at him, speechless, my mind struggling to process his words.Our family home.The words echoed in my head. I felt the tears welling up, and before I could even think, I launched myself into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist, burying my face in his neck.
“Colton!” I cried, my voice muffled against his flannel. “Are you serious?”
I could feel his laughter vibrate against my body as he held me tight. “Of course I’m serious.”
I pulled back, my eyes shining with tears. “When I was little, I always wanted to live on my parents’ land. To raise my kids here. But I haven’t thought about any of that in so long. I didn’t think…” My voice trailed off, overcome with emotion.
He gently set me back down on the ground, then pulled me towards the Polaris. He sat on the back seat that faced the opposite direction, then pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me.
“So,” he said, his voice soft, “about those kids. And that family home. Is that something you still want, Ember?”
I nodded, my head resting against his chest. “More than anything, Colton. What about you? Is that something you want too?”
He kissed the top of my head. “Only if it’s with you, Firefly. When the time is right. When we’re both ready. But yeah. That’s the plan. I want to build a life with you. I want to have little Fireflies and little country boys running around this land. Just like we did.”
A wave of joy washed over me. Looking up at him, I asked, “What do you see yourself doing?”
He sighed, thinking. “I see myself continuing to help Scott at Habitat. It’s good, honest work, and it feels good to give back to the community. But I also want to focus on helping out here on the farm. For your family. Forourfamily.” He paused, his gaze drifting over the land. “And… I’d like to talk to Alejandro about doing something where I can help guys and women like me. Who are struggling to deal with what happened to them.”
My heart swelled with pride. “Colton, that’s amazing. You’d be incredible at it.”
He shook his head slightly. “I’m not ready right now. I still have work to do on myself. But one day, I want to. I want to be able to give back, to help someone else find their way out of that darkness.”
