And she could damn well guarantee I wouldn’t be sonice.
Shaking myself from the images playing out in my head, I place a hand on her back and ignore the way her cheeks flush and how her lips are plump and glossy as I lead her into the orchard. People mill about, kids running through the display, laughing and cheering as they go.
There’d been some concern when Cullen Andrews had first purchased Darling Farms—a wealthy man from Chicago could only mean change the town hadn’t been ready for.
But instead of tearing the land apart, he’d built it up with the help of his wife, Gwen, and gave the orchard the love and attention it deserved.
“Have you decided what you’re going to tell people when they ask?”
“What?” I ask and then follow Nessa’s gaze to where Hal and Celeste are slowly making their way toward us. “That’s Montana’s grandfather, Hal, and Celeste is…” I pause as I try tofigure out the best way to describe the woman. “She was hired to be Hal’s nurse. It’s only Montana and Hal and now Ellison on the farm, and he needed someone watchin’ over him. But now, she’s more like family. Makes a damn good pot roast too.”
“Howdy, Sheriff,” Hal says with a sly grin, “and young lady.” He offers his hand to Nessa and then kisses her knuckles when she places her palm in his.
“Nessa,” she says with a laugh, “and aren’t you the charmer.”
“Snake charmer is what you mean,” Celeste says, stepping up to kiss my cheek before wrapping Nessa in a side hug. “That’s Hal and I’m Celeste and oh my Lord, look at you, little one.”
Her hand gently rests on Remi’s back, my daughter’s big eyes blinking up at the new visitor. Hal sidles up on the other side and she’s enraptured, her smile wide as she listens to him talk and coo to her.
And even though I knew that Remi would be loved, I hadn’t fully understood the magnitude until this moment.
Nessa’s pinky brushes against mine, the light touch sending a bolt of electricity through every cell of my being while also somehow grounding me.
To this moment.
To her.
Like she’d known I’d need this small bit of comfort.
I want to wrap my hand around hers, intertwine our fingers, and claim her for all to see. She’d hate that and it makes my lips twitch. Nessa’s raised eyebrow says she knows what I’m thinking and she’d like to see me try.
I made that last part up, and it has my lips ticking up into a full grin. It also earns me a knowing glance from Celeste and a wink from Hal. I should probably be chagrined but I’m not because this is the first holiday in a long time that’s felt like more than just a mark on the calendar.
“We’ll leave you kids to your evening,” Celeste says, taking Hal’s offered arm. She should probably be the one steadying him, but I like that she lets him lead. “And Jensen, bring Nessa and the baby by the house, would you?”
I look to Nessa who gives Celeste a small smile. “We’d like that.”
We watch them go, Hal whispering something most likely inappropriate and Celeste elbowing him gently even as she laughs. It’s endearing, but I like that it’s different from the kind of love he had with Nan. They’d been the relationship standard I’d aspired to have, a dream that had gotten lost somewhere along the way.
When Nan passed a few years ago, it was unimaginable to think of Hal with anyone else. And not that he’d confirmed there was anything between Celeste and him, but we all had our suspicions, and in this new season of life, he deserved happiness.
We all did.
“Ready to go see some lights?” I ask, the question gruffer than I intended.
“Lead the way, Sheriff. I like the way you look in those pants.” She bites her lip, a mix of humor and desire in her eyes as she looks me up and down.
“Let’s go, Trouble.” She snickers and shoos me with her hand and because I like this playful side of her, I grab her other one and pull her toward the path.
I’d hadthe best date of my life with my daughter and Nessa, and walking through the orchard with them would be something I’d remember forever. Remi had been mesmerized by the lights, her little face turning this way and that as we walked. And I’dnever seen Nessa so at ease. She laughed and joked and made silly faces at Remi, and I touched her every chance I could, the tension between us ratcheting up with every step.
It was the perfect night—the kind you never wanted to end.
We’d walked around and I’d introduced them to everyone who stopped to say hello. We drank hot chocolate and browsed through the vendor booths, chatting with Archer and Bea at their table, Bea’s reindeer headband jingling with every move.
It was idyllic.
And nowhere close to the nightmare I’d conjured in the deep recesses of my soul. It helped ease the guilt I still carried, each kind word bolstering my confidence a little more. Because Archer had been right—I wasn’t alone and I never would be.
