Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 105825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
There was a rattle of metal and the pop of an engine misfiring. Colton’s ancient pick-up truck swung around the corner and clattered noisily to a stop. Colton jumped out, then had to jump back in, cursing, because the truck started to roll. He reset the parking brake, scowled at it as if daring it to slip again, then climbed out and slammed the door.
Danny shook his head. “You’ve got to replace that thing,” he told Colton.
“There ain’t nothin’ wrong with it,” insisted Colton. He opened the passenger door and Atlas lolloped out. The others had told me that when Colton rescued him, the bear had just been a cub, small enough to hold in your arms. But now he was close to a year old and already he was over eighty pounds, more than Rufus. He was no less adorable, though. He padded over to us and we all started stroking him. Then he got interested in the food tables and we had to distract him before he tipped the whole thing over.
People filled plates and started to eat and the afternoon passed in a warm haze of good food and good company. We threw a frisbee around, planned more of the girls’ trip, went into full wedding planning overload with Olivia (while JD, Danny and the others talked to Gabriel about his bachelor party) and got soaked when Rufus and Atlas both decided to take a dip in the creek and then shook themselves dry right next to us.
As the sun went down, the lanterns Erin had put up began to glow. Gabriel took Olivia’s hand and started to dance with her, and then Danny and Erin joined in. Suddenly, I felt an arm slip around my waist and JD was there, pulling me close against him.
I checked on Cody and relaxed when I saw he was being tutored by Cal and Colton on how to make a backwoods fishing pole. He’d gone from having no father figure to having a really great one in JD, plus six protective uncles of varying talents.
JD led me over to where the others were dancing and we started to move to the music. The first song was light and fast, and as JD twirled me around and smiled down at me with those amazing, prairie-sky eyes, I realized how much he’d changed, since that first time I’d met him. The pain had been a weight that crushed him down, robbing him of his sense of humor. He was more jokey, now, and more relaxed with the team.
The second song was slower and more romantic. JD pulled me closer, one big hand holding mine and his other arm around my waist, just like at the ball. But now I didn’t have to just fantasize that we were together. He was mine and the look he gave me made it very clear that I was his.
The third song was even slower, a love ballad. JD pulled me even closer and rocked me against him. I watched over his shoulder as the other couples cozied up, too. Cal pulled Bethany into the dancing and she leaned against his chest, a happy grin on her face. As I looked around the pairs, I realized Colton was now the only Stormfinch man still single. We need to find him someone. And Gina, she needed to find someone, too.
I looked at Cody, who was now petting Atlas. JD so obviously adored him and was going to make a great dad. Our little family was complete. And we’d become part of a bigger one, too, one that was fourteen strong plus a dog and a bear, and growing fast. A weird, quirky family but a family nonetheless. One that nothing could tear apart.
I looked around at everyone, then off through the trees towards where our house would be, then finally down to the town of Mount Mercy. “I think we’re going to be happy here,” I thought. Then I realized I’d mumbled it out loud.
JD put his finger under my chin and gently tilted my head up to look at him. He was grinning. “I think so, too,” he said. And kissed me.
The End