Marcie smiled graciously and hugged Leigh, who smiled wide and accepted her crown, placed on her head by the previous winner. Leigh walked to the microphone.
“This wouldn’t be possible without knowing I can live my best life today, and every day! If you want to know how I did it, you’re welcome to the next meeting of the Affirmation Alliance Group. Find us on your favorite social media platform.”
Bella looked out and tried to meet Spencer’s gaze, but he was already on his cell, no doubt reporting what he witnessed to Holden. Her breathing slowed, almost stopped as she faced her truth.
Spencer and Holden would always have their friendship and working relationship. Bella wasn’t in the picture at all any longer.
* * *
“Congratulations, sis.” Jarvis and Spencer stepped out from under the school’s front awning as she exited. Jarvis handed her a large bouquet of sunflowers. “These are from both of us.”
“Thanks, Jarvis.” She hugged him. “It was sweet of you to come tonight.”
“Hey, what about me?” Spencer gave her his classic bear hug and she hugged him back, too.
“We want to take you out. To congratulate you for making it through the pageant alive.” Jarvis kept a straight face until Spencer laughed and Bella punched Jarvis on the shoulder.
“Funny. I appreciate the offer, but I’m beat. Can we go out for something to eat next week?” The reality that Holden really hadn’t come to see the last night of the pageant finally hit her and she was bone weary. If she couldn’t be with the one person who’d made a major difference in her life these last weeks, she wanted to be alone and reading a novel.
“Are you sure? There’s sure to be a big party at the diner.” Jarvis grinned and she smiled back at her brother.
“You’ve been quiet through most of this, Jarvis. Except when you kept telling me I was crazy to sign up for the pageant. What’s going on with you? Have you dug up the old family secret you think is at Rattlesnake Ridge Ranch? Or are you going to admit it’s for naught and go back to being your businessman self?”
“It’s not for naught, but I can’t talk about it yet. Let’s just say I’m close. Besides, I like ranch life more than I realized I would.”
Bella turned to Spencer. “Do you believe this?”
Spencer shrugged. “I didn’t believe you’d signed up for Ms. Mustang Valley, but you did. Anything’s possible.”
“You didn’t think I’d make it out alive, did you?”
“I never doubted you would. You had the best man watching you.”
Tears threatened but she didn’t want to let her brothers see how deeply Spencer’s words affected her. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
“Thanks for your belief in me. I’ll catch you both next week.”
All she wanted to catch tonight was sleep. If it was an escape from facing her true feelings, and the grief over losing something that had never taken off, then so be it.
It was one thing to have the right man next to her, to guide her and protect her through a tough situation. To expect he’d be around afterward was pushing it.
But she refused to blame herself for feeling how she did. Holden had been a special chapter in her life. She’d come too far in life and in this past month to accept anything but the truth from herself.
* * *
Two weeks after the pageant, Bella made her way through Mustang Valley Hospital with a huge bear balloon and an arrangement of chocolate-dipped fruit. The pageant and its aftermath had brought her both joy and sorrow. The sorrow she wasn’t ready to face just yet, but figured she had a lifetime to mourn losing Holden to his career, and hers.
The text that she’d received as she pulled up to the hospital helped buoy her steps. She’d been offered an investigative-reporter position with the county paper, the Bronco Star. She’d been so excited she’d immediately changed her job status on all of her social media accounts. If Holden wanted to find her, to see what had happened with her career, thanks to the pageant, he could. The county publication, still in print but with a robust online presence, fed into several major national news outlets. After years of hard work and an especially brutal previous month, Bella had realized her dream.
If it wasn’t as great as she’d expected, because she’d lost a lot to get here, too, then so be it. She couldn’t allow herself to be sad over Holden leaving her life. If she started down that emotional path, she wasn’t sure she’d ever find her way back to the joy she’d thought she’d lost when Gio died.
Today she found joy in being reunited with her extended Colton family. As Marlowe had suggested, she’d met up with her and Ainsley for coffee a few days ago. Marlowe had been very uncomfortable, and Ainsley said they all thought the baby was going to make an appearance at any minute. When Spencer let her know that Marlowe was in labor and had been taken to the hospital from her work office, Bella had experienced a radiant sense of quiet happiness that she could only attribute to family.
Another reason to work on letting Holden and her feelings for him go. Their connection had no “quiet”: part to it. It
wasn’t all sexual passion, either, but an intense bond she couldn’t explain.
The hospital-room door was open and she walked into a world of flowers, pale blue ribbons, baskets chock-full of baby needs and a radiant Marlowe sitting up in the hospital bed, the newborn at her breast.