“I entered this world with a best friend. Not everyone is blessed with that, but I was. We shared our mother’s womb, a baby bed, a bedroom, a trampoline, and a swing set. With my brother, I was always accepted. He never treated me differently like other kids would do when they realized I spoke with my hands. When I was with him, it was as if nothing were different about me at all. He was my twin brother, my very first friend, my protector, even when I wished he would back off a bit.”
Laughter spread across the crowd, and I felt a lump so damn big in my throat that I wasn’t sure I could swallow.
“Hunter Maclay will always be a part of me. There are times I swear he is right beside me. I feel a peace, and I know it’s him. And today, as I look out over all of you and this facility, I am…” She paused and took a deep breath. I could see the struggle in her features. My own eyes were fighting back tears. “I am honored that he will be remembered this way. With such an amazing place. He would love to know kids were given this opportunity to play the sport I believe he was born loving.”
I wiped at my eyes before the tears could fall. Aurora continued to talk about the work put into the place. She thanked the investors, and she thanked my family for the donation of the land. I wasn’t sure there was a dry eye in the stands when she stepped back and Nash whispered to her and hugged her before taking the microphone.
I waited until she moved behind the stage to walk across the grass and go to her. She had not only spoken in front of hundreds of people, she had used her voice. With all her fear that her voice was different, she had overcome that. My long strides got me to her quickly, and when she turned to me I pulled her into my arms.
“You were incredible,” I said into her hair.
“I sounded okay?” she asked me.
“Baby, your voice is the sweetest damn sound on the earth. I’ve told you that a million times.”
“But you love me,” she replied.
I looked down at her. “Oh, it’s more than love.Worship, adore, those are closer descriptions.”
She laughed softly. “I worship and adore you too.”
“Good, because I’m keeping you.”
She nodded. “You better.”
I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You didn’t even look nervous.”
The soft smile that spread across her lips made me want to kiss her for hours.
“I wasn’t alone,” she said. “Hunter was there. I could feel him. It was as if he were so close he was holding my hand. As if I could have reached out and touched him. It may sound silly, but it was real. He was with me up there.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t sound silly. I don’t think he would have missed this for anything.”
Her eyes glistened with tears. “Me either. Just like when we were kids, he showed up to keep me from having to do something alone. He was always like that. I shouldn’t have expected him to be a no-show today.”
I pulled her to my chest and held her. “He’ll always show up for the important stuff, baby.”
And he would. I knew he would. That was Hunter Maclay.
ONE MONTH LATER
“The game may be finished, but now we have the future.”
WEST
I stood looking out over Lawton. In the exact spot my dad and I used to stand and the same place I had brought Maggie. This was the perfect location. When Maggie had suggested it when we were trying to decide on the location of our wedding, I had been surprised. Sure, it had a good view, but it wasn’t a church. It didn’t have flower gardens or anything flashy that most women want.
Although the transformation the girls had pulled off had made it pretty damn magical. I had known this day would come, and I think my dad had too. He’d loved Maggie on sight, but then she was hard not to love. I sure as hell had tried not to love her. Stupid punk kid I’d been hadn’tdeserved her. I was thankful she’d seen through all my anger and pain to find someone worth saving.
“You ready to do this?” Brady asked as he came to stand beside me.
“You know that answer,” I replied.
He sighed. “Yeah, I reckon I do. Guess it seems right you two are the first to walk down the aisle and have a baby. You were the first of us to fall hard.”
I smirked. “You weren’t that far behind me.”
“I won’t be in the marrying step either. I’m more than ready for Riley and Bryony to be Higgens. I know they’re mine, but I want that last step.”