Page 73 of Hero for the Holidays

Gus took that as his cue and went outside with his truck keys.

Everybody else poured out of the house, and Landry and Fia went to where Lila was.

“We have something really special for you,” said Landry. “We can’t give you back all the things that you used to do. But we can do new things. We want to do new things.”

That was when Gus pulled his truck around from behind the house.

“Here we go,” said Landry.

He went over to the horse trailer and opened up the back.

And in the light shining from the porch, Fia could see the beautiful Appaloosa exit the trailer. The horse was so beautiful, honestly. She was a dream for anyone.

“What?” Lila asked.

“You love animals more than anyone I’ve ever met,” said Landry. “So I thought the best thing for you to have... We thought the best thing for you to have, would be a horse of your own.”

“Really? Are you kidding?”

“I’m not kidding. This is Genevieve. She’s kind of an old girl, but she’s even-tempered.”

“Let’s do some riding now,” said Daughtry, clearly ecstatic over the surprise for his niece.

“She can’t ride now, it’s dark.”

“I’ll just lead her around in a circle,” said Daughtry.

“Yeehaw,” said Justice, and his brothers set to work in all their enthusiasm.

Lila looked at him. “Can I?”

“Get on, scrap,” he said.

And Lila did.

Denver helped her up onto the horse, and Justice ended up leading her in a circle with a rope, like it was a kid’s party pony.

He stood back with Fia and watched.

“Well, here’s a first we’re getting to experience,” he said.

She touched his arm. “She was overwhelmed. Because she wants to stay with us. Because she’s afraid that...” Fia’s voice broke. “Shedidwant us to find her, Landry. She felt so alone. She...”

Fia started to shatter. Started to cry. In the shadows, Landry wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Like it was the easiest, most natural thing in the world. She melted into him, like she’d done it a million times. She had. It had just been so long ago, but it felt as right now as it had then.

“It’s okay,” he whispered against her temple, his breath hot on her skin.

“It’s not.” Fia gulped. “She was scared. And lonely. Sheneeded us. She didn’t have anyone for a year. I’m just so sorry that she went through all of this. But so...so glad that she wants us. And it feels wrong to be glad about that.”

“Not wrong,” he said. “You love her.”

She nodded against his chest. And that was when she became aware of how strong he was. How good it felt to have them hold her. Landry had always felt like homecoming. He had always felt like the thing she wanted more than anything else.

She’d been apart from him for all this time. She’d been trying to weather all this pain without his arms around her. It had been the most unjust thing in the world. That she’d had to go through the worst pain of her life without him. That he’d caused her pain, and couldn’t be there to help her fix it. It was justso hard. It felt so good to be back with him. To be held by him.

She looked up, and again, their mouths were so close.

It was like they were the only two people then.

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