Page 17 of Winter Memories

I step in front of her, blocking her from Macklin’s view and cup her soft cheeks in my hands. The callouses on my hands must be rough against her skin, but she doesn’t flinch.

“There’s no rush,” I promise her, “all I’m asking for is a chance.” Her tentative nod feels like a victory. “Will you two stay for dinner?”

“Yeah,” she breathes out, “we can stay.”

Her dark eyes are sparkling pools as she speaks and, for a moment, I’m not sure if she’s talking about just for tonight or if she’s saying she’ll stay forever.

That’s the goal; it’ll always be the goal.

I just need a little time and to make some new memories, ones neither of us can walk away from.

CHAPTER 7

EDEN

As I lean down and kiss Macklin’s forehead before I pull the comforter up and over his small body, I can’t help but smile. Today has been a damn good day. And not just for me either. Even though Macklin has loved spending time with Mom and Dad, there was something special about seeing him come alive under the light of Fletcher’s attention.

It wasn’t just Fletcher either. The Burns brothers all gave Macklin the attention and love my boy has been craving without even knowing it. It was beautiful to watch.

After spending a good portion of the day out in the barn with Fletcher answering all of Macklin’s questions about horses, I was nervous about heading into the house for lunch. I hadn’t seen Huxley or Noel for even longer than Fletcher. Would they remember me? Would they resent me and shun me the same way Buttercup did?

I shouldn’t have been worried. The moment they saw me, they had huge smiles on their faces and instantly wrapped me up in their arms and hugged me.

“Eden,” Huxley practically gushed, “it’s so good to see you again.”

Even though I knew who he was instantly from the way his eyes sparkled with mischief, it was jarring seeing him so grown up. When I left, he was still just a boy considering he’s eight years younger than Fletch and I. He had grown up so damn much and it made me want to cry.

The changes in Noel weren’t quite as big since he’s only three years younger than us, but there were shadows in his eyes which weren’t there the last time I saw him. Fletcher had told me about how he enlisted once he graduated, but seeing the way it left scars on his soul took me aback.

I hugged Noel a little tighter and tried to say something, anything. But nothing would come out. The lump in my throat at being near two guys who always felt like younger brothers to me was almost too much to process.

I didn’t get the chance to dwell on it because then Macklin was there. He looked up at Huxley and Noel with a shy smile on his face. “Hi,” his greeting was small.

I got to witness two more men who used to mean so much to me fall in love with my son. Their eyes softened and they both crouched down in front of Mack to introduce themselves to him. The moment they said their names, Mack’s eyes lit up.

Both guys showed up in bedtime stories even though Fletcher was always the hero. What my son never realized was that the stories I told him were always based on my childhood and the things I would get up to with Fletcher and his siblings.

Fletcher and I were old news as Mack latched on to Noel and Huxley. They were both so good with him, asking him questions and answering all of his. They talked about the horses at Limitless for a long time and he told them everything he’d been learning about the cows while he was helping Dad out.

When Noel asked Mack to help with lunch, I was worried for a moment, but Fletcher just wrapped his arm around my shoulders and murmured, “Don’t worry, Shooting Star, he’ll be fine.”

I spent the afternoon surrounded by the warmth of my home away from home, which is what Limitless always felt like to me while growing up. There were times when I spent more time here than I did over at my own home. It was strange how comfortable everything felt and how it was if no time had passed at all.

After lunch, Macklin followed Huxley out to the barn to do the afternoon chores because he insisted, “I’m a big boy, Mama. I can help and the horses love me.”

What was there to say? The only thing to do was to let him go.

The moment Macklin was gone, Fletcher took my hand and gave it a squeeze, “I want to show you something, Eden.”

He looked nervous, which put me on edge a little bit, but I also knew I wasn’t going to deny him. I wasn’t expecting him to lead me back out to his truck and drive a short distance to a house built on the property. The moment we were close enough, tears started streaming down my face.

It was our house. The house we had spent so many hours talking about and dreaming up. Seeing our shared dream as a reality was almost too much.

My voice shook, “What is this place?”

“I had it built a few years after I took over for my parents. I needed a space of my own.” He gave me a sheepish smile, “When I sat down to make the plans, there was only one house I wanted to build here.”

“You built our house,” my voice cracked.

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