Page 79 of Willow Vale

She walked over to me and patted my shoulder. “Happy looks good on you. You know, when your grandfather first brought you to the ranch you were a scared little kid who didn’t even know how to accept a kind word. You’ve changed so much since then.”

I remembered those days well. I tried so hard to forget them over the years, but I realized that wasn’t possible. The hardships I went through with Irene were what led me here to this very moment, like a thread of light leading me out of the darkness until I found myself standing beneath a willow tree, staring into the eyes of a handsome boy who asked me what I was doing with a scowl on his face. A family that welcomed me with opened arms.

“I’m finding it’s getting a little easier. I’m trying.”

“And that’s all you have to do, honey.” Amelia wrapped an arm around my shoulder, facing the window and spottingFinn carrying River over his shoulder. My brother reached his little hands toward Travis who was leaning against the railing, watching them play with a smile on his face. It was small and I’m sure not many people could tell he wasn’t scowling for once. But I could. He didn’t hesitate to walk down the steps and save River from Finn. He clung to Travis, beaming at him as he spoke animatedly.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen my son this happy either. It brings me so much joy to see the two of you together again,” Amelia added before releasing me and going back to check on the mac and cheese in the oven.

I couldn’t quite put into words how I felt hearing her say that, or the fact that she knew we’d been together years ago and never said anything.

Here I was thinking the Adlers merely tolerated me as a pitiful girl taking care of her alcoholic mother with no real family to turn to, and yet I’m proven time and time again with every kind word, every selfless gesture of theirs, that it couldn’t be further from the truth. They loved me and River as if we were a part of this family without question.

“Amelia?” She looked over at me and my voice broke when I said, “I love you. Thank you for everything.”

Her gray eyes shined before she looked away and cleared her throat. If this were a conversation I was having with Desmond, I suspected he’d have tears rolling down his cheeks by now. But I could hear the emotion in her voice when she softly said, “I love you too. It’s good to have you home.”

Home.

This was home, wasn’t it?

I knockedon Wren’s door after she still hadn’t come out of her room for dinner.

“Wren?”

“It’s open,” I heard her muffled voice answer before I open the door. Wren was lying on her bed, reading a book with her leg propped up by pillows.

She didn’t look up from her book as I approached and said, “Dinner’s almost ready. Would you like to come out and join us? The guys are going to go out to light the fireworks after.”

Her face was unreadable as she said, “I’m good. I’m getting pretty tired anyway.”

She’d been like that all day.

I thought being around anyone who wasn’t family made her uncomfortable. After the rodeo with people screaming and cheering all around us, I couldn’t say I was surprised. Still, I didn’t like the idea of her being alone.

“Does your leg hurt? Need anything for the pain?”

“I’m good. Thanks, though.”

I nodded, knowing she didn’t want me here even if she wouldn’t say it.

“If you need anything call me, okay?”

I turned toward the door and reached for the knob when she called my name. I faced her and saw that she was looking at the window where music continued playing and the ranch hands were gathering around the grill.

“Can you pass me my headphones? They’re on the dresser,” Wren murmured, still looking at the window.

“Of course.” I reached for the headphones and noticed they were the noise cancelling kind. In all the times I’d seen her since her accident, Wren hadn’t worn headphones all that much. These must have been new. I handed them to her, and she thanked me.

I headed for the door and looked over my shoulder to say goodbye, but she was already sliding the headphones on and blasting music with her eyes closed.

“There you are.”Travis wrapped his arms around me from behind the moment I stepped out onto the porch. He kissed my cheek and I smiled. “I was about to go looking for you.”

“I just went to check on your sister.”

“Is she…”

“She’s asleep,” I said, knowing that if I told him about our interaction, he would go straight to her room to try to convince her to join us outside. We were all worried about her, no question about it, but I knew when someone needed their space. That was all she wanted right now.

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