Page 64 of Small Town Sash

"Or a beautiful beginning," Braden countered, returning the smile.

"No more pageants, rules, or regulations," Hadley added as she leaned into his comforting frame. "Just me and designing clothes from here on out."

Feeling lighter than she had in years, hand in hand, they strolled, echoing laughter bouncing off the brick walls of the surrounding buildings. Under the dim street lamps, their shadows stretched out long and thin, dancing on the pavement as they disappeared into the quiet hum of the night. This was indeed a beautiful beginning.

Chapter Eighteen

Braden's boots crunched against the gravel as he strode out of the academy's main building for the last time. He tugged at his uniform, the fabric still stiff and new—a tangible reminder of his accomplishments and the future that awaited him. His hand lingered on the golden badge pinned to his chest, top graduate—gleaming like a promise.

"Well, it's official, you're a hotshot now," a voice called out from behind, teasing but proud.

He turned to see his fellow graduates, smirks playing on their faces. "Guess they'll let anyone be top dog these days," Braden shot back with a grin, deflecting the weight of his achievement with humor.

"Seriously though, congrats, man," Sawyer said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You earned it."

"Thanks," Braden replied, his smile lingering but eyes betraying a flicker of concern. He'd trained hard, pushed himself, but as the reality of graduation sunk in, so did the implications. Leaving Hero. Leaving Hadley.

"Got your head in the clouds already, Harding?" Mike joked, nudging him playfully.

"Something like that," Braden admitted, his laughter hollow as Dash brushed against him. The thought of returning to the Air Force, searching for bombs and securing entry points thrilled him. What about her? Hadley, with her stormy blue eyes and defiance that matched his own.

"Hey, don't get all mushy on us," Sawyer ribbed, bringing him back to the moment.

"Never," Braden retorted, schooling his expression into one of mock seriousness. "I'm a stone-cold bomb detector now. No room for mushy."

"Right, right," they laughed, moving off toward the graduation ceremony awaiting all of them inside the academy auditorium.

Left alone for a moment, Braden took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the insignia on his chest—a weight far beyond its physical presence. It was the gravity of decisions to be made, of a conversation he wasn't sure how to start with Hadley. How do you tell someone who's fought to be seen beyond her beauty queen façade that you might become just another photo she'll put away in a memory box?

"Hey, Harding," Mike called out, snapping him from his reverie. "You coming or what?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Braden called back, striding forward to join the others, his steps as confident as they were uncertain.

A half-hour later, Braden's name echoed through the auditorium, bouncing off the walls like a tangible force. He stood and walked across the stage, a sea of crisp uniforms and proud faces blurring around him.

"Sergeant Braden Harding, top marks and top of the class."

The applause was thunderous, but above it all, he heard one voice. It cut through the noise, clear and exuberant. Hadley's voice. His heart did an odd little flip-flop, and he couldn't help but scan the crowd until he found her. There she was—blackhair, blue eyes bright as sapphires, standing and clapping wildly for him. He flashed a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Go, Braden," Hadley called out, her cheer a beacon in the formality of the ceremony.

"Thanks," he mouthed, not sure if she could see it, but needing to say it all the same.

"Look at you, top dog," someone shouted as he returned to his seat, medal heavy around his neck.

"Yeah, who'd have thought," Braden responded, a dry chuckle escaping his lips as he took his seat with the rest of his graduating class.

The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur, Braden watching Hadley the entire time.

Afterward, everyone made their way into the back of the academy. "Graduation party" meant a backyard bash with all the trimmings of a classic celebration. Music pulsed through the evening air, fairy lights twinkled, and the smell of barbecued food filled the space. Their friends gathered, a tapestry of shared memories and inside jokes.

"Congrats," they toasted, slapping Braden on the back one by one.

"Couldn't have done it without you guys," Braden said, a genuine smile breaking through. His gaze, however, kept flitting to Hadley, who was being swept into conversations about her latest pageant win and future design ideas.

"Hey, Hero," Hadley laughed, finally escaping her admirers and nudging his arm with her shoulder. "You ditching me for the military already?"

"Never," Braden shot back, but the word hung between them, heavy with unspoken truths.

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