Page 70 of Wild Heart

The wind picked up again, carrying the scent of pine and fire and damp earth. Above them, the moon rose fat and full, casting silver light across the fields. Somewhere beyond the trees, a wolf called out—a long, lonesome sound, not sad, but solemn.

“You’re going to be an amazing big brother,” Olivia said after a moment.

Davey looked down, a soft smile on his lips. “I hope so.”

She nudged him. “You are.”

“And you’re going to be the most stubborn grandmother, aunt, whatever, this town has ever seen.”

Olivia laughed, her voice light with something rare, joy.

“Damn right I am.”

They sat together until the moon climbed high, and the fire burned down, two silhouettes beneath a quiet sky. Mother and son. Bruised but whole. And finally, finally, at peace.

28

Summer in the mountains held a different kind of light. It was golden and forgiving, like something slowly exhaling. The sanctuary was soaked in it, every pine needle and barn plank gilded, every breath of wind laced with the whisper of coming change.

The fields were soft with grass that bowed under its own weight, and wildflowers clung stubbornly to the edges of the trail, as if refusing to surrender to even a hint of Autumn. A soft breeze stirred the tall grass and carried with it the scent of warm earth, hay, and the faint musk of fur from the enclosures just beyond the grove of birch.

Natalie stood beneath the overhang of the barn roof, one hand resting at the base of her rounded belly, the other holding a mug of herbal tea that had long since cooled. Her hair was caught in a loose braid that hung over one shoulder, and her dress, soft, cotton, sea-glass blue, fluttered gently against her legs. She was thirty-eight weeks along now, and her body felt every bit of it. Still, her face glowed with anticipation, and her eyes shimmered with the quiet kind of joy that comes not from perfection, but from peace hard-won.

“Look at them,” she said softly.

Olivia stood beside her, sipping from her own mug. Her cane leaned against the wall, forgotten for the moment. She wore a loose cream cardigan, the sleeves rolled up as always, her hair pulled back in a knot that had begun to come loose.

Together, they watched Mason and Davey down by the fence line, where the northern enclosures backed into the rise of forest. The two men moved in perfect rhythm, clearing brush, repairing sections of fence damaged by the last rainstorm. Davey carried lumber while Mason bent to measure and hammer, their voices low and easy in conversation. Occasionally, one would laugh and the other would toss a reply, a quiet back-and-forth built not just on shared purpose, but something deeper. Something earned.

“He’s proud of Davey,” Olivia said, a softness in her voice.

“And Davey…” Natalie smiled faintly. “He’s finally letting someone be proud of him.”

It had taken months of patience and small, unspoken steps. But now the bond between father and son had solidified into something unshakeable. They worked through Christmas, a time of unbridled happiness at the sanctuary, battling a harsh winter not just as colleagues, but as kin. Their movements were seamless. Their trust in each other unmistakable.

Natalie felt her baby shift, a low, strong roll and she placed both hands beneath her belly, bracing for the wave of tightness.

“Is that a kick?” Olivia asked, amused.

“No. That was a tumble,” Natalie said. “They like to somersault when Mason’s near. I think they already know his voice.”

Olivia reached out and touched her shoulder, grounding. “They’ll know how deeply they’re loved. From the very beginning.”

A hush settled between them again as the sunlightdeepened, casting long shadows from the trees onto the gravel path that wove between the enclosures.

“Have you and Mason talked more about the wedding?” Olivia asked.

Natalie nodded. “We want to do it after the baby arrives. Just something small. Here at the sanctuary. Under the trees.”

“Barefoot and beautiful?” Olivia grinned.

“Exactly.” Natalie laughed, and then quieter, “I want our child to be there. Even if they’re only a few months old. I want them to grow up knowing their parents made a promise with their feet in the dirt and the people who love them all around.”

Olivia’s eyes misted. “That sounds like something worth waiting for.”

The sun shifted again, casting a golden glow over Mason’s back as he leaned to lift a post, his shoulders flexing with the effort. Davey reached out to help, and together they raised it in place. For a moment, their silhouettes aligned so perfectly it made Natalie’s throat catch.

She blinked, sudden tears burning at the corners of her eyes.

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