Page 111 of Grit
“Will you be quiet?” she muttered. Melissa awkwardly climbed off Cary’s lap, which was not as easy as climbing onto it. Not even a little bit. “So… Uh, Abby, what do you mean that you knew we were in love?”
The eye roll was epic. “Oh come on, Mom. It was so obvious.”
He wasn’t laughing out loud, but Cary’s shoulders were shaking.
“What?” She put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know what you mean. What was so obvious?”
Abby waved her hand. “Whatever.” She bounced over to Cary. “So, Cary.”
“Yes?”
“Since you’re my mom’s boyfriend, will you teach me how to mountain climb?”
“Yes.”
“No!” Melissa was furiously shaking her head. “She’s already jumping giant horses. Give me a break.”
Cary glanced at Melissa. “When your mom says it’s okay, I’ll start teaching you the basics.”
“Cool.” Abby glanced between Melissa and Cary. “So you’re gonna get married, right?”
Melissa closed her eyes. “Abby, despite what you may think, this is pretty new and we have not talked—”
“Yeah,” Cary said. “We’ll get married.”
“Cary!” Melissa gaped. “What are you doing?”
“Missy.” Cary spread his arms wide, a giant smile on his face. “Come on. This is us.”
This is us.
He made it sound so easy. Sitting there, looking beautiful and free on his bike, his arms open. His heart wide open.
He loved her. He loved Abby. She loved him.
This is us.
Maybe he made it look easy… because it was. Melissa blinked back tears. Maybe for the first time in a very, very long time, something wasn’t a fight. Or a struggle. Or an uphill battle. Maybe this… just was.
Cary crooked his finger at her. “Come here, Miss Melissa Oxford, who always knows where she is.”
Melissa walked over to him, and he was every dream she thought she’d lost. A friend. A lover. A partner. A father to her daughter.
Cary got off the bike. “Why are you crying?” He wiped her eyes. He kissed her cheeks. “Don’t cry. You’ve got the smartest kid in the world. I love you. I was getting things all twisted around in my head too, but Abby’s right. It’s so obvious.”
Abby looked between them. “Well,obviouslyyou have to talk about this, and probably argue about it a while. But I, for one, am in favor of Cary marrying you and living on the ranch.”
Melissa wiped her eyes. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“I feel like he’s a goat ally.”
Melissa burst into laughter through her tears.
They madelove in the bunkhouse after they’d eaten dinner and put Abby to bed. It was slow and achingly sweet.
“Right there?” Cary moved in her.
Melissa breathed out and nodded without saying a word. Her eyes were drifting shut in pleasure when he said, “Look at me. Keep your eyes on me.”
