Page 94 of Conflagration
She laughs. “Well, putting her clothes in your room could be considered meddling, I guess, but for the most part, yes. And I’d do it all over again, Branson. All I’ve ever wanted for my boys is for them to be happy. Whether it was with a woman or your career. Although I’m glad you found Ariana, because no matter how much you’ve dreamed about running the company, one day, you’ll wake up and realize there’s so much more to life than work.”
“I’ve already realized that, Mom. For too long, I’ve focused on my career. Now? I couldn’t care less if it means I’m alone.”
The door opens and Cohen sticks his head inside, his eyebrows drawing together when he sees us. “Everything good in here?” he asks, and Mom and I both nod. “Okay, well, Dad said to round everyone up. He’s about to make his speech.”
The door closes, and I stare at it for a moment.
“Branson,” Mom says, catching my attention. “This is the day you’ve been waiting for. Are you ready?”
She’s right. This is the day I’ve been waiting for. The day that determines my future. The day my dreams come true or the day it all comes crashing down.
TRAFFIC THROUGH Nashville slows me down, and I frantically glance at the clock as every minute ticks by. The closer I get to Belle Meade, the more anxious I become, hoping I’m not too late. Praying that, if I am, he’ll have time to take it back.
The thing is that, like I told Branson before, I couldn’t care less what his job is. If he decides he wants to move to the beach and open up a surf shop, I’m all for it. He’d look sexy with a perpetual tan and board shorts. If he wants to go into politics, I’ll back him. He’s an excellent speaker, and even though the thought of elections gives me hives, I’ll stand by him no matter what he does. So if he wants to fulfill his dream of being CEO of Wellington Enterprises? Then I’m completely comfortable with settling into the role of CEO’s wife. Because, together, we can do this.
The thing I can’t live with is his giving up his dream for me. Even if what he said was horrible and it temporarily broke my heart, our love is permanent and he’s shown me nearly every day that we’ve been together. Like I once told him, life’s messy, but we’re strong enough to get through it together.
I steel my nerves as I pull up to the Wellington residence, jumping out of the car and tossing my keys to the valet without a second glance. As I walk down the hall, I find the house empty. I pause in the kitchen, pressing my palms against the counter. The door opens, and I look up to see Amelia standing there. When she spots me, her eyes widen and she quickly closes the door behind her.
“Oh, thank God,” she says, rushing across the room and pulling me into her arms. “We’ve missed you, sweet girl.”
The dam holding back my tears suddenly bursts as I wrap my arms around her. I’ve missed the family, too. This kitchen, this setting, this woman. It’s everything I’ve never had, and I’m more than thankful with how much Branson’s given me. Yes, he has given me himself, his whole heart, but with him, I’ve gained a family. I can’t believe I ever considered walking away.
She pulls back and uses her thumbs to wipe my eyes. “Now, dear, we have plenty to catch up on, but you were almost too late.” She takes my hand and leads me out into the backyard, and my attention is immediately drawn to a makeshift stage at the opposite end of the lawn.
Branson and his dad are hugging, and I’m frozen in place as he clears his throat and taps the microphone. “Wow. There sure are a lot of people here to send the old man off, especially since it was so last minute.” He turns to his dad, giving him an award-winning smile. “Must be all the people you’ve pissed off over the years who are happy to see you go.”
The crowd laughs, and he looks down at the note cards in his hand. As I study him, I watch his expression shift. He sets the cards aside and leans forward, gripping the podium.
“The truth is, Dad’s shoes are going to be extremely hard to fill. I’m almost grateful I wasn’t the son named Knox, because if I fuck things up, his legacy won’t be the one tainted.” He pauses, grinning at the chuckling crowd. “I guess I should probably learn to not say ‘fuck’ at these sorts of things. Not that it really matters,” he mutters before continuing.
“From an early age, I knew I wanted to follow my father’s footsteps. I never wanted to be quarterback in the NFL. The sight of blood makes me queasy, so there’s no way I could be like Cohen and become a doctor. My hands shake like a motherfucker—sorry, I’ll learn—so the idea of defusing bombs the way Knox does? No way in hell could I ever do that. I’m proud of my brothers—for following their dreams and never giving up. And all my life, that’s what I’ve done. I’ve chased a dream, and now that I’m standing here, with it finally coming true, I realize this isn’t my dream.”
The crowd gasps, and his dad looks aghast.
Oh shit.
Before Branson can continue, I slip off my heels and sprint across the lawn, jumping up on the stage to join him, knowing that I’m probably making a spectacle of myself but not caring in the least bit. His eyes widen when he sees me, and I wink, turning to look towards the now silent crowd. Standing up on my tiptoes, I bring the mic down so I can speak.
“What Branson means, is that it’s no longer justhisdream. It’s ours, and we couldn’t be more excited to start our lives together as he takes on this new venture.” I can see Amelia in the background, giving me a thumbs-up, and I give her, and everyone else, a beaming smile. “I promise that my first duty as the CEO’S wife will be to try and break him of that cursing habit—even if I have to write his speeches myself.”
Branson looks down at me, his eyes full of hope. Full of love.
I lean up on my tiptoes and give him a kiss on the cheek before bringing my mouth to his ear. “I love you with every beat of my heart and I always will. Now thank your father and accept the position.”
“You’re sure?” he asks, and my heart melts at his willingness to give this all up for me.
“Absolutely.”
I step to the side, but he hooks an arm around my waist and pulls me into his side “Ariana’s right. This is our dream now, and I couldn’t do this without her by my side. I promise to do everything I can to live up to the leader Dad was, to be the man he’s taught me to be, and I’m grateful to have my parents’ example to follow as Ariana and I navigate our new life together. I won’t let her or any of you down.”
His father stands, starting a round of applause, and soon, the whole place joins in. Branson gives a warm smile to everyone then pulls me off the stage and into a dark corner of the backyard.
“You came.”
“I did.”
“You’re here.”
