Page 69 of Baja
“Truth is that the man I loved was also my father. He gave me life. And in the end, he gave his life to save mine.” My voice cracks. “He didn’t have to, but it’s who he was. He protected his family with everything he had through all his choices, good or bad. And he died the same way he lived… unapologetically and fighting for the people he loved.” I glance at Lily, then at my parents and Lucy. “It’s up to those he leaves behind to honor him, to keep his memory alive, and to protect each other the way he protected us.”
As my brothers step forward, the somber air thickens around us. They lower the casket into the cold and unforgiving ground. Mom breaks down, burying her face in Dad’s chest as he tries to offer her solace.
Losing a brother is never easy. You never truly get over it. It’s like tearing out a piece of your soul and leaving behind avast void. The pain lingers, serving as a constant reminder that you have to navigate life without them. But life goes on, and you learn to adapt to the emptiness they’ve left behind.
A few more minutes pass, and then everyone leaves, one by one.
Mom, Dad, and Lucy linger momentarily, hugging me before returning to the clubhouse.
Lily and Alice stay behind.
Alice looks up at me, her eyes soft. “You okay?” she asks.
“Not today.” I’m honest with her.
“You want me to stay?”
“I got this, babe. Go get out of those wet clothes,” I tell her.
Alice nods, stepping closer, her hand brushing my cheek. “You feel what you need to feel. When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”
I let out a shaky breath, pressing my forehead to hers. “I know, babe.” We stand like this for a beat, her warmth grounding me again. Then, she presses a soft kiss to my lips and steps away. I watch her return to the clubhouse to join the other women, then turn back to the grave. I stare at the fresh mound of dirt off the hole’s side.
Lily steps up, her hand slips into mine, and we stand in silence, rain still falling.
No words need to be spoken.
We lost the man tying us together, yet somehow, his death makes us stronger, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the moment.
The rain stops, and the sky clears.
Lily squeezes my hand, and I squeeze back, the moment more powerful than words. I let loose her hand and pick up the shovel. Lily turns, returning to the clubhouse where Juneau is waiting for her.
I shovel dirt into the grave, the thud of the earth against the casket below loud and final. Still sore from the hell it’s beenthrough, my body makes the dirt feel heavier than it should. I scoop more soil, chucking it into the grave.
The sound of gravel shifting behind me doesn’t break my rhythm.
Then, another shovel bites into the mound of soil, followed by several more as Salem, Harlem, Mystic, Laredo, and Juneau join me.
Their actions resonate in the quiet spaces where words aren’t needed.
This is what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself, to have a family that transcends blood ties.
With my brothers at my side, we bury my grief, one shovel at a time.
EPILOGUE
ALICE
A Month Later
The morning sun shines on my face as I step onto the porch with a hot cup of coffee. In the distance, I hear the steady hum of the excavator breaking ground on Sukie and Harlem’s home. I hired a realtor a month ago to look for a house. Sukie’s grandmother left this house and the land it sits on to her, and after she and Harlem got together, I intended to move out so they could start their lives together in the place Sukie loves the most. And though I share the same fond memories here, my heart knows this is where my daughter belongs. But then Sukie got wind—she proposed an idea she’d been mulling over for some time—asking how I felt about her and Harlem building a place facing the lake on the back side of the property. She expressed wanting us to remain close while having our own places. I’ll admit I was immediately on board with the idea. Sukie has been living with Harlem at the clubhouse for months, but soon enough, she will be within walking distance of my backyard.
Taking a sip of coffee, I close my eyes and relish the feel of the warm sun against my skin. I smile when an arm wraps around my waist, and the smell of cedar fills my senses.
“Mornin’, babe.”
“Good morning.” I tip my head back to find Nash’s lips turned up in a sexy grin. His long blond hair hangs wild around his shoulders, still a tangled mess from having my hands in it while his face was buried between my legs.
