Page 82 of The Fighter who Needed Me
Then Jacob walked to his wife and twirled her laughing into the next dance.
Brooks pulled her into his arms, and she watched the dancing with a smile on her face.
When she yawned, Brooks chuckled, “Come on love, you need rest. It has been a long and exciting day.”
She nodded and gave one last wistful look at the party still going on and then turned to her husband with a smile.
“This was the best night I have had in a long time.”
He grinned, “I feel the same. It is different here. Safer and I feel like we belong.”
She looked up at him, “That is exactly my thoughts.”
He laughed and they walked up the stairs together and he helped her ready for bed, where he made love to her before she fell into a dream filled sleep.
* * *
The next morning Brooks had been invited to ride with the men, all of them.
Burk, Cabe, his brother Case, Jacob, Aidan and Cole were all at the stables.
Aidan clapped Cabe and Case on the back, “We thought it would be nice to get out for a while. Give the girls some space away from all of us.”
Everyone laughed and Aidan swung himself into his saddle.
Cole grinned over at Aidan, “Race you to the first hill.”
Aidan’s face went serious, “Do you not remember how I beat you the last time we did this?”
Burk snorted, “Not if I get there first.”
The brothers looked back at Burk and Brooks spoke up, “Burk? You are not the best rider. Me, on the other hand? I will see you all there.”
Everyone laughed out loud and Jacob coughed, “I think we should all see who can beat the other. It has been quite a while since I have been on a horse, but I guarantee I will beat all of you.”
Everyone got on their horses and lined them up, ready to race and one Aidan’s stable hands came out and yelled, “Get ready, set, GO!”
Everyone took off and feeling the horse run under him was everything he missed.
He leaned forward in the saddle and grinned as the race was truly on.
The horses flew over the grounds and he started laughing as everyone tried to beat the other.
Case won by a hair and Aidan came in close second.
He was third and Burk cursed up a storm when his horse came in last.
Then he was laughing with everyone and feeling truly free for the first time in months, Brooks took it all in.
The men sat on their horses and joked and laughed, and he did not recall when he felt so happy.
Aside from when he was with Persephone.
It was always with them. His true family and one he had always secretly wished he had.
Burk had become his brother and had been there from the start. Was truly one of the best men Brooks had ever known.
And then they had met Eden. She had been so young and lost. Not just in the actual sense of the word, but truly lost in her soul.
