Page 75 of Our Sweet Destiny
Chapter Thirty-Seven
LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON, after the horse show had ended, the Bradens gathered for their typical afternoon barbeque. Josh manned the grill while Treat and Max stood arm in arm beside him, teasing him about adding too much pepper to the chicken. Treat pulled Max into a deep, passionate kiss, and this time, when Rex watched them, he didn’t experience the familiar flash of jealousy. He pulled Jade closer to his side and lowered his mouth onto hers. She leaned in to him, and he wrapped his hand beneath her long, dark hair and kissed her. He could kiss her forever and never tire of it—and he planned on it.
Savannah came out of the house. “Get a room!” Her cell phone rang, and she looked at the number, then said, “I’m gonna take this over there.” She walked back toward the house.
Rex finally let Jade up for air. He loved the rosy flush that covered her cheeks and the breathless way she tried to recover from their kisses. “I love you,” he said to her.
She touched his cheek. “Those words…that kiss…you’re just trying to get into my pants,” she teased.
Their families were just beginning to clear a path toward each other. It would take time, but they were making strides, and Rex wasn’t going to stop pushing until the path was no longer hidden beneath the brush, but cleared and lined with olive branches.
Hope had been fine ever since their families reconciled, although, when Rex noticed the parallel, Josh was quick to correct him.You mean since Jade gave her that massage.
He watched his father leaning against the fence, and for the hundredth time that day, was thankful for their reconciliation.
“I’m gonna talk to my dad for a sec.” Rex kissed Jade and went to his father’s side.
“Hey, Dad.” He leaned his forearms on the fence, just as his father did.
“Son.”
“I’m sorry about lying to you. I never meant to hurt you or to disrespect the family.” He touched the silver charm that he now wore above his T-shirt.
“I know you didn’t, son.” His father looked out over the pasture, and after a minute or two, he said, without looking at Rex, “You know how I told you that your mother wanted me to tell you something?”
“Yeah.”
His father nodded, then put an arm around Rex. “She said you were doing the right thing.”
Rex looked into his father’s eyes. “I don’t know if you’re delusional or not, Dad, but right this second, I’d like to believe you’re the sanest man alive.”
His father let out a laugh and slung an arm over Rex’s shoulder as they walked toward the driveway, where Earl and Jane were stepping out of their car.
“Thank you, Dad. I know it’s not easy to welcome the Johnsons back into your life. I don’t know what that Richter guy did to Mom, but I respect your need to protect her, and I’m sorry to have put you on the spot like that with Jade.”
“You know I’ll love Jade as much as you do. She made a difference in Hope’s health, and I appreciate that you cared enough about Hope to risk our relationship and bring Jade by to help her.” They walked in silence for a minute, and then his father stopped walking and looked into Rex’s eyes. “Son, you’ve never let me down a day in your life, and I wish I could say the same for myself, but I can’t. Fifteen years is a long time to wait for the woman you love. I’m sorry.”
Savannah charged up the driveway with a suitcase in her hands. Treat, Max, and Josh were right behind her. “I have to leave earlier than anticipated.”
“Don’t tell me you’re running back to Connor Dean,” her father said as he took her into his arms.
“No, Dad. That was a call from my office. There’s a new client coming into New York City, and they need to meet me tomorrow afternoon,” Savannah assured him.
“Before you go, Vanny, Max and I have an announcement.” Treat stood arm in arm with Max, both flashing enormous smiles.
“She’s pregnant?” Savannah asked.
Max put her hand on her stomach. “No. Gosh, way to make me feel self-conscious.”
Treat and Rex laughed. They pulled Earl over to where they stood. “We came to a deal that we think will work for everyone. Earl has agreed to sell Max and me the parcel that he’s selling off, and he’s offered us first right of refusal for any other parcels that he might want to sell.”
“And last night Dad, Earl and Jane, and Jade and I came to an agreement about the unoccupied property, which will no longer be unoccupied. When Treat and Max build, Jade and I will be building our home as well.” Rex kissed Jade’s forehead.
Savannah jumped up and down. “So I’ll have two sister types living right by Dad that I can visit? This gets better by the second.”
“Give them your biggest news, Treat,” Josh urged.
“You suck at keeping secrets,” Treat teased.
