Page 87 of Letting Go
“I don’t think I want to count when you got shot as a date, baby.” Walker’s eyes go dark. “If that rogue bullet had gone a few inches over, I could have lost you.”
“Let’s absolutely not count that one and maybe agree we don’t need to count dates at all. The only thing that counts—to me anyway—is we continue to spend time together.” He hums and nods in agreement. “And Walker? You didn’t lose me, but for what it’s worth, you definitely have me,” I admit as he reaches out and takes my hand. Nothing about our relationship has been traditional ortypical, but we also have quickly established a depth most wouldn’t understand.
“And you have all of me, Viv, for as long as you want to keep me.”
“What if I play for keeps?” My question is barely a whisper, but I’m being serious.
“Then I think we both win, baby.” He squeezes my hand and flashes another brilliant smile. We talk more about where we see this thing between us going and my face is starting to hurt from smiling.
“And after our conversation last night, I think I’m going to do it. I think the time is right. I’m going to ask my former neighbor in Chicago if her sister is still interested in buying my condo, and if not, I’m going to put it on the market. It’s time to make this move to Tennessee official.”
“That’s great, Viv. You know I’ll support whatever you want to do.” He’s right, I do know that, and I also know he genuinely means it. “And you know Nashville isn’t so far from Forrest Falls.”.
“I know.” A sigh escapes me, making me sound slightly melodramatic. “I’m not sure if I see Eloise and I living in Nashville though, but it wouldn’t be too far from my family.”
“No. You misunderstood me, Sugar. I’m not talking about you moving to Nashville. I’m implying if I were to commute from Forrest Falls to Nashville.”
“Oh … Oh! I like the sound of that!” I grin and don’t even try to play it cool. I have zero cool when it comes to this guy, just butterflies and magic.
Walker gets a call from the chief of his division and he has to step outside to take it. I enjoy the view of watching him walk away from me and blatantly check him out. As if he knows, he shoots me a mischievous grin and a wink over his shoulder. Busted, but worth it.
I really like the idea of Walker living in Forrest Falls, and hopefully that also means with me and Eloise. I know it would mean leaving my sister’s guest house, but maybe I could explore that offer Daddy made about us building something on the family land. Wherever we live, as long as I’m with Eloise and Walker, I know I’ll be home. Who knows what the future holds, but if they’re each holding one of my hands, I know it will be good.
While I wait for Walker, I take the opportunity to enjoy some people watching. The chime over the front door signals, but instead of my handsome man, it’s a beautiful woman with deep auburn hair. As she walks in, I notice the subtle streaks of dark purple in her hair and she is totally rocking a bohemian hippy vibe, clearly one of those people that seems to radiate sunshine. She also looks so familiar to me, but I can’t place where I know her from.
The place isn’t that busy so I can eavesdrop on her conversation with the barista. “Hi! My name is Cameron Walsh and I’m here for an interview with the owner.” She reaches out and shakes the barista’s hand.
“Whoops! That’s funny! Taylor had that wrong, he told me a guy was coming in for the interview.” The barista laughs and rolls her eyes. “At least he got the time right.”
“You can call me Cami. And I promise, it’s not the first time someone sees the name Cameron and assumes it’s a guy’s name.” She smiles as the barista makes a joke that Taylor should understand as he also has a name that is gender neutral. Cami briefly looks over to where I’m seated but quickly averts her eyes when we make eye contact.
That was odd.
I try to be subtle as I continue to eavesdrop but for the life of me, I cannot place where I know this girl from, but I know I do. I’ll have to ask Savannah if she recognizes the name.
The name Cameron Walsh doesn’t ring a bell, but something about her face certainly does.
One Year Later
“Dance with me?” Walker whispers in my ear as he slides his warm hands around my waist and pulls me close. He knows I will always say yes to being in his arms and I love slow dancing with him, especially in our new kitchen as the large windows allow the final whispers of the day to flood the room while the sun sets. Freshly showered, I can smell his intoxicating body wash, and he sends shivers down my spine as he softly kisses me just below my ear, igniting a fire of desire within me.
“As long as there’s enough room for all of us.” I turn in his arms and slide my hands up his chest, locking them behind his neck. The tenderness and love reflected in his eyes only solidifies how cherished this man makes me feel every single day. I now crave his unwavering and steady love in my life as much as I require oxygen to breathe.
My ever-expanding belly has reached the point in pregnancy where the babies require extra room, but my husband is more than happy to accommodate space for his growing sons.
Walker and I never had the conversation officially defining the relationship. We didn’t need one when we both were completely consumed with one another. The two of us just kept dating and spending time together, knowing we belonged to each other.
Five months after our first official date at his house, he decided it was time to move to Forrest Falls instead of us going back and forth between here and Nashville. The timing was kismet—the day he officially put his Nashville house on the market was the same day I discovered my stomach bug was actually morning sickness. I should have paid closer attention in health class; the antibiotics I took the month before nullified my birth control and gave us quite the surprise.
When I told him that evening, he immediately dropped to one knee, pulled a small black box out of his pocket and proposed. He intended to propose when he arrived with the last of his moving boxes, but I believe everything worked out perfectly. The pregnancy also put our plans of building on a fast-track. Thankfully my brother Finn was well-prepared to handle my requests and demands, and maybe a hormonal-fueled melt down or two when certain building materials wouldn’t be available to meet our schedule.
A few weeks later, my doctor confirmed the pregnancy, and after she delivered another surprise by telling us we were having twins, we decided neither of us needed a big, fancy wedding.
We flew my family and best friends out to Walker’s family ranch in Texas. As the sun set on a Sunday evening, we were married at Walker’s favorite’s spot on a hill overlooking his family’s land. I knew we would likely stay in Tennessee, so getting married in Texas felt like a nice way to include his side, and the perfect place to intertwine our families while making vows to one another about our future. Walker hopes Eloise will consider his family’s land in Texas a second home, and we will eventually build a house near his brothers’ places. We were surrounded by our favorite people and so much love that even months later, it still overwhelms me, but I can in part blame the pregnancy hormones for the happy tears.
Finn was able to complete building our new home in under six months, and tonight marks three weeks in our new home. We didn’t build right next to Daddy’s house, but we did create a paved walkway the quarter mile between our two homes for frequent visits. When we moved in, Daddy gifted us a golf cart to make it even easier to visit him, especially with my pregnancy. Walker’s brothers gave Eloise a miniature pink four-wheeler for Christmas, and she loves to drive it next to us when we make the quick trip to my childhood home. Come springtime, Walker’s brothers will transport a few of their family’s horses from Texas to our land and they will be able to run alongside the walking path.
“How many times did you have to read the fairytale tonight, Prince Charming?” I nuzzle into Walker’s neck, inhaling deeply. The scent of his intoxicating body wash envelops me, triggering a flood of memories of our shared moments in the shower together.
