Page 114 of Fresh Tracks
None of us have ever been happier. Tanner has Veronica, and Clay has Lizzy. Even with everything we’ve all been through, it still feels like it might be the beginning of a new story, a new song for all of us.
“Hey. What are you thinking about?” Tommy’s voice brings my eyes up to his. He searches my face. I cup his face in both hands and kiss him.
“I’ll get up there with you, but I get to pick the song.”
He quirks a brow at me. “Did you have one in mind?”
I nod, holding him tightly and resting my head on his shoulder.
“The one you wrote me. My song.”
He rests his head on top of mine, pulling me into him.
“That’s not your song, Rainbow. It’s ours, and there will be plenty more of them to come.”
EPILOGUE
TOMMY
August, Four Months Later
“I promise.You’re going to love it.” Walking backwards, I pull Grace by the wrist toward the door to the driveway.
She groans, exasperated because the last time I told her that, she said it was ‘way too much’.
“Tommy, I swear to god if there’s a helicopter or a fancy car in the driveway again, I’m donating it to charity.”
The helicopter was my compromise on not using the jet all the time. I thought it was a huge win because it could be used for heli-skiing, but she didn’t seem to find the humor in my very serious idea. That doesn’t mean I don’t still have it stowed away at the Jackson airport until she comes around to the idea.
“I promise it’s not a helicopter or a fancy car. And to be fair, that SUV was solely out of love, because it was five star crash rated and the safest on the market.”
She sighs and her posture softens. “Fine. Let’s go see it.”
She told me she didn’t need or want a wedding gift from me. With every day that I’ve spent with her over the last few months, I’ve felt more and more like myself. I’ve found that passion again,the one the that drove me to write music, the one that pushed me to help my friends when they need it. I think it was always there, but being around her has brought that joy for life back to the surface and I can never thank her enough for that.
I have a feeling this gift will be perfect though.
When we walk outside, I spot Josie standing in the driveway leaning against a van, arms crossed with a smug look on her face.
Grace rushes to her friend, wrapping her arms around her in a bear hug I now associate with the whole Chapman family. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in Colorado.”
“I was. Got a little hiking in. Just had to stop here before heading on to California next week.”
I watch Grace with her best friend, glad to see the joy those two bring each other. I will forever be grateful to Josie for being there to help save her that day in the mountains. I will find a way to repay her one day.
“So what’s up? Why’d you go out of your way? You know we’ll see you next week at the music festival anyway.”
Two months ago, Grace, or more accurately, Veronica, Lizzy, and Josie all convinced me to go to the Southern California Music Festival. It's next week, but I spent the last two months working on making sure Grace and I and all of our friends would have the best time possible.
“I know, but I’m not here for you. I needed to come pick up my van and drop this one off.”
Grace gives her friend a confused look before looking at the van that’s right in front of her. “Wait. Yeah. Where is yours? Did you get a new one?”
“I left it at Collin and Walker’s. They’re picking me up in it in a few.”
“Then whose is this?” Grace asks.
She looks between us for a second and then I see the moment it clicks that it’s not Josie’s van. Grace walks around the large,blacked out adventure van. She drags her fingertips along every inch of it, checking out the lifted vehicle with off road tires, storage racks on the back for skis, and a roof rack for solar panels.
