Page 105 of Meant to be Falling
I don’t realize that the tears are falling freely until I feel Lana wrap her arms around me.
I could do so much good.
The words are on repeat as she holds me, as I try and reconcile what this could mean. For me. For her. For the kids.
I could pay for their college.
Their weddings.
The tears fall faster as a strong hand grips my forearm across the table. Montana’s smile is soft as he asks, “Is that a yes, brother?”
“Fuck, man,” I choke out as I wipe my face with the sleeve of my shirt. “Yes.”
“Good.” Archer chuckles. “You might find that you want to do some maintenance and also head what we’re loosely calling charitable donations. We want to do something substantial, like fund scholarships and work with vetted organizations that need help and are using the resources the way they’re intended.”
“It’s like a dream,” I say, awe seeping into my words because the possibilities are truly endless.
“Itwasa dream,” Archer agrees.
“But it’s a reality,” Montana says, holding up his glass, “and we’re so damn happy you’re a part of it.” His gaze turns to Lana. “That you’re both a part of it.”
Our glasses clink as my heart rate slows, no longer a risk for hyperventilating at the table. It makes me want to laugh again because in my entire life, I’ve never felt like I belonged.
Until Bodhi and I landed in Blackstone Falls.
And I found a home.
Love.
A family of my own making.
And now sitting here, I know without a doubt thatthisis where I’m meant to be.
I’ve lived a lifetime in just over two decades on this earth, but now, it’s time to start living.
For me.
EPILOGUE
MASON
6 YEARS LATER
Lights flash from the cameras, a room full of reporters here to see my son declare his intent to play football and attend Blackstone University in the fall. Colleges around the country had traveled to see him play, and we’d visited a fair number of those campuses too.
But his heart was nestled deep in the place that had become his home.
“Good morning,” Beck says into the microphone, a chorus of greetings going up around the room. His smile is easy, charisma oozing from every pore—a quality his mother swears he learned from me. The thought makes me grin because he’s always felt like mine. He and Holland are the greatest joys of my life, aside from being married to their mother.
“Beck has agreed to take a few questions before the formal signing,” Coach Knox Turner, athletic director for Blackstone University says, the man beaming just as hard as we are, before nodding to the first reporter.
Beck is thoughtful as he answers each question, shutting down anything he’d rather not answer with grace as he woos the entire room in the process.
“He definitely didn’t get that from me,” Lana murmurs beside me, her eyes alight with mischief.
“You’re joking,” I tease. “You love people and attention.”
She snorts, not taking the bait, and wraps her arms around my waist, resting her cheek on my chest as we stand off to the side.
