Page 109 of Heart of Gold

“Yep,” I say, pouring myself some bourbon, matching their other brother, Reid.

“Is this a long-term thing, or you gonna leave again?” he asks.

“I have to go back to San Diego to finish packing and sell my condo, but other than that, I’m here for good.”

“Good,” he says. He points to his eyes with his pointer and middle finger and then points them to me. Cam pats me on the chest. “Don’t disappoint me.”

“I’ll try not to.” I’m not sure if I should be worried or amused.

A cute blond woman bounds toward me like a puppy. “Hi! You must be Max. I’m Shiloh.” I outstretch my hand, but she jumps in my arms for a hug. “It’s so nice to meet you!” she screeches. When she dislodges herself from me, she also pats me on the chest. “You have a good one. I may not look like much, but I will hurt you if you hurt my girls.”

I chuckle. “Understood.”

“Good.” Her smile spreads across her face. I smell Emily’s perfume and turn to see my love.

“I’ve had two of your family members threaten bodily harm to me already.” I circle her shoulders and kiss her hair part.

“Sounds about right. I would be scared of Shiloh. I’ve never seen her angry, but I assume it would be brutal.”

“I bet,” I say.

“Dad,” Olive says, running to me. “The raccoons are out.”

Hearing her call me Dad twists my heart in the best possible way.

Emily and I look at each other. “Mom and Dad don’t usually have them. They must sense Shiloh is here,” Emily says.

“You have to see them.” Olive grabs my hand and pulls me to the front door.

“Okay,” I laugh.

We walk out onto the gravel driveway, and she points to the clearing where the lawn meets the trees. Animal noises sound close as Olive points, her little hand in mine.

I kneel down so I’m her height, and I see their little black-and-white heads popping out. Emily kneels on the other side of Olive as she points them out, giggling as they tumble over each other.

At one point, Emily and I catch each other’s gazes.

This was what was missing from my life.

I kiss her head, and then Olive’s. Taking both of them into my arms, my heart swells.

I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for the ten years I missed. But this moment, right now, is as precious as gold.

Epilogue

Emily

Eight Months Later

“Mom, come on. Let’s not be late.”

“There’s no rush, Olive,” I say, my daughter pulling me into the forest.

Today my daughter is ten.

She’s grown two inches in the last year, and she’s all arms and limbs. I see her dad in her more now that they’re together every day. The way she walks, how she uses her hands to talk—it’s all him.

However, the wishing well is just for us.

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